write and dump a Doctor GB Card with an XG-Writer

The GB Xchanger and the Doctor GB Card's are still a good choice if you would like to get into GB/C homebrew. Unfortunately the GB Xchanger needs a parallel port and a lot of new computers do not have such a port anymore.

Luckily USB solutions are available. You can find several mods at http://mootan.hg.to
The site is only in Japanese, but Google helped me to translate the page. I had a spare XG-Writer in my collection and so I performed the following mod:
http://mootan.hg.to/fmgbx/ez_fmgbx.html

This is my result:



step by step guide

I used an XG-Writer Advance, model no. XK-GA3120, for this mod.

1) remove old drivers:

First you have to remove the current driver.
- connect XG-Writer to your Computer
- uninstall the driver in the Windows Device Manager
- disconnect XG-Writer
- remove the files XGWInit.sys and XGWriter.sys in C:\Windows\System32\drivers


2) modify XG-Writer:

Game Boy/Color cartridges require 5V, so you have to change the voltage.
- lift GBA pins 1 and 31
- connect GBA pin 1 to transistor IC4 (right pin)
- connect GBA pin 31 to transistor Q1 (left pin)


Now your XG-Writer is GB/C only. Do not insert any GBA cartridges, otherwise it will destroy your GBA carts!


3) install new drivers:

Next you have to install a new driver for the XG-Writer.
- download the driver from http://mootan.hg.to/download/ezusbdrv.zip
- unzip the files
- connect XG-Writer to your Computer
- the Windows wizard for new hardware will pop up
- Don't let Windows search for the driver! Choose that you would like to select your own driver from a list. Then point to the unzipped files and select Cypress EZ-USB.



4) write Doctor GB Card with FlashManager for GBx:

FlashManager for GBx can write and dump your Doctor GB carts. Download the latest version at http://mootan.hg.to/fmgbx/
- when you start the software for the first time, select EZ(XG) Linker (modified) and USB(EZ-USB). A wrong selection may harm your XG-Writer!

- hit START button and the Windows wizard for new hardware will pop up for a second time. Just follow step 3 to finish the installation.
- then press Change CART button in FlashManager and insert your Doctor GB Card
- I would recommend to erase the cart first. Then hit Over Write and select the multiboot file (GBPack)
- Next you can select your games
- hit Append Write to write the files to the cart
- You can also dump GB/C cartridges and backup SRAM


5) additional notes (not verified):

FlashManager for GBx is compatible with the following flash carts:
* DOCTOR GB CARD 64M
* DOCTOR GB CARD 16M
* DOCTOR GB CARD 4M
* GB GAMEJACK 4M
* GB GAMEJACK 64M
* GB Memory Cartridge NP 8M (official Nintendo flash cart)
* 16M Flash Pro for PC-Linker

If you have a cartridge which isn't recognized (e.g. Pocket Camera, GB Gamejack 64M Rumble), then you might get it to work by applying this mod:
- lift GBA pin 2 and connect it trough a 1K ohm resistor to ground (upper left pin of the USB connector).

You can also install a switch, that you can switch between 3,3V (GBA) and 5V (GB/C):
http://mootan.hg.to/fmgbx/ez_fmgbx.html
This method requires that you re-install the drivers everytime you want to switch between GBA and GB/C operation. However if you use a different USB port/hub for GBA and GB/C it might work without re-installation.

You can also apply this modification to an EZ-Flash Writer.

 

Wow, thanks for this! My bung carts have been gathering dust for a long time now because I don't have a parallel port on my computer anymore and don't have the space to keep another old machine hooked up just for flashing.

I've got a rumble Gamejack cart too--will the bonus mod you mentioned at the end maintain compatibility with the usual (bung) carts, or am I going to need a second flasher or install a switch? Sorry if this is a stupid question...I'm not much of a hardware guy, heh..

 

You don't need a second flasher. If you apply the additional mod you will get compatibility with both carts. However I haven't tried it, because I don't own a Gamejack cart.

Furthermore I have to mention that all credits go to the Japanese guy at http://mootan.hg.to who invented this mod and developed Flash Manager for GBx.

Probably you can still buy the XG-Writer at http://www.ic2005.com. However the website is currently down. The mod should also work with the EZ-Flash Writer.

You can even mod a Flash Advance Extreme Linker:
http://mootan.hg.to/fmgbx/xt_fmgbx.html

 

A few updates about this topic:

The software and driver does work on Windows 7 (32bit) aswell

You can backup and write games to the official Nintendo Game Boy FlashCart DMG-MMSA-JPN:





As you can see I've added Nemesis to my cart. If anyone has empty DMG-MMSA-JPN carts for sale, let me know


p.s. insert the DMG-MMSA-JPN cart into the XGWriter before you connect it to your computer. Otherwise the cartridge won't be recognized by FlashManager. However the Bung carts should be inserted after you started FlashManager and pressed the Change Cart button.

 

I can confirm that it works with a GB GameJack 64M cart as well



The connection between the XG-Writer and the Gamejack cart was a bit loose, so I put some tape on the backside of the cart to make it more steady.

I can write games to the Gamejack cart, but for some reason I cannot use the whole 64Mbits (even though it's recognized as a 64m cart). Currently I'm limited to 4Mbits. Probably an issue with the Gamejack BIOS.


I also performed the resistor mod on pin 2 of the XG-Writer. This wasn't helpful, because the Gamejack cart isn't recognized anymore. But instead the GB camera will be recognized, so you can backup the SRAM and extract the photos.

 

Hello mdmx, really good and interesting information. I have questions and inputs that would be great to discuss with you:

1. I have one of those white GBx official Nintendo flash cartridges . At the same time I have a GB Xchanger hardware (that comes with the original 25 pin parallel port connection: http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/IMAGES/m-xchanger.jpg). I also downloaded the FlashManager software from the mootans website.

2. How about this... cause I don't have a PC with parallel port, I'm planing to buy one "parallel" to "USB" cable / adapter... so I would be able to connect the GB Xchanger to my PC via USB to PARALLEL PORT. I saw that the first adapter from the initial menu settings of the FlashManager is GB Xchanger... So I belive that I would be able to use GB Xchanger hardware to flash the GBx cartridge right?

3. If yes... I understood that I must select and check mark the "O" the GB Xchanger adapter... but which would be the best option after that?:
- USB (UMJ-FX)
- USB (EZ-USB)
- Pintr port

4. In case that the GB Xchanger doesn't work properly... when I can buy a XG-Writer these days, or something similar?

Thanks for your help with this... I really want to flash this beauty

 

Hi, USB to Parallel adapters do not work.

UMJ-FX seems to be a USB development board. It can be used with the GB Xchanger:
http://mootan.hg.to/fmgbx/images/ulx-fx1.jpg

However I have no more information about it. Try to translate the website:
http://mootan.hg.to/umj/fxdef_upd.html

 

Thank you!!!... I would translate that website... dam! I really want to access the GBx data :-(

Where I would find a kind of UMJ-FX adapter these days?

:S

 

Hello again... I sent you a private message, let me know!

Thanks!