GameShark Pro Parallel port connection issues

I have a GS Pro flashed with v3.2 (flashed with the BigWave 4 upgrade disk). I haven't been able to connect to it with my XP desktop or Windows 2000 laptop. Both have the LPT port enabled in EPP mode, which I've read is required since Bi-Directional mode won't work. Maybe one or two times I was able to connect to it using my XP desktop, but my PS1 froze after I sent a memory dump command. I believe the software I'm using with it (GSCC 2002) is configured correctly, using TotalIO.sys to interface with the LPT port.

The only thing I can think of is that my 25ft cable is too long and is causing latancy or RFI issues. Could that be what's giving me trouble?

 

Use SPP mode, use a straight thorough DB-25 cable and use Windows 98. Your IRQ should be 0x378 (LPT1).

 

In order to use XP I had to use a patched version of the GameShark utilities that worked in conjunction with a program called "Userport". Works pretty damn well. Short of that, use Windows 98.

 

Hmm, I tried it with a third pc, which I just installed 98 on, and still am having no luck. Psx hacking utilities 3.2 freezes my ps1 when I click "detect". Gscc can't detect the gameshark or communicate with it. I tried spp and ecp + epp, both with 378 for the Irq and can't get anything. I even tried removing the housing around the gs thinking my cables weren't connecting, but this also did nothing either my gs is defective or my cable is screwed...

I also tried userport and gscc can't detect the gs

 

lol, 25 foot cable?

use a (much!) shorter one.

 

I know with 3.3 Gamesharks some were made without the resistors and a few ICs to allow for the parallel port to function and an even more stripped down version lacking the ability to have the parts easily installed. I highly doubt your 3.2 would be lacking these components but there is always a possibility.

I'm putting my money on a 25ft cable being the problem or possibly a misconfiguration somewhere.

 

This was true for some late N64 GameSharks, but not with the PS1 ones. I'll see if I can try a different cable this week.

 

Err yeh for some reason my brain crossed wires there.

I've got a GS for the PS1 somewhere I'll check out later. My environment works great for the 3.2 and 3.3 N64 Gamesharks so I don't see why it won't work.

 

I bought a new 6ft parallel cable today and have had a whole mess of problems. My 98 machine crapped out so I can't test anything with that one right now. On my XP desktop, GSCC still cannot detect the GameShark. If I manually set it to GameShark 3.XX mode, most functions will freeze the GS, in-game and at the main menu. This happens when I use GSCC with totalio.sys and with UserPort (by running GSCC in Windows 98 compatibility mode).


Now for the REALLY weird part. If I manually set GSCC to use the Xploder protocol, I can dump RAM and edit RAM without the system freezing. Maybe the firmware on the GameShark is corrupt? Or maybe the 3.2 firmware has a buggy protocol implementation? I haven't tried this with the 25ft cable yet. Again, I used a burned copy of the BigWave 4 disk to upgrade from 3.0 to 3.2. I'd hope the firmware updater on that disk included a way of verifying it.


Any ideas? I'll try to fix up the 98 machine soon so I can do more testing with this.

 

Try virtual machine with win98.
But i don't know if work

 

Why exactly do you want to use your GameShark? For cheating or making PSX games??

Also, I am using a 2 meter long parallel cable - 25 feet is overkill.

 

I wanted to use it for updating the code list. But at this point, it's not worth trouble shooting any further From what I've seen, the GS Pro cartridge can receive commands but can't send any back.

 

25 ft is long, but parallel ports are slow. They barely qualify as a transmission line. Also TTL signalling has rather good noise immunity. It's probably acceptable since the GS actively drives the cable.

0x378 is a port address, not the 889th IRQ line.

Gameshark like pretty much every parallel port device doesn't require an IRQ, but if it did, it'd use IRQ7 or "0x7".

To even receive commands data must be sent back in order to handshake.

 

I'm now using a 6ft cable.

I tried using the AR3 Reflasher CD, which allows for interaction through the GS's parallel port outside of GameShark's main menu. This disk is booted with the GS plugged in. The PC side software says "connection refused" when doing simple things like checking the version of the GS. But what's confusing is that when I use the AR3 Reflasher CD with AR3VERS.EXE (which will ask the GS what version firmware it's running), the software on the PS says that it's receiving a command yet AR3VER still gives a "connection refused" error. I tried using it with DOS from a Windows 98 CD and with a FreeDOS disk on two diffrent computers to test this. The "connection refused" error occurred each time.

 

The AR3 disc you're talking about specifically supports Gameshark Pro? As far as I know there isn't an AR that interfaces with the parallel port like the Gameshark Pro, their DB25 are for a Comm Link interface (or parallel port with a "Freewing" adapter), it uses completely different protocol and incompatible hardware. You're probably getting false positives somehow if the GSP's LPT I/F is decoded similarly to the AR's Comm I/F.

 

From what I understand, the AR3 is the Japanese version of the Gameshark Pro. This tutorial explains how a Gameshark Pro could be used with the AR3 flasher.

In other news, I found a disk called X-Flasher that can flash a GameShark Pro to any firmware file you throw on the disk. If I can find the right files, I'll try flashing my GS with firmware v3.0.

 

Holy balls. Is that Calpis?

I can send you the CUE/BIN of X-Flash if you want. It has German ROM's, but as long as it connect to the PC, you may then upgrade it to an English based one (that's what I did anyway). I sent you a PM with the link.

 

Thanks for the link. Do you know where I can find a GS Pro 3.0 rom?

 

No sorry, but I think this is the 3.2 ROM if you are interested in it.

 

I have the GS Pro 3.0 and 3.2 ROM... I may even have the 3.1, though I remember that was very HTF (in ROM; I have the cartridge itself with 3.1, but haven't had time to dump it).
I'll see if I can find these quickly in my HDD and I'll share them here.