RE: RATbox interest

Does that mean that there would be some kind of module or save file for
each game? It would be pretty cool to make some kind of generic
troubleshooter wizard for letting non "techie" types repair their games.
Maybe even take MAME to the next level and incorporate support for it.
Of course that serial interface would be a must.

What was your vision for how system specific information would be stored
and shared? Or is the plan to provide something simple and expect others
to apply the technology?

Jon

At 10:49 AM 9/29/99 -0600, Jeff wrote:
>You should be able to use it on any 6502, 6809, 6800, or Z80 game. (or
>computer - apple II, Atari, commodore, etc)
>Anything the processor can get it, the RATbox should be able to get to.
>Checksums on ROMs is pretty straight forward. If your getting a bad checksum
>on a ROM it's usually a bad ROM, decoder, or buffer. If you have a logic
>probe (we are also thinking of building one on the RATbox) you can look at
>the chip select pin on the ROM and toggle the ROM through the software (the
>toggle ROM button turns it on for 1 sec then back off)
>There are also ways to check the data pins (everything will be described in
>the docs)
>With the game board in the machine, you will be able to monitor all the
>inputs (coin, buttons, trakball, etc) and toggle any of the outputs (coin
>counter, start led, etc)
>You will also be able to populate video memory with data and see it on the
>monitor. (we will have some built in ones for vector monitors so you won't
>have to figure a pattern out by hand or worry about sending the beam off the
>screen)
>
>This is also why we will be making the source code available for the
>software, so anyone can customize it anyway they want.
>
>-jeff
Received on Wed Sep 29 12:49:11 1999