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How does the CX-55 adapter affect the state of the 5200 when it's connected?


x=usr(1536)

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6 minutes ago, zylon said:

That's literally, what the cx55 does. It's a complete 2600, that just outputs into the 5200 video, and uses its' power supply.  With the popular "NES on a chip" setups being a possibility. You could have carts that have an entire system, and library, inside. Just a couple control ports and a reset button. The idea had come to me, after I got one of those little handhelds that runs crapload of old systems on it, and knowing how the cx55 actually worked. Market would be very low for such a thing though.

Yup.  Between what I've learned about the CX-55 and the Atarimax SD, I'm increasingly convinced that the way to handle something like FMV playback is to do it from a device operating as a cartridge.  It's a much simpler design with lower hardware design requirements, and keeps access to all of the 5200 hardware intact.

6 minutes ago, zylon said:

In the pre-internet days, we used to use those cx55 for parts, to fix 2600 systems. 

Makes perfect sense :thumbsup:

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1 minute ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Yup.  Between what I've learned about the CX-55 and the Atarimax SD, I'm increasingly convinced that the way to handle something like FMV playback is to do it from a device operating as a cartridge.  It's a much simpler design with lower hardware design requirements, and keeps access to all of the 5200 hardware intact.

Makes perfect sense :thumbsup:

Add a USB power socket for power, instead of solely hitting the system, for better picture. The 5200 operating system was only like 2kb, while the 400 used maybe 8-10kb. In the case of the 5200, half that was the built-in character-set. I'd imagine the OS of the atarimax cart uses a bit more energy to run, being it has to power its' own memory.

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On 10/6/2022 at 12:42 AM, x=usr(1536) said:

Bear in mind that the 5200's ROM is different to the ones used in the A8, it lacks a PIA, and only has 16K of RAM.  To my mind, it would make more sense to implement a complete A8 on a compact board and just use the 5200 for power and A/V output like the 2600 adapter did.  But yes, it's a possibility.

 

Realistically, a 7800 adapter might be a better fit these days: it'd make the 5200 the one Atari system capable of playing titles from all three of Atari's dedicated 8-bit game consoles.  Doubt there's much demand for one, though.

I would buy it :)

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 10/8/2022 at 11:09 AM, x=usr(1536) said:

switching to Traco 2-2450 DC-DC switching regulators may be on the cards

Did that today.  Interestingly, snow is noticeably reduced when using a standard 5200 cartridge or the Atarimax; both now show about equal levels.

 

What remained more or less unchanged, however, was the CX-55.  Its output is still pretty ugly, and, having opened it up last night, found that it's one of the models with the power regulation PCB as opposed to the standalone regulator.  I'll give it a recap (a foul word, but justified in this case, I think) at some point and see what changes.

 

Have a couple of blank 5200 cartridge PCBs en route; I'll do some experimentation with them and a RasPi's composite output when they get here.

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