everdrive for SNES!

[APE]

everdrive for GB has a good chance to birth next.
NeoGeo is very rare system, so currently i have not plans about neogeo and other systems who sold in less quantity then 10-20 million of copys in worldwide.
from other side neogeo has my loved m68k cpu, so software making for neogeo will be just like pleasant relaxation , so...
anyway i should buy neogeo somewhere for first (:

Well then you gotta decide MVS or AES. :)

Not cheap even in my neck of the woods, hate to see what the Ukraine locals ask for it.

[KRIKzz]

Well then you gotta decide MVS or AES. :)

Not cheap even in my neck of the woods, hate to see what the Ukraine locals ask for it.

impossible to find some stuff like this in Ukraine. most of my cosele bought on ebay

[raylyd]

put me down for one and the n64 cart aswell

[MottZilla]

I'd really like to see Everdrive for the GameBoy/GameBoy Color. That would be sweet.

PC-Engine/TG16 and N64 are nice ideas too.

[rso]

Another potential buyer for a GBC Everdrive here.

Also, I'd love to see one for the Game Gear! Tototek's is way too big, yours wouldn't even need to be cheaper, just being a smaller size would be great...

[sheath]

currently i even have not TurboGrafx-16

Sure thing, I appreciate whatever I can get. I don't even know how a HuCard version would work since I've never seen one opened in the first place.

[MottZilla]

HuCard wouldn't need a case to be put into it. See Tototek's PC-Engine flash card.

[Treamcaster]

Holy jizz, I guess I'm up to it as well, I got a SFC and I need more games :D
What a smart dude we have around!


P.S. What if we arranged various types of group purchases, for instance:

1-For those who want to buy SFCeverdrive only.
2-For those who still didn't buy GENSeverdrive only.
3-For those who want to buy both a.k.a better discount applied.

[Greg2600]

You can support DSP chips through a T-connector though. The DSP-1 is the most commonly used DSP chip:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ment_chips#DSP

The retrousb SNES CF flash cart comes with a DSP-1 chip on its board, enabling games like Super Mario Kart. He could go the other way and include the SA-1, which is used by games like Super Mario RPG. Theirs also uses CF cards, which I believe load much faster than SD.

[KRIKzz]

retrousb SNES cart has big FPGA chip and DSP implemented inside of this FPGA. also retrousb use ram for game hold, i use flash in my carts. flash mutch more slow for write than ram, but games will stay in memory after power off. CF ussage have not sense if cart based on flash.

[link83]

The retrousb SNES CF flash cart comes with a DSP-1 chip on its board, enabling games like Super Mario Kart. He could go the other way and include the SA-1, which is used by games like Super Mario RPG. Theirs also uses CF cards, which I believe load much faster than SD.

Not really, because the SA-1 is like the Super FX in that the ROM is accessed through the SA-1 chip:-
http://www.snescentral.com/pcb.php?i...m=0&side=front
If KRIKzz made an SA-1 flash cart he would have to include an SA-1 chip on every cart, and that would be quite costly and destructive to buy hundreds/thousands of SA-1 games just for the SA-1 chip. Not only that but it would then be an 'SA-1 Only' flash cart and could not be used for other games.

retrousb SNES cart has big FPGA chip and DSP implemented inside of this FPGA. also retrousb use ram for game hold, i use flash in my carts. flash mutch more slow for write than ram, but games will stay in memory after power off. CF ussage have not sense if cart based on flash.

Actually I am positive the DSP-1 chip is not implimented inside FPGA on SNES PowerPak, because originally you had to choose to buy a cartridge with or without the DSP-1 chip installed at the retrousb store checkout, and it used to cost extra to have one fitted.

Here is the SNES PowerPak release thread at nesdev:-
http://www.nesdev.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=5708
Notice some of the following posts by "bunnyboy" the creator of SNES PowerPak:-

Optional DSP1 chip for Mario Kart.

interesting, are any additional enhancement chips like the super fx chip for example planned and are they possible to implement?
Since there is no mention of it and the real DSP1 is installed manually I assume not, but I thought i would ask.

Enhancement chips are simply not happening. DSP/C4 can probably be quickly done with a PIC, but by the time you make the Super FX you are a significant way to doing the entire system. For the small number of games and the big increase in hardware it was a design decision early on not to do them.

Also on page 2:-

PS. About DSP1 support, I have a donor cart but there arent any instructions on how to install it. I'm guessing that theres a socket on the pcb it'l solder straight into and does it get completely disabled for non DSP games?

Desolder from game board, solder onto SNES PowerPak board, done

I suggested adding a space for the DSP-1 on the Everdrive PCB because from what I understand it should not affect any other games when its installed. The ROM is not accessed through the DSP-1:-
http://www.snescentral.com/pcb.php?i...m=1&side=front

More DSP-1 info here:-
http://users.tpg.com.au/advlink/dsp/dsp1.html

So if you have a space on the PCB users can optionally install a DSP-1, but if there is no space/traces thats not really an option. The only problem is I think the DSP-1 requires SRAM, and I am guessing the Everdrive will use FRAM? It was just an idea, and I thought if its easy to do it would be good to have DSP-1 support as an option (Although maybe KRIKzz might want to consider making a DSP-1 PIC? ;-))

I hope all that made sense!

[Serantes]

retrousb SNES cart has big FPGA chip and DSP implemented inside of this FPGA. also retrousb use ram for game hold, i use flash in my carts. flash mutch more slow for write than ram, but games will stay in memory after power off. CF ussage have not sense if cart based on flash.

well, main problem about flash is not the spped at all
flash memory has a limited number of write cycles, so sooner or latter those flash based carts will start giving problems

I really think that ram is much better than flash for such project

[link83]

well, main problem about flash is not the spped at all
flash memory has a limited number of write cycles, so sooner or latter those flash based carts will start giving problems

I really think that ram is much better than flash for such project

Whilst some sort of RAM would be nice, you have to take component costs into consideration - RAM is much more expensive than flash. In addition the chip KRIKzz uses has 100,000 program/erase cycles per block - I really cant see myself ever using anywhere near that many writes/erases.

In other words I could flash the Everdrive five times a day, every day, for almost 55 years before the flash chip would wear out.

Also, once the game is loaded into flash it can be accessed instantly as many times as you like, with RAM you have to load the game every time you play (Although the loading would be quicker) Lastly, even if the flash chip did wear out (unlikely) its not impossible to replace it with a new one if you have the right equipment/skills. Overall, to make a flash cart like this for a fair price I think flash is the right choice :nod:

...Now if the games were larger (e.g. N64) I would be tempted to use some sort of RAM to avoid the long loading times...

[Serantes]

Whilst some sort of RAM would be nice, you have to take component costs into consideration - RAM is much more expensive than flash. In addition the chip KRIKzz uses has 100,000 program/erase cycles per block - I really cant see myself ever using anywhere near that many writes/erases.

In other words I could flash the Everdrive five times a day, every day, for almost 55 years before the flash chip would wear out.

This would be on an ideal world
i got pendrives that died after 2 years of use
Sorry, but its impossible to avoid bad blocks on flash devices, i hope bad sector handling has been implemented on those devices.

Anyways, i have to say that even not having an original everdrive, i love the whole thingle.

[WaverBoy]

Would the SNES Everdrive be compatible with any games that RetroUSB's SNES PowerPak isn't? Or vice versa?

[alphagamer]

Someone on the German electronic hobbyists forum http://www.mikrocontroller.net/forum/

had a test routine running for quite some time, basically doing this:

1) Programming a flash chip to the max capacity
2) Reading the program and verifying if there were any write errors
3) Repeat

He stopped it after around 500,000 cycles with no errors.

Flash chips are more durable than you think.

[MottZilla]

Also remember, the NOR type flash used in a cartridge like this is generally built to a higher standard than NAND type flash in USB Memory Sticks, SD Cards, and CF Cards. NOR Flash is alot more expensive than NAND, but you couldn't make a flash cart like this with NAND. Atleast I'm pretty sure you couldn't.

[KRIKzz]

Not really, because the SA-1 is like the Super FX in

Actually I am positive the DSP-1 chip is not implimented inside FPGA on SNES PowerPak, because originally you had to choose to buy a cartridge with or without the DSP-1 chip installed at the retrousb store checkout, and it used to cost extra to have one fitted.

I hope all that made sense!

ah you rihgt. i even don't know why i thought that retrousb imlement dsp on fpga. shame :redface:

unfortunatly PCB's for my snes flashcart already odered on factory, so i can't add holes for DSP

Would the SNES Everdrive be compatible with any games that RetroUSB's SNES PowerPak isn't? Or vice versa?

compatibility will be same like in RetroUSB, except DSP1 games. SNES PowerPak damd good (:

[Alchy]

Just wondering how many revisions of the SNES/SFC you've tested with, because the PowerPak has pretty bad compatibility. I'm on my third SFC and still no luck.

[KRIKzz]

Just wondering how many revisions of the SNES/SFC you've tested with, because the PowerPak has pretty bad compatibility. I'm on my third SFC and still no luck.

hmmm... a have snes only like at the picture in first message
model: snsp-001(frg)