Chip maestro and midi controller (Page 5 of 8)

   Yes and no: yes as in the 'op codes' that are read by the 2A03 are static logic outputs based on the the inputs on the adr bus, such as 'If A0 & A1 & A2=00, then output XX'. In Jarek's first design he used discrete gates, but he has converted the logic to a HDL file for the CPLD. So within the CPLD all 'gate logic' is synthesized from the generic logic cell fabric but are functionally the same as discrete gates.

The logic within the CPLD can be changed, but to add features on the NES side you would need to: design logic equations for each 'op code'  of each line in a program.

  I have seen State Machines implemented with  PROMs, programed to output different bit patterns at selected address locations, to respond to input bit patterns on the adr pins. Back when u Controllers were far more expensive and difficult to use. The complexity of these designs don't scale up very well.
Yogi

YEA Batsly!! I'd love to support your work and if you do offer up boards I would be in for one.
As to the issue of 'hacking' the Midines, all I can say is while I don't priate other people's work,  ESPECIALLY within a hobby community, I find it hard to respect Wayfar's rights after he has stomped on mine. I have already paid for a Midines, so I have some right to one copy of the software.

Without getting too political, I for one would like to own a Midines-esque cart somehow.

What even happened to x|k? He was such a talented member of the community. I always assumed that he got busy/bored with making midines but left his site up (presumably accidentally) and now even if he wanted to get back into it his name is tarnished and he has several years worth of backorders.

It doesn't seem to me like he intended to rip people off, just maybe got involved in a project bigger than he could support and maybe some depression/poverty set in as well.

Jose seemed like more of a sociopath that got corrupted by power and position.

Then again, I don't know anything.

I do know that jazz has given this community a huge chunk of enthusiasm and talent that its been lacking. Particularly in the last year. So I'll say thanks to you!

I did some digging and you sir, are correct. The very early MIDINES cartridges used the Squeedo flash cartridge; "squeedo" of course referring to the custom memory mapper and circuit board by Memblers Industries. The content of the above mentioned PIC happens to belong to Memblers, not Wayfar. There is little information on the Squeedo cartridge besides some changelogs from Memblers himself and some sample mp3s. Memblers is not wayfar (by far) and I suppose I ought to contact him about Squeedo.

Thanks to TylerBarnes and his photos, it would seem that MIDINES 1 RevB uses "Squeedo the Flash Cart - 2005 Memblers" whereas the MIDIDNES 2 R1 uses a new board which offers no claim to Squeedo or memblers whatsoever. It does however contain the same PIC and nearly the same layout as Squeedo. So unless I am mistaken, it would seem that Wayfar took Squeedo for his own. At this point, "MIDINES" refers only to the contents of that 29F040.

I never intended to walk away a richer man if you were under this assumption. My goal is not to take from Memblers, nor is it to take from wayfar. My only goal is to give back to the community where another has let them down.

Last edited by Jazzmarazz (Oct 29, 2013 11:59 pm)

I will be in ecstasy over the idea of expansion chip emulation/support by means of an FPGA. Not sure how possible it is, but one can dream.