What’s the difference —- Side 3 and Side 3.1

[Frankie]

I googled around but didn’t find any info.

 

Frank

Edited February 2, 2023 by Frankie

[Beeblebrox]

Worth starting with this video. Video starts at the side3.1.introduction.

 

Generally any new side3 cart sold by a reseller should be a side3.1 cart. 

 

 

[snicklin]

Hmm, so this has 8 megabytes of SRAM? Please excuse my naivety, I am not a daily reader on AA anymore, was there ever an explanation given on how a programmer can use this SRAM from their own Atari programmes?

 

Edit: Just saw the Side 3 wing which I guess I would need for programming from the Atari. Is there an explanation on how to address that memory, or is this just like any other extended memory module?

Edited February 4, 2023 by snicklin

[_The Doctor__]

I'd think it would be split between Atari System use and the devices use for serving up the goods

[Beeblebrox]

Not to go off on too much of a tangent here but there is of course the facility on All SIDE3/3.1 carts with the current firmware and CIO for programmers to utilise the SDCard and FAT FMS to read/write data in their games which then takes advantage of the potentially relative vast amount of storage space on any SDCard. 

 

To quote fjc in relation to another topic question about saving state data:

"game developers could avail themselves of the omnipresent r/w CIO FAT filesystem driver for the purpose of reading and writing state data if they can bear to avoid using RAM below $2000." 

https://forums.atariage.com/topic/196992-8bit-pac-man-arcade-final-version-accepting-orders/?do=findComment&comment=5200762

 

... As well as an early video short from last year from him illustrating the potential of the r/w and aforementioned vast amount of storage space available :

 

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Beeblebrox