Theoretical Multi-console

[korndog1999]

I believe it may be possible to run actual game cartridges from a Raspberry Pi, through the use of cartridge connectors from old game consoles, as well as multiple emulators. Only one emulator would run at a time, and they could be controlled with buttons and a program that shuts of the current emulator, then switches to a different one based on which button was pressed. Please tell me what i would need, and how to carry this out. I do not yet have an R pi, but i am ordering one soon. If this project would be too expensive, I will not try it yet. I also want to create a mobile programming kit, but that is for another post...

[welshy]

korndog1999
It can definitely be done, Waterbury (Ted) has completed a Project akin to what you propose (Using a SNES) along with detail/instruction on how he achieved it. Here’s the Link - http://familab.org/blog/2012/12/snes-su ... ed-system/

[r00x]

Would logic level converters not be necessary? I imagine most old cartridges use signalling levels higher than 3.3V.

Even so, this would be awesome.

[LemmeFatale]

This may defeat the do-it-yourself object, here, a bit, but there's always the Retrode. It's a USB reader for SNES and Mega Drive (Genesis for those in North America) cartridges, which also has SNES and Mega Drive joypad ports (two of each).

It presents the data from the game cartridge as a file, which can then be used with the appropriate emulator, and it presents connected joypads as standard USB Human Interface Devices.

It will also soon have add-on adapters for other types of cartridge (specifically, Game Boy/Game Boy Colour/Game Boy Advance, Master System, and Nintendo 64), and these are currently in the pre-ordering phase.

I'm not associated with the device - just a happy user.

[korndog1999]

Thank you, I only have an s-nes and a sega Saturn, so the USB connector may come in handy. This should give me a head start in developing emulation programs, which will be hard, since I don't have much programming experience. Does anybody know any good places to learn more programming?

[ghans]

I'm not sure why this would need any programming at all.
Lots and lots of guides , images and scripts around.
For example welshys work and RetroPie .

Python could be a language to start with. Look at the
MagPi or the educational manual for getting started with
Python programming.

ghans