Hi XUCC, thanks a lot

The original design have some problems that i am solving it.
But the new design will include more new things too.
You can see it in the new block diagram attached.

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   blockdiagram20.png
   

☺️

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   f91d793f-a325-4f6d-a8b1-d61f459cc55d-scaled.jpeg
   

My vote:

Cart: clear red
PCB mask: black
PCB silk screen: white

The silk screen (PCB texts) will see as light red through the clear red cart, while the black PCB mask combine with the red cart to make the two main colors of the VB.

🙂

Hi 🙂
Really it is not a project, just info about the original cartridge, the target was to know how it works. I am new in the virtual boy scene and I have not found any information about it.

About the datasheets, if we can attach the info to this post, will be interesting to people than want to know it :-).

Thanks again!!!

Ohhhh Vintex 64 team!!!!

Your Red Alarm is very robust no doubt, big vias and big tracks, it is very useful for my tests.
Maybe I can suggest you to use square/rectangular shapes for the PCB, generally for large quantity production it is usually cheaper than cnc machine cutting.

Thank you very much for the encouragement, it is always welcome.

About the connectors, thank you very much for your offer, when I need some connectors I will buy them from you, we are in touch :-). I will only make a few cartridges, this is not my business.

I can not use the SMT32 as nvSRAM beacuse i have no more I/Os in the STM to manage CS1, CS2 and WE cart pins, and also the chinese version of STM32 not work with the EEPROM emulation i need an external one like 24LXXX, i2c serial eeprom.

Hi all.

The memories have arrived and I have tried to solder wires to the TSOP48 pins (the flash memory), I have given up, I have overestimated my soldering skill. So I decided to send the PCB to production in PCB way.

I have to keep waiting, about 3 weeks more.

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I still waiting…

Updated the test Schematic diagram (bluepill based) with the resistor in the /WE line removed.

And attached the production schematic :-).

Now, i am thinking if it possible to use the STM32 as nvSRAM ic to save games…

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   virtualboymrcart_01prod.png
   

[MrFlower]

PCB Design

While i am waiting the memory, i have decide to design the PCB, but I’m not going to send it to production until I test everything with the memory.

I have used an USB-C connector but with USB 2.0 setup pins (D+, D-).

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by MrFlower.

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Thank you very much 🙂

[MrFlower]

Conecting the “flash cart” to a VB

The time has come to connect the complete circuit to the VB to check if everything is still working correctly… and yes, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.
I have also checked that after playing for a while I can still read the memory correctly.

I can’t do any more tests until the 29F160 memory arrives from China.

I am very happy that everything is going well :).

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by MrFlower.

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1. img_3886.mov

[MrFlower]

RedAlarm reading with resistors.

I have connected the STM32 to the vintex64 cartridge with the Red Alarm game and made a reading with the resistor line on the address bus, and everything is working correctly. It takes 18 seg to read.

In the PC screenshot attached you can see on the right the RedAlarm rom that I downloaded from the internet, on the left the reading done with coolTerm through the serial port.

You can also see how the test circuit has been.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by MrFlower.

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[MrFlower]

Pull down resistors test.

Well, to be sure that each step works, i have installed some resistor of 5k1 (of Address bus) in a vintex64 repro card, and… The game still working fine in the VB 🙂

next step…

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by MrFlower.

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[MrFlower]

I have detected that i forgot to connect D15 A-1 pin in 29F160, it works as Address input for 8bits MSB in 8 bit mode.

16Mbit read need 45 secconds.

The Schematic has been updated with the changes. 🙂

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by MrFlower.

[MrFlower]

First test: Reading

I have received STM32 bluepill but not 29F160 flash, i have an old 27c801 eprom, and i can read it at 230400baud correctly :-).

This is not an important thing, but it is the first step.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by MrFlower.

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i can’t believe it, impressive!!!

I know the cost of design and build this kind of plastic mold, plus four cavities, around 30.000usd? is it profitable in 2022? or just for fun.

really impressive…

Oh!! Nice to meet you Sir, obviously i know your excellent work. I want one of your cart 😉

Thanks for your suggestions!!, 74245 ic is a good solution. i am going to check the resistor fist, and if it doesn’t work i will use it :-).

Thanks a lot.