Atari 7800 eXpansion Module (XM)

[TrekMD]

Here is the latest update:

Hi everyone,

Okay, the existing pre-orders page is up for everyone who had already ordered an XM and needs to submit their order information and updated mailing address. Even if your mailing address never changed, please go to the page and submit your information so I can start preparing shipping labels and order of who's order goes out first.

Sorry, if you have not already purchased a 7800XM, this is not an order page for new orders. You have to wait until everyone who ordered and is has been extremely patient since 2010 waiting for their 7800XM's gets theirs first. Once I start shipping these pre-orders out, then new orders will be taken on that page and here through the Atariage store.

PRE-ORDERS INFORMATION PAGE:

http://www.7800xm.com

thanks.

Curt

[Shadowrunner]

Sounds like it's getting close. Good news!

[TrekMD]

Indeed!  Can't wait to see what the naysayers will say when these get to people's hands.  There have been so many people stating that this thing will never see release, saying that Curt is a crook, etc. 

[TrekMD]

Curt has stared posting updates again. Looks like work is ongoing for this.  Here is the latest update...

Finished all of the lines into the QFP.    Mark suggested adding in an IRQ and moving the CLK2 line to an standard I/O and not using the PLD GCLK2 input, so I made those changes.  I also add several PLD I/O pin test points since there were several unused I/O pins on the left side of the QFP.   Sent over the updated Schematics and Board files to Mark and Perry so they can give everything and 2nd and 3rd set of eyes before I run off the test boards.  Be nice to run off boards without any further cut & straps and to move the design from its testing & development design to the final design.

[TrekMD]

Two more updates...

[TrekMD]

Here is the latest update from Curt:

Booting up of the 1st production shipping 7800XM, has the basic functionality on it just to show it booting and working in both 2600 and 7800 mode.   This particular one is going to PacManPlus (Bob) and another to Perry Thuente next week and the other 3 are going to Mitch Orman, RevEng and Mark Ball so that they can start developing games for the XM and also to heavily stress test them.   These I'm just hand building to make sure everything is good before I move to mass building.   But lo and behold, the shipments are starting.   As I ship (as Jinx suggested) I'll post up who's orders are shipping out, please don't start PM'ing me asking when yours is going out, I'll be contacting everyone, so when I contact you, yours is shipping.

There's a video on his AA post:  https://atariage.com/forums/topic/273865-happy-new-year-xm-shipping-this-month/?do=findComment&comment=4424120

[zapiy]

Great stuff. Thanks for keeping this alive bud.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TrekMD]

I just learned that these have STARTED TO SHIP!   YES! 

[TrekMD]

So, these are indeed shipping!  Slowly but they are. Right now the developers are getting the first ones so they can test their games.  Here are some videos that Curt has posted...

https://youtu.be/KQV4XY7VeyE

https://youtu.be/6VaFlq-UABE

https://youtu.be/g4VSI8pcQEg

[Shadowrunner]

Well that didn't take long lol. Nice to see it's finished!

[TrekMD]

It took seven heart surgeries and several other health issues (and 10 years) but it is finally coming!  This will open the door to 7800 development where adding hardware to carts becomes unnecessary. 

[Vadergb]

I remember seeing the original posts on this forum from way back. So it's great to see them get to releasing it! I have a soft spot for the 7800 and 2600 and the YouTube videos are a great way of showcasing the product. That high score chip feature is amazing.

[TrekMD]

Here's another update from Curt...

Got a lot of good news from Bob and Perry over the weekend, they've been testing a great deal of games and so far they've all worked.   Perry also testing a game I've been concerned about which was Serpentine because it has its own onboard memory on the cart and it plays perfectly well with the XM.   Would be interesting to look into doing an XM version of Serpentine where the cart won't need the RAM but can use the onboard XM RAM instead and reduce the cost of the cartridge.



One final thing being implemented is creating the signature for the POKEY boards being sold and to have the XM recognize them and have the XM check for POKEY and turn off its own, so that's being worked out and should be implemented shortly.   But so far nothing seems to be holding back from continuing forward with completing the final BIOS.  I just ordered in a new batch of boards with the fixes to the 3 straps that were needed and added a nested footprint for future FRAM chips for the High Score function so Dallas or FM chips could be used and both footprints are there.



Mytek suggested looking at JLCPCB he uses for the 1088XL's... their prices are fantastic, only downside is they don't have purple soldermask.  No one is really going to be seeing the boards much, so color doesn't really matter so I'm giving them a short and did a run of boards with them and I'll have them in by Monday or Tuesday to build out another batch of boards.

[TrekMD]

Here's the latest update from Curt:

Hi,



    Update:   The new boards that correct the deep timing issue arrived and I have built one of them out and did testing with RevEng's ROF Test program and now the timing issue is resolved.   I will complete this board (only did the left side of the board with all of the memory components) now I'll finish the Audio and I/O section on the right side and do some additional testing.



   Mark has given me the first pass and a small revision of his End User BIOS... all I can say is, its even better than expected... let me allow him to finish it and then I can post a full walk through of all of the area's of the menu.  Its a beautifully polished design and it really rounds on things.   So, while we are all stuck in COVID limbo, I've been working away, so has Mark and I am going to check in with all of the Dev's and see how they are progressing.  I saw Bob's great update announcement and I think he made a great choice in just getting himself used to working with his XM to develop on and hopefully we'll see what the guys are up to.



  Everyone please stay safe and hopefully once we get through this crap and everything gets back to some type of normalcy, then these units can go out to everyone, but the downtime is definitely being put to very good use to complete these final items.



Curt

[TrekMD]

If you want to learn more about the XM and where things stand currently, you can listen to this episode of Into the Vertical Blank.  It's an interview with Curt Vendel:  S3:E7 Discussion with Curt Vendel about the Atari 7800 XM Module.