Supercharger? AGR? Anything?

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:55 am

I'm looking for schematics for the Atari Game Recorder. They don't exsist.

They just aren't out there. I'm sure many of you have heard of it. It's basically a Supercharger. I've tried e-mailing the guy that is supposed to have the three issues of "Radio Electronics" that the AGR appeared in. But no one has heard from him. My e-mails keep getting bounced too... The only info I have on the supercharger schematic-wise is this: http://atarihq.com/danb/images/superch.gif But it lacks part values and stuff like that. So... does anyone have the AGR articles OR a better version of the supercharger schematics OR know where I can get a supercharger so I can trace the PCB myself? Thanks.

Rain

Post by **gannon** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:28 am

ummm... that schematic you listed gave the part values for everything except the decoupling capacitors, and those are probably just .01uF.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:46 pm

I'm sorry, the truth is, even though I have been into electronics for about 2 years now, I'm still not that electronically inclined. I mostly do computer research (praise Google...), not too much hands on stuff. It's a $$ thing for me. (You know... I don't HAVE it.

) I've actually only built two things. A homemade 2 player SNES controller parallel port adapter, and a null modem cable. (I since then got a REAL networking setup. Praise Belkin.

) So I can't even solder that well.

The point is, I need all the details. Otherwise, I look somewhere else. Problem with that is... there is nowhere else. But anyway...

1. You're saying that ALL of those unlabeled caps are .01uF?
2. What about the resistor in that box labeled "ECO"?
3. For that matter... what is the box labeled ECO?
4. Is the source voltage 6V or 5V? I can't quite tell, but it looks like 6V... that doesn't make much since though...
5. What about the three coils? What are those for, do I need them, and if so, how can I get/build them?

Thanks.

Don

Post by **gannon** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:52 pm

1. The coils are inductors
2. It's 5V
3. Not sure what the part values inside ECO are
4. Peanuts are evil

vb_master · Post by **vb_master** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:51 pm

Superchargers are awesome for testing out code, and for playing 4k/2k homebrews.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:12 pm

gannon wrote:1. The coils are inductors
2. It's 5V
3. Not sure what the part values inside ECO are
4. Peanuts are evil

1. Yeah, I know... but I don't know their "values"... if... yeah, you can measure an inductor's value right? Regardless, I need to create them, but I don't know how.

2. That's what I thought. I wonder why it looks like 6...

3. Well, then that and the inductors are my only problems then.

4. Not if you get the ones from Planters. They don't have the skin of choking death.

Though I never used to choke on the ones with skin... it was just a pain in the @$$ to get them out of their shells...

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:15 pm

Also, does anyone have any clue where I could find those 4016 RAM ICs in the supercharger schematics?

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 2:22 am

Whoo hoo!!! I found the 4016 ICs. Turns out, some place as simple as Jameco has them! *Thought he already looked there...* The bad news is, I still don't know what the values of those coils, and the few resistors and caps are. Plus, I can find either of the other two ICs in the circuit. I think they're just obsolete.

Or maybe they're custom made... like Stella.

Anyway, this isn't going to work. I NEED the schematics to the AGR, because they probably use more common parts. Don't you guys think? So, how would you guys go about obtaining the AGR schematics? The guy that supposedly has the AGR schematics has completely dropped off the face of the Earth. My e-mails to him keep getting bounced.

GAH!!! What should I do!?

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 2:15 am

Electric Rain wrote:The guy that supposedly has the AGR schematics has completely dropped off the face of the Earth.

MWAHAHAHAHA!!! That bakamono... (Picking up on my Japanese.

) I don't need him! I won all 12 issues of Radio Electronics from 1985! That means I have two of the three articles for the Atari Game Recorder. If I can get my hands on December of 1984, I'm set. I'll get scans as soon as I can, but with all of the packing I'm doing, I don't have too much free time.

In part two, it talked about the software needed, and gave the complete code. (I'm not looking forward to typing all of that code in...)

In part three, they gave the PCB layouts, and talked about how to use it, which is more complex than youâ€™d think.

Therefore, Iâ€™m willing to bet that the actual schematic is in part one. The one I donâ€™t have.

Though I can probably get the information I need from the PCB layout. A schematic would be so much easier thoughâ€¦

The only problem is, it seems to have lots of parts. The PCB layout is 6.5 inches wide. Lots of them are logic gates. Only two of the 17 ICs are the real brains; a Z80 microprocessor, and a 2716 EPROM, which holds the software. Then, there's two 2016 RAM ICs.

...If I'm gonna keep going on, I may as well scan the articles!

But... come to think of it, I'm not going to bother myself with scanning them, editing them, and then finding somewhere to host them... unless people ACTUALLY want it. So, I'll start a small petition. Visit this thread: http://benheck.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/vi ... 4091#54091 and post there, if you want the articles. If I get enough requests, I'll scan them in and put them up somewhere. Or Iâ€™ll just e-mail them to anyone interested.

Oh, also, if someone is willing to help me design a slimmed down version of it, then build and test the circuit, I will immediately scan them and e-mail them to that person. Or if they're willing to build and test the original... or if they're willing to just help me design a slimmed down version of it and NOT build/test it... I'll also e-mail it to them.

(Hey, I'm desperate here...)

About the slimmed down version... I donâ€™t need it to be able to record games to cassette, I only need it to play games. (That is, presuming I can use the software available on the net which converts 2600 ROMs to Supercharger audio data, which you can then route to a Supercharger or burn to a CD.) So I'm sure that will cut the part count down.

Do you guys think the AGR and the Supercharger use the same audio data format? Iâ€™m sure they doâ€¦ well, anyway, PM me if you can help, or you could just post here, your choice. And if you canâ€™t help, just post here: http://benheck.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/vi ... 4091#54091 and Iâ€™ll scan the articles in if there are enough requests.

Rain

Note: Posts in THIS thread will not count towards the request count of the petition. remember, post here.: http://benheck.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/vi ... 4091#54091 Thank you.

Post by **bicostp** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:14 am

Why not create an online petition on that online petition place?

Peanuts aren't evil. (well, except the kite-eating tree... and maybe Lucy...)

Congradulations on the quadruple-post.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:07 pm

Sorry about the posting thing... But it doesn't bring people back here if I just edit it. Besides... I can't help it that no one is posting inbetween...

About the petition thing, I'm not trying to start anything elaborate. If I was gonna do that, I should just use that time to scan the articles!

I just didn't want to waste my precious time on something no one wanted.

So, anyone want it? http://benheck.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/vi ... 4091#54091

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:40 pm

No, huh? Alright, whatever; I don't need "votes". It's not that big of a hassle. I'll get them scanned, but I would really like someone to give me some space to host them. Anyone got a couple dozen spare MBs or so?

Also, do you guys think I'd have more luck at the Atari Age forums? I don't think they're as big, but they're all huge Atari fanboys over there from what I've seen, so I'm thinking they may appreciate these.

Rain

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:02 pm

If you want someone to host images try photobucket or imageshack.

Also if you feel Atati Age would give you better help go for it. Remember we chop up consoles, not many of use are really into the iner workings of the consoles or their accessories.