Saturn proof-of-concept bootloader Pseudo Saturn

thanks for your works.
Save issues fix?

Ifnot, if I flash my APR today can I reflash it with the new fixed

 

What do you mean by "Save issues fix" ?

 

Skeleton from Brazil doesn't neither work with PS or with my modchip . It doesn't make athing. Directly shows SS logo and goes to "Checking Disc" in CD Player. Stays like that.

Modchip is a ST-KEY-01B Rev.0

 

sorry, had some things come up that prevented me from working on this. i'll be back at it tonight.

 

No problem, please continue testing when you will have free time


Here is updated test report :
- cafe-alpha BFBF/0707 SST29EE010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.745)
- TabajaraLabs 0101/2020 AM29F010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.745)
- A Murder of Crows 53BF/4707 Mix of counterfeit/SST29EE010 chips ? "Write Verification Success" (v3.746)
- nastyvandal 5345/4741 SST29EE010 counterfeit ? "Write Verification Success"(3.746)
- Bruno BFBF/1010 SST29EE020 "Write Verification Success" (v3.751)
- Zorlon : BFBF/1010, write failure, fixed (need testing) in latest beta (3.751)
- A Murder of Crows 0101/2020 AM29F010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.747)
- A Murder of Crows : 1F1F/D5D5 AT29C010 write failure, fixed (need testing) in latest beta (3.751)
- cafe-alpha BFBF/0808 SST29LE010 (GameShark) "Write Verification Success" (v3.750)


Beta testers are still welcome
The more we test, the better the release will be.

 

Sorry, I would like mean baout Saves support of action replay, if I understand the log when we flashed APR we cant save with after.

 

- Zorlon : BFBF/1010, write failure, fixed (need testing) in latest beta (3.751) tested verified working, sorry for the late reply, had too much real life junk going on, tested, before heading out to work this morning

 

Cafealpha2, afaik "BFBF/1010" isn't bad contact of the cartridge with the socket?

 

x

 

Since Action Replay backup data are stored in cartridge flash memory and the fact that flasher erases, then write firmware on whole flash memory, Action Replay backup data are lost, but you're still able to save new backup data after that.

I'm thinking of a way to dump backup data from cartridge, then import this dump data back to cartridge, but this won't be ready soon, and it is out of scope for this flasher utility.

Thank you for testing

Here is updated test report :
- cafe-alpha BFBF/0707 SST29EE010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.745)
- TabajaraLabs 0101/2020 AM29F010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.745)
- A Murder of Crows 53BF/4707 Mix of counterfeit/SST29EE010 chips ? "Write Verification Success" (v3.746)
- nastyvandal 5345/4741 SST29EE010 counterfeit ? "Write Verification Success"(3.746)
- Bruno BFBF/1010 SST29EE020 "Write Verification Success" (v3.751)
- Zorlon : BFBF/1010 SST29EE020 "Write Verification Success" (v3.751)
- A Murder of Crows 0101/2020 AM29F010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.747)
- A Murder of Crows : 1F1F/D5D5 AT29C010 write failure, fixed (need testing) in latest beta (3.751)
- cafe-alpha BFBF/0808 SST29LE010 (GameShark) "Write Verification Success" (v3.750)
- Sonic Dreamcaster 1F1F/D5 AT29C010 "Write Verification Success" (v3.751)

Tests from Bruno and Zorlon shows that lower half of flash of SST29EE020 flash memory can't be accessed from Saturn, because, its A17 address pin is grounded.
I though that SST29EE020 based cartridges allowed 512KB of flash memory, but they only allow access to 256KB ... what a pity from Datel ...


Latest version seems to be OK for a large variety of cartridges/chips, but new beta testers are still welcome.

 

So you're talking about the higher half of flash, since the most significant bit is grounded!?

This seems an easy mod. Just cut the pin going to ground and route it to the edge connector of the cart?!

I'm afraid I didn't understood it correctly. Can you explain a bit more?

 

If I flase my AR, ram and memory card function still availlable?

thanks

 

1-4 MB Ram YES (It's hardware controlled) Memcard functions NO (There is no Memcard functions implemented into Pseudo just yet)

You can flash it back to retail though if you wanted

 

Please note that flasher utility publicly available on my homepage has incompatibilities with some Action Replay cartridges, so I recommend you to test latest flasher instead.
In the case you test latest flasher, you need to send me a picture of your TV just after flashing your cartridge.
If you want to test latest flasher, please let me know in this thread, or send me a PM.


Thank you Zorlon for answering

 

Would we be able to backup our saves from AR cart with Pseudo directly to the console and then flash the cart with lets say a newer version of Pseudo (when released) and then place saves back to cart?

 

Yes.

Yes, it is not very difficult, and also it seems there's no GND mask near this address pin, so it's only the matter of cutting copper wire on PCB without the need to desolder flash pin.
You need to do this for both 2 flash chips, and route directly to connector, or even better, to GAL/whatever chip on the left side of the PCB.

But please note it's not a really useful mod, because :
- Action Replay firmwares don't use flash memory over 256KB offset
- Flasher utility will continue to recognize flash memory as 256KB sized, because there's no simple way to check flash memory size from SH-2.

It is possible to transfer saves from Action Replay firmware to console internal memory via Action Replay backup manager. Please transfer your saves before flashing PseudoSaturn, so that you will keep them.

I don't know if it will be possible to store saves on Action Replay flashed with new version of PseudoSaturn, mostly because of the lack of flash memory available, and some other reasons too.

 

Cafealpha2, I'm not well versed about how the flash is written, but cannot you try to write a pattern on address x, and another pattern on address x + 256K and, if different, you know you have 512K?

 

Of course, this is possible, but I don't want to write/restore a flash sector for this. There's a small risk to brick the cartridge, and it shortens flash memory life-length too.
As Action Replay don't use flash memory over 256KB, there's no need to detect if more memory is available.

 

Can't hurt to compare (without writing) a couple of bytes anyways though. Worst case, if they randomly happen to be identical you'll get a false negative and not use some of the memory... right?

 

So I suppose there will never be the ability to have AR and Pseudo on the same cart because of memory limitations correct?