Setting up the unnamed 1970's console

+Al_Nafuur · September 15, 2023

Here is some information how to connect the components (might change in the future):

Raspberry Pi            SN74LVC245AN            2600 Cartridge Port
5V                                              +5V (pin 23)
3V3                     Vcc (pin 20)
GND                     GND, OE (pin 10,19)     GND, sGND (pin 12,24)
GPIO  0 - GPIO 12                               A0 - A12 (pin 8-1,22,21,19,20,18)
GPIO 13 - GPIO 20       A1 - A8 (pin 2-9)
GPIO 21                 DIR (pin 1)
                        B1 - B8 (pin 18-11)     D1 - D8 (pin 9-11,13-17)

image.png.d40889bb1f446192cb5bced4424d0be1.png image.png.89b9ad36d00dfcc278b62e85562c3d68.png

+Al_Nafuur · September 15, 2023

Setting up the Raspberry Pi development environment:

Download Raspberry 32bit PiOS (here alternatively 64bit?)
Install it to an SD
Connect the Raspberry Pi to your breadboard (HowTo)
Boot the Pi
On a Pi3 I recommend resizing the 100MB swap file to at least 1GB (HowTo)
Added to "/boot/cmdline.txt" as root:
```
isolcpus=domain,managed_irq,2,3
```
If you like to make changes to the code, install any code editor/IDE you like (Install VS Code HowTo).

Clone the Stella fork and switch to the dev branch. Open the LXTerminal and type:

cd /path/to/your-git-dir/
git clone https://github.com/Al-Nafuur/stella.git
cd stella
git checkout feature/cartridgeportThread

Install SDL2 dev. Open the LXTerminal and type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-dev

If your are using a Raspberry Pi3B+ you have to change the peripheral base address (define of PI_PERI_BASE) in "stella/src/emucore/CartPort.cxx" line 30-34
Build Stella. Open the LXTerminal and type:
```
cd /path/to/your-git-dir/stella
./configure --host=rtstella && make -j2 all
```
current build needs root rights to access GPIO and timer hardware directly
building and linking takes about 1 hour
Download this file to your ROMs dir:
CartridgePort.bin

Start Stella. Open the LXTerminal and type:

cd /path/to/your-git-dir/stella
sudo export SDL_AUDIODRIVER=alsa
echo performance > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
sudo echo -1 > /proc/sys/kernel/sched_rt_runtime_us
sudo ./stella -plr.timemachine 0 -dev.timemachine 0 /path/to/your-ROM-dir/CartridgePort.bin

The rtstella build needs to be started without nice and timemachine disabled, also the file selector doesn't worked so you have to load the bin file at startup

Before you insert or remove a cartridge from the port unplug the 5V wire from the breadboard and reattach it when the cart is plugged in.
After you have plugged in the 5V you can start the cart by selecting the bin file in the Stella file selector.

JetSetIlly · September 16, 2023

This is probably a very dumb question but I assume the "2600 Cartridge Port" is literally just a port cannibalized from a real 2600, or am I mistaken? Which model of 2600 is the most suitable donor / easiest to remove? Or are they all the same.

+Al_Nafuur · September 16, 2023

4 hours ago, JetSetIlly said:

This is probably a very dumb question but I assume the "2600 Cartridge Port" is literally just a port cannibalized from a real 2600, or am I mistaken? Which model of 2600 is the most suitable donor / easiest to remove? Or are they all the same.

You can rip the off of an 2600.

But you also can buy a new one:

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=24+pin+edge+connector+buy

sorry couldn't resist ;-)

There is also a few threads here on AA about buying them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A+fourum.atariage.com+buy+24+pin+edge+connector&sca_esv=565782341&hl=de&ei=Re4EZZetJsaHxc8PwM2o2AY&ved=0ahUKEwjX4_fl562BAxXGQ_EDHcAmCmsQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=site%3A+fourum.atariage.com+buy+24+pin+edge+connector&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiM3NpdGU6IGZvdXJ1bS5hdGFyaWFnZS5jb20gYnV5IDI0IHBpbiBlZGdlIGNvbm5lY3RvcjIFECEYoAFIiI4BUMMEWMWFAXABeAGQAQCYAZABoAG9FqoBBTE0LjE0uAEDyAEA-AEB-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&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#ip=1

Thomas Jentzsch · September 16, 2023

38 minutes ago, Al_Nafuur said:

You can rip the off of an 2600.

But you also can buy a new one:

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=24+pin+edge+connector+buy

sorry couldn't resist

It took me quite a while to find out the correct name for it. Maybe @JetSetIlly didn't know too.

+5-11under · September 16, 2023

The picture in the first post shows Raspberry Pi 3/4. @Al_Nafuur is using a 3B (I think). Would the code require changes for a 4, or would it work the same? Any information is appreciated.

+Al_Nafuur · September 16, 2023

1 hour ago, 5-11under said:

The picture in the first post shows Raspberry Pi 3/4. @Al_Nafuur is using a 3B (I think). Would the code require changes for a 4, or would it work the same? Any information is appreciated.

It looks like the 4 has some changes to the GPIO handling, so indeed the code may has to be adapted to the 4.

Kroko · September 17, 2023

On 9/15/2023 at 1:11 PM, Al_Nafuur said:

(Install VS Code HowTo).

This is a 404 ... do you have a working link ?

radventure · September 19, 2023

Would a Pi 3b+ be the path-of-least-resistance for mirroring the *something*Stella*something*'s (public) progress? I'm trying to source a new one, but they're a little scarce and less cost effective currently.

+Al_Nafuur · September 19, 2023

On 9/17/2023 at 1:35 PM, Kroko said:

This is a 404 ... do you have a working link ?

Thanks, the fixed link is:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/raspberry-pi

+Al_Nafuur · September 19, 2023

19 hours ago, radventure said:

Would a Pi 3b+ be the path-of-least-resistance for mirroring the *something*Stella*something*'s (public) progress? I'm trying to source a new one, but they're a little scarce and less cost effective currently.

Yes a 3B+ would be best at the moment. But there are a few people starting to test on Pi 4 soon..

radventure · September 20, 2023

I have a new Pi 3b+ on order, along with a couple of Sullins EBC12DCWN cart connectors.... hope they're the ones! A pair of SN74LVC245AN .... and I'm *partially* blaming @Thomas Jentzsch for me now also ordering PCBs and the items in the BOM, needed for a pair of Stelladaptors. Those enclosures are cheap enough, but the shipping isn't! Might be heat-shrink wrapped by the looks of it.

I'll have to sort a breadboard and jumperwire next

Thomas Jentzsch · September 20, 2023

3 hours ago, radventure said:

.. and I'm *partially* blaming @Thomas Jentzsch

Why me?

radventure · September 20, 2023

Apologies Thomas, I incorrectly recalled who mentioned it. I should be holding @Al_Nafuur partially responsible for me ordering more stuff (all good of course 🙂, exciting stuff). The Stelladaptor was mentioned some posts back and my brain tends to associate the phrase "Stella" with you automatically.

Kroko · September 21, 2023

The Pi 3B+ and the 345 arrived

+Al_Nafuur · September 22, 2023

11 hours ago, Kroko said:

The Pi 3B+ and the 345 arrived

Nice Setup!👍

I'm almost a little envious of the 34 channel logic analyzer. Something like that can be quite useful when debugging. Does it have 100Mhz resolution on all channels simultaneously?

Can you send some screenshots oft the analyzer captures?

Kroko · September 22, 2023

2 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

Can you send some screenshots oft the analyzer captures?

Yes, that was the plan. I just need to configure it to the current setup. But then we should be able to see what goes wrong timing wise, in case we suspect it has to do with bus timing.

This is the specification of this thing: (I feel its good enough for all we need to see)

Edited September 22, 2023 by Kroko

Kroko · September 22, 2023

So I think its setup now. Here is the first measurement:

Is there anything specific you want to see at this point ?

+Al_Nafuur · September 22, 2023

44 minutes ago, Kroko said:

So I think its setup now. Here is the first measurement:

Is there anything specific you want to see at this point ?

Yes, I am very interested in writes to the Zeropage and SC-RAM. From a real cartridge with SC-RAM would be cool, also writes to multicarts like the Harmony or the UnoCart/PlusCart would be nice to see.

Thomas Jentzsch · September 22, 2023

@Al_Nafuur How about the other extra RAM types?

Kroko · September 26, 2023

I am getting merge conflicts when I try to rebase. Any chance you could provide some branch or commit that just contains all I need to build rtstella ?

+Al_Nafuur · September 27, 2023

12 hours ago, Kroko said:

I am getting merge conflicts when I try to rebase.

merge conflicts? Do you have any local changes made?

You might start a clean download/build in a new folder.

12 hours ago, Kroko said:

Any chance you could provide some branch or commit that just contains all I need to build rtstella ?

I think it makes no sense to merge the two branches yet. @DirtyHairy

Kroko · September 27, 2023

7 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

merge conflicts? Do you have any local changes made?

no changes. Fresh folder and then applied your instructions.

7 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

You might start a clean download/build in a new folder.

Thats what I did. Maybe you could try your instructions in a new folder and see if it works ? I tried it 2 times with fresh folders ...

DirtyHairy · September 27, 2023

8 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

I think it makes no sense to merge the two branches yet. @DirtyHairy

I think a merge would be fine. The rtstella scheduling code seems to be stable and work as it should, and you have an ifdef in your timing code that checks for rtstella, so people can try both variants. Anyway, rtstella is the way forward, the normal scheduler will never work at full speed with a real cart..

+Al_Nafuur · September 27, 2023

6 hours ago, Kroko said:

no changes. Fresh folder and then applied your instructions.

Thats what I did. Maybe you could try your instructions in a new folder and see if it works ? I tried it 2 times with fresh folders ...

Sorry, I cleaned up the mess and the instructions. No need to rebase the rtstella branch.

Setting up the unnamed 1970's console

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