This is a Flash cart (PicoPac-Multicart) for Philips Videopac G-7000, G-7200, G7400, C52, JOPAC and Odyssey 2 by Andrea Ottaviani.

This Flash cart for Videopac / Odyssey 2 is based on Videopac-microSD Multicart project by Wilco2009 (https://github.com/wilco2009/Videopac-micro-SD-Cart)

PicoPAC is a multicart DIY yourself based on cheap “PURPLE” Raspberry Pi Pico clone, easy to build and not expensive and using its 16mb flash for storing games instead of the SDCard.

How much i paid for the PicoPac-Multicart?

• 1 x RP2040 Pi Pico Purple : €2.69
• 1 x JLCPCB PCB : €1.00
• 1 x DIODE 1N4148 / Push Button : €1.00 +/-

More or less for each single Philips Videopac PicoPac-Multicart complete with all the components you will spend €4.69.

The price of each component also includes the cost of shipping and customs clearance.

Below you will find the photos of how i repositioned the BUTTON, i preferred to install in this position rather than on the upper side of the cartridge (default position of the PCB).

You can also download the front cartridge label, UF2 firmware v1.0a and a ZIP archive with 200 games.

For more information about this and other projects by Andrea Ottaviani please visit his github page.

Gallery:

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Download:

• PicoPac Games (158)
• PicoPac Firmware v1.0a (109)
• PicoPac Cartridge Label (127)

source: github.com/aotta/PicoPAC

This is a Flash cart (Pico-Multicart) for SABA Videoplay by Andrea Ottaviani.

This is a forked version of 3DMaze PicoVideocart for using a cheaper and simpler pcb based on pico “Purple” clone and using its 16mb flash for storing games instead of the original SDCard.

How much i paid for the SABA Videoplay Pico-Multicart?

• 1 x RP2040 Pi Pico Purple : €2.69
• 1 x JLCPCB PCB : €3.00
• 1 x DIODE 1N4148 / Resistor 330Ohm / Push Button / LED : €2.00 +/-

More or less for each single SABA Videoplay Pico-Multicart complete with all the components you will spend €7.69.

The price of each component also includes the cost of shipping and customs clearance.

Below you will find the photos of how i repositioned the LED and the BUTTON, i preferred to install both in this position rather than on the back of the cartridge (default position of the PCB).

Another thing i want to say is to solder the Pi Pico Purple as close as possible to the PCB, i soldered the strips and then removed the plastic holder, this is to avoid you having difficulty closing the cartridge case.

You can also download the cartridge label (front and back), firmware and games in UF2 format, the games must be programmed first and then the firmware.

Gallery:

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Download:

• Pico-Multicart cartridge label (117)
• Pico-Multicart Firmware & Games Cartridges (145)

source: github.com/aotta/PicoVideocart

SD-1000/PiCOLECO/PiRTO-II are Flash Multicarts for Sega SC3000/SG-1000,CBS ColecoVision,Mattel Intellivision by Andrea Ottaviani based on the cheap version of the Raspberry Pi Pico clone (purple PCB).

I wanted to try and assemble this interesting project and i must say that i was very satisfied. I also contacted Andrea for a small problem of loading the ROMs for the Multicart Intellivision and he was immediately available even though it was Sunday lunch time :-)

I assembled two Multicarts for each console model because as soon as i informed my friend Andry about this project he wanted them too :-D

The Multicarts you see in this article are NOT for sale, for more information about firmware,flashing fw,gerber,3D case model i recommend you visit the github site where these projects are published.

• SD-1000: https://github.com/aotta/SD-1000
• PiCOLECO: https://github.com/aotta/PiCOLECO
• PiRTO II: https://github.com/aotta/PiRTOII

How much did i spend for each multicart?

• 6 x Raspberry Purple Pi Pico clone (Aliexpress): €18.12
• 5 x JLCPCB PiCOLECO PCB: €1.87
• 5 x JLCPCB PiRTO II PCB: €3.74
• 5 x JLCPCB SD-1000: €3.74
• 1 x JLCPCB Shipping Charge: €6.66
• 1 x JLCPCB Customs duties & taxes: €3.52
• 1 x JLCPCB PAYPAL FEE: €0.47
• 6 x Diode 1N4148 (spare parts)
• 2 x Transistor BC547 (spare parts)
• 2 x Angled Push Button (spare parts)
• 4 x Push Button (spare parts)

More or less for each single Flash Multicart complete with all components you will spend around €6.00.

This includes the components that i already had at home and the minimum order from JLCPCB for each PCB which are 5 pieces, as a result i did the division on the JLCPCB invoice total.

Download the ROMs for Sega SC3000/SG-1000, ColecoVision, Intellivision (including CFG mappers) fully renamed and divided into folders in alphabetical order here.

Flash Multicarts Cartridge Case Shell Cover:

The last photo with a small modification of the hole to insert colored button covers.

 

How to update the firmware with the case closed? You have to press the button on the PI Pico Purple while inserting USB-C for firmware updating.
Totally excluded unscrewing and retightening the screws each time, so 1.5mm micro hole in the right position, perfect.

 

 

Gallery:

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The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall

Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.

Changelog:

v2.00 – 11/5/2024

Added:

• Added a new parameter in the configuration file (config.ini).
  • Now you can also choose the FPGASid as well as the ARMSID for SID auto switching.

Below is an excerpt from the “config.ini” file.

# FPGASid/Armsid Auto Switching (0:Disabled – 1:Socket #1 – 2:Socket #2) – default: 0
# When you use this mode the other socket it does not activate automatically.
FPGASID_SOCKET=0

• Implemented auto switching for the FPGASid.

When choosing this mode the FPGASid must be installed ONLY in one of the two sockets,  you must also choose which socket to use for the FPGASid by editing the configuration file.

When configuring auto switching for the FPGASid during boot the SID Player is displayed the message “FPGASid Socket #” followed by the socket number where the FPGASid was configured in the configuration file.  This message is intended only to inform you that the configuration has been correctly activated.

*** Please read if you want to use the FPGASid in Auto Switching mode ***

The status LED indicating the SID that is used to play the song will remain fixed on the socket where the FPGASid was installed, therefore it will not change between Socket #1 and Socket #2.

The display of the SID model from the music track being played will consequently be displayed Only on the display.

The ‘sidSet’ mode will work exactly as before, the only difference is that if no SID is installed in the other Socket no sound will be played :-D while if a SID model 6581 or 8580 is installed you will be able to compare the fidelity of the FPGASid by switching between the two SIDs (obviously better if the same model).

The configuration of the model of the Sid with which to play the piece of music in the configuration file although working in this case it is to be considered Virtual because we would no longer have a change of state between Sockets for each SID model, therefore i decided to assign a static numbering to the SID.

• Write 1 for the SID 8580 model
• Write 2 for the SID 6581 model

For files in DMP format (conversion from RSID to RAW) playback is automatically forced with the 8580 SID of the FPGASid.

Jumpers to configure if the FPGASid is installed:

• Filter capacitors (JP4/JP5 or JP6/JP7): Does not matter.
• SID voltage 9v/12v (JP2 or JP3): Does not matter.
• Resistor 1k (JP10 or JP15): Better to remove.

Updated:

• Slightly fixed timing for SID song playback. Unnoticeable problem :-D

Fixed:

• Config.ini Parser BUG. The “ARMSID_SOCKET” parameter was not read correctly.

NOTE: The SID Player currently only supports the FPGASID for SID auto switching.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to try this nice SID Player by Edu Arana with a very nice design.

Edu Arana used Bakisha opensource code for the SID (only Psid) player, the code also has my own little implementation for the Vu-Meter with three LEDs (thanks Edu for the note printed on the PCB).

I know the Bakisha SID Player fairly well, below you will find several Links of my blog where there are some experiments and implementations i did years ago.

I’m not going to dwell too much on the loyalty of this SID Player, which as i said i know well, all in all it works but we are far away light years from perfection, at least as i understand it, in fact i started another project that you all probably know: The Return of the Hybrid SID Player which in addition to an ‘almost’ perfect CPU emulation including Illegal Opcodes and uses the “Original” or “Clone” SIDs for playing music tracks and other nice and useful features.

The ‘plus’ version of the Edu SID Player differs from the previous one for the implementation of the bluetooth module which however is not supplied.

As you can see from the photos and video i have installed the BlueTooth module and the Battery to make it totally portable, the battery recharge is via USB like a mobile phone.

UPDATE:

I wrote this update because some things i wrote bothered someone.

With the phrase “I’m not going to dwell … it works well but …” i just wanted to say that the emulation of the SID, let’s talk about EMULATION, is not perfect, i’m a purist of SID songs, so for me a SID music plays perfectly only and only using the original chip, however for the price this player is sold it is perfect and also very nice!

Anyway you are always welcome to break my balls, i will always answer you.

Gallery:

Video:

Link:

• Arananet RetroProducts:
  • https://www.arananet.net/pedidos/product/sidplayer-an-standalone-psid-player
• Bluetooth Module:
  • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33058710334.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.304.7439194dMtIVVN
• Lithium Polymer battery 3.7v:
  • https://www.amazon.it/dp/B08215WQMQ
• Bakisha STM32 Sid Player:
  • https://github.com/Bakisha/STM32-SID-PLAYER
• STM32F40x SID Player by Bakisha with LCD and ARMSID:
  • https://www.nightfallcrew.com/03/01/2021/stm32f40x-sid-player-by-bakisha-with-lcd-and-armsid/
• STM32F407VET6 (168Mhz Arm MCUs) SID Player by Bakisha:
  • https://www.nightfallcrew.com/05/12/2020/stm32f407vet6-168mhz-arm-mcus-sid-player-by-bakisha/
• STM32F401CCU6 (Arm Cortex MCUs) SID Player by Bakisha:
  • https://www.nightfallcrew.com/23/11/2020/stm32-arm-cortex-mcus-sid-player-by-bakisha/
• The return of the Hybrid Sid Player:
  • https://www.nightfallcrew.com/tag/hybrid-sid-player/

Observing these two displays at first glance there are no big differences are noticed.

Wrong! the Display where you reads V2.0 (updated version of the previous one), also works perfectly if inserted very close to the PCB of a Switching Power Supply, the other one instead at Random resets and displaying 888 just move it 10 CM away from the Switching Power Supply PCB and it works perfectly.

I wanted to share this news because i’m not the only one with this bizarre problem.

Gallery:

I have also bought a LED spectrum analyzer, very nice and impressive but certainly not suitable for professional use, but who cares!

The technical features are many and not very intuitive to be changed with just two buttons on the back.

However, I’ll summarize them very briefly:

• Automatic detection of Microphone or Audio Input (Jack 3.5).
• Ability to disable the clock.
• 12 display modes.
• 7 color modes.
• 84 display effects can be combined.
• 8 brightness modes.
• Clock adjustment.
• 4 time display modes.
• Alarm clock function.
• Custom RGB colors.
• USB 5v power supply.

Below are some photos of the inside.

The reset button is very curious can cannot be reached from the outside (missing the hole) and also a Micro USB connector unusable from the outside of the case.

I attach the datasheets of the integrated circuits that are used and the manual in English language that was sent to me via email, the one available by scanning the QR Code of the product is only Chinese :-D

Gallery:

Download:

• LED Spectrum Analyzer PDF Datasheet (264)
• LED Spectrum Analyzer PDF English Manual (382)

source: aliexpress.com

Testing OSSC through the component Video of the TI-99/4A

The ODV-II although it is placed above the OSSC is not used, i could not remove it because it is attached with bioadhesive :D

Gallery:

Below are my presets in binary format of the OSSC with firmware v0.90.

• 0: Amiga RGB
• 1: Amiga Overscan RGB
• 2: Commodore 64 Svideo through ODV-II
• 3: SupaBoy RGB
• 4: TI-99 YPbPr
• 5: Apple II+ Composite through ODV-II

Download: OSSC Binary Presets (258)

Still in beta stage but interesting this software written by SLC that allows you to write and read C64 file formats (D64/G64) using a regular 360k Floppy Drive with the Greaseweazle interface.

To understand how this program works, you should first read the README found in the program archive.

I tried it personally and it works quite well, the only problem is the double sided management of Floppy Disks for Commodore 64, i don’t want to dwell too much on this question but in other words the Floppy Drive PCs do not allow you to turn the floppy disk to use also the other side of the Floppy Disk, the optical sensor is present only on the left side of the reader (the Floppy Drive of the Commodore 64 does not have this sensor).

There are MODs to get around this annoying problem, mods that are not exactly immediate and not for all Floppy Drive.

So let’s say it outspoken, if you want to read and write Floppy Disks for Commodore 64 what i recommend is the software OPENCBM + Hardware XUM (ZoomFloppy) or similar and a native Commodore 64 (1541/1541-II) drive. :-D … and everything is great.

Download: Disc Disk Revolution 64 v0.99B3

The Greaseweazle USB device lets you to connect an old floppy disk drive to your modern computer to read/write floppy disks from any system with Shugart standard drives (Amiga, Atari, Commodore, Amstrad, Sinclair, PC, CNC machines, musical instruments, etc).

Greaseweazle allows versatile floppy drive control over USB. By extracting the raw flux transitions from a drive, any disk format can be captured and analysed – PC, Amiga, Amstrad, PDP-11, musical instruments, industrial equipment, and more.

The Greaseweazle also supports writing to floppy disks, from a range of image file formats including those commonly used for online preservation (ADF, IPF, DSK, IMG, HFE, …).

Gallery:

Greaseweazle GITHub Repository: https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle
GreaseweazleGUI: https://desertsagesolutions.com/greaseweazlegui/
FluxMyFluffyFloppy: https://github.com/FrankieTheFluff/FluxMyFluffyFloppy

You can buy the Greaseweazle V4 from amigastore.eu

I also wanted to try the ODV-II converter to be able to use the OSSC also with CVBS and S-VIDEO inputs (OSSC does not natively support this type of video inputs).

I have chosed this product and not others for three reasons:

• The cost.
• Video quality, absolute perfection wasn’t important.
• Signal output converted to YPbPr.

The result went above expectations, works well, the output of the ODV-II is in component (YPbPr) so the SCART-RGB and VGA inputs remain free on the OSSC, furthermore the ODV-II has a third YPbPr input.

The ODV-II also has the possibility of selecting some Video filters via a small button, filters which i find absolutely embarrassing in fact i have configured it in pass-through mode and another small button to select the video inputs.

Below are the photos of some tests with the Commodore 64 where i have used the S-Video output and also the photos of the PCB because i didn’t find them on the net, i also attach the datasheets of the integrated circuits that are used.

Gallery:

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Download:

The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)

Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.

Changelog:

v1.22 – 6/2/2023

Note:

• From this release the new versions will be developed and tested on the v2 prototype PCB and no longer on the Breadboard prototype.

Added:

• Software implementation of the new audio Switcher.
• Added a new value (0: Nothing) to the DEFAULT_SID_SOCKET in the configuration file (config.ini).

  # Choose the default SID Socket on bootup (0: Nothing – 1:Socket #1 – 2:Socket #2) – default: 1
  DEFAULT_SID_SOCKET=1

• Added control via MCU of the power-up led. It might come in handy for future implementations.

Updated:

• Updated label on the oled display for the “sid switch” mode, now “sidSet” is written and not just “sid”
• Updated boot screen with the text “sorting files…” if the folder contains too many files (max 800).

Fixed:

• The encoder cannot be used for manual SID SWITCH mode in case the SID tune played is multitunes because the encoder is used to select the songs, so although the “sidset” option will be displayed on the display in this  specific case the selection of the sid socket will not working.
• Logic for the switch of the Socket SID with which to play the song and the consequent LED.
• Default SID Socket if nothing is specified in the config file (config.ini)
• Manual “sid switch” mode, the SID that was played with this mode would stop after 2 minutes and start over.

The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)

Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.

Changelog:

v1.21 – 29/9/2022

Added:

• A new MODE has been added and can be used with the MODE key while you are in TUNEINFO screen.

This mode allows to change the SID model in realtime while the music is playing.

Example:

If a SID music is played with the SID 8580 positioned on SOCKET #1 by choosing the ‘sid’ mode you can with the encoder turning it to the Right or Left choose the SOCKET #2 where for example where is installed a SID 6581. The led placed under the Socket will show the sid you have chosen.
 
An apparently useless option which, however, can be used to experiment the differences in reproduction of the piece of music with two different SID models or choose the most appropriate sid model if the SID not specified the SID to be used.
 
So in summary we have these choice with the mode key while you are in TUNEINFO screen.

- Single Play
- Sequential Play
- Random Play
- Intro Play
- Sid Switch

Updated:

• Source code description.

Fixed:

• Missing the default value of the startSong in the SID Header if this value is missing. The SidPlayer sets 255 and try to play it.

I only found one SID with this strange configuration : Hammer Down by Sean Connoly.  Fixed by setting it to the default value : 1.

• The player freezes while browsing file system folders with many *.sid files.

This happens when the driver scan the file system and immediately after is done the bubble sort routine that takes about 700ms for 512 entries and more for the max entries (800) in one single directory and during this time the sid player freezes.
 
To avoid hearing the annoying last note played repeatedly for this amount of time, i have forced the player to pause and remove it as soon as the contents of the new directory will be displayed.
 
Obviously if you had chosen to pause the song voluntarily with the appropriate button, it will not resume playing after the new directory is displayed.

The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)

Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.

Changelog:

v1.20 – 30/7/2022

Added:

• Combo buttons to go up of one directory.

The new feature working when you are in FILE BROWSING display mode and by holding down the button MODE and at the same time press the button of the ENCODER you can go up of one directory.

This mode is very useful if you have a list of many files or directory and would like to easily go up of one directory, currently you should scroll at the beginning or at the end of the list and then click on the double dot to go back, really boring.

Updated:

• Modified the way for the horizontal scroll of the sid filenames list.

I was not very convinced by the system that i have made for scroll the filenames horizontally, so i changed the mode, in my opinion much nicer.

By holding down the MODE key when you are in FILE BROWSING display mode you can move the entire screen with the filenames list left and right using the same encoder that is used to scroll the filenames list up and down.

Moreover the horizontal screen position is maintained also after the switching of the display mode or if you go up of one or more directory.

The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)

Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.

Changelog:

v1.19 – 22/5/2022

Added:

• Added the horizontal scroll of the sid filenames list.
  • The maximum allowed length of the sid file including extension is 48 characters, the small oled can display a maximum of 20 characters, so this feature is useful with very long file names. The function is activated with the MODE key when you are in browsing files mode, once the 48 characters are reached, the scroll resets and repositions the display of the file from the beginning until the next pressing of the MODE key.

Updated:

• Added a new parameter to the configuration file (config.ini).
  • Choose the default SID Socket on bootup. This configuration is not mandatory.

Below is an excerpt from the “config.ini” file.

# Choose the default SID Socket on bootup (1:Socket #1 – 2:Socket #2) – default: 1
DEFAULT_SID_SOCKET=1

Fixed:

• Wrong emulation for the NOP opcode. %-)
  • I noticed this problem with a SID made by Hermit of Samar Productions, SIDRIP Alliance, Singular that uses a SID Player written by him. SID Tune: MSK Cover-XF End (https://csdb.dk/release/?id=214247)  This SID Player uses several illegal opcodes and i immediately thought of an emulation problem of these illegal opcodes, instead it was the NOP opcode that had problems. I point out that i listen at random 7XX favorite songs at least 1 hour a day and i never noticed any problems. :-D  Anyway, Fixed.
• Max entries per directory.