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

[mrjamma]

@darksoft : So any kits shipped from here on, with the auto reset feature, will all need to connect a wire as per your information above?

Or, are you saying, that people who already received their kit, and need to upgrade their firmware to enable this feature, are the only ones who need to connect this wire? Sorry was just confused is all.

Also, do you have a photo of where "B28 on CN1 or Pin2 of CN9" is?

[MitsurugiW]

@darksoft : So any kits shipped from here on, with the auto reset feature, will all need to connect a wire as per your information above?

Or, are you saying, that people who already received their kit, and need to upgrade their firmware to enable this feature, are the only ones who need to connect this wire? Sorry was just confused is all.

Also, do you have a photo of where "B28 on CN1 or Pin2 of CN9" is?

You will need to attach a wire regardless. In the future I'm sure the autoreset will be designed into projects but for this one you will need to attach a wire.

I'll post pics and maybe make a auto-reset installation video soon.

[mrjamma]

Thanks Jeremy

[idc]

Avalaunch Decrypted ROMs - Intermediate Update 11/06/2015

[ ddtodudm_150611.rar ] Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (940125 USA)

[fluxcore]

Nice, idc!

[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.

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.

You raise an excellent point that I hadn't considered in my sleep-deprived haze (yaaaay night shift). Out WILL likely be easier than in, and when it comes back to me it'll have the stabilization boards added so won't be quite as nerve-wracking reinstalling it. Still, it was a massive pain in the **** getting the little tiny middle board connected though and that probably won't change.

I dunno. I guess it's gonna depend on the complexity of the firmware upgrade and the cost of buying the programmer vs the cost of mailing the board to Mitsu.

Either way though, I know I'm going to be happy with the end result.

[turbo]

If it's the programmer mentioned earlier it's only £7.81 from Farnell.

[RoberMC]

Yes, people were screaming around and making plans to buy one and pass it to others... when the programmer is only 14€ shipped in Europe

[mastercello]

Yes, people were screaming around and making plans to buy one and pass it to others... when the programmer is only 14€ shipped in Europe

When this is the case, then it is cheaper than just the shipping from Switzerland to Poland (in just one direction...).
But to share something like this in one country (like emph suggested for Sweden), why not - makes sense!

[gojira54]

If anyone in the UK buys a programmer please PM if I could borrow, not in a hurry
Second class stamp is 74p...

[grendelrt]

Yes, people were screaming around and making plans to buy one and pass it to others... when the programmer is only 14€ shipped in Europe

Looks like it is about 10 plus shipping in the USA.

[RoberMC]

Anybody can do whatever they want, of course. For me, purchasing it and keeping for future updates for this multi kit, or others, and maybe using it for its real purpose (learn processor programming), pays for the 14€.

Anyway, let's wait for darksoft, and see what he says about the discovery kit we need.

[grendelrt]

Anybody can do whatever they want, of course. For me, purchasing it and keeping for future updates for this multi kit, or others, and maybe using it for its real purpose (learn processor programming), pays for the 14€.

Anyway, let's wait for darksoft, and see what he says about the discovery kit we need.

Yup that's what I will do =)

[undamned]

A little off topic, but on the subject of "No Killing B-Boards!" in the title, I actually recently killed one, but for not for conversion. I purchased a "junk" GigaWing that would not boot (gray screen). Board was very clean, no sign of tampering, and battery was still ~3V. I re-seated all the program EPROMs, tried multiple A boards, and Raz's CPS2 tester ROM and all produced the same gray screen. I'd heard Raz say that he'd encountered boards where the decryption key was corrupted while the battery was still live. I figured I'd put that theory to the test. I snipped the battery and let it discharge overnight. Next morning I powered it on and the Raz's test screen came right up.

Not sure how decryption data could get wrecked like that, but I've now personally confirmed it can happen.
-ud

[darksoft]

Anybody can do whatever they want, of course. For me, purchasing it and keeping for future updates for this multi kit, or others, and maybe using it for its real purpose (learn processor programming), pays for the 14€.

Anyway, let's wait for darksoft, and see what he says about the discovery kit we need.

Good thing about that Discovery kit is that can be also used to update the code of the STV Cartridge, which can also have Auto Reset

[KalessinDB]

Anybody can do whatever they want, of course. For me, purchasing it and keeping for future updates for this multi kit, or others, and maybe using it for its real purpose (learn processor programming), pays for the 14€.

Anyway, let's wait for darksoft, and see what he says about the discovery kit we need.

Good thing about that Discovery kit is that can be also used to update the code of the STV Cartridge, which can also have Auto Reset

Is that soon to come? Cuz if so I might just mail both of them to Mitsu to get done, but if not sounds like I'll be buying my own kit.

Also, if we get auto reset on the STV cart, there's no real reason for the audio connection anymore, is there? (still haven't cased mine yet -- wanna do something similar to FranoB's case -- so if I don't need to drill a hole for that connector, I'm not gonna)

[Braintrash]

Good thing about that Discovery kit is that can be also used to update the code of the STV Cartridge, which can also have Auto Reset

Thank you, now I want one too.

[MitsurugiW]

Anybody can do whatever they want, of course. For me, purchasing it and keeping for future updates for this multi kit, or others, and maybe using it for its real purpose (learn processor programming), pays for the 14€.

Anyway, let's wait for darksoft, and see what he says about the discovery kit we need.

Good thing about that Discovery kit is that can be also used to update the code of the STV Cartridge, which can also have Auto Reset

Is that soon to come? Cuz if so I might just mail both of them to Mitsu to get done, but if not sounds like I'll be buying my own kit.

Also, if we get auto reset on the STV cart, there's no real reason for the audio connection anymore, is there? (still haven't cased mine yet -- wanna do something similar to FranoB's case -- so if I don't need to drill a hole for that connector, I'm not gonna)

ST-V autoreset is something I have to test. I will do a manual reset test first with a button. If that works an autoreset will also work. I have the email with the theory saved. I just need to get to it. Hopefully in the next few days.

And yeah it would make the sound cable unnecessary unless we forced it to reset after the finish sound plays. Hmmm.........

[damadczar]

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 also have static/garbled sound (19XX), no sound (XvSF), or that crazy repeating sound (SSF2).

Revision 6 board
G pal that came with kit
Triple checked jumpers, following pattern in instructions

I can take a video of the sound I'm getting and try to update this post in a bit.

[mrjamma]

Got my tracking number Friday

So in anticipation, I soldered on the 'auto reset' wire, onto the B board side.

CN1 connector, B28 right? Well I hope I done it right. Its neater in person. I have some heatshrink around it, so that it doesnt touch any of the other pins in Row A. Continuity shows all good, and doesn't make contact with any of the other pins.
I also crimped a bullet style connector on the other end of the wire, in the event the kit needs to come off one day, I have a quick disconnect for the auto reset wire, so that it can separate from the multi kit board.



Also, this was a pic I posted previously