Uploaded July 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
I wanted to build a multi-ROM cartridge for my Atari 5200. Multi-ROM cartridges allow you to place many cartridge images into one physical cartridge and then select which image you want to play. I used a 32K dual-ported RAM chip together with a Raspberry Pi Zero W. This allows me to select the cartridge image using any web device (including my iPhone). The actual game is played on the Vintage Atari 5200, it's only the process of loading the cartridge into the shared RAM that makes use of modern hardware. For more electronics videos, see smbaker.com
I wanted to build a multi-ROM cartridge for my Atari 5200. Multi-ROM cartridges allow you to place many cartridge images into one physical cartridge and then select which image you want to play. I used a 32K dual-ported RAM chip together with a Raspberry Pi Zero W. This allows me to select the cartridge image using any web device (including my iPhone). The actual game is played on the Vintage Atari 5200, it's only the process of loading the cartridge into the shared RAM that makes use of modern hardware. For more electronics videos, see smbaker.com
