Shponglefan wrote on 2022-04-21, 01:40:

IcySon55 wrote on 2022-04-21, 01:06:

I'm certainly in the no equipment or skills category but I'm willing to put in the effort to learn and build the card myself.

I think it'll be good training for future mod projects. I have quite a few HDMI boards to install in my consoles.

If you're looking to learn soldering, I'd highly recommend getting some soldering practice kits and train on those. Best to make any initial mistakes on a throwaway kit rather than something like an Argus PCB.

Completely agree on that! Still need to figure out what to buy. I also have the ASUS P5B Rev1.06 Write-Through mod to do on my DOS motherboard for K6-2+ support... This hobby is endless, and endless fun too. 🤣

keropi wrote on 2022-04-09, 08:47:

After 6 months you can build your hearts content if/when shock__ eventually releases the project files to the public. If you wa […]
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matze79 wrote on 2022-04-09, 08:27:

At 78€ for just PCB and Chip i`m out.

Last time i build the Whole Card for this.

After 6 months you can build your hearts content if/when shock__ eventually releases the project files to the public.
If you want to get one now then you will have to pay for shock__'s effort and time spent on this and on top of that for my time/effort.
This is not a sale targeted at donors of the project that helped fund the whole thing some years ago, these are sales for the general public.
And the 78eur price is the same as the US/CAN region one.
I hope this explains things better.

Hi, I donated (not that much) some time ago but I lost track of the project.

Will there be an option to get a bag of components with it to solder instead of trying to get everything on the BOM from everywhere? And making sure the stuff ordered is indeed the correct stuff. A complete solder-it-yourself kit if you will.

jarreboum wrote on 2022-04-23, 18:20:

Hi, I donated (not that much) some time ago but I lost track of the project.

Will there be an option to get a bag of components with it to solder instead of trying to get everything on the BOM from everywhere? And making sure the stuff ordered is indeed the correct stuff. A complete solder-it-yourself kit if you will.

I second this approach! Being able to at least buy the full kit would certainly make assembly less daunting.

IcySon55 wrote on 2022-04-24, 01:51:

jarreboum wrote on 2022-04-23, 18:20:

Hi, I donated (not that much) some time ago but I lost track of the project.

Will there be an option to get a bag of components with it to solder instead of trying to get everything on the BOM from everywhere? And making sure the stuff ordered is indeed the correct stuff. A complete solder-it-yourself kit if you will.

I second this approach! Being able to at least buy the full kit would certainly make assembly less daunting.

I am not planning on doing this as I don't have the time to do so. However, someone can easily do this since the BOM is known. There is an opportunity right there !

I'm finally trying to get the parts I've needed, and suddenly all the new IW78C21M1 have disappeared from UTSource? Anyone have any idea where else to look for them?

Sunoo wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:15:

I'm finally trying to get the parts I've needed, and suddenly all the new IW78C21M1 have disappeared from UTSource? Anyone have any idea where else to look for them?

I ordered mine from Aliexpress... which also seems to be completely out of stock now 🙁

Well, it looks like I'll have a very pretty $80 PCB that I can never complete now, so that's great...

Sunoo wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:19:

Well, it looks like I'll have a very pretty $80 PCB that I can never complete now, so that's great...

I'm the opposite. I'm waiting for the next round of PCBs to come around for North America.

I know the chip has copyright material on it. But hopefully, somebody will make a dump on one of the sites on the internet. Since at glance this article seems to imply it might be possible to substitute the ROM if you create your own to burn onto a chip.

Edited: Deleted Article Link

Argus pcb already has support for a 29F800 SOP44 eeprom to be used instead of the original mask rom, so the only special and irreplaceable chip you need is the interwave one

keropi wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:26:

Argus pcb already has support for a 29F800 SOP44 eeprom to be used instead of the original mask rom, so the only special and irreplaceable chip you need is the interwave one

Well that's a bit encouraging. I'd still need a source for the copyrighted code from the mask ROM though. And I guess a way to flash the chip, but that part is solvable.

keropi wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:26:

Argus pcb already has support for a 29F800 SOP44 eeprom to be used instead of the original mask rom, so the only special and irreplaceable chip you need is the interwave one

Thank you Keropi.

So I guess that just means we would have to flash our own chip but it would work theoretically if I understand correctly?

keropi wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:26:

Argus pcb already has support for a 29F800 SOP44 eeprom to be used instead of the original mask rom, so the only special and irreplaceable chip you need is the interwave one

Can you flash it directly on the card or do you need extra hardware?

Sunoo wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:15:

I'm finally trying to get the parts I've needed, and suddenly all the new IW78C21M1 have disappeared from UTSource? Anyone have any idea where else to look for them?

They still show up for me: https://www.utsource.net/itm/p/457141.html

Shponglefan wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:54:

They still show up for me: https://www.utsource.net/itm/p/457141.html

Huh, the ones I had before were "new", so I guess that's how I missed these. Also, "inquiry only" often seems to mean they don't actually have any, but I guess I'll put in an inquiry anyways and see what happens.

one needs to program the eeprom externally and then solder to the pcb instead of the mask rom , there is no way this can be programmed in-card
at least there is this alternative - I am sure something will appear on internet archive or something if not already there: the rom has been dumped years ago

Out of curiosity, have people had success ordering from UTSource in the past?

I just checked my order which I made weeks ago and as of April 8th it's still listed as "Packing has been completed, waiting for shipment."

Not overly encouraging... 😒

Although with all the lockdowns in China, I wouldn't be surprised if things might be heavily delayed there.

Sunoo wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:56:

Shponglefan wrote on 2022-04-24, 18:54:

They still show up for me: https://www.utsource.net/itm/p/457141.html

Huh, the ones I had before were "new", so I guess that's how I missed these. Also, "inquiry only" often seems to mean they don't actually have any, but I guess I'll put in an inquiry anyways and see what happens.

I notice their site now says, "Due to the shortage of the global supplier, some products may rise in price and out of stock. We will manually confirm after placing the order.And we will notify you by email within 24 hours."

I suppose these particular chips are included in that...?

I see reports of success in this thread.

Trying to find information in this thread is becoming increasingly frustrating though. Whenever I do manage to find something, half the time it's just a dead link now too.

I have a TL866II+ on order, but it looks like it doesn't come with the adapter needed to program the 29F800, there are links to the adapter needed, but they're all dead. And that doesn't matter anyways if the ROM isn't available. It is not on the Internet Archive, as far as I can tell, nor do any web searches come up with anything. And if I had another card to dump from, I wouldn't have needed to buy the Argus in the first place.

Guess nothing to do now but cross my fingers and wait.

Utsource ships from Shenzhen, so they shouldn't be affected currently. I've received deliveries from them over the last weeks and years (the latest one last weekend).
All ICs I've received from them were completely fine (the ones listed as 'used', as well as 'new'). All of them just being unsused new old stock items.

The above notice about shortages go for ICs currently in production - not those old stock ICs, though I have had sellers on another Chinese site trying to raise prices for such historic ICs after having received payments by 5 times or more 😉

Guess, this news marks the end of availabilty of the IW mask rom there, then... too bad.