Problem with GameCube Service Disc

This isn't exactly about development, but it is regarding a tool for service repair, and I figured that the visitors of this board might know it best. Plus, no one responded to my thread on the other board.

I got my hands on a Nintendo GameCube Service Disc Version 1.0/03. However, when I put in in a GameCube (I've tried two different ones), I just get a black screen and no audio after the initial boot-up sequence. If I go into the system menu, the GameCube properly recgnoizes the disc.

Do you guys know if there's anything special I need to do to play/view the disc? Do I need to hold down a button or perhaps have a special file on a memory card or something?

Thanks.

 

As far as I know, version 1.0 / 03 only works on DOL-001 systems. Pretty much guaranteed that Rev. A system will work with it, I am not sure about Rev. B units, defninitely not rev. C (as they are the DOL-101 jobs). I'm actually getting one of these myself within the next few weeks, I'll let you know I find with some hands-on time.

 

I am having this exact same problem too. I have tried the disc in (2) DOL-001 systems with the same results. System menu reads the disc as Service disc but will not run the program. The disc seems to be spinning very fast and just keeps going, but does brake-stop upon lid open.

I made sure I had no mem cards in, and had a wired controller plugged in.

I tried re-surfacing the disc since there were a few scratches but no joy.

I assume I have a bad disc.

Anyone?

 

I've heard from someone that his disc works in his Wii (no longer has a cube to test) and did not need any attachments or anything. If you have one, try testing in your Wii.

 

I can confirm that my disc does work in my Wii (launch unit). However, you need to be patient. after starting you get a black screen and the blue disc LED acts funky for a few minutes, then it finally starts.

I have two DOL-001s, Platinums w/ 04 drives. virtually identical units. The disc works in one and doesn't in the other. I am in the process of taking them apart to get the revision info off of the CPU/GPU to compare the two. I'll let you know how it goes.

edit: My Wii passes all of the applicable tests on the GC Service disc, which makes me wonder if Nintendo used this disc more recently to perfect the backwards compatibility. Surely the 100 or so hardware tests on this disc would have provided the best testing for the Wii.

 

hmmmm research.

So I have tried to test this disc in a few gamecube systems.

Doesn't work: DOL-001 | BIOS NTSC 1.0 | 06 Drive (black)
Doesn't work: DOL-001 | BIOS NTSC 1.1 | 04 Drive (platinum)
Works: DOL-001 | BIOS NTSC 1.1 | 04 Drive (platinum)



Both my the systems I own (the platinums listed above) have exactly the same specs on the surface, or so I thought. They both read this disc through the Gamecube's BIOS, listing it as Service Disc 1.0 with a Mario icon thing. However, only one of them progresses into the actual software when it is booted.

Thinking that these systems might have different chip revisions, I took them apart. Gamecube porn follows:



Though I am not sure what the bottom-most numbers are, the chips appear to be the same revsions. Does anyone know more about what all of the numbers on these chips are for? I'd assume a batch number or serial number, but I can't be too sure.

In any case, it doesn't look like the problem is with the chips on the system itself. I will examine the drives themselves to see if there is any difference when I have the time.

In the meantime, if anyone could post their GC specs and the success or failure using this disc, it might help narrow down the cause of the problem.

 

If it follows regular IC date codes 3301 = 33rd week of '01 / 3403 = 34th week of '03.

 

You might want to check the IPL revision. The IPL is stored (together with the RTC) in the small MX chip which says "RTCx-DOL" (x=P for PAL, N for NTSC/JAP)

If there is a "C" after that, it's IPL Rev 1.2. I guess a 'B' is 1.1, but i can't confirm this. 1.0 don't have any character there.

As far as i know, this is the ONLY difference which has any impact on software. The digital video port, which is missing in "rev c", is just missing (and the PCB layout changed so the power regulator could be placed on the main PCB). There is no further change. (Of course they've changed to IPL Rev 1.2 at that point and *that's* a real difference.)

I don't know of any revision (CPU or GPU) which is detectable in software.

The drive has of course 3 (possibly 4) revisions, but that should be also invisible to software unless you send debug commands. But as Nitro734 already said, this doesn't seem to be the issue.


BTW, are there any additional information about that disc? Screenshots, dumps, disassemblies?

 

tmbinc, I plan to write a whole article on the disc when the time becomes available, but here are some shots that may interest you:




Odd though, it says that Flipper is rev C.... yet clearly on the actual chip it says "Flipper A". Any idea why this is?

 

that's cool! And definitely more low-level than i would have expected from nintendo.

 

Hello, just thought I would bump this to see if anyone knows how to get this disc working on all Gamecube systems.

I did finally try my disc on a few systems that it DID work on so atleast I know the disc is good.

Could it have something to do with the internal clock?

I did talk to a former Nintendo Service Center tech who said that the program runs without any input from the user.

 

hi i have a pal game gube silver i has a blank screen i have a viper gc installed as i know its ntsc