[Feature] Memory Card Pass-through

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I have built several Cube-64DX’s and am very happy with them! Thank you for 
all your hard work updating the Cube64 to support Wavebirds. I am currently 
building a custom N64 with the controller ports replaced by Camecube ports. 
(Allowing direct connection of Wavebirds and GC controllers.)

The problem I am going to have is regarding memory cars (Controller Pak’s). 
As I will not have actual N64 ports available, I will not be able to swap out 
the Wavebirds for N64 controllers when I need to save/load some games. I 
understand that in order for the chip to emulate a memory card it would require 
quite a bit more work. 

My proposal is this: Pass-through all traffic for the memory card out to a 
physical ‘Nintendo Controller Pak’ without processing through the PIC, 
attached to the PIC with leads. This way I could mount a memory card inside the 
case of the N64 and use it for the few games I would need it for. The other 
benefit would be someone could add a memory card port to their Cube64-DX and 
swap out memory cars just like an original N64 controller.

I have plenty of working N64 controllers and Controller Pak’s that I would 
happily destroy in an effort to accomplish this.

Is something like this possible?

Original issue reported on code.google.com by tim....@gmail.com on 4 Nov 2011 at 4:48

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I'm currently working on something to emulate a memory card within the adapter. 
But this will take time time to finish (not soon).

Also supporting memory card require a faster microcontroller so the hardware 
will change.

It would be possible to use a real memory card but that would require a PIC 
with much more IO pin and will complicate the whole adapter. 

One thing I'm likely going to do in the feature is to add the ability to 
connect both a GC controller and a N64 controller at the same time on the 
adapter. The GC controller would handle buttons while the N64 controller would 
handle the accessory. So you could use thing like Transfer pak while using the 
adapter.

But memory card emulation will come first.

Original comment by DarthCloud@gmail.com on 4 Nov 2011 at 5:18

• Added labels: Type-Enhancement
• Removed labels: Type-Defect

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Very cool. What will you use for storage for the memory card? Would it be 
possible to use something like an SD card? Or will you save directly to a PIC? 
An ideal solution would allow for backup of gamesaves to a PC somehow, if 
possible.

Original comment by tim....@gmail.com on 4 Nov 2011 at 5:52

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Storage will be on an EEPROM, so no backup on pc unfortunately.

But it would be possible to use a gameshark to move the content to a real 
memory card, and then you could use a dexdrive to transfert on PC.

Sdcard might come in the future but handling the FAT file system would require 
lot of work.

Original comment by DarthCloud@gmail.com on 4 Nov 2011 at 6:17

[GoogleCodeExporter]

In a recent update for the 64Drive (amazing n64 flash cart) support has been 
added to support multiple "virtual" memory paks. The game saves are stored on 
the MicroSD card of the 64Drive and loaded onto the physical memory pak when 
the game loads. This functionality means that if a single memory pak were to be 
passed through the cube64-dx, then we would have essentially unlimited memory 
paks accessible. We could disassemble a single memory pak and hard wire it 
through the cube64-dx (larger PIC?) and never need to change the pak again.

 Thank you for all that you do, I love my cube64-dx adapters. I just hope someday to be able to use them with memory pak required games.

Original comment by tim.mcen...@gmail.com on 13 Nov 2012 at 9:18