Saturn proof-of-concept bootloader Pseudo Saturn

Worked fine with System Disc.
by the way I'm using the latest ARP4+1 cart and keep getting the not enough space for flash when I tried Kai version although normal ones worked fine.

 

Great ! Thank you for the feedback

Please use Pseudo Saturn Kai lite, second entry in the list.
First entry in the list is for Gamer's Cartridge (pictures here).

 

cheers mate!

 

You're welcome

 

I am about to buy an Action Replay from Play-Asia, but a friend of mine tells me that there is a big chance that the cart gets bricked during flashing (with Pseudo Saturn) and I'd end up buying another cart... so best option is to buy a pre-flashed one - I have looked and have been unable to find one at a decent price.

What are your views regarding this?
And, if my cart gets bricked, is there a way to get it working again (perhaps reflashing with another tool)?

Thanks!

 

I'm not saying there isn't a chance of bricking the cart, but I've flashed my Action Replay quite a few times (at least 6) trying out different ROMs and haven't had any real trouble. Even after a write error occurred once, I reflashed it again and all was well.

I actually have a Memory Card Plus (3rd-party) that I couldn't get working, so I tried reflashing it with the MCP ROM on the flashing disc just for kicks, and it started working again.

Just make sure the cartridge fits snug in the slot and is detected by the PsuedoSaturn Kai flashing tool properly.

 

My homepage (= Pseudo Saturn Kai page) says that flashing cartridge is risky, because I don't want users to think it's a safe operation, and then receive claims from the unlucky ones who had their cartridges bricked.
So, no, there's not a "big" chance to brick your cart, but there are some little risk to brick it.

If you don't want to bother with firmware update, I recommend you to a pre-flashed cart.
If you want to save some bucks, please buy a unflashed one, and try to flash it by yourself (there are many setup tutorials about this on youtube, you should take a look before buying ).

If flash is corrupted enough, BIOS won't boot from cartridge, and in this case you can re-try flashing with normal way of doing (= typically, swap trick).
Else, if firmware boots, but Saturn because of corrupted firmware executable, it's more difficult to resurrect the cartridge.



(PS : I still have few Gamer's Cartridges for sell on my homepage. Pre-flashed, and similar to Action Replay, but without extra RAM, and SD card based memory cartridge instead.)
[/ad]

 

Might be a stupid question, but I want to try to flash a 4X1 in a modded model 1 that I have. I have another Saturn which isn't modded & would like to use the flashed cart with that one. Could I flash the cart on my modded model 1 without the swap trick @ then use with my extra Saturn?

 

No problem, you can flash a cart on a modded Saturn, and use this cart on a unmodded Saturn

 

Hi, does this method work with all Saturns because I tried it with Japanese Saturn (HST-0014) with the swapping trick and the Cafe-alpha v0.832 burned disk freezed on SEGA logo. I intended to flash an action replay plus 4 in 1 cartridge by EMS.

Thanks in advance.

 

I can't 100% guarantee it will work on your Saturn, but flashing cartridge on a modchipped unit is safer than doing swap trick, so please give a try

(In the case you don't know : Latest Pseudo Saturn Kai is available here)

 

Made my own cart labels:

 

Looks FANTASTIC!! You ever plan on selling cartridges with that label or labels by itself for those that wants something professional for they're homemade flashed action replay carts?

 

No but here's the pdf of the labels if anyone wants to use them:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=05617167950595220632

I made it in both Japanese and Western fonts. You can open it with Photoshop to edit or print.

I used cafealpha's Gamer's Cartridge label as a template for the label size and cut lines:
http://ppcenter.webou.net/satcart/files/labels_20160728.pdf

 

Glad that my label were useful to you
I could download your pdf file, but its size was zero bytes ... if somebody else has the same problem, it may be a problem on file host service side.

 

Confirming... Zero byte PDF file for me as well.

 

+1, smallest label evar.

If possible (not sure if pdfs are allowed), upload it to the forum, that way there's no chance of the hoster being dead should someone want to download it a couple months down the line.

 

Ok I uploaded it to another host:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=05617167950595220632

I tried uploading to the forum but it says the file size is too large.

 

I found a Chinese person selling the cartridge with pseudo saturn, yesterday I order, so in a month tell them as I was, as they delay the order to Chile
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311723386293?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

Interesting According to the "DT-JAM 2016" indicated on the PCB, it seems to have been made recently. Please keep us updated when you will receive the cartridge.

I don't understand positioning of decoupling capacitors : they should be placed as close as possible to ICs they're protecting. I also don't understand why the cartridge is using old Pseudo Saturn 0.831.