Is 32K Memory Pack rare?

Mikam73 · Post by **Mikam73** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:11 pm

http://riemun.huuto.net/auctionimages/7 ... 2-orig.jpg

How common is this? What would be prize these days?

d0c · Post by **d0c** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:29 pm

i dunno but i got the 16k cart version...

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:35 am

I think that is one of the most common 32K designs, available under many brands but appearing more or less identical. Not as common as the Audio Computers cartridge of course

but we're several people who own 32K cartridges that seem to be functionally identical to the one Mikam asked about.

It is a good design though, so worth buying even if it would not be very rare.

eslapion · Post by **eslapion** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:37 am

That 32k expander appears to be functionnally identical to the one I make and sell. However, it has one glaring advantage. It covers the 3k RAM expansion section.

I didn't implement this as I felt it added a lot of components for little more functionnality. Then again, maybe I didn't account for the actual usefulness factor.

PhotoJim · Post by **PhotoJim** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:55 am

If a person is going to only have one expander, that one would be a good design since it can cover all the common expansion possibilities and let you run just about any software.

I think a version of your expander that includes the 3K area would be useful, eslapion, but as to whether you should design it depends on how much you are going to have to charge for it. I doubt VIC-20 memory expander cartridges are in high demand anymore so it probably makes sense to only sell one type.

I plan to use my cartridge expander with a 3K cartridge so that I can have a 40K VIC. The best of both worlds.

Mikam73 · Post by **Mikam73** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:29 am

carlsson wrote:
It is a good design though, so worth buying even if it would not be very rare.

I curious what those usually cost..

Jogi · Post by **Jogi** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 1:29 pm

HI,

http://www.nemetzpower.de/Denial/16-32kRam-Page1.jpg

http://www.nemetzpower.de/Denial/16-32kRam-Page2.jpg

regards Jogi

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:33 am

There is an interesting option listed on page #2:

* VIC + 24K + hi-res

* In this mode you have 28159 bytes free for BASIC programs and a further 3K
in the hi-res area (0400h-0FFFh) that can be used for custom character sets.

Emphasis by me. I thought the VIC chip could only address internal RAM?

Michael

d0c · Post by **d0c** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:40 am

Jogi wrote:HI,

http://www.nemetzpower.de/Denial/16-32kRam-Page1.jpg

http://www.nemetzpower.de/Denial/16-32kRam-Page2.jpg

regards Jogi

thanks for the scans, i missed those...

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:01 am

I'm quite sure that is a typo in the documentation. Certainly, you can store custom character sets in $0400, but you can't use them without copying them to a different memory position. The same goes for block 5. It says you can use it for storing character sets.

Perhaps if you develop a high resolution mode where you manually plot each character instead of letting VIC-I do it (like soft 40 column mode), you can grab your character set data from just about any address.

I had never considered that using this type of memory expansion, block 2 is permanently enabled, even when block 1 and 3 are switched off.