Sergey has built a functioning OPL2 clone card, as well as a full XT clone system

http://www.malinov.com/Home/sergeys-projects

I can only assume that a clone CMS/Gameblaster shouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for someone with those skills.

DonutKing wrote:

Sergey has built a functioning OPL2 clone card, as well as a full XT clone system

http://www.malinov.com/Home/sergeys-projects

I can only assume that a clone CMS/Gameblaster shouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for someone with those skills.

Far from it most likely, but he will need to replace that large custom logic chip with discrete logic that would be required for the Gameblaster to function.

I agree. Slabbing two SAA1009 chips to an ISA card should be a piece of cake, and the sound can be improved to be less noisy from the original by careful PCB design and improving the analog circuitry with modern parts.

But it will only work if the game just blindly uses the CMS I/O ports.
If it tries to detect a presence of actual GameBlaster or SoundBlaster card, it won't work.

GameBlaster compatibility could be built to the card with glue logic chips, or an FPGA.

Maybe we just need an ISA card with FPGA and codecs and audio I/O ports, so everyone can design and emulate their favourite sound card?

Ok, so we have OPL2 done, it seems he is selling even PCBs - looks great !
Now adding two SAAs should not be difficult based on reversed PAL.

Jepael wrote:

But it will only work if the game just blindly uses the CMS I/O ports.
If it tries to detect a presence of actual GameBlaster or SoundBlaster card, it won't work.

Looking at source code of DoxBos CMS detection can be easily supported and Sergey sais his card is Adlib compatible, so I think OPL2 is properly detected.
Currently DSP part of SB is not important to me.

kpuchatek wrote:

Now adding two SAAs should not be difficult based on reversed PAL.

Not even the PAL information is required. The CT1320 CMS part is done with standard glue logic chips to lengthen ISA bus cycles according to CMS chip DTACK signal.
So CMS glue logic can be made similar to CT1320 and then all it needs is additional glue logic for GameBlaster detection. And better audio circuits, the analog power supplies are made with zener diodes and it is quite noisy.

(BTW, I recall reading that when you use CMS IO ports on a CT1320 but without the SAA1099 chips installed, it could hang the system, as the glue logic tries to lengthen ISA bus cycle indefinitely as there is no DTACK from the CMS chip. I cannot verify this as my CT1320 has the CMS chips soldered instead of sockected.)

kpuchatek wrote:

Sergey sais his card is Adlib compatible, so I think OPL2 is properly detected.
Currently DSP part of SB is not important to me.

Ah you mean a combined Adlib/CMS card? Interesting. I only thought about separate CMS card. Combined Adlib/CMS card will just be more complex to design.
But yes Sergey's card does nothing special, so as long as the OPL2 chip is at the right address it looks like standard Adlib.

It can be one ISA card with two audio subsystems - CMS and OPL2, but you are right - building just CMS will be simpler and it seems, I can order ready PCBs for OPL2 from Sergey. Just need some time this year. Anyway, I have to get SB with CMS chips for reference.

Jepael wrote:

(BTW, I recall reading that when you use CMS IO ports on a CT1320 but without the SAA1099 chips installed, it could hang the system, as the glue logic tries to lengthen ISA bus cycle indefinitely as there is no DTACK from the CMS chip. I cannot verify this as my CT1320 has the CMS chips soldered instead of sockected.)

I'm pretty sure I observed this at the time. "Don't Go Alone" worked fine with a Game Blaster, but when using a Sound Blaster 1.5 it hung.

Ok, I have now two CT1350 cards and SAA chips.
What GAL type is needed to replace original CMS chip ?

GAL16V8A. If you don't want to flash one, some of us can sell you flashed chip for a sane price.

kpuchatek wrote:

Ok, I have now two CT1350 cards and SAA chips.
What GAL type is needed to replace original CMS chip ?

I think you dont understand it right, or saying a wrong thing here..

For the CMS chips you need SA1099 chips (doesnt mather which version of card you have) Those provide the square waves..
If you only need these chips, you are set..

If the card has three IC chip holders you need three chips.. The first two need also be SA1099
The third needs to be a generic GAL like 16V8D

That GAL needs to be programmed with a programmer so it get the right logic on the chip.

No problem, I have now Lattice 16V8 to try. This is just for reference, my goal is to build new CMS card, without all this noise coming from old SB card. Output of SAA1099 is very clear.

If you had a SBPro with with a CT1336 and a SB 2.0 with a CT1336A would it be possible to swap the 1336 chips and still have two fully functional cards?

Perhaps, but the SB Pro with a CT1336, that would be a CT1330A, is a rare and valuable card. You don't want to risk destroying one just to build a CMS-compatible SB 2.0.

I agree with bristlehog. The CT1350 also requires the -5v line which can be a nuisance. The CT1350's are more plentiful than the CT1320's but the latter is less noisy does not require the -5V line and only needs the Phillips SAA DIP's.

I guess it wouldn't be worth it. I just got a CT1350, but I haven't been keeping up with the newest chip upgrade information/limitations. The sad thing is that I had the 1st Sound Blaster and SB Pro in their boxes up until I gave them to Goodwill seven years ago.

I tried to flash my remaining four GAL chips today. Two of them flashed and now read back what I burned to them (actually, TEX.jed file contents), while other 2 read back some other table of 0s and 1s. Does that mean that the latter two chips are dead?

Hi guys, I've been lurking on vogons for nigh on ten years now but I'm emerging from the shadows to ask this question - could somebody program one of these GAL chips and sell it to me? Programming chips is really a long way out of my wheelhouse.

This forum is awesome too, thanks for all the good advice you gave others down through the years, it's come in more than a little handy.

Check www.amibay.com. There is a sales thread there.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I saw several amibay results in my google searches but they all seem to be closed at the moment. One had a couple of requests in the last couple of weeks but they all got turned down.

I can write you a GAL , pm me your location so I can tell you how much gal+postage is 😀