PC-10 Multi-board switcher...

Magog

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Anyone have any good thoughts on this?

Any of you electrical smart types thought of making one of these?

I know most PC-10 collectors like myself rarely have just 10 games. Switching them in and out can be a pain in the ass.

I have a 6-in-1 switch in my multi MK, I know it won't work with the dual monitor set up. But has anyone worked on, thought about working on, or come up with even a prototype that could allow switching between multiple PC-10 boards?

Would be mighty nice!
 
Meh I would have zero interest in that. But as someone with 44 PC games and the boards to hold them, I would love a switcher.

Why? Aren't the PC10 games identical to the NES counterparts? Is it because of the lack of instructions or whatever shows on the second monitor? To me, a flash cart would be the perfect alternative to burning the ROMs to the PC10 carts (and requiring the right type of cart), though I guess if you have all originals, that may be better.

Having a 44 game switcher would be a lot of stuff though. While probably technically doable, you'd need a LOT of connectors, and a LOT of redundant wires/traces. And having the menu show the other games would probably take a lot of work. Or are you saying you have 5 PC10 motherboards(!), and you want to switch them like a JAMMA switcher?

DogP
 
Why? Aren't the PC10 games identical to the NES counterparts? Is it because of the lack of instructions or whatever shows on the second monitor? To me, a flash cart would be the perfect alternative to burning the ROMs to the PC10 carts (and requiring the right type of cart), though I guess if you have all originals, that may be better.

Having a 44 game switcher would be a lot of stuff though. While probably technically doable, you'd need a LOT of connectors, and a LOT of redundant wires/traces. And having the menu show the other games would probably take a lot of work. Or are you saying you have 5 PC10 motherboards(!), and you want to switch them like a JAMMA switcher?

DogP

I currently have 4 boards, 4 cages and 2 filter boards. I am on the look out for 5 sets of each.

I have enough games to nearly fill 5 boards. Each board holds 10 games.

I want the switcher for the convenience of not having to go into my cabinet to take the wires off each time I want to play a different game, akin to what I have in my Mortal Kombat.

The Power Pak doesn't interest me at all. If I want to play Roms I would have built a MAME machine and not a PC-10 machine. If I want to use a MAME cart I will do it on my console.
 
Wow... I figured you'd just have one board and swap carts... that's what carts are for, right? ;) I don't have an NES for ever NES game I own. :p

I'm not sure that I agree with your assesment of a flash cart though... saying that playing PC10 games on a flash cart on real hardware is equivalent to playing PC10 games in MAME is like saying "nah, I don't want a SW/ESB kit... I might as well play them in MAME". ;)

DogP
 
It would be easiest to do this with the dual monitor pcb. The single monitor pcb has 2 harness connections and would be a crazy looking setup to connect 5 of those boards to. Both are doable, you just have to find someone willing to do it.

Have you considered getting 4 more Punch-Out! cabs to put your extra PC10 pcbs in? j/k


Anyone have any good thoughts on this?

Any of you electrical smart types thought of making one of these?

I know most PC-10 collectors like myself rarely have just 10 games. Switching them in and out can be a pain in the ass.

I have a 6-in-1 switch in my multi MK, I know it won't work with the dual monitor set up. But has anyone worked on, thought about working on, or come up with even a prototype that could allow switching between multiple PC-10 boards?

Would be mighty nice!
 
Wow... I figured you'd just have one board and swap carts... that's what carts are for, right? ;) I don't have an NES for ever NES game I own. :p

I'm not sure that I agree with your assesment of a flash cart though... saying that playing PC10 games on a flash cart on real hardware is equivalent to playing PC10 games in MAME is like saying "nah, I don't want a SW/ESB kit... I might as well play them in MAME". ;)

DogP

The powerpak uses roms loaded onto a cart, it is the NES version of MAME.

I can switch carts but hey this way I don't have to...I can switch the narness in my mk but I don't want to or have to. The goal is a playchoice 50.

I didn't start the thread to have a discussion on the powerpak cart, or mame. I started the thread to see if anyone out there is interested in making one as others are interested as well.
 
The powerpak uses roms loaded onto a cart, it is the NES version of MAME.
I disagree... a flash cart is the equivalent to burning different EPROMs for an NES/PC10 cart... MAME emulates hardware with software, a flash cart replaces a ROM with a reprogrammable one, and runs on original hardware (no emulation).

I didn't start the thread to have a discussion on the powerpak cart, or mame. I started the thread to see if anyone out there is interested in making one as others are interested as well.
Fair enough... in that case, I'd just make a JAMMA adapter with an extra header for the second monitor. Then use a regular JAMMA switcher, and pull a signal from that to detect which board is selected. Then connect all your second monitor pins to a custom board for switching the second monitor signal (using the signal from the switcher to select the appropriate video source).

The custom board could be made several ways... I'd personally use something like a CD4066 or CD4051, but a simple way to do it would be to look at how the video is switched on the JAMMA switcher, and copy that circuit.

DogP
 
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