ElCheapoSD [Atari Lynx]

The team at BennVenn in Australia set themselves the goal of providing an affordable SD card solution for the Atari Lynx. They have successfully achieved this with the ElCheapoSD. I personally waited for the version that works with both the Lynx 1 and the Lynx 2—a compatibility issue stemming not from the technology itself, but rather from the cartridge casing. With this device, there is now a competitor to the market leader: the Lynx Game Drive by RetroHQ.

The functionality is quickly explained: Lynx games can be copied onto an SD card, which is then inserted into the ElCheapo. ROMs up to 512 KB are supported, allowing for the use of all original games and homebrews.

In addition, there is the option—for instance—to save high scores to an SD card; this does not apply to original Lynx games, however, as this capability did not exist back then. Nevertheless, this feature is now utilized by newer homebrew titles.
Beim Einschalten wird das zuletzt verwendete ROM geprüft und wenn es EEPROM verwendet, wird das EEPROM auf die SD-Karte verschoben. Wird ein neues ROM geladen, lädt es die SD-Speicherung in das EEPROM (wenn vorhanden). Ist keine SD-Speicherung vorhanden, wird die Datei für den nächsten Neustart gespeichert.

The loading times for the games are extremely short, amounting to a maximum of 1.5 seconds.

Usage
1. Format the SD card as FAT32 and assign it a name.
2. Copy the `boot.bin` file from the BennVenn download page—this is the menu system—to the SD card.
3. Add games in LNX format. The order in which the files are copied to the SD card determines the order in which they appear in the menu. This allows you to place your favorite games at the top of the list.

Unfortunately, it turned out that I was unable to use many of the games in the LNX file format that I had “collected.” Apparently, while many downloads are offered as LNX files, they are actually LYX files. These must first be converted—a task that can be accomplished using the program make_lnx.exe, included in the download for the Lynx emulator “Handy.”

The menu system used in the ElCheapoSD is kept very simple. It displays a list of ROMs that can be scrolled through, and a game can be launched by pressing the “A” button. Directories are not supported.
As an alternative, a menu created by AtariGamer is available on their download page. He notes that, with the current firmware, the maximum number of supported games is capped at 256, and directories are not supported.

Update 11/2022
A new menu from AtariGamer (V20221102-A) is now available, which finally adds support for directories. It utilizes a smaller font that allows up to 16 entries to be displayed simultaneously. Additionally, it features customizable color schemes, and the ROM list is sorted alphabetically.
This version of the menu is compatible only with firmware v0008 (not the original firmware); therefore, you must update your firmware accordingly beforehand.

Firmware Update
If new firmware files are available, simply copy them to the root directory of the SD card. After powering on the Lynx, "Insert Game" will be displayed on the screen for approximately 15 seconds.

Tests
I tested the SD card with my Lynx II (featuring a McWill display) and with a stock Lynx 1. The cartridge works without any issues on both devices.

Conclusion
The El Cheapo is a solid SD card for the Atari Lynx. Since it hasn't been on the market for very long, there is still room for improvement in its development. Combined with the menu from AtariGamer, it serves as an alternative to the Lynx GameDrive by Retro HQ. Given that the price of the El Cheapo—$50—is truly affordable, I can highly recommend it.