Iltanen wrote:Of course it would be a lot more costly to release a new VIC game on cart with box nowadays. I'd still buy some. Robotic Liberation would be a must.
Then the Mega-Cart is perfect for you, it starts the Robotic Liberation demo directly from the cartridge
Mega-Cart: the cartridge you plug in once and for all.
Just bumping this thread to note that I have not heard from anyone on other options, and I may soon have a need for a VIC-20 case.
Thus, I am moving forward with a case design.
I've slightly modified a std VIC-20 case and sent to a drafting service to turn into a 3D model.
I removed the PCB stops in the middle of the bottom case portion (the ones used with std game carts). I decided that most PCB designs would utilize the full depth of the case design, and the middle screw hole allows shorter designs to work as well.
I removed the small sprigs on the top portion at the back of the case. These were in place to hold the PCB flat, but I decided they were unnecessary and would only add to the design cost.
I am considering raising the back portion of the cartridge to allow connectors to be full enclosed, and possibly extending the depth of the cartridge, though I'm interested in other ideas.
I looked at my other VIC-20 case options here (CBS Software, HES, etc.), but I either did not find the designs as pleasing, or the style provided less interior space than the original VIC-20 case.
brain wrote:
I removed the PCB stops in the middle of the bottom case portion (the ones used with std game carts). I decided that most PCB designs would utilize the full depth of the case design, and the middle screw hole allows shorter designs to work as well.
Without these stops, though, the shorter boards tend to "swivel" slightly on the central screw. I think this is what I've experienced when those stops have broken off in my original cartridges. If the board is slightly askew when inserted into the VIC-20, it can mean certain edge connector pins don't make contact or make contact with the wrong pins in the female socket.
Last edited by ral-clan on Sat May 09, 2009 6:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
Supposedly all new VIC-20 cartridge boards would be modeled to be big enough. I doubt so many would bother to make their own 2x4K or 1x8K EPROM boards to make one-off cartridges. Even then, the extra cost for a few more square cm of circuit board should not make much difference on the total price compared to what it costs to make the board and shell themselves.
Carlsson echoes my sentiment. The cost for the extra FR4 PCB material is trivial on new designs, and I doubt anyone is going to buy a case for such a small design.
The reverse is more likely. Designing a larger PCB, and then needing to snap off those stops on every case would be a significant irritant.
Finally, since I would use the whole case interior, I made a decision that favored my use case and will lower the price of the design and the mold.
ON that last point, one molding place noted that they get a very good deal on black ABS material, and it's their house material. So, I'm interested in people's thoughts concerning color.
It's a shame I never knew about this thread earlier since I have Solidworks experience...its been awhile since I worked with it but it was so simple and intuitive that it was easy making detailed designs.
It's a good service you're pushing into based on all the previous points you touched on - it just makes sense.
darkatx wrote:It's a shame I never knew about this thread earlier since I have Solidworks experience...its been awhile since I worked with it but it was so simple and intuitive that it was easy making detailed designs.
It's a good service you're pushing into based on all the previous points you touched on - it just makes sense.
I just sent the case off Friday, so they haven;t even quoted me a price on drafting. You interested in reverse engineering the cart?
Atarisoft and HES cartridges are black. I remember those Mr. Computer/OEM cartridges also are black, although a smaller form factor. So definitely the world has seen black VIC-20 cartridges before, perhaps just not made by Commodore themselves though.
Beige is the only right colour for VIC carts. I could also accept white, but only if yellowish due to age . A VIC-20 "old-style" setup has to be in shades of brown -> yellow -> white.
Black would be very snazzy too.
. A VIC-20 "old-style" setup has to be in shades of brown -> yellow -> white. 