My Mister backup SD mod :-)

[tut] My Mister backup with SD mod

Hi,

Nota : I not speak English very well, I advise you, if you speak French, to follow this tutorial in the language of Molière available here : http://gueux-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=254337&st=0#entry1897340

This demonstration - tuto 'll explain how to install and use a SD card reader instead of the original ZIP drive.
It's also possible to integrate a 2.5" HDD, but I find the HDD much less convenient, because the SD card can't lose the "flying connection" with a PC.

Why replace the original Zip drive?
For several reasons:

• for the sake of the hack, it doesn't explain
• for the silence, the ZIP drive makes noise
• for storage on a SD card I can accommodate about 80 / 90 games, demos ...
• to remove the bulk ZIP drive connected to my PC
• to replace a technology gone (the ZIP) by yet another well-supported for a long time.
• loading games is little faster with the SD card (card at high speed or not), not a very big difference but I think it's mainly due to the adapter.

There is no disadvantage in using a SD card reader?
J'en ai trouvé qu'un, le temps d'attente du scan de la carte SD par le Mister Backup z64, il passe de 5 secondes (avec le lecteur ZIP) à 12 secondes (avec le lecteur carte SD). But a 2 GB SD card can hold 80 to 90 while a dozen files to the ZIP disk.

What you'll need:

• a Mister Backup z64, i'll call MB z64
• a crosshead screw driver
• a SD card reader - IDE 40 pins
• SD Card (2GB recommended)
• a hot glue gun
• a 40 pin IDE cable, shorter if possible (that I use in the demonstration is a bit too large)
• a computer
• the archive z64bios220

Plan of tut :

• I\ Preparing the SD card
• II\ Update Mister Backup Z64
• III\ Disassembly Mister Backup Z64
• IV\ Recognition Test
• V\ Installing the SD drive
• VI\ Thanks to

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I\ Preparing the SD card :
I recommend a 2 GB SD card that is more than enough to store "some" Rom.
Additionally BackUp Mister Z64 can't handle partitions larger than 2 GB, format it as FAT 16.
If you only have cards larger than 2 GB, format it in FAT 16 partitioned into portions less than or equal to 2 GB.
Once formatted, inject some roms to the SD card.

​

II\ Update Mister Backup Z64 :
To recognize the SD card (and hdd 2.5 "), it is imperative to update the Z64 MB in 2.20, why follow the guide.

1. Download the archive z64bios220
2. Unzip the file z64bios.img contained in the downloaded archive z64bios220.
3. Put the file z64bios.img in the root z64bios.img a ZIP disk.
4. Put this disk in the MB Z64 and turn it on.
5. Then turn on your N64, the usual menu selection appears.
6. Select UPDATE BIOS and follow the instructions.
   
   
   ​
7. Once the update completed, turn off your N64 and Z64 MB.
8. Turn your MB Z64, the bottom line should be given 2.20A or 2.20B or 2.20C (depending on your type of MB Z64).
   
   
   ​

III\ Disassembly Mister Backup Z64 :
Turn the MB Z64, you'll see 8 screws.

​

Remove the 4 screws that secure the environment for all ZIP drive.
Then remove the last 4 screws, that all hardware is removed from the MB Z64.

​

You can then slowly and carefully open the beast, attention still go slowly, pay attention to connectors.

​

Disconnect the floppy disk and store it with 4 screws.

​

IV\ Recognition Test :
Before going further, do a quick test of recognition of the SD card by the MB Z64.

​

Here, change the cover chrome for PC by the other provided by the manufacturer, two screws to remove.

​

Make sure the card reader is on the Master position :

​

Connect the SD card reader to MB Z64.

​

Insert the SD card with some roms and then feed the MB Z64 to see if it recognizes the SD card though.

It works?
Ok, let's move to the next level.


V\ Installing the SD drive:
In this part we use the hot glue.
Why the hot glue? For several reasons:

• easy to use
• relatively quick drying
• one day, if you decide to remove, it's pretty easy to do it all disappear without trace
• it's resistant

Disconnect your SD card reader and all the connectors from the MB Z64 in order to have the upper Z64 MB free.
Position the card reader as it must be fixed permanently.

​

Make the outline of the reader with a pencil and then remove the card reader.

(pencil between red lines added)​

Apply a little glue around inside the marking.

(Here, I put a little too much glue, SD card reader didn't return well, not to abuse)​

Without waiting to replace the card reader to the appropriate location and smear the glue around the player.

​

Once the glue is put, wait until the glue completely cool ale.

1/4 to 1/2 hour later (the time a beer or a large coffee), reconnect everything (web, connectors, power supply ...) between the top and bottom.

​

Then replace the 4 screws (gently) and now it's over.

​

Video Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLiFU_YWfUY

VI\ Thanks to :
http://www.z64faq.tk for infos and SilverFox for bios 2.20.

 

great work. you should make up a topic with instructables for the mod section.

 

Oh okay, if a moderator can move this topic in this section : http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=76 , thanks.

edit : thanks again for the move.

 

pretty awesome mod considering the fact that you can have every N64 game on an 8GB SD card

 

Tut translated in English (in poor english sorry), see 1st post.

 

Now what do I do with all of those shrink wrapped zip disks I've found?

 

eBay can be your friend.^^

 

ZIP disks are worth virtually nothing these days, though. Even sealed.

 

Youtube video added in the end of tut.

 

hehe, I read somewhere a long time ago that this thing was IDE internally, your thread brought back memories of a friend who used to swap the zip drive between his unit and his PC because he didn't have a second one
Oh, the good old days ^^

 

Had a Mr Backup HD setup myself back in the day (before mainstream CF-cards became cost effective), wonderful system, especially v3 with "on screen menu".

 

How much are these things anyway? Is it cheaper than buying a $250 or so flash cart from NeoFlash?

 

I can't even find where to buy a Mr. Backup.

 

There's one being sold on Racketboy, but he isn't listing a sales price. I don't know what to offer him.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=29452

 

Great Job, I do the same idea with my Super WildCard DX2.

Inside of the diskdual, i remove the hdd and put one Compact Flash Card reader.

Then I compact the Disk Dual inside of the DX 2.
Here is the result:

 

Nice mod there buddy! Looks very neat. Maybe painting or finding a black housing for the cardreader would make it look much neater.

 

I went out and got some spray paint specifically designed to be sprayed directly onto plastic for just such things. Painted an old Zip100 IDE drive black to match my case. Came out pretty well.

 

Sounds good APE, is that type of spray paint expensive?

 

i believe its krylon fusion should be less then 5 usd might be less then 10 usd

 

For some reason I cannot view any of the images in this tut. Is there another tut somewhere on how to mod my z64?