1,025 Reply by arfink

(123 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

OK, I just realised that to use the NVSRAM chips I'll have to decrease the number of banks to 4 instead of 8, or increase it to 16 banks, because Cypress (the sole manufacturer of this kind of SRAM) has graciously decided not to manufacture 512kb NVSRAMs. Yay! I am thinking 4 banks will be a better option simply because it simplifies bankswitching (which is done via actual switches, I might add) and reduces cost while keeping the 28 pin footprint (and pinout, huzzah!) that's already on the cartridge, which reduces labor involved.

If I increase to 16 banks well... that nearly triples the IC cost. And blows the whole "ease of use" thing. And the pinout. So the spec is changing- 4 banks. That's still a good deal of space, I should think.

Secondly, purchasing will be different this time. Because these have a substantially greater cost per unit than the Glitchnes cartridges I made before, I'll still be offering preorders but will require payment before I start building, simply because I don't have the cash to lay down to order parts, etc. for a dozen or more of these things. Keep in mind this will be a very small production run, assembled entirely by hand, by only me.

Lastly, I have nailed down the price. Given the amount of time I have put into my prototype (which is nearly completed) I can now estimate my personal contribution: the labor. Which means the price is going to be $85. If people are really really upset by this price I'll revise the specs or possibly offer units with less features.

Perhaps the only standard option I am considering at all is the omission of the multiple SRAM banks, instead leaving only the built in single SRAM bank which the donor cartridge ships with. This would substantially reduce cost, eliminating the single most expensive part and reducing labor somewhat.

If all goes as planned (IE, my chips ship) I will unveil my prototype and begin preorders this coming weekend. Keep in mind that preordering will most likely be limited to 26 units, absolute tops. Why 26 you may ask? It's the minimum multiple you can order these new Cypress NVSRAM chips in, and I don't want to make 52 cartridges.

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1,026 Reply by arfink

(123 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Good thing there is a large supply of Al Unser Racing, the crappiest racing game on the NES ever. Plentiful and cheap!

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1,027 Reply by arfink

(123 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Well, if you provide a PAL donor cartridge then you can boot the software on a PAL NES, however Neil has already stated that the software is not originally intended for PAL systems. I have not had the opportunity to test this on a PAL NES, but my guess is that it will work but will sound out of tune if you try to play your songs on an NTSC NES.

Also, for pricing, my guess for the cost of parts only is:

$4- EPROMs
$10- donor cartridge (send your own, save $10!)
$15- 100 year life 4-bank NVSRAM (no battery)
$6- sockets (gold plated, extra durable)
$2- PCB
$2- wire/solder/misc
$0.50- switches for bankswitching

for a total of: $39.50 just for parts, unless you send your own donor, then it's $29.50 in parts. However, these are somewhat labor intensive to make, so I'm thinking of selling them for around $60-$80 and giving $5 to Neil's charity organization. That's nearly minimum US wage per cartridge given the hours I'll spend making these.

Go to forum: Nintendo Consoles

1,028 Reply by arfink

(123 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Another update- while I had said that using NVSRAM would be a really cool idea, and it still would be a really cool idea, it's also a really expensive idea. Average per-component pricing for these chips runs around $26 for the kind which have Flash based battery-less backup. Ugg, perhaps some more thought should be given to using a battery after all, since it's so much cheaper.

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1,029 Reply by arfink

(373 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

neilbaldwin wrote:

I'm back!

What's been happening? What did I miss? Are you all NTRQ experts now? smile

No, I'm an NTRQ hardware hacker though.

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1,030 Reply by arfink

(52 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Well... only if your converter has got the expansion audio wired to the correct pin on the 72-pin connector side.

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1,031 Reply by arfink

(1,052 replies, posted in Graphics, Artwork & Design)

Russolo wrote:

both done in zx colors

ZX colors, but no attribute clash...

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1,032 Reply by arfink

(123 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Well, the prototype is coming along nicely. I'm "cooking" a batch of EPROMs in the UV box as I write this. The ones I got for my personal prototype were "pulls" and needed to be cleared off. In around 45 minutes I'll know for sure if the first part of my wiring worked right. smile

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1,033 Reply by arfink

(99 replies, posted in Other Hardware)

low-gain wrote:
Theta_Frost wrote:

I can dig this!  I just think we need to change all this GP2X business to PSP... wink


i dont see why people have such a big issue w/ the gp2x.

Well, for my part the issue is finding one for a reasonable price. The only Gp2x still in production is the Wiz, and AFAIK the MIDI doesn't work with the Wiz, so your only option is to track down a system which is now discontinued and which only had a very limited production run in the first place.

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1,034 Reply by arfink

(30 replies, posted in Tutorials, Mods & How-To's)

Yes, I will thank her. My informed education is actually in philosophy, and hence I argue. big_smile

Yes, the 30% stuff is where it can begin to get nasty if you aren't careful.

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1,035 Reply by arfink

(17 replies, posted in Software & Plug-ins)

I have a stock 9.10 install, completely clean, and this won't compile. I followed the directions and promptly decided to try something else. Any ideas?

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1,036 Reply by arfink

(30 replies, posted in Tutorials, Mods & How-To's)

Umm, I even got the H2O2 and oxi-clean on my hand- nothing happened. I dunno, I haven't tried to bathe in it, and I'm also not using the Retro-Brite %30 method either. I got some on my hand and it just felt kinda like if you leave soap on your hands for a while... kinda, soapy.

Still, you're right. Someone will inevitably hurt himself with common household chemicals. Use your brains, kids! And I'm not responsible for damages, etc. etc. because this is a DIY tutorial and you should all know this by now. Thanks!

BTW, soldering irons are far more hazardous for your skin than this stuff, so also be careful with them because you'll get kinda crispy if you don't! XD

EDIT2: I just asked my sis, who is a chemist, why this could be considered dangerous. She informs that that chemical grade H2O2 of a high concentration is dangerous because it reacts easily with other things, but 3% H2O2 found at the store is very weak because of all the water mixed in, and as such you would need a very long exposure to it in order to be injured. So just use common sense and wash up after doing this, otherwise you may get itchy later. Seriously, that's all you have to do.

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1,037 Reply by arfink

(30 replies, posted in Tutorials, Mods & How-To's)

What?! 3% H2O2 is "F***ing dangerous?" I have got this on my hands before, no biggie. I mean, they use this stuff for cleaning cuts and sanitising hospitals, for crying out loud! Just wash 'em off afterwards before you eat things. it's true that higher concentrations of H2O2 don't "eat" the plastic- they "bloom" it, resulting in uneven blotches, un-reversible discoloration, and increased brittleness. I go with 3% because it's cheaper, safer for you and the plastic, and generally more available. Just takes more time.

EDIT: And yes, there are plenty of reports of high concentrations degrading the plastic. I'll provide links, but you have probably already seen them. And I'll even post a video of me pouring 3% H2O2 right on my hand to prove it's safe, if you insist. Because at that concentration it won't damage your skin. Now of course, getting crap in your eyes is a problem. But I am also assuming that unlike 8bc, people here will have some common sense and not hurt themselves with common household items.

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1,038 Reply by arfink

(30 replies, posted in Tutorials, Mods & How-To's)

Well, if you do another run, be sure and watch it closely. Prolonged exposure can do damage, because if there is no more bromine to liberate from the plastic then it'll start to "liberate" other important chemicals instead, producing a ghostly-white, almost translucent "bloom" and degrading the structural quality of the plastic. However, at only 3% concentration or less for the H2O2 there is little risk of this happening unless you're soaking it for many days at a time and replenishing the solution alot.

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1,039 Reply by arfink

(81 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Pure awesomeness, from 1982 India.

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1,040 Reply by arfink

(17 replies, posted in Past Events)

Is that... could it possibly be... a Tandy in your flyer? No, it can't be. Has to be a c64. Anyways, good luck with your tour!

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