I developed a conversion a long time ago to use a 6116 to replace both of the 5101s on an MPU 200. Here's a link to the instructions:

http://warpzonearcade.com/?p=392

I don't see any reason why an AnyPin adapter wouldn't work for this conversion so there's your example of using a single AnyPin in an MPU200. That could have been what the customer was talking about.

Obviously, my adapters (PinForge.com) will also work. I was selling these long before AnyPin or Pinitech were around but the choice of which to use is up to you. If you want to buy my stuff, great. If you want to buy someone else's stuff, that's great too. They're all basically the same thing at the end of the day. They're all good products and I'm just happy there is a market and so many people are keeping pinball alive.

As far as the debate about who invented what goes, I won't get involved other than to say that none of us invented FRAM or address decoding so there's really no debate. I was doing it before you guys and there were people doing it before me. The "universal" adapter was a new one and full credit to Rob for being the first to put it together and bring it to market.

As far as combining two enable pins is concerned, it's the kind of problem you would solve on the first day of a basic electronics course. Anyone with basic knowledge of TTL logic wouldn't need to "copy" anything to solve that problem. The reason I never did it with my adapters is because I didn't feel like soldering dual NANDs to all of them and none of the games I was going to use them in needed it at the time. I just kept rocking those old designs because I stopped giving a shit about pinball and just sold them as people asked. Well, I'm starting to give a shit again so I'm going to put out some new stuff this year. Not to compete. But, because I love pinball and it's fun. First up will be RAMs compatible with all Gottlieb, including System 1 and 3. Not a universal solution, but individual parts like I'm doing now.

I don't know how anyone else is doing the combined enable so I'm not knocking what might be new and innovative ways to do basic logic, but it's not rocket science and not worth arguing about.

EDIT: This wasn't intended as an ad for my stuff. Just wanted to share the MPU200 RAM conversion and give my thoughts on the whole situation.

Also, replacing only one of the 5101 RAMs on an MPU200 with NVRAM will NOT work.

5101_enable_combine.png

Definitely use machine pin headers and not standard headers if you're going to make your own adapter. The standard header pins are way too big.

Something like this:
ebay.com link: 12x Machined Pin Header male 40 round gold machine pins

Interesting about the DIP RAMTRON parts. I started making RAM adpaters using these when they came out and didn't realize they made so few.

They're probably going to come in somewhere closer to $8 than $5 if you're buying parts straight from Cypress. Personally, I wouldn't buy from the eBay link posted. Looks shady and they don't even have a picture of the right package, let alone the right part. But it's up to you and the risk is pretty low in such small quantities. I use only genuine parts from the manufacturer in my adapters.

Like I said, there's no monopoly on FRAM and none of us invented address decoding. If people want to do stuff on their own I'm happy to share my experience having built hundreds of these and given 100+ away free at shows I've spoken at and to pinball museums.