Testing mini 2315 cartridges for use with Virtual 2315 Cartridge Facility

SOLDERED TOGETHER A TEST MINI CARTRIDGE

Since my components arrived, I put together a test cartridge. I soldered the TF-01A microSD card holder onto the PCB, added the resistor and capacitor, then installed the right angle 2x4 connector. This will be used with the Virtual 2315 Cartridge Facility (V2315CF) to plug in various cartridge images, just as a physical 2315 would be inserted into the 13SD disk drive for use. 

RELOCATING CONNECTOR ON V2315CF BOX FOR MINI CARTRIDGE INSERTION

The RK-05 Emulator upon which the V2315CF is based used a small PCB with the same components as my mini-cartridge, but it was fixed in place inside a slot on the RK-05 box. The user would slide a microSD card into the TF-01A holder through the slot. 

PCB is missing its bottom cover now

INITIAL ERROR AND DISCOVERY OF MISSING TRACE ON THE PCB

When I plugged in my device to the cable connector on the V2315CF, then tried to load the image, the Fault lamp flashed. The issue reported was no card detected in the card connector. I quickly identified the issue by comparing George Wiley's microSD PCB to mine. There was a missing trace.

The warning from KiCad was a schematic parity error, not a missing connection, which is how I missed it while using KiCad's Design Rule Checker. The symbol for the schematic had that pin labeled as pin 9, but the footprint I downloaded for the microSD card holder had it labeled as CD1. 

A quick update of the symbol fixed the mismatch and indeed when I looked at the PCB in KiCAD the missing trace was visible. I added it into the design and now it will be good. However, I already bought 125 holders so I will not be doing a replacement run until these run out. Instead, I will fix them. 

BODGE WIRE TO BE ADDED TO EVERY MINI CARTRIDGE

A small bodge wire can be connected between microSD card holder pin CD1 (pin 9) and the appropriate end of the pullup resistor R1. I added the wire and tested my mini cartridge - successfully. I then built a second mini-cartridge and inserted two different 2315 cartridge images (microSD cards) into them. 

WAITING ON PLASTIC BOTTOM COVER TO COMPLETE MINI CARTRIDGES

I designed and shipped out a bottom cover, the same shape as the PCB, with walls around most of the circumference except for the opening where the 2x4 connector pins are mounted. These should arrive early next week where I can complete and admire the esthetic of the mini-cartridge in all its glory.