I notice the SMS and SNES Everdrive flash carts both have USB ports to allow programs to be "streamed" directly to the cartridge. I do a lot of homebrew development and testing on the Mega Drive, and I'm currently using a Tototek cart, which has served me well. I've been keeping an eye on the Everdrive, and I've been considering picking one up recently, but I'd really like the USB link cable, since it would greatly simplify running hardware tests for me. Are there any plans to release a version of the Everdrive for the Mega Drive which includes a USB port? Also, on a slight tangent, I'm interested in the "usb link unit" I saw on your website. As part of hardware testing, I often sample data on the system, and send it back to my computer for analysis. I often send several batches of data from one test, IE, the ROM sends a number of separate blocks of data to the PC before the test is complete. I currently use Mask of Destiny's parallel port cable and my own custom code to get the data off the system. Ideally, I'd like to go "usb only" for my mega drive development, but I'd need a way to transfer data off the console using usb in order to make that happen. Could your USB link unit be used to perform this task? If so, are you still able to make them? Of course, the "ultimate" for me would be if the Everdrive flash cart can handle this task as well, by providing a way for a ROM to actively send data back to a PC over the USB connection. That might be asking a bit much though.
currently i have not plan to make md cart with usb just because max2 cpld chip which i use have not enought free IO pins for usb fifo. you can use usb link unit via joy port for send data from pc to console or from console to pc. i not build them any more, but here they still available http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/high-speed-usb-link-unit-for-sega by the way, i use usb link unit for everdrive os debug
Would the usb unit you made work like this cable sold by tototek? http://www.tototek.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_6_12&products_id=90 i'm curious because I've been wanting to try the transfer software to dump Genesis games. http://www.retrodev.com/transfer.html I imagine the software would need modifications but would be cool to see what all could be done with it.
transfer protocol not same. how you want to dump carts? for that you should load transfer app in genesis ram and then connect cart which you want to dump. hot swap?
I haven't actually tried it yet but my understanding is you burn the "dumping" program to a cd and run it from the sega cd. Still need to do more research on how it actually works. I just hate parallel cables and was hoping that this might be a good replacement. I imagine with some work it could be done maybe this isn't my specialty. EDIT: Just did a little more searching since something was bugging me and that was if you have a genesis game in then the sega cd won't boot. But I checked furthur along in the instructions and apparently you can tape one of the pins to prevent it from booting. So you tape one of the pins boot from the sega cd and run the software from pc and sega side and you have a sega genesis dumper. <--- or at least my understanding of it.
oh sega cd... yes with sega cd and some dumping software it is possible. you just need to block contact to most right pin on top side of cart by sticky tape for boot from cd
