USB GDrom Thread

Well, I think it's the best solution as of yet if you don't wanna change your psu by a picoPSU.
It still get hot apparently, maybe it's already that hot with unmodified Dreamcast ?

Will probably do it too. Thank you for posting pictures guys

 

Something I've noticed with the PicoPSU. I get "screen grain" with a 3rd party scart cable. Its fine with an original Dreamcast Scart cable though.

I tried shielding the PicoPSU and even moved it out a few inches from the dreamcast to see if it was interference but that did nothing.

Verified that issue over 3 dreamcasts using 3 different PicoPSUs. That is why I now prefer to use the original PSU and getting rid of the 12v.

 

Thanks

+100 for Mnemo, I send the debugfile this morning he sent me a fix few hours and run perfect.

Be careful for some game we must disabled the freezone, for example with my japnases DC for run SFIIX matching services I must stay with NTSC/J zone.

 

Are you using *original* picopsus or the clones? I have an original picopsu and a really cheap scary cable, I don't get any grainy output ...

 

Good question... I got this one. I did get it from the UK so I thought it was supposed to be better then a china one. Probably the same thing.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111377108201?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

But, once again, its only grainy with a 3rd party scart. no problems with an original Sega Dreamcast Scart cable.

 

Same one as mine & I have no grain when using a 3rd party scart.

My scart cable is just a cheap RGB one off eBay.

 

Good to know thank you.

I was wondering, with the region mod, what is the "best" setup, ntsc-j or ntsc-u ? I wanted to do ntsc-u (together with the usb-gdrom region free option), but it seem that ntsc-j should be better.

I mean, Vanishing point (and maybe some others ntsc-u titles) only check for ntsc, so all american title should run with ntsc-j console + usb gdrom with region free enabled, plus problematic ntsc-j games.

Am I right ?

 

For example with Shenmue we save just before change disc, we just need launch the second disc and use our saves.

 

But we can't with D2 we can't save before swapping disc (unlike Shenmue).

 

D2 is supposed to be played through in one sitting.

 

Ok, i answering myself and for others wondering : Vanishing point (ntsc-u) seem to also don't work with a japanese dc with region free mod (see latest comment here : www.you*tube.com/watch?v=r1TeR7cnOwg)

I'm starting to think that a region mod with a switch (only turned on when we change region to avoid killing the console) may be a good thing to do for compatibility. But then, i don't know if that mod work with UGC or only the original gdrom (edit : I mean loading the cdi from UGC, switch on, and do the change from here)

 

I have edited my post - here the result and informations :

- Toshiba mq01abd100 (2.5" 5400 8MB cache) with a Heden 2.5" usb 2.0 enclosure : Work, but stuttering - audio music -

- Western Digital WD10EZEX (3.5" 7200 64MB cache), with a Seagate Expansion enclosure : Work great and no stuttering

Well, I need to modify the Seagate enclosure to make it fit the WD drive, other than that, it's seem perfect.

I have also tested this Advance 3.5" USB2 enclosure : http://www.pixmania.co.uk/external-...-hard-drive-enclosure-usb-2-0/10535765-a.html

And it work also great

(I used fat32 with 64k cluster size)

I hope this help.

I'm so happy.

BTW, for those wondering, you can format to fat32 64k easily with the Windows gui of fat32format (http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm).
It's what I did and so far it's seem to work great.

A really big thanks to MNEMO for this device

 

I tried the link posted a while back, but couldn't fond instructions on trmoving the 12v line on a North America Dreamcast? Anyone have some instructions?

 

Will an overclocked dreamcast work with the USB setup?

 

@Friend of Sonic
I think this is it :
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/usb-gdrom-thread.56946/page-7#post-823439

@jjona5
Probably... but I'm not sure.

My version of firmware is 15/07/28.
I tried Shadow Man, and as far i can tell I don't have micro pause on mine.I played for about 40min. It really seem to work as good as the original as far I can tell.
For NHL 2K, the introduction video freeze (but I can still hit start, and i can hear the audio background). Same thing about the vmu space, I need to press yes to play (if I press no > I'm redirected to the dreamcast menu).
Vanishing point work fine on my european modded to ntsc-u.

I finally didn't do any mod for the psu. Not even the resistor. The heat seem ok to me. A little hot, I admit, but somehow it seem to not worry me (I have a v4, with the gdrom on top, maybe it help).
Maybe I'm wrong, I hope not. Love my DC.

 

I removed the 12v transistor and resistor and now the system locks on the Dreamcast logo. Any ideas?

 

Have you tested the UGC with your Dreamcast before removing the 12v ?

It can be that the UGC don't detect your usb hard drive. It happen to me if I don't power on my usb enclosure (I also have one that don't work with it, it happen).
You can try with another usb enclosure, or try to format it to fat32 with 64k cluster size.

 

Oh, I did not boot it with a hard drive. Is that the issue? I remembered being able to turn it on without the hard drive but I may have remembered wrong.

 

You can, but there will be a long timeout before you get to the menu.

 

You guys were right. Now I'm good!