Dreamcast SD card reader RELEASED

Mine came yesterday and that doesn't light up either. However, I put the files from Anthony871's link on the Racketboy site and burnt the CDI file to disc but my DC doesn't recognize it, spins for a few times then says ''Please insert game disc''. Dreamshell CDI file was about 2-3 MB in size and the SD card files were about 4-5 MB. Have I gotten the wrong files from the wrong link or something? Is there an idiot proof - and I mean retard levels of idiot proof as I'm spectacularly untechnical - step by step guide to setting the card up in case I've gone wrong somewhere?

Any and all help appreciated

 

This will be your stumbling block. You can't just use Windows' in-built CD writing app. Download Discjuggler, the free trial edition is perfect for this purpose as its limitations don't matter for a few MB CD burn.

 

I did use DiscJuggler, the version I have installed is V4.50.1179-PRO2 and I have used it for numerous DC rips and they've all worked without issue :shrug:

EDIT: Forgot to say, .CDI burnt at 4X and verified.

 

Smash TV - Good Luck! You'll need it!

 

Oh, I'll never see anything out of them. But if they're going to offer shit service, I'm going to waste their time and make it known.

 

I'm really sorry to hear about your woes Alchy but I'd like to say that I ordered mine earlier in the year it works just fine. Likewise, of all the people I've seen posting on forums, you're the only person I know who got a broken one.

You have to remember that this is some bloke in a shack making them by hand, there are going to be issues. I don't think it's that fair to knock the guy - his heart certainly seems to be in the right place.

I guess buying one from eBay might be a better option to avoid that kind of situation. I have no idea how you would get a refund from taobao - I wouldn't know where to start to be honest! At the end of the day though, like you say, it's probably not worth bothering to chase it up in the long run - because the product is so cheap in the first place.

Re: Working games... very few work. That list of 21 games (I think?) omits Skies of Arcadia which also works very well. Unfortunately, unless DreamShell is updated to run .cdi's AND games are repacked (and heavily downsampled) the SD Loader is only ever going to be a novelty item.

Let's just say it's not as good as you might think... There is no real Dreamcast scene as such now, so the likelihood that we'll see any big changes in the future are also pretty slim.

An idiots guide to getting it working?

1) Burn off a copy of Dreamshell - But make sure you burn the SDLoader version NOT the other one (iirc there were two of them) The other one won't work.

2) Copy the 'DS' folder to the root of the SD Card.

3) Copy some (working) iso's to the SD Card as well.

4) Load up DreamShell in the DC unit.

5) Browse for the iso and load it up.

I also had major problems at the beginning because I burnt the wrong version of DreamShell AND I didn't bother to copy the 'DS' folder to the root of the card.

 

I don't know, SD Loader is not recommended by Swat, but I copied the OS to my SD card and used the regular Dreamshell disc, and it works like a boot disc as the SD Loader disc did, and my sd card lights up at the dreamshell loading screen.

I will PM you with the version I am using. It is 6mb zipped and all on the disc, but it is recommended by others.

 

With respect I've seen several other people with problems, not just here but also on the SWAT forums too. I'm not trying to say the guy's a scammer but it seems he needs to test his merch before sending, or make it more robust in the first place.

 

Wombat has commissioned me to provide him with a DC modded with internal VGA, internal SD and a BIOS mod. So far I've got the chip installed and have the VGA circuitry built.

I did reclaim a really sweet SD card slot from an old laptop mobo that is spring loaded and very solidly built. The only problem I'm foreseeing is mounting the slot inside the case. I'm going to use veroboard as a soldering platform and for stability but there just isn't much in the way of convenient placement inside of these things.

 

@Anthony817: Thanks for the PM .

I d/l the file you recommended but I'm still getting the same problem, I put the cd in my DC, it goes to the Dreamcast splashscreen and hangs there for a few seconds, the laser starts twatting about like a bastard and then the screen fades to black and I get the main DC settings screen. My DC is an NTSC_J launch unit but I can't believe it's a laser problem as everything I put in it boots first time with flawless video and music playback so I'm reticent to start messing. I've tried burning the file with DiscJuggler and with Alcohol120% and the end results are the same. I guess I'm just shit out of luck where this method is concerned :shrug:

 

I've got the same problem, it needs a 50MB-ish dummy file, I've tried it about 40 times and ONCE it has booted, the rest, it just tries to read for ages and fails.

How to put the dummy file on a CDI image though, I've no idea =/.

 

There was a padding tool for Dreamcast Isos back then iirc which did this stuff automatically. Been years since I toasted anything for my DC though, have to dust it off more often, last time I had to leave it on its power cord for hours before it would boot up - seems the RTC battery was flat.

 

Thank Christ for that, I thought it was just me. I've no idea how to dummy, selfboot or do any of the other things that are needed for DC games either so if there's anyone out there who can dummy this out not only for me and splith but obviously others too and put it on MegaUpload or something it would be very much appreciated :nod:

 

Yes, the first jap model (maybe other model too) cannot read the disc from dc-swat....
Try this one, it should work. I had the same problem as you and it works for me with this file :

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EFE7J8NK

It is audio/data track with dummy.

It is the sd loader, the disc that boot into the ds system from sd card.

If you want the stand alone, tell it me, i will upload it too.

 

Burnt the disc and finally it loads, thank you :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

Anyone wanna make a step-by-step guide to buy one of these? I don't know how to fill out my address info even with google translator.

 

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/view...&sid=8ff599f59a7beff003ffc1aeb4c0a592&start=0

 

that looks sweet..I don't own a DC though. How much do those go for? Maybe I can get a bunch if they're cheap, just for future reference

 

I saw that, but that doesn't help you go through filling out everything it just says "enter in any info asked".

 

If you follow the instructions you'll see it leads you to http://buyfromtaobao.com/ which is all in English.