Atari 800 Personality Board -- RAMROM 2022

[firebottle]

On 7/15/2023 at 8:34 PM, reifsnyderb said:

I've added a jumper to send the clock signal (Phi2) out the RASTime line so as to have Phi2 on the left cartridge port.  This is designed to improve cartridge compatibility on Atari 800's that are using SRAM memory...which does not require RASTime.  The new board is now known as the RAMROM 2023.   🙂

 

What carts aren't compatible?

[reifsnyderb]

10 minutes ago, firebottle said:

What carts aren't compatible?

It's been reported that some newer carts aren't compatible with an 800 due to RASTime being used for cartridge timing.  If memory serves, SIDE2 is one of them.  (If I am wrong or anyone has a list, please feel free to join in!)

 

RASTime is generated by the personality card.  If there aren't any DRAM memory cards, then sending Phi2 down the RASTime line works fine and a personality card, such as RAMROM 2023, can do this.

[+Larry]

On 7/15/2023 at 6:34 PM, reifsnyderb said:

I've added a jumper to send the clock signal (Phi2) out the RASTime line so as to have Phi2 on the left cartridge port.  This is designed to improve cartridge compatibility on Atari 800's that are using SRAM memory...which does not require RASTime.  The new board is now known as the RAMROM 2023.   🙂

 

Is it feasible to modify the the RamRom2022 with a jumper wire to provide Phi2?

[reifsnyderb]

1 hour ago, Larry said:

Is it feasible to modify the the RamRom2022 with a jumper wire to provide Phi2?

It is possible and feasible.  You need to break the trace at U10, pin 6, in the lower right-hand corner of the board.  On the bottom edge connector, pins S and V then need a jumper.  (Pins S and V are on the back side of the board just opposite of pins 15 and 18.  The "alphabetically labelled" pins have some missing letters.)

[Faicuai]

On 7/15/2023 at 9:34 PM, reifsnyderb said:

I've added a jumper to send the clock signal (Phi2) out the RASTime line so as to have Phi2 on the left cartridge port.  This is designed to improve cartridge compatibility on Atari 800's that are using SRAM memory...which does not require RASTime.  The new board is now known as the RAMROM 2023.   🙂

 

Well, sounds like this would make RamRom-2023 a virtually mandatory, drop-in, plug-and-play upgrade for every 800 user out there, who prefers avoiding any on-board modification of an otherwise pristine host, while enjoying multiple OSes (including 16KB ROMs like OS/N Omnimon), 128 KB of battery-backed Mosaic RAM, 52KB base-ram window, and all of this while affording the luxury of enabling [RAS or Phi2] timing for those carts that really need it (including SIDE-2, etc.).

 

Way to go!

[reifsnyderb]

Here's the next manual.  Version 0.2.  Still missing is information on the battery backed-up RAM capability.

 

RAMROM 2022 Manual v0_20.pdf

 

I am shipping one out today with the current version of OS/C-2023 installed.  OS/C-2023 is based on an XL OS that I ported to the 800.  It has numerous bug fixes, the international character set, HIAS High Speed SIO, Fast Math F+, and a built-in CX-85 numeric keypad handler.   🙂

 

Here's the thread on the OS:  https://forums.atariage.com/topic/351844-another-os-for-an-atari-800-os-c

Edited July 19, 2023 by reifsnyderb

[Beeblebrox]

Great work. Is the RAMROD 2023 version available yet?  I had a look the other day and your sites have the 2022 version.

 

I am in the UK so not really cost effective to buy from the States and ship. Just curious when it's available.

 

 

[reifsnyderb]

2 hours ago, Beeblebrox said:

Great work. Is the RAMROD 2023 version available yet?  I had a look the other day and your sites have the 2022 version.

 

I am in the UK so not really cost effective to buy from the States and ship. Just curious when it's available.

 

 

 

I have it available on ebay now.  I need to update the other locations.  I completely understand the issue with shipping to the UK as between the cost of shipping, VAT, and paperwork it's an expensive process.

[Beeblebrox]

51 minutes ago, reifsnyderb said:

 

I have it available on ebay now.  I need to update the other locations.  I completely understand the issue with shipping to the UK as between the cost of shipping, VAT, and paperwork it's an expensive process.

Cool, could you pop the link up? 

[reifsnyderb]

21 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

Cool, could you pop the link up? 

Here it is:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/275956630256

[tep392]

1 hour ago, reifsnyderb said:

 

I have it available on ebay now.  I need to update the other locations.  I completely understand the issue with shipping to the UK as between the cost of shipping, VAT, and paperwork it's an expensive process.

I noticed it pop up on one of my saved searches the other day.  Nice work!

[Beeblebrox]

50 minutes ago, reifsnyderb said:

Here it is:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/275956630256

I may have missed this but any plans merge your 1mb ram card design with this ramrod one? Or maybe 576k

 

 

[reifsnyderb]

17 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

I may have missed this but any plans merge your 1mb ram card design with this ramrod one? Or maybe 576k

 

I haven't thought much about it.  I'd have to make some space on the board to add memory so it may be possible if the 3 ROM sockets were removed.  There's a lot of possibilities.  If there were to be an "all-in-1" type board, it would probably be better to remove some of the lesser used features such as the battery backup for the memory.  Of course, there would be compromises, such as not being able to use such a configuration with a Mega 4 board.  A13 and A14 would somehow have to be supplied and/or decoded as well.  This is complicated by the fact that /S0 through /S3 aren't available on the personality card slot.  It could be done but there would be some compromises.

[reifsnyderb]

While the RAMROM 2023 card has the ability to select whether Phi2 or RASTime goes out to the left cartridge and ROM slots, the RAMROM 2022 didn't have that feature.  It's possible to modify the RAMROM 2022 by doing the following:

 

1.  Carefully cut the trace leading out from pin 6 on U10.

2.  On the back side of the board, solder a jumper from the top of the Phi2 pad to the top of the RASTime pad.  (Only solder on the top of the pad.)  Officially, these pads are designated as "S" and "V".  Counting from the back left, they are the 5th pad and the 8th pad.

 

Pictures are below:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by reifsnyderb

[reifsnyderb]

Here's the latest manual release:

 

RAMROM 2022 Manual v0_30.pdf