Some new test gear now sitting on the bench, waiting for me to complete making up the leads. It's an ABI DIT-24, which in basic terms is the smaller, 24 pin equivalent of the ABI Boardmaster 4000 I borrowed ages ago. The pinout for the lead is different from that, since it only has a single 50 way IDE connector, rather than two 40 pin ones of it's bigger brother. More news as I get the leads created and start using it in anger. First project planned is to use it's built in basic to write a PAL dumper that will create a file that can be used with Charles' PAL cracker software to create the relevant equations, and thus a fuse file (.jed)
I use a Xeltec Superpro 3L programmer, which, for the price has been really useful over the years. The only chips I need to program that it cannot do are the old 3 rail devices (such as 2708's) and for some reason it also cannot cope with 27C160's (although it can read them). However, it's a royal pain as the old dos software it uses needs access to the printer port and so only works under Windows 98. My old laptop that I used to use to drive it is being retired, since I also want to use a PCI IO card that I have for another project so I am now building a new PC. This time, I have managed to get the old eprom programmer software working from Windows XP (32 bit version) by using a clever, free piece of software. This is called USERPORT and can be downloaded from here. You simply place the userport.sys file into your windows\system32 folder, and then run the userport.exe program to set the IO addresses you wish to use and click 'start'.
So, if you have an eprom programmer that plugs on to your printer port then give this a try, it might mean you can use it from XP (and Vista) at last!
I've been meaning to add this page to the website for ages, but never seem to get around to doing it. So finally, here it is - The "Old PALs" Page. Now, this isn't a new version of Friends Re-united, but instead a small, but hopefully growing repository for images from PALs found on various arcade boards. Some are easily dumpable, but many are protected and I have several PCB's that don't work simply because one of these has died. So, please send me any PAL dumps that I do not have, and I will add them to the page. High on my list of wanted PAL's are the PAL16R's from Terra Force. (I have an incomplete dump from one, but still need to reverse engineer what the registered output is being used for)
Just added the pinout of the slap fight (pictured below) to a new 'Other Pinouts' page. Click this convenient link or pick it from the technical heading on the page header menu. I've also added another slap fight, which looks extremely similar, but has a totally different pinout. easiest way to tell the different, look at the power traces near the edge connector!
I've finally managed to get the PCB designs for the Galaxian multigame into a different editing package. I've been using Eagle PCB, but not many PCB companies can use files from this, so I have now converted them into Diptrace, and making some slight modifications before sending the Gerber format versions off to some different companies to see if anyone can make them for prices near what I used to pay (or preferably cheaper)
More news as I get quotes back.
Still need a few more patch leads, but the patch panel works!
This is an 'unknown' pinout Slap Fight, in that it doesn't match the normal pinout for the 2x22 edge connector wired up using the patch panel and being tested. I will put the pinout up once it's completed, since I certainly couldn't find it anywhere on the web so it may help someone else.
Incidentally, if you ever fancied building yourself a multi williams cab, check our JROK's fpga based multi-williams board. From what I have seen of it so far, it's very impressive, and comes in cheaper than a normal working set of boards for any of the games it can run. Maybe I should create something similar to run the galaxian multigame, since finding anyone to make PCB's at a decent price is becoming a major pain!
Some busy weeks at work, but finally managed to wire up the patch panel. I need to assemble a few more patch leads and make the converters for the output, but it's basically completed.
I decided to use finger boards for both input and output and then let the converter switch the output to edge connector since the one on my test rig has basically worn out, and I really did not fancy resoldering all of the connections again. This way I just have to make a new connector board, which should be fairly easy. (I'm also going to make the same change to the test rig!)
It may not be pretty, but this is the completed wiring for the Jamma patch panel. It would be much easier to create a PCB with the edge connectors and all of the holes for the banana sockets, but would also cost more!
The completed patch panel. Layout to suit my test bench - Jamma connector upwards to connect to test rig, ouput connector on the left, so that the board sits on the bench, leaving room for me to look up pinouts on the PC and add the leads as necessary. Now need to make the adapters so I can give it a try.
I also received a parcel from the states today, a nice new JROK Multi-Williams PCB, so need to do some testing with that and get around to sorting out the defender cab to put it in. Feedback on RGVAC seems to indicate that its very good, so I'm looking forward to being able to play defender & joust on the cab.
After lots of thought about the best way to complete the Jamma patch panel. (jamma in, any PCB with an edge connector out), I've finally ordered the bits I need to complete it. Final layout is complete, everything that needs mounting has been mounted, I just need to add about 90 bits of wire and it's ready to start using.
Jamma connector just plugs to the test rig, 2x28 pin connector will have adapters to convert to 2x18, 2x22 and 2x28 to connect to the PCB being tested, and you then just add patch cables to quickly connect up power, video and controls.
Another year already!
Still no PCB's available, the collapse of the pound against almost everything else has pushed the PCB price even more out of range. If you are desperate for one, then let me know as I may just get singles made up - but the price may have to go up to cover the extra cost of the PCB manufacture. Meanwhile I need to redesign the PCB's in something other than Eagle so I can try getting some other Chinese companies to quote. (although the first one I got a quote from wanted £140 for 1 set - so I'm not going with them!!)
Actually fixed my first PCB for ages, a Japanese Altered Beast with colour problems - nice to know the soldering iron still works after all of this time.
Maybe 2009 will be the year I finally get the missing web pages completed!
