DaRkO
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Straya Mate

Hey guys (and girls?) just a bit of an EOI for a project I've been working on over the past few months.
This started off as a personal project which I wasn't going to bother doing anything with, then I had a lot of interest from friends and it just grew from there.

As the title states, I am working on making a "sustainable" cart flasher, what I mean by that is a flasher which can be made (and continue to be made) in the future without having to worry about availability of components, specifically cart connectors.

As the price and difficulty to find consoles will increase in the future, I am trying to make something now to prevent people paying exorbitant prices for dead consoles just to scavenge a second hand connector from.

I have already purchased all necessary components and my boards are in production as we speak.

Wasn't sure if this would interest anyone, but just thought I would chuck this up and feel the waters.

I'm also working on a new flash cart to pair with this, something that you may have seen once before, but never produced it this fashion wink

So if your interested just drop me a line, I will post some pics up once I have the first batch done.

Thanks.

Peace, Love and all that shit.

-Don

PS: Oh forgot to mention, the whole thing is smt (surface mount technology) bar the led's and crystal, I'll leave the rest to your imagination wink

Last edited by DaRkO (Oct 29, 2013 10:39 pm)

ShintarouMusic
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Boise, ID

sounds cool m8, keep us posted smile

nitro2k01
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Sweeeeeeden

I'm actually working on such a flasher project, which I've mentioned here and there in the passing, and probably should mention more often. It will be all new code, reprogrammable, cross platform compatible and of course, come with a newly-made cart slot. I realize it's all words until you see it in action, but you'll see.

thebitman
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Putting all of my money on this new cart looking like the Nanoloop 1.6 cart.

Apeshit
Offline

.

Last edited by Apeshit (Jul 17, 2019 12:35 am)

DaRkO
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Straya Mate
nitro2k01 wrote:

I'm actually working on such a flasher project, which I've mentioned here and there in the passing, and probably should mention more often. It will be all new code, reprogrammable, cross platform compatible and of course, come with a newly-made cart slot. I realize it's all words until you see it in action, but you'll see.

I do remember you mentioning it a few times before and because of that I wasn't sure about making this, as I don't want to tread on any toes.
Either way I'll be assembling the first batch in about two weeks and go from there I guess.

Pricing will be about $38.50 AUD ($36.57 USD) + P&H fully assembled.

Price might vary slightly before I start selling, but I'm aiming for below the $40 AUD ($37.98 USD) mark

I have a spare set of dies being made for the cart connectors too, so I'll keep them for many years into the future.

thebitman wrote:

Putting all of my money on this new cart looking like the Nanoloop 1.6 cart.

Ok so I might have given you a bump steer saying that it will "pair" with the flasher, I meant I will do a bundle with them together, but you won't actually need the flasher to use the cart.

Know that this will be a cart, designed for games AND chip'n. Think drag drop, large capacity, idiot proof, no flasher required. (Not a Derpy clone, something very different in every way)

Mull it over, an idea will pop into your head wink I think there has only been one or two semi successful ones ever made.
However I have had some excellent experiences testing a couple of prototypes, so I'm keen to push on and make it public, I won't release anything like that until it is as perfect as possible though.

Ape, I love your products and have too many of them, I use them all the time haha
I really think that is the best way to design things and this community is excellent at it smile

As for the cart shells, my proto's and current design is designed more like rumble cart size, purely due to the amount of components/traces I'm trying to cram. I'm going to try and smoosh it all into a standard cart size if I can, it's going to be a real challenge, but that's the fun of it wink

If I succeed in doing that, initially I'm going to be just modifying standard re-manufactured shells, but if there is enough interest in the cart I will be making my own shells for sure.

If I cannot fit it into a standard size cart then they will definitely be going into custom made shell about the size of a rumble cart.

Last edited by DaRkO (Oct 30, 2013 2:20 pm)

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire

Sounds like a cart based around micro sd storage.

DaRkO
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Straya Mate
egr wrote:

Sounds like a cart based around micro sd storage.

Winner winner chicken dinner wink

kitsch
Offline
matt's mind

cart connectors are still being manufactured, btw, if you needed help in sourcing let me know although the MOQ isn't very low.  i could help split that, i need them as well

but, available for sure.  new parts.  not pulls.

DaRkO
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Straya Mate
kitsch wrote:

cart connectors are still being manufactured, btw, if you needed help in sourcing let me know although the MOQ isn't very low.  i could help split that, i need them as well

but, available for sure.  new parts.  not pulls.

This is true and thanks a heap for the offer Kitch!

For the moment however I've done a run which will keep me stocked for quite a while wink

We shall have some PM talks.

kitsch
Offline
matt's mind

yeah, we really should, we're working on things which sound incredibly familiar to one another (storage type, no proprietary parts, etc).  might even be able to share on parts orders (or, if the cut-out on cart shells is in the same spot, share cartridge shells or do that design together, i haven't done this shell design yet)

very exciting big_smile

(just in case the edge connector bit was misunderstood....  i'm talking about the DMG types.  not the SMT versions, modified, or anything like that.  so they fit into a DMG case fine, and don't need the side tabs trimmed or anything.  if you change your mind let me know!)

BR1GHT PR1MATE
Offline
BOSTON

want. for sure. i miss the good old days of the smartboy cart/programmer bundle. EMS carts just dont do it for me.

12ianma
Offline

Micro sd pls


Just wait for my laserdisc cart to drop

Last edited by 12ianma (Oct 30, 2013 8:46 pm)

katsumbhong
Offline
Taichung, Taiwan

Maybe some Z-Axis conductive tape action?

Last edited by katsumbhong (Oct 30, 2013 9:11 pm)

DaRkO
Offline
Straya Mate
12ianma wrote:

Micro sd pls


Just wait for my laserdisc cart to drop

Oh man, how I've been waiting for a lazerdisc cart. wink

And katsumbhong, just kwaaaaaaaaa! I do know of it being used for LCD's as I've had to repair some tv's which use that to stick the flex ribbon to the edge of the lcd, but never for general circuits! I might have some lying around still, will have to have a play hehe!

Just BTW guys, what I'll most likely be doing is making a standard cart to pair with this, which will be a few weeks after this goes on sale if all goes to plan, then further down the track I will release the SD cart, reason being its not anything close to what I'd be happy to release atm, so will be a bit of a wait.

Though now that Kitch is on board (pun intended) things will most likely move a bit faster! As we will be able to compare ideas and problems.

Last edited by DaRkO (Oct 31, 2013 1:56 am)

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan
katsumbhong wrote:

Maybe some Z-Axis conductive tape action?

lol wat? Poor multimeter. Thats how I take things apart while drunk. tongue