Cartridges and BLK select lines

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:43 am

Anonymous wrote:As to the added reset switch ...I couldn't see any reason not to include it.
As far as I remember ..the RES line did appear on the underside (lettered A-X ) contacts.

Not on all cartridges though - i.e. if you look at this pic of another cart:

http://www.bjlyons.com/cbm/vic-20/4kbotcct.jpg

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 8:39 am

Ahhh
I see what you mean Schema ...
I didn't realise that some producers economised on gold ...by not including all the contacts on their carts

rgds
VS

KilrPilr · Post by **KilrPilr** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:03 am

Yeah Baby Yeah MULTICART! MULTICART! MULTICART! (chants to get the crowd going

)

Looks great Leif. Man you should clean those cartridge contacts though. All that dirt. Bad for Vic

Leo

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:29 am

I don't have the slightest idea where to begin with a multicart

I'm still new to all this, starting simple.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 2:48 pm

Yeah, a VIC Flashcart would be shimmy!

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:26 pm

Marko Mäkelä has most of the schematics and software ready. He only needs someone who can produce units for a reasonable price. I think he even considered making it a double-ender (VIC + 64) cartridge to increase potential buyers.

KilrPilr · Post by **KilrPilr** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 5:36 pm

carlsson wrote:Marko Mäkelä even considered making it a double-ender (VIC + 64) cartridge to increase potential buyers.

WOW! Now that would be extremely cool! Go Marko!!

Leo

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:50 am

Boray wrote:Very nice Schema! One thing though... Having the switch and the reset button on the top like that, it won't fit into my vic-1020... I would rather like them on the right side. On the upper part of the right side so that it will fit into a normal vic as well...

/Anders

I mean like this:

/Anders

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 8:05 am

Jeff-20 wrote:Yeah, a VIC Flashcart would be shimmy!

Jim Brain's uIEC Compact Flash drive should work perfectly on the VIC20 as well.

http://www.jbrain.com/vicug/gallery/uIEC

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:00 am

Boray wrote:And as I just said to vic-user, I think it's really cool that you made it switchable to block 3! Now it can be used with both programmer's aid (second half of block 3) and super expander at the same time...

Unfortunately, I don't think it will work with the programmer's aid.

Assuming the Wedges don't conflict with each other, I still don't see how you can have two cartridges in block 3 at the same time. Since BLK3 goes to CS on the EPROM or ROM, both carts will respond and try to put a byte on the data lines, and who knows what will happen then.

Unless BLK3 is ANDed with the appropriate address line maybe? I have no idea if the programmer's aid cartridge does that - mine certainly won't.

I think you'll still have to flip switches and reset to switch between the two - but it's still more convenient than loading it from disk!

Or it can be used to load and start cartridge files... It will be so cool!

Unfortunately, the Wedge doesn't have % (load ,8,1). I'll see if I can add that.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:24 am

At least some semi-official memory maps mentioned that the cartridges (Vicmon, Super Expander, Programmers' Aid) go into different slots, and it should be possible to use them together - or at least have them plugged in - at the same time.

It raises another question, has anyone considered combining at least SE and PA into one cartridge, offering both programming help and graphics commands? I believe there was a Tool cartridge, unless it only appeared on the C64, that may have done this. Of course one can write your own Basic extention that combines RENUMBER with GRAPHIC.

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:03 am

I know you can use programmer's aid and vicmon simultaneously. And at least the programmer's aid cart doesn't look special inside... I still think it will work... The programmer's aid uses second half of block 3, so as long as you use a 4k rom, I think it will work....

/Anders

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:01 am

Just checked - it looks like my cart (as-is, using 6502dude's mods) is "mirroring" itself into both 4K halves of the block. I might have to add another addressing line.

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 8:15 pm

Success! 6502dude pointed out something I had totally missed - 2732 EPROMs have also have an "output enable" pin (/OE). By connecting BLK5 or BLK3 to /OE, and A12 to /CS, it only uses up the lower 4K. It's as though the EPROM had its own AND gate inside it.

So, I now have the most supercharged VIC possible:

-Block 0: 3K Expansion (from Super Expander)
-Block 1+2: 16K Expansion Cart
-Block 3: Disk Utility Cartridge + Programmer's Aid Cartridge
-Block 5: Super Expander Cartridge

All of them were active simultaneously too.

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 2:50 am

Yeah! Great!!!!!

/Anders