Saturn proof-of-concept bootloader Pseudo Saturn

So where's the link to the flasher?

 

Thank you r1cola and zorlon for beta testing !

Public version of flasher utility is available >here< .
Or here (iso only) if my homepage is down : View attachment 11647

I don't have any news from you since I sent you link to the beta.
All beta files have been removed from my site, so please try the public version instead.

Everything is released, so feel free to try the public version
And don't hesitate to let me know about bugs whatever.

 

Here ↑↑↑

4 minutes cross-post ^^

 

Thank you cafealpha2!

 

Ok, so I used the ATLUS PSEUDO install disc and successfully flashed my Gameshark. Now I tried to flash it back and at the Atlus main menu when I press start, it sits at the Sega license screen.

Just tried cafealpha2's loader too and it will not go past the "Saturn Cartridge Flasher -- V3.324 Press Start to begin" screen.

 

I'd like to thank everybody involved in this project, specially Cyber Warrior X of course.
I always knew it was somehow possible since the 90's but due to my lack of skills and an Action Replay...

I have some questions:


1 - The SGM in the Atlas disc have a rescan option that doesn't work on a real Saturn. A diferent disc gets nothing and just the same disc can be rescaned. It works on emulators though, I can see the contents of the new disc. It can be useful since we could just use one disc to boot and another to load new firmwares etc.

2 - Atlas can't boot another program using Pseudo. The US Bootleg Sampler also boots a second boot file for the demo games and crashes using Pseudo. What can it be, in a more nerdy language? 8)

3 - How the boot works on games? I've tried to make a multi-game disc with Atlas but I could only get a Lupin III game to work. Also, Yabause 32bit can't boot the demos in Bootleg Sampler (it crashes). SSF works fine.

4 Silly thing: I've put the System Disc header in ARP flash and booted the console. It shows "COMPLETED", I open the lid and it won't load a CDR like the System Disc on a disc. So... it only works in the CD Block, right?

5 - Is there any method to backup saves to a PC without a Netlink? I've lost tons of saves while copying from internal ram to ARP. The Action Replay simply erased itself completely after finishing the process. (lucky part is that I can play with Pseudo now)

6 - Would it be possible to mod a regular ARP to add or change the internal flash to a bigger one? It would be nice to have the KOF 95 rom there and to backup saves to a safer place (all my lost decades of progress...)

7 - Loading isos from the cart is impossible, right?

 

Can you let me know which kind of pad you are using ?
Official pad ? 3D pad ?
3D pad isn't supported yet ... I will add support for it in a near future.

Also, it probably won't work (= untested) with pad multitap adapter.
I will add support for it in the future, but priority for this is low.

 

Please wait.

Please wait more.

Please wait even more.

 

I'm using the 3D pad, tried my standard pad and was able to press start. The program tries to flash my Gameshark and it failed.

It says "Unrecognized flash chips
Reflash process is interrupted"

Is there supposed to be a list of carts to choose from before it begins?

I will try again tomorrow when I have some more time.

 

I feel relieved it was just a problem due to 3D pad
My utility prevents from flashing unrecognized flash chip while Atlas flasher writes everything without care, that's why you had boot problem after flashing with Atlas.

Can you remove and re-insert cartridge ? It can help cartridge~Saturn connection, hence flash chip recognition.
And, can you let me know about Flash vendor/device IDs displayed under title ?
Example : "BFBF - SST, 1010 - SST29EE020"

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_E2EHVxNAE

♫♫♫♫♫
Whatever it takes
Or how my lens breaks
I will be right here waiting for it
♫♫♫♫♫


It's really nice to see how far things are going. I mean, now we have at least 3 projects (CWX, jhl, deunan) at the same time and working. Also the PSIO for PS1 and lots of DC adapters. Even for the 3DO and of course the Everdrives.
Maybe someday we'll have a portable DC based on that Aurora arcade working with a CF/SD card slot.

By the way, what's that SD adapter you've made?

I think I've read about it long ago in SegaXtreme forums. Is it easy to build like the SD adapter for the DC?

 

It was easy to build, but "easy" was in the "Q&D" meaning
Hence I had stability issues when writing to SD ...
And it wasn't a CD Block replacement solution : only a way to dump backup memory card contents.
I plan to make a stable alternative for release, maybe next month or so.

 

To do that with the atlus disc you would need to boot the disc first with the cart not plugged in, once Atlus boots then insert the GameShark, to flash it back to it's original firmware, either that or just give the details cafealpha2 has asked for so the chip can be added to that flasher that works from PSEUDO and swap trickery.

 

Thank you cafealpha2 and zorlon for all the help!

I will try to remove and insert the cart, here's the info you asked for:

Flash Vendor ID: 5345 - Unknown
Flash Device ID: 4741 - Unknown

I wasn't able to flash the cart back to Gameshark firmware using the Pseudo disc, it said it flashed, but it didn't work. I had no Gameshark and no Pseudo! I had to fuss around trying to get the cart set right in the slot again. I was able to get the Pseudo trick back though.

My Gameshark was version 1.7c, would that make a difference either way?

 

cafealpha2 its possible to maintain the ram function of the action replay 4in1 with the mod?

and codes too?

thanks

 

Hex(53 45 47 41) = Ascii("SEGA"), so vendor/device ID acquisition method failed, but SEGA could successfully be read from firmware header, so it means that cartridge data pins were more or less correctly connected with Saturn.
Some data/address pin that are wrongly connected with Saturn connector is a common problem, especially with Game Shark.
But if you could flash to pseudo firmware, it means that flash could be recognized after some cartridge insert/remove tries

No. It is only software difference, but as it is overwritten by pseudo, it doesn't changes anything.

 

What to you mean by "ram functions of the action replay" ?
If there are ram chips on cartridge, game loaded by pseudo will detect and use them if needed.

Stub for cheat codes is already implemented by CyberWarriorX.
I can continue to develop this feature, but priority for this is low.

 

I have tried quite a few times adjusting the cart to flash back to a Gameshark and it's no go. I don't really mind. I would like to be able to use codes though.

 

4MB ram function is always there, it's a chip set that does that so controller via the hardware itself

The Pseudo software currently does not support codes or save data though so those functions are lost and both are controlled via software

cafealpha2 is just developing a flasher though not the Pseudo mod itself

 

I successfully flashed my Gameshark back using the swap and Pseudo disc, inserting my cart at the main menu! I'm happy lol.