Darksoft's CPS2 Multikit Tech Support Thread (No Killing B-Boards!)

[darksoft]

All kits shipped from now on will have the updated firmware for autoreset and the pin alignment pcb which looks like this:


As for the firmware. If you have already received your kit and you want to upgrade the firmware you have two otions:

1. Send it to Mitsurugi or Darksoft to upgrade (You pay shipping both ways, upgrade free of course). Send only the large board. And you'll get the reinforcement PCBs installed for free.

2. Upgrade it yourself. You need a specific programmer to do this. I'll prepare some instructions and release a binary for people to update themselves if they feel comfortable with that option.

I'll send one programer to Mitsu this week so I should have it within 1-2 weeks along with all of my other repair materials.

The reset feature doesn't work well with current firmware.

Those people with the new firmware need to connect one end of the cable to B28 on CN1 or Pin2 of CN9 and the other end to SWD5 in the large board of the kit. See here:


In order to update the firmware yourself, there are several options that I'll post, one of them being using the SWD port available here : http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/tools/ ... -discovery

SWD port pins are those on the left close to RST, PC0, PC1 and PC2.

BIG Thanks to my friend GURU for pointing me the right location of the reset. Thanks mate!

[kuze]

Excellent news, ds!

To update ourselves, would we need to purchase anything else needed besides the 'STM32VLDISCOVERY' board? I'm guessing it's powered over USB and there is PC side software to run the firmware update?

[darksoft]

Excellent news, ds!

To update ourselves, would we need to purchase anything else needed besides the 'STM32VLDISCOVERY' board? I'm guessing it's powered over USB and there is PC side software to run the firmware update?

Nothing else to be purchased, just a programmer which connects one side to the PC via USB and the other side to the large PCB via SWD.

Don't buy anything yet. I'm checking which options you have.

[kuze]

Nothing else to be purchased, just a programmer which connects one side to the PC via USB and the other side to the large PCB via SWD.

Don't buy anything yet. I'm checking which options you have.

Cool, thanks for the confirmation. I'll wait for your full instructions/recommendations before deciding to buy a programmer or go the Mitsu route.

[ReplicaX]

Hi @ReplicaX . What if you remove the jumper wire completely, take out the G pal chip, bend pin 9 upwards, reinsert the chip without that pin inserted, solder directly onto that pin 9, and connect the other end of the wire to J17 pin (from memory) on the multi kit - does this fix your audio issue?
This workaround appears to have fixed other peoples audio issues with rev 3/4 boards using G pals with jumper wire

I can try this, wasn't the whole point of the J17 pin just an easier option for those that didn't want to use C13 of CN3 on the B-Board though?
I have the Q-sound samples directly routing to the high line, otherwise I would get garbled sound from any "G conversion" or "multi".

That looks to me like a problem with the PAL or the jumpers. Which Pal do you have and where is the cable attached?

It's an original Capcom G PAL with Pin 9 lifted and connected to C13 of CN3. It was originally a Progear conversion given to me non-working as the original buyer bought it of a shody seller that had no clue. The repair consisted of correcting the jumpers and the original seller must have thought just tossing a G PAL on a V4 was fine and never tested it. After adding in the proper jumper it worked flawlessly and the board has had over 20+ hrs of gameplay via a Qsound Amp.

[darksoft]

Hi @ReplicaX . What if you remove the jumper wire completely, take out the G pal chip, bend pin 9 upwards, reinsert the chip without that pin inserted, solder directly onto that pin 9, and connect the other end of the wire to J17 pin (from memory) on the multi kit - does this fix your audio issue?
This workaround appears to have fixed other peoples audio issues with rev 3/4 boards using G pals with jumper wire

I can try this, wasn't the whole point of the J17 pin just an easier option for those that didn't want to use C13 of CN3 on the B-Board though?
I have the Q-sound samples directly routing to the high line, otherwise I would get garbled sound from any "G conversion" or "multi".

That looks to me like a problem with the PAL or the jumpers. Which Pal do you have and where is the cable attached?

It's an original Capcom G PAL with Pin 9 lifted and connected to C13 of CN3. It was originally a Progear conversion given to me non-working as the original buyer bought it of a shody seller that had no clue. The repair consisted of correcting the jumpers and the original seller must have thought just tossing a G PAL on a V4 was fine and never tested it. After adding in the proper jumper it worked flawlessly and the board has had over 20+ hrs of gameplay via a Qsound Amp.

Can you elaborate on that high line routing? I would do first as mrjamma suggested.

[wigsplitta]

take out the G pal chip, bend pin 9 upwards, reinsert the chip without that pin inserted, solder directly onto that pin 9, and connect the other end of the wire to J17 pin on the multi kit - does this fix your audio issue?
This workaround appears to have fixed other peoples audio issues with rev 3/4 boards using G pals with jumper wire

I've just tried that on my setup, but the same crackling background sounds are still there.
Any other suggestions?

[ReplicaX]

Can you elaborate on that high line routing? I would do first as mrjamma suggested.

On the Rev 3 and 4 B Boards with a G Pal specifically. It has been said for years that due to the layout of these PCBs, that the Qsound samples routing to Pin 9 of the G PAL (PAL3) routes a low address line Vs the normal high address line. Resulting in garbled sound. The fix is lifting pin 9 of PAL3 and placing a jumper from it to C13 on CN3 or you can use CN5 as I did to wire underneath the board without lifting the pin at all. This is specifically for Rev 3 and 4 boards only, as it was addressed in the later board revisions. This was discovered years ago via Capcom doing this in house.

I thought your whole point for adding JP17 on your main board was just an easier option for beginners to do the jumper. I prefer a cleaner board look having the wire underneath, its more professional, and cleaner. Why I did it with this board years ago as Capcom did. Yet you are also using this JP17 for a F to G hack according to Mitsu's video, however that is from Pin 7.

Sounds like you made the JP17 jumper specifically for a F to G PAL3 hack. Not the Rev 3 and 4 Qsound issue with G PAL3s. Correct me if I am wrong.

In the past I have done both of these jumpers fixing conversions from hack job sellers doing conversions wrong. I myself have never killed or re-purposed a CPS2 B board for a conversion. Also why I used this board specifically for your kit as the original seller tossed the Mask Roms.

[emphatic]

How much is the programmer, and how big is it? Perhaps it would make more sense to buy one and just pass it around your closest friends with the same need? Say, someone is Sweden gets one, and all of us can use it. Should save on shipping costs...

[idc]

Avalaunch guys, just a query on the existence of both vsavjdi and vsavjdl? Is one of those sets mislabeled and should be r1 or something, or are you guys so keen you're doubling up?

http://forum.arcadeotaku.com/viewtopic. ... 21#p424721

Oic, bit of a pain for the long filenames... guess I'll add ST (for Sound Test) to the name of the Leo one.

Just use one or the other, maybe? The only difference is the sound test.

[fluxcore]

Great news about the reset support, not so great news about the less than straight forward firmware update procedure :p

Looking forward to more info so I can purchase the relevant programmer.

[gojira54]

RE reset firmware - great!
How about chipping in for ONE programmer and posting it around if there's enough people who would like to upgrade the firmware themselves?
I don't really fancy shelling out for a programmer to use it once, or pay for international postage twice.
Still - nice one for adding the feature =]

[MitsurugiW]

Seems there are a handful of people with crackling static in their sound. If you have that problem can you tell us what board revision you have, Pal type and how it is installed, etc. The more info we have the easier it should be to find the common denominator. I'm not convinced the kit itself is causing the issue but it may be a contributing factor. I have one here to install for someone so I will see if their pcb has this issue and if so try to do the troubleshooting.

My proto doesn't give me any sound issues and this is the first production version I have had my hands on.

[kingpin]

Excellent news, ds!

To update ourselves, would we need to purchase anything else needed besides the 'STM32VLDISCOVERY' board? I'm guessing it's powered over USB and there is PC side software to run the firmware update?

Nothing else to be purchased, just a programmer which connects one side to the PC via USB and the other side to the large PCB via SWD.

Don't buy anything yet. I'm checking which options you have.

So does this mean the 2nd batch will have the updated firmware? I just got my shipping confirmation last night and I'm part of the 1st batch (last group I believe).

[mastercello]

RE reset firmware - great!
How about chipping in for ONE programmer and posting it around if there's enough people who would like to upgrade the firmware themselves?
I don't really fancy shelling out for a programmer to use it once, or pay for international postage twice.
Still - nice one for adding the feature =]

This!

[grendelrt]

Seems there are a handful of people with crackling static in their sound. If you have that problem can you tell us what board revision you have, Pal type and how it is installed, etc. The more info we have the easier it should be to find the common denominator. I'm not convinced the kit itself is causing the issue but it may be a contributing factor. I have one here to install for someone so I will see if their pcb has this issue and if so try to do the troubleshooting.

My proto doesn't give me any sound issues and this is the first production version I have had my hands on.

I have a revision 3 board with Fpal + lifted leg pin 7 wired to J17. Static sound exactly as in the sound file posted.

[darksoft]

Excellent news, ds!

To update ourselves, would we need to purchase anything else needed besides the 'STM32VLDISCOVERY' board? I'm guessing it's powered over USB and there is PC side software to run the firmware update?

Nothing else to be purchased, just a programmer which connects one side to the PC via USB and the other side to the large PCB via SWD.

Don't buy anything yet. I'm checking which options you have.

So does this mean the 2nd batch will have the updated firmware? I just got my shipping confirmation last night and I'm part of the 1st batch (last group I believe).

The ones shipped from this week and afterwards will come as default with Auto Reset and reinforcement PCBs.

[waiwainl]

The ones shipped from this week and afterwards will come as default with Auto Reset and reinforcement PCBs.

Aand, just got my 1st batch shipment email

[KalessinDB]

Ugh, not looking forward to removing my board with those long pins and mailing it, but I do want the auto reset firmware. Hopefully the programmer is cheap enough and easy to use where I can just do this myself.

[idc]

Ugh, not looking forward to removing my board with those long pins and mailing it, but I do want the auto reset firmware. Hopefully the programmer is cheap enough and easy to use where I can just do this myself.

Pretty certain that whatever condition the pins on your board are in when it arrives with Darksoft or MitsurugiW, they will make it good again. Of course, you should package it as securely as possible, but they will make sure you get a happy, working board back.