PlusCart (an inexpensive DIY WiFi multicart)

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Al_Nafuur

The Atari 2600 PlusCart ist based on Robin Edwards Unocart-2600 , and the extensions of DirtyHairy's fork. The PlusCart has no SD-Card, but an ESP8266 to connect to a local WiFi Network and the Internet. The PlusCart downloads the ROM-files from an Server in the Internet called the "PlusStore". The way this is done is similar to the way the Unocart-2600 loads ROMs from the FAT filesystem on the SD-card, while the VCS is performing a waitroutine in RAM.

Additionally the PlusCart has one more interesting feature. It offers internet access to the ROM Developers, these functions are called "PlusROM". In the first bytes of a PlusROM the path and the backend hostname or IP address has to be encoded (as strings both terminated by '\0'). Sending and receiving bytes to the host does not need a waitroutine in the VCS RAM! At the moment the PlusROM functions can be used at 2K, 4K, 3F, 3E and 3E+ cartridges and any standard bankswitching cartridge with or without 128 bytes of RAM (@ 1000 to 10FF) and a 'Standard' F4 Bankswitching (@ 1FF4 to 1FFB).

So now all kind of online ROMs (Games, Chat Clients, Mail-Clients, Web-Browser, MMOGs, etc. ) should be possible with the Atari 2600 VCS.


more info at: https://pluscart.firmaplus.de
Source: https://gitlab.com/firmaplus/atari-2600-pluscart
Shop: https://pluscart.onlineweb.shop
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pluscart7741


radventure

I'm just watching the ZeroPage Homebrew, recording of "Massive PlusCart DPC+ Update with Dev Interviews PLUS World Premiere of Mattress Monkeys (2600)". This is amazing work! Sounds like Gopher 2600 was getting a good workout in this update process!


Al_Nafuur

#2
Save the date!
I will be presenting the PlusCart on October 12. at the Digital Retro Park in Frankfurt Germany (The talk and discussion will be in German.)


Bomberman94

Will this be streamed or recorded or should one attend physically?

Al_Nafuur

Quote from: Bomberman94 on 23 Aug 2024, 06:05 AMWill this be streamed or recorded or should one attend physically?

It will (most likely) be recorded. 

Al_Nafuur

Here's the video of my talk about the PlusCart.


JetSetIlly

Excellent presentation. I learned about C.A.V.E Apocalypse. I had not noticed it before and the ability to share levels is a great idea.
https://github.com/JetSetIlly/Gopher2600
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