=========================================================================== LYNX INTERFACE FOR MGD2 DOCTOR SYSTEM- HOW TO DO IT! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written & (C) 1990,92 By -= TheEntity =- Send bug reports to: Dark Tower BBS -- 801-476-9068 -> TheEntity MAXXED OUT! -- 503-752-6299 -> /X\.BiSON =========================================================================== ::::::::::::::::: :::VERSION 1.0::: ::::::::::::::::: TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF LYNX CARTRIDGE/ROM STORAGE: ------------------------------------------------- * Lynx cards contain game program data on either MASK ROM and/or OTP ROM. The Lynx video card is used more like a DISK STORAGE device rather than a DMA type of device. * This information is based on my own reverse engineering of a LYNX I, also known as the 'LYNX CLASSIC'. The lynx has enough addressing space for 512K bytes (4 MBIT), but technically, there should be 2 cartridge port strobes available, so that is 512K X 2 = 1 megabyte (8 MBIT). * The Lynx game system cartridge data bus is 8-bits wide, therefore all rom cards are 8-bits. The access time available at the pins of the rom should be at least 250-350ns. Since most (maybe all) of the MGD2 8M doctor cards (rampacks) should have emulation SRAM at least as fast as 100ns, no problems should arise with getting data from the doctor card when needed during a read-cycle. * Current Lynx game cards are all 1Mbit and 2Mbit in size. Battery back RAM is possible in a lynx card, but would add extra cost to the Lynx game card it would be used in. If battery back RAM is incorporated into Lynx game cards, the doctor-interface design must accomodate this extra RAM-- read 'Part II' below for more information on this. --- Part I- BUILD THE INTERFACE: ----------------------------- ITEMS NEEDED: * MGD2/PC-ENGINE interface (GG,GB May also work) * Lynx video game card * Soldering/Desoldering Iron * Wire cutters and/or hack-saw * Razor Blade * 30 AWG wire-wrap + wrapping tool (gun or hand-tool) * PerfBoard, prepunched .1" centers, RadioShack special * MultiMeter (continutity test, voltage tests) * Ability to do fine, detailed electrical work and patience... START: 1. Obtain PC-ENGINE interface. Open using razor blade-- insert razor blade into middle of pce interface. This is where the two plastic pieces are sealed together. The razor blade is only use to 'cleanly' separate the two pieces. Afterward, if the interface does not work when you are finished, you can opt to use razor blade on yourself :^P 2. Remove pcb from plastic, and note the ram-pack connector that is solder to the pcb. Remove this connector-- you can opt to attempt to desolder it from the pcb, or you can use a wire-cutters or hack-saw to physically cut the wire posts as close as possible to the pcb. Do not remove the posts from the doctor-card pcb (where the actual connector is soldered), only remove the entire connector + assembly from the LARGER PCE interface PCB by desoldering the wire posts on the PCE interface PCB, or cutting the posts as close as possible to the larger PCB. When finished, make sure the posts are not bent and are not touching. 3. Obtain Lynx video game card. Remove game label from top of card and observe the mask rom pcb. Remove this PCB from the plastic game card. This is the pcb that the connecting 'fingers' are etched on. After removing, turn over and observe the mask rom or otp on reverse side. It should contain the actual chip less ceramic or plastic DIP, with a drop of epoxy/sealer on top. Use razor blade and work it underneath the chip until you cut the chip off of the board. Do not stop and ask why, just do it. After removing the chip, throw it away-- you have most likely ruined it. Now make sure all pins are electrically isolate from each other-- examine connections where chip was solder onto the board and make sure everything is cleanly cut, etc.. Use razor blade edge to scrape off any remaining wires, epoxy, etc., if needed. If possible, do conductivity test on all combinations of pcb pins (fingers) to verify each pin is electrically isolate from each other. This must be true for all pins except for #33,#31-- they should be electrically connected. When finished, place pcb back on lynx game card and press firmly until it is tacked back into place. The above is the method I use only to create the portion of the adapter that must be plug into the Lynx game. A nicer method (but more complicated) would be to etch your own PCB for use to plug into the Lynx game. If you wish to do this, then you need to know that the 'fingers' on the lynx game card are on .0625 centers (1/16"). Most cheaper PCB programs for IBM or Amiga all work around standard .025/.05/.1" cells (or multiples of that), so making a board with cells of 1/16" centers may be a bit more tricky. 4. To make interface for following sizes of lynx game card, follow the pinouts below, and using soldering + wire-wrapping techniques at your disposal, connect the rampack connector to the lynx game card. (Ex: my own working prototype is wire-wrap onto a Radio-Shack perfboard --wire wrapped from RAMPACK CONN. to sockets, then p.t.p. wrapped to a 34-pin connector-- 34-pin conn. plugs into modified lynx game card.) 5. PINOUTS + HOOK-UP FOR DIFFERENT SIZE LYNX GAME CARDS: LYNX GAME PINOUTS FOR GAME CARD/CONNECTOR: ------------------------------------------ ---------------- 1=GND 18=A7 | | 2=D3 19=A16 | LYNX GAME | 3=D2 20=A17 | CARD | 4=D4 21=A18 | (LABEL SIDE) | 5=D1 22=A19 | | 6=D5 23=A15 * NOTE: A11 should be N.C. | | 7=D0 24=A14 on most or ALL Lynx I |----------------| 8=D6 25=A13 (Classic). It may have ||| || ||| 9=D7 26=A12 re-connected on Lynx II ---------------- 10=En0/ 27=En1/ (possibly AuxIO or En1/) 34.....17......1 11=A1 28=A8 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 12=A2 29=A9 PCB FINGERS 13=A3 30=A10 (MATCH CART CONN) 14=A6 31=POWER-ON 15=A4 32=AuxIO * POWER-ON=VCC to 16=A5 33=VCC (+5V) turn on system 17=A0 34=SWITCH-VCC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PINOUTS FOR DOCTOR-CARD/8M RAMPACK PCE CONNECTOR (GG, GB-- MAY BE SAME): ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _____________________________ 1=WRITE/ 21=GND | 1- oooooooooooooooooooo -20 | 2=A15 22=A16 |21- oooooooooooooooooooo -40 | 3=A13 23=A14 _| ------------------------- |_ 4=A11 24=A12 | | | | 5=A9 25=A10 | -- RAMPACK/PCE CONN. -- | 6=A7 26=A8 | | ("TOP SIDE") | | 7=A5 27=A6 | | (SMT RESISTORS ON BOT.) | | 8=S-RAM/ 28=A4 | ----------------------------- | 9=A2 29=A3 | 1 || || 24 | 10=A0 30=A1 ------|| DOCTOR-LINK WILL ||------ 11=D6 31=D7 ||| PLUG INTO THIS ||| 12=D4 32=D5 ||| PASS-THRU CONN. ||| 13=D2 33=D3 ||| ||| 14=D0 34=D1 ----------------------- 15=Y4/ 35=Y7/ 1....................25 16=Y5/ 36=Y6/ 17=Y3/ 37=Y0/ * DON'T USE-- UNKNOWN FOR NOW 18=Y2/ 38=Y1/ 19=* 39=* 20=VCC (+5V) 40=* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOOKUP: ------- ** NOTE: Ln (n=# of CONNECTING PIN [1..34]) denotes LYNX GAME CARD PCB Pn (n=# of CONNECTING PIN [1..40]) denotes PCE/RAMPACK CONN. Dn (n=# of CONNECTING PIN [1..16]) denotes 74HC139 DECODER(DIP) EXAMPLE OF FORMAT: Ln=Rn --> Electrically connect these two pins/wires * USE WIRE-WRAP TECHNIQUES AND/OR SOLDER-- WHICHEVER IS APPROPRIATE TO MAKE CONNECTION- RECOMMEND WIRE-WRAP FROM PCE/RAMPACK CONN. WIRE POSTS TO SOCKET ON PERFBOARD *FIRST*. CHOOSE APPROPRIATE CONNECTORS, SOCKETS, WIRE-LENGTH, ETC., TO MAKE JOB EASIER AND MORE MODIFYABLE. LYNX 1MBIT GAME CARD CONNECTION: LYNX 2MBIT GAME CARD CONNECTION: -------------------------------- -------------------------------- L1=P21 L18=P6 P1=PULLUP L1=P21 L18=P6 P1=PULLUP L2=P33 L19=P3 P8=PULLUP L2=P33 L19=P23 P8=PULLUP L3=P13 L20=P23 P15=PULLUP L3=P13 L20=P2 P15=PULLUP L4=P12 L21=P2 P16=PULLUP L4=P12 L21=P22 P16=PULLUP L5=P34 L22=P22 P17=PULLUP L5=P34 L22=D2 P17=PULLUP L6=P32 L23=P24 P18=PULLUP L6=P32 L23=P3 P18=PULLUP L7=P14 L24=P4 P19=N.C. L7=P14 L24=P24 P19=N.C. L8=P11 L25=P25 P35=PULLUP L8=P11 L25=P4 P35=PULLUP L9=P31 L26=P5 P36=PULLUP L9=P31 L26=P25 P36=PULLUP L10=P37 L27=N.C. P38=PULLUP L10=D1 L27=N.C. P37=D4 L11=P30 L28=P26 P39=N.C. L11=P30 L28=P26 P38=D5 L12=P9 L29=N.C. P40=N.C. L12=P9 L29=P5 P39=N.C. L13=P29 L30=N.C. L13=P29 L30=N.C. P40=N.C. L14=P27 L31=L33 L14=P27 L31=L33 L15=P28 L32=N.C. L15=P28 L32=N.C. L16=P7 L33=P20 L16=P7 L33=P20 L17=P10 L34=N.C. L17=P10 L34=N.C. 74HC139: DECODER HOOKUP (2MBIT NEED ONLY): -------- --------------------------------- 1=EnA/ 9=Yb3 D1=L10 D9=N.C. 2=A0 10=Yb2 D2=L22 D10=N.C. 3=A1 11=Yb1 D3=0V (GND) D11=N.C. 4=Ya0 12=Yb0 D4=P37 D12=N.C. 5=Ya1 13=B1 D5=P38 D13=N.C. 6=Ya2 14=B0 D6=N.C. D14=N.C. 7=Ya3 15=EnB/ D7=N.C. D15=D16 8=GND 15=VCC(+5V) D8=GND,L1,P21 D16=VCC,L33,P20 --- * NOTE: WRITE/ is used for writing data into the rampack. Simultaneous assertion of WRITE/ and Y[0..7]/ (overlap) will write the data on [D0..D7] into the enabled 1MBIT SRAMS. S-RAM/ is used for reading/writing data into the SAVE-RAM on a MGD2 interface that incorporates 256Kbit SRAM for SAVES (e.g. the MD, SFC interfaces). N.C. means NO CONNECTION (do not electrically connect to anything) PULLUP means connect to pull-up resistor (3300 ohm is okay) MORE SUPLEMENTS COMING SOON!..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "KiCKiNG ASS iN tHE CoNSolE SCeNE" - (503) 752-6299 __________________ __ __ _________________ (_________________ \ / / \ \ / ________________) \ \/ / \ \/ / ____ ___ /\ /\ /\ \ / \ / | __) | \ SySoP: /X\.BiSON / \/ \ / \/ \ / \ | |__ | |\ \ Co: RoGeR WiLCo / /\ /\ \/ () \/\ \ / /\ \| __) | | ) ) Fiona / / \/ \ \ ___ \ \ \ / / \ \ |__ | |/ / >bUg (_/ \_) (_) \_)(_/ \_)___) |___/ __ \/ >HiGH SOCiETY< ____ ___ _____________ >USHQ< / \ / / / /\__ ___/ / \/ / / / / / / /\ \ \_/ / / / \ \/ / / / / \______/\_____/ \_/ "NOW SUPPORTING: SNES/GENESIS/PC-ENGINE/GAME-GEAR/GAME-BOY/ & LYNX!!!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ----------------------- [you leeched your warez from] ------------------------ __ /| \'o.O' __ /| =(___)= \'-.O' Sysops: ->GINGER & TCI<- /\___U__ /\_ =(___)=____ /\____ /\____ / ____// / / \U/ __ \ / __ \ / __ \ -->-_ __ > / /___ / /_/ // /__) // /__) // /__) / - __>----_- _ _ \__ // __// __ // _\ // __ / --__---_ _ > - --> ____/ // /\ \ / / / // / \ \ / / / _>_ __---__ -- > \______/ \_/ \__\\_/ \_/ \_/ /__/_/ \_/ >-_ -- -_ /\____ /\____ /\____ /\_____ -- <_ __- - / __ \ / __ \ / __ \ / ____/ --< ___----_< _-- / /__) // /__) // /__) // /___ _<--- --<__---_ ___ / __ // _\ // __ // ____/ - <___ __-<-__ < / /__) // / \ \ / / // /____ < --_ ---<-- \______/ \_/ /__/_/ \_/ \______/[G] ... THE FASTEST BOARD AROUND FOR AMIGA AND PC !!! NoW aLSo SuPPoRTiNG: \*\ MeGaDRiVe /*/ FaMiCoM \*\ PC eNGiNe /*/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UPLOAD DATE AND TIME: 16.08.1992 08:17:55