#5593 - bommelid - Fri May 02, 2003 4:22 pm
Hi,
I'm thinking about connecting a Compactflash cart to the GBA link port via a cheap ?C.
I know that this would limit the size of the code to 256KB but I'm not interested in playing ripped games. I just want to have a portable solution for free available smal games an tools.
Making my own flashcart is too expensive because the cost of flash chips and. But you can buy a 64MB compact flash for only 18 Euro and use it also for other thing than the Gameboy.
Is there already a project like this or is it usefull at all?
bommelid
#5596 - tepples - Fri May 02, 2003 7:04 pm
There is a "Game Wallet" that connects SmartMedia cards to the GBA through the link port, but nobody knows how to load more than one multiboot program off the same card yet.
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#5597 - bommelid - Fri May 02, 2003 7:24 pm
@tepples:
Can you give me a link to that Game Wallet. I only find Game Wallets that work together with a flash cart. But that is not what I want.
bommelid
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PS: Sorry, I know my english is really bad :o)
#5598 - joemmac - Fri May 02, 2003 7:50 pm
The GameWallet is intended for use with a flash cartridge. The way it works, is it first sends a multiboot program to the internal GBA SRAM. That program allows the user to select which rom files to transfer to the flash cartridge. In theory, the multiboot program can be replaced with any multiboot program of your choice. It's probably been done, I've just never seen it.
A potential problem with this use for the GameWallet, is that it picks which file to send as the multiboot based on the filename. You could store hundreds or thousands of multiboot programs on one SmartMedia card, but every time you want to use a different multiboot, you need to plug the card into a pc and change the filenames.
#5599 - bommelid - Fri May 02, 2003 8:44 pm
Yes, that's the info I read about it too. My idea was to send a menu program to the gameboy to chose a game. Then store the name in the internal memory and reset the gameboy so the ?C can send the selected game to the link port.
bommelid
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PS: Sorry, I know my english is really bad :o)
#5605 - joemmac - Fri May 02, 2003 10:29 pm
Store the name to which internal memory? The internal memory of the GBA or that of the microcontroller?
It seems like a good idea, but you should be able to do it without reseting the GBA. I'm sure there's a way to overwrite a multiboot program in GBA memory with a new one.
It could probably be done with the GameWallet, too. Then you wouldn't need to make your own microprocessor based unit.
#5606 - bommelid - Fri May 02, 2003 11:19 pm
| Quote: |
Store the name to which internal memory? The internal memory of the GBA or that of the microcontroller?
|
Internal memory of the microcontroller. The possibility of overwriting the multiboot programm without reseting would make it much easier I think.
_________________
PS: Sorry, I know my english is really bad :o)
#5622 - tepples - Sat May 03, 2003 11:03 pm
| joemmac wrote: |
| I'm sure there's a way to overwrite a multiboot program in GBA memory with a new one. |
That's trivial. Just put the I/O code in IWRAM, copy up to 256 KB of data from the cart into EWRAM, and then jump to the multiboot entry point.
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.