PiRTO II multicart just published

[Tissemon]

2 hours ago, mamejay said:

All good.  Didn't realise I need the CFG files.  

Most Roms use the configuration found in 0.cfg. If you put 0.cfg in the root, all games that doesn’t have a cfg will use that file instead.

[mamejay]

7 hours ago, Tissemon said:

Most Roms use the configuration found in 0.cfg. If you put 0.cfg in the root, all games that doesn’t have a cfg will use that file instead.

Thank you!  Little confusing but my googlefoo sorted this out.

[Tissemon]

On 6/11/2024 at 11:56 AM, Tissemon said:

Here we go again! 🙂

Before anybody starts sending messages to me about buying:

I'm only making 10 carts and THEY WILL ONLY BE FOR SALE IN SWEDEN - I will not send them anywhere outside Sweden.

 

I've made one cart so far and here are some notes if anybody else wants to make a cart:

The pads for the transistor are very close together on the PCB - I first bridged two of the by accident. Luckily didn't hurt neither my console or the cart - just gave me blank screen. A bit flux and resolder and the problem went away 🙂 Check with MultiMeter that no legs are connected after soldering if you are unsure!

FATfs is a bit limited and won't load ANY games if ONE or more files with bad or too many characters exist in a folder. Bad characters include , : ; ! and a few more. Took a while for me to find them all, Seems that quite a few games have ! in them. Like Shark! Shark! 🙂

I renamed my files and now they all work.

Bad Apple demo won't work on this cart either (only works on original RTO).

Sometimes when I turn on my unit - the image is just totally blank - I then had to first push reset on my Intellivision and then reset on the PiRTO II-cart. Did not work if I did it in reversed order. Might be something that is fixable with a software update, but then again, it's not really a problem since it doesn't even happen all the time.

And lastly the shell fits quite badly for me the screws are 1mm too far apart so I had to cut the plastic a bit to fit the PCB. The shell is also about 1mm too high, so it's a very tight fit into the connector. These issues is probably because I use a 0,6mm nozzle on my 3D-printer, instead of 0,4mm. So I'm redesigning the shell a bit to fit my needs. Printing a new test as I type here now 🙂

 

Great job as usual @aotta ! 

A little update on my experince now that I've put together 9 more carts and sold them all:

Me and Aotta managed to figure out what caused the problem on boot. Quite simplified: On startup, a healthy Intellivision send a signal to the msync pin on the cart - The PiRTO II is programmed to sense if there is no signal on msync, it means that it is connected to a computer and boots up in file-mode instead of game-mode. My Intellivision and also Intellivisions with old/bad caps on reset circuit doesn't always send the msync signal, until you press reset on the Intellivision one time. But at first startup Pirto has already gone into file-mode, so that's why I had to reset the cart as well afterwards.

Anyway - I measured up all the pins on the Pi Pico and found out that GPIO 1 and some more GPIO-pins got powered by my Intellivision but not by my computer, so Aotta made an alternate version of the firmware for me that checks if there is power on one of those pins instead, to determine if the cart is powered by an Intellivsion or a computer.

This alternate firmware can be found on the github page: https://github.com/aotta/PiRTOII/tree/main

Feel free to try it if you have trouble booting your PiRTO II. It works perfectly for me now! (tested on two different PAL Intellivisions)

 

I've also seen that some people have had issues with config files so I have attached a zip with the all config files and an excel-file with which games use which config file. As you can see, most games use 0.cfg, so Aotta has made it possible to just copy 0.cfg to the root, and then every game that doesn't have a cfg-file specified will use that config.

If a game needs another config, Commando, for example, use config 2. Then you copy 2.cfg to the same directory where you have commando.bin and then you rename 2.cfg to commando.cfg.

If you have a .rom-file, you can use rom2bin.exe that comes in the bin-folder of the emulator jzintv - this tool automatically creates both a bin and the correct cfg-file to use.

 

As I wrote before, I made some changes to the shell. I've attached my version of the shell as well here, if anybody would like to try it.

Regarding my boxes, I havn't designed the artwork myself, so I don't feel comfortable sharing it publically.

+ it's a bit cool to know that there only exists 10 copys of my box in the whole world right now 🙂

INTV-ConfigFiles.zip PiRTOii-shell_Tissemon.zip

[mdoerty]

Are there any instructions on using this multicart?  
 

I picked up one off eBay but it did not have any instructions. So I want to make sure I don’t do something stupid when I go to use it for the first time. 

[aotta]

6 hours ago, mdoerty said:

I picked up one off eBay but it did not have any instructions. So I want to make sure I don’t do something stupid when I go to use it for the first time. 

If the ebay seller didn't add some C4 and a bigger resistor in the Pirto II, no risk in simply insert the cart in your console and just power it on... 😁

Plug the cart via usb to your pc for adding "bin" files, and use name shorter than 30 char and without special symbols. I don't think you'll need any further instructions for enjoying your Pirto II.

[Jboner1058]

I def didn’t add C4, but I have been adding gold plating to the carts. Been trying to contact you on here, but my account was locked because it didn’t recognize my email. Remixed the shell design remixing the shells a little bit over the last month for a bit more strength and channels cut out for the solder leads to sit flat, and adding more surface area to hold the cart board in place better. Aotta I didn’t set out to make and sell these, and just put up my leftover ones after I made one for myself, but man so many people have been messaging me to make them for them I couldn’t stop. I’ll upload some of the new shells stl designs here later this week when I’m back home.

[aotta]

Very nice shells, curious to see how it fits with Pirto II PCB!

[Crash7]

8 hours ago, Jboner1058 said:

I def didn’t add C4, but I have been adding gold plating to the carts. Been trying to contact you on here, but my account was locked because it didn’t recognize my email. Remixed the shell design remixing the shells a little bit over the last month for a bit more strength and channels cut out for the solder leads to sit flat, and adding more surface area to hold the cart board in place better. Aotta I didn’t set out to make and sell these, and just put up my leftover ones after I made one for myself, but man so many people have been messaging me to make them for them I couldn’t stop. I’ll upload some of the new shells stl designs here later this week when I’m back home.

 

Those look pretty badass.

[Jboner1058]

This will only open in Bambu Studio. Could not get it to export to STL since there are negative parts added. It is a mashup of your Aotta cart shell, and Tissemon shell with more parts added and subtracted, but cannot export from Bambu to a generic STL file. I will not be making anymore after i am out of supplies and gold plated boards. This started as just a way to play intellivision this summer, but now people are non-stop harassing me to make them for them. I just don't want to anymore. I am a teacher, not a manufacturer, and school has started. Already bought bambu labs x1c just to make the ones people asked me to make, and I am done. Thank you Aotta for your project, did not want to be adjacently famous off your project just for soldering. Keep telling those that contact me, wanting me to talk on channels it’s not my project and open source. Thought I was helping out by making them, now parts and tools cost too much for what they want and I... just cannot keep up.

Pirto 2 Gold Cart Mashup Remix.3mf

Edited September 8 by Jboner1058

[wolfy62]

1 hour ago, Jboner1058 said:

This will only open in Bambu Studio. Could not get it to export to STL since there are negative parts added. It is a mashup of your Aotta cart shell, and Tissemon shell with more parts added and subtracted, but cannot export from Bambu to a generic STL file. I will not be making anymore after i am out of supplies and gold plated boards. This started as just a way to play intellivision this summer, but now people are non-stop harassing me to make them for them. I just don't want to anymore. I am a teacher, not a manufacturer, and school has started. Already bought bambu labs x1c just to make the ones people asked me to make, and I am done. Thank you Aotta for your project, did not want to be adjacently famous off your project just for soldering. Keep telling those that contact me, wanting me to talk on channels it’s not my project and open source. Thought I was helping out by making them, now parts and tools cost too much for what they want and I... just cannot keep up.

Pirto 2 Gold Cart Mashup Remix.3mf 352.03 kB · 3 downloads

Hey man,

For what it's worth information wise,I love your cart.

I purchased one a couple weeks ago and really enjoy that the games are preloaded because I am technology impaired (I'm just an old school retro gamer for Pete's sake!), and the reset button is awesome because to switch games on my LTO Flash on my Intellivision 2 I have to hold the reset button on the console down for 5 seconds or longer.

So then I saw your gold plated version and I purchased one of those,easy choice for me!

I read you realized it wasn't cost worthy for you to make them because of Ebay fees.

I just wanted to point out,if you raised the price to $70. or even $80. dollars for these,since they already come with the games on them,I'm convinced people would still purchase them.

I know that I would!

I do understand it's just a side project for you and you have a regular job that requires a lot of time.

My Wife is a Teacher, so I definitely get it!

Anyway,thanks again for making these preloaded for game players like myself, it's very much appreciated!👍👏😊

[Jboner1058]

That’s another thing, I shouldn’t have put the roms on them either. But people kept asking me to do it for them

[+fdr4prez]

15 minutes ago, Jboner1058 said:

That’s another thing, I shouldn’t have put the roms on them either. But people kept asking me to do it for them

Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. 

[wolfy62]

52 minutes ago, Jboner1058 said:

That’s another thing, I shouldn’t have put the roms on them either. But people kept asking me to do it for them

That's pretty much the only reason I purchased them,so thanks again for doing it!👍

And once again,with all that's included-raise the price!!!

 

Edited September 8 by wolfy62

[aotta]

Just a note about pricing.. one friend did his homeworks and compute the cost of my flashcarts:

https://www.nightfallcrew.com/25/06/2024/flash-multicarts-for-intellivision-colecovision-sega-sc3000/

the cost of the carts without the shell is about 7$, and that's was my goal when i designed PiRTO and others flashcarts: a cheaper and easy cart opensource for everyone.

I'm happy that some guys all over the world are building PiRTO II & Co. for who hasn't soldering skills, but i hope the prices remain low.. i haven't earn a buck from all my projects, becouse i want only to share my knowlodege and fun with other retro enthusiasts, and i hope i'm not the only one.

[Morpheus]

1 minute ago, aotta said:

Just a note about pricing.. one friend did his homeworks and compute the cost of my flashcarts:

https://www.nightfallcrew.com/25/06/2024/flash-multicarts-for-intellivision-colecovision-sega-sc3000/

the cost of the carts without the shell is about 7$, and that's was my goal when i designed PiRTO and others flashcarts: a cheaper and easy cart opensource for everyone.

I'm happy that some guys all over the world are building PiRTO II & Co. for who hasn't soldering skills, but i hope the prices remain low.. i haven't earn a buck from all my projects, becouse i want only to share my knowlodege and fun with other retro enthusiasts, and i hope i'm not the only one.

I truly appreciate and admire your approach aotta!👍👍👍

[onlyinajeep]

Ok, I'm doing something wrong...

my root dir has the three game .bins and their .cfgs and also 0.cfg. These all will run fine.

 

The two directories have .bins, their .cfgs and a 0.cfg. I get the screen below when starting a game. Even the games that are working fine from root.

 

thanks, Steve

[Tissemon]

1 hour ago, onlyinajeep said:

Ok, I'm doing something wrong...

my root dir has the three game .bins and their .cfgs and also 0.cfg. These all will run fine.

 

The two directories have .bins, their .cfgs and a 0.cfg. I get the screen below when starting a game. Even the games that are working fine from root.

 

thanks, Steve

Yes, it does that if you have too many files in a folder, one of them has too many characters in its name or if any file has an illegal character such as , (comma) in it. So look over all your files in your folders and rename/split them over more folders, and you should be good.

[aotta]

33 minutes ago, Tissemon said:

Yes, it does that if you have too many files in a folder, one of them has too many characters in its name or if any file has an illegal character such as , (comma) in it. So look over all your files in your folders and rename/split them over more folders, and you should be good.

And, PiRTO must found 0.cfg in root directory, even if all games are in subdir

[MMarcoux66]

On 9/8/2024 at 10:52 AM, Jboner1058 said:

This will only open in Bambu Studio. Could not get it to export to STL since there are negative parts added. It is a mashup of your Aotta cart shell, and Tissemon shell with more parts added and subtracted, but cannot export from Bambu to a generic STL file. I will not be making anymore after i am out of supplies and gold plated boards. This started as just a way to play intellivision this summer, but now people are non-stop harassing me to make them for them. I just don't want to anymore. I am a teacher, not a manufacturer, and school has started. Already bought bambu labs x1c just to make the ones people asked me to make, and I am done. Thank you Aotta for your project, did not want to be adjacently famous off your project just for soldering. Keep telling those that contact me, wanting me to talk on channels it’s not my project and open source. Thought I was helping out by making them, now parts and tools cost too much for what they want and I... just cannot keep up.

Pirto 2 Gold Cart Mashup Remix.3mf 352.03 kB · 7 downloads

I have a few that I was going to list, so will start in a week or so after yours are exhausted. I am going to limit to a 10-15 cartridge run. I've been hooking up friends and people at my office.

 

Like you have another job, so will only make what I originally ordered PCB-wise :). I already printed a bunch of shells but will take a look at yours as I have Bambu printers. Your shells look amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Edited September 9 by MMarcoux66

[Jboner1058]

I think I’m just tired and cranky lol. This school year is crazy already. But, the new 3D printer which I got 2 weeks ago will be put to good use for my students who are already giving me a list of things they want me to print for them. I used overture pla pro in black, and cookiecad gold flake but they don’t have it anymore for sale, so probably overture silk gold would work.

[onlyinajeep]

12 hours ago, Tissemon said:

Yes, it does that if you have too many files in a folder, one of them has too many characters in its name or if any file has an illegal character such as , (comma) in it. So look over all your files in your folders and rename/split them over more folders, and you should be good.

Thanks guys. Working great now. At first I put all the files in the root, but windows gave me an error about FAT limitations. I made the two folders and thought I was golden, nope. 

 

 

[onlyinajeep]

My reset button was only 6mm tall, didn't peek out of the hole. Here's a small button extension I freecadded. The base is thick enough to just press on the button keeping it in the hole. Your mileage may vary, you may hafta file a little off the bottom. I used PLA, 0.04 nozzle, 0.08 layer height, bambu p1s

PiRTO2_Button.7z

[MMarcoux66]

1 hour ago, Jboner1058 said:

I think I’m just tired and cranky lol. This school year is crazy already. But, the new 3D printer which I got 2 weeks ago will be put to good use for my students who are already giving me a list of things they want me to print for them. I used overture pla pro in black, and cookiecad gold flake but they don’t have it anymore for sale, so probably overture silk gold would work.

lol. Those Bambu printers are amazing. Never looked back from Creality or Tevo since I got them. I print a lot on consignment for a couple of sellers who don't have their own here in town and stuff for family and friends. It is truly a hobby, def not a business. I give the bags of "poop" filament to my son who is also an educator like you who has his students grind it down and recycle it into new things.

Edited September 9 by MMarcoux66

[Jboner1058]

1 hour ago, MMarcoux66 said:

lol. Those Bambu printers are amazing. Never looked back from Creality or Tevo since I got them. I print a lot on consignment for a couple of sellers who don't have their own here in town and stuff for family and friends. It is truly a hobby, def not a business. I give the bags of "poop" filament to my son who is also an educator like you who has his students grind it down and recycle it into new things.

I had ender 5, flashforge pro max 2 (which was nice for the dual print head for pva dissolvable and I do miss that speed not having to change filament), the dremel at work. Bambu blows them all out of the water. I run the AV/Engineering/Gaming-Retro Game clubs so I’m gonna try and fund raise this year by selling prints the students design of our mascot at the school store. Last year we built a full size arcade from scratch wood and pi, this year they want to do a virtual pinball. So lots of fundraising needed 

[Numan]

Has anyone been able to get Whale Hunt running on the PiRTO II?