3 replies to this topic

[Syntaxerror999]

what would it take to install two RAM chips into two atari cartrages that could be written to by the opposite cartrage and read by the cartrage
it was installed into? My point is if this can be done, could it be used for multiplayer games where whenever the cartrage needs to know something
about its twin, it can just read the extra ram chip.

Cable lenght might be an issue though. And it might not work too well for real-time games...
but there are a few games that be nature of their mechanics this would work for. Card games, Battleship, Clue, Turn based simmulation... could have other uses too... like a version of Video chess that is computer controled by an opposite atari 100% dedicated to playing the game and doesnt have to waste code on graphics and sound. Or a program that requires several ataris to work together. Like a special vesion of Spaceshuttle with support for other atarie to be ground control, capcom, etc...

Edited by Syntaxerror999, Fri Jul 1, 2011 7:40 PM.

[grafixbmp]

these days anything is possible. Even the endevors with the harmony/melody cart types, interfaces nicely with atari hardware. System link for atari would probably work best by using cart to cart conections. I imagine there could be the possibility of 2 melody boards being hooked together and exchange data through a custom connection. You could ask batari about the chances of that being possible.

[GroovyBee]

Syntaxerror999, on Fri Jul 1, 2011 7:18 PM, said:

what would it take to install two RAM chips into two atari cartrages that could be written to by the opposite cartrage and read by the cartrage
it was installed into?

These types of RAM are called "dual port RAM" and are pretty expensive even for small sizes. You wouldn't be able to have the 2600s very far apart either. The best thing would be a cart to cart link. Something using RS485 could go up to 4000 feet. Either that or you come up with a 2600 to Internet device.

[Syntaxerror999]

GroovyBee, on Sat Jul 2, 2011 4:02 AM, said:

Syntaxerror999, on Fri Jul 1, 2011 7:18 PM, said:

what would it take to install two RAM chips into two atari cartrages that could be written to by the opposite cartrage and read by the cartrage
it was installed into?

These types of RAM are called "dual port RAM" and are pretty expensive even for small sizes. You wouldn't be able to have the 2600s very far apart either. The best thing would be a cart to cart link. Something using RS485 could go up to 4000 feet. Either that or you come up with a 2600 to Internet device.

Hmmm... for cost reasons it would be better to have the cartrages themselves modified with a USB port and have the RAM chip and/or your idea of RS485 complient equipment itself in the link cable (could put it into a micro atari shaped housing). Albert could sell the cables and a host of link ready games... or even a new harmony cart with link option. So many games would be great in multiplayer.

what is the average cost of dual port RAM? And if someone was to do this, how would it be wired up in the cart?

As for the internet idea... I like that. I dont know if its still out there but there was an app called LinkKai that allowed games with network multiplayer games, like Halo 1 for example to play online by using a PC running the app as a bridge... worked for all game consols at the time... something like this could be done on the atari.

Edited by Syntaxerror999, Sun Jul 3, 2011 8:05 PM.