"Let's make GD ROM emulation happen" Facebook group.

I was finally able to mount the cue after decompressing the ape to wav, converted with discjuggler advanced:scan gaps/indexes – r-w (cd+g) – pq – raw read.
The saturn recognizes the image as a music cd, I can play the music and its from the game but how can I get it to boot as a game?
All games I get to cdi format are recognized as a music cd,shows the number of music tracks and I can play the music and its from the game but how can I get it to boot?

 

Not sure how many people are interested... ;P

Anyway, I did some experiments with case modding & additional cooling, heavily inspired by Deunan suggestions on his site (where you order GDemu - credits to him!).
Now it's late for me, tomorrow I think I could start a new thread with some picture of my work. Forgot to say: with these findings I've been able to beat the game (37' of game - I used another character, not my favorite one, because I'm getting tired of this game...!) without any freeze.

Don't know if my console is particulary weak, but surely it needed some improved airflow to operate correctly!

theJKL

 

I wouldn't judge one man's experience as a result of overheating. That's not provable. A resistor on the 12V rail (and a ground) may well work, but GDEMU is never going to reproduce the air flow the way USB-GDROM can. That device can be installed inside the existing GD Rom drive's main board housing, and you can even leave the drive unit in place.

 

Yup, it's how I have mine setup. Though I have a PicoPSU installed in mine.

I also installed the lid switch so when MNEMO adds support for it it's ready to go.
(don't mind the hot glue on the USB port, I was testing external power)



On a side note, why does this forum keep giving me an error when posting about the message being to short, even though I just typed out a paragraph

 

As I wrote in my posts, I had freezes also with external PSU.
Im my experience, cooling is almost all about airflow... so I think you're right saying that having an airflow as close as possible to the original one designed by sega would be the best bet.
Maybe some units are more sensitive than others, as many factors are involved (dirt, correct placement of heatsink plate, age of thermal pads).

Anyway I think I was able to find a way to get rid of the ingame freeze... for my specific sample of dreamcast, obviously: but my only goal was to be able to keep in service my unit.

I've been lucky enough to read from Deunan's site (https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/too-hot-for-my-chinchilla/ and https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/mr-driller/) that original airflow is surely modified by changing the optical drive with GDemu, so I started from there to search for a fix.

 

A fact most people overlook when talking about the dreamcast cooling and airflow is that most of the aforementioned airflow is directed to the PSU. If you use a picoPSU or similar solution, it's not clear that the modified airflow will be detrimental, in fact since there's more air to push over the mobo shield it might even help.

More that a few people run their DC with picoPSU without issue and the temperature of the metal shield is simply a little warm. If running it from an external power source - that dissipates heat elsewhere than in the DC shell - makes it overheat, your DC might have bad heat conductance between the cpu/gpu and its heatsink that conducts heat to the metal shielding.

 

In my little experience (have little to none technical skills!) if the plate / heatsink is getting hot this means that conduction is ok. If heatsink is hot AND unit is overheating it means that heatsink cannot dissipate heat (poor airflow). In fact, my solution posted here alter aesthetics (as well as a little of noise) of my unit for sure, but seems to avoid freezing by improving airflow (https://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?56060-My-mod-to-save-my-DC).

 

If you read my quote carefully, you'll understand that I completely agree with you. Your fix is effectively dissipating the PSU heat elsewhere. The picoPSU produce very little heat, so your DC should work fine with a picoPSU, as mine and other's.

e.g.

Maybe putting a load on the 12v rail would've reduce its heat production and fix your problem too even with perturbed airflow though. Also, one should always makes sure the DC shell is assembled and the lid closed for airflow even be worth discussing.

Or more heat is generated than designed for. This is probably what happens when the 12V goes crazy and the PSU makes unnecessary heat. A load might fix that.

tl;dr: I guess my point is that if you use a picoPSU, your DC doesn't require airflow engineering. If not, maybe a load on the 12V would make things better. If not, you're screwed, get a picoPSU or put "walls" to recreate the original airflow path.

 

...maybe my posts were "hidden" by others, but... I already written I have freeze even with PSU completely external (ATX PSU)... I'm still waiting my picoPSU, but meanwhile I'm using a bold ATX PSU externally... so no 12v issue explain my DC's freeze sadly!

Thanks anyway for your precious help!!

 

I don't understand, you say an external ATX PSU didn't fix your issue and then you say that using an external ATX PSU fixes your issue.

[EDIT] I see now that you added an additional fan, sorry I missed that.

If you're using an ATX psu externally AND still get freezing, I'm sorry but a picoPSU won't help. There's some issue with your DC. Either bad heat transfer from cpu/gpu to heatsink or something else; in any case it's not normal.

 

His freezing in one game if you ask me probably had nothing to do with the temperate of the system.

Rocky, has MNEMO said disc switching would be done with a "lid switch?" I hope not. How can you ask customers to personally add on ANOTHER hardware tweak when also doing nothing on the 14V/12V concern?

 

What else do you think?

 

He said once in IM to me that in a future firmware the lid switch could be supported and that's why he has the position ready for it. Other than that everything else is a guess at this point IMHO , unless someone heard something newer...

 

Personally when my GD-EMU arrives I'm gonna try running a 12v fan on the stock PSU to see if it makes any improvement. I have a nice quiet little blower out of a macbook that should do the trick nicely.

 

Hi there, could you tell me the exact model of which version of PicoPSU are you using?

I also my country runs on 240v. Could to exactly tell me what are parts that I need to get in order to make this Power supply for DC?

Thank you.

 

Here is the thread.
https://www.assemblergames.com/foru...ing-the-DC-PSU&p=777552&viewfull=1#post777552

 

Yep I'm pretty sure that picoPSU will not change anything, I already have external PSU = no heat source inside (except motherboard, obviously!). By using standard ATX connector when picoPSU will come it'll be a breeze to swap it and put it inside (ATX connector outside DC is orrible!

Testing 3.3v on the 5v additional fan to reduce noise.


Sorry if my posts aren't clear, I understand almost all reading english but when it comes to production (written or spoken) I'm a bit limited... ;(

 

Thanks for the reply.

1. So you have desolder the the ATX connector from the PicoPSU?
2. All I have to do is, follow the wires that connect from PicoPSU to DC's mainboard power leads?
3. It uses a external 110-240v power adapter to the PicoPSU connector?
4. I see a separate orange wire? Is that for the fan?
5. How about the twin-twisted back to grey wire? Where does that go? Could you show a better closer pic of where the black wires are soldered?

Thank you.

 

I wouldn't desolder ATX connector, I found much easier to take out unwanted pins from a cheap (2-3$?) ATX - ATX extension cord so I can use ATX connector on picoPSU as well as - for testing, or anything else - any ATX compatible PSU (standard PC included). Here you can find pictures of what I mean (https://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?56060-My-mod-to-save-my-DC).

Please note it's not a tutorial, it's just my own mod. Obviously, any mod you should do to your DC is at your own risk!

 

1. I desoldered the connector because it was cleaner, but it's not needed.
2. You use 3.3v - 5v - G - G - G - 12v that's the order on the DC power pins when the DC is facing towards you. You connect the wires to the correct pin/plug/pad on the PicoPSU.
3. Correct.
4. Correct, I run the fan at 3.3v. A lot quieter.
5. That's connected to the PicoPSU's, PS_ON & Ground pads. This allows me to turn the DC on & off. (without having to splice the PicoPSU power wire (red))

your welcome.

I used the wires correct colour for each pin/pad.
(colours correspond to the ATX standard)

yellow = 12v
orange = 3.3v
red = 5v
black = ground

I could have used green wire for the PS_ON but I had some spare black wire pieces, lying around.