diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 6e47644..f67126b 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1,13 +1,15 @@ # J(atari)Cart(256)kB J(atari)Cart1MB -This software is for use with my super simple flash cartridge (look into eagle catalog; no gals, only 3 74xx elements and some caps and resistors). Top side is that without elements. +This software is for use with my super simple flash cartridge (look into eagle catalog; no gals, only 3 74xx elements and some caps and resistors). Top side is that without elements. The purpose is wide-use, especially for commercially published games, because of tiny price. -The cartridge is driven by addresses D500-D580; write to D500 sets the first bank - this is default boot bank. Write to D501 sets second bank etc. The max bank is set by write to D57F; write to D580 switches off the cartridge. The banks will overlap if there are less them than 128 (128 for 1MB cartridge) +The banking scheme was chosen because it is very simple to handle with 3 raw TTL chips (and two diodes acting as triple "or" gate in version 1MB). There is no probably simplier scheme, either in application or in handling by 6502 (only one instruction needed to change bank) -Current Atari-programmable flashes are from family 39SF0x0; For 256 KB JatariCart 39SF010 will act as 128KB cartridge, 39SF020 and 39SF040 will act as 256kB cartridge. Memories used are Flash/PROM families. +The cartridge is driven by addresses D500-D580; write to D500 sets the first bank - this is default boot bank. Write to D501 sets second bank etc. The max bank is set by write to D57F; write to D580 switches off the cartridge. The banks will overlap if there are less of them than 128. + +Current Atari-programmable flashes are from family 39SF0x0; For 256 KB JatariCart 39SF010 memory chip will act as 128KB cartridge, 39SF020 and 39SF040 will act as 256kB cartridge. Memories used are Flash/PROM families. For Jataricart1MB there are a lot more possibilities, because of two memory chip sockets available. In first socket you can place 27c0x0 prom for read only memory (then there is no possibility to program it by Atari machine, you must use external prom programmer) or flash for read-write memory. In second socket you can place either flash or prom read only memory as well. Or nothing. The first (boot) memory can be hardware write-protected, when you want to have rom functionality in first half, but wnat to use flash memories. There is no such feature for second memory chip (always possible read/write when flash chip used). -However and ever, you can sit two 39SF040 flash chips to have 1 MB of flash memory, almost fully compatible with Atari MaxFlash Cartridges (Space Harrier fully supported!), always first boot bank, remember? +However and ever, you can sit two 39SF040 flash chips to have 1 MB of flash memory, (almost: old MaxFlash booting from last bank) fully (Maxflash newer, boot bank 0) compatible with Atari MaxFlash Cartridges (Space Harrier fully supported!), always first boot bank, remember? Summary: - first chip can be hardware write-protected even if flash installed,