DARKSOFT CPS III Bios and CD Releases

[l_oliveira]

The one I have here does not have a u5 chip and the one stencil posted pics of does. Again, if that helps?

That's an unused feature. It's a 2KB non volatile FERAM memory chip not a single game uses.

 

[l_oliveira]

In that case his only option is to have that cart converted to a CD cart or buy another cd version cart.

The ideal thing for Ultrabios users is have two carts. One CD and one NO CD. Both of either encrypted SH2 or standard SH2. and then use the correct disc for the pair of carts.

Edit if someone could hack a larger flash on it and make it banked to have two BIOSes it would be incredible.

 

[djsheep]

The one I have here does not have a u5 chip and the one stencil posted pics of does. Again, if that helps?

What’s the question?

It’s somewhat a bit of a rabbit hole to diagnose what BIOS is flashed on a cart without dumping it and checking.

CPU is a little different as it’s possible to eyeball (but on the other side of the pic you posted).

Best course of action for those wondering what BIOS is on their carts would be to contact the person who converted or sold them to you and ask.

 

[nem]

Edit if someone could hack a larger flash on it and make it banked to have two BIOSes it would be incredible.

It's been done:

https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/cps-iii-bios-and-cd-releases.36/page-35#post-416479

I'm not sure why we need two have different bioses, when there is already the one by @Snax Tan that does both.

I have another of the sellers carts here that is marked nocd but it does write a game, I'm writing one now to see if it works when complete.

What's the likelihood your seller made the mistake of putting the NoCD cart in the wrong case and vice versa?

 

[FurinArcade]

What’s the question?

It’s somewhat a bit of a rabbit hole to diagnose what BIOS is flashed on a cart without dumping it and checking.

CPU is a little different as it’s possible to eyeball (but on the other side of the pic you posted).

Best course of action for those wondering what BIOS is on their carts would be to contact the person who converted or sold them to you and ask.

Apologies, no question here. I was just providing some additional info for st3ncils cart problem

 

[djsheep]

Apologies, no question here. I was just providing some additional info for st3ncils cart problem

No need to apologise. I shoulda backtracked and read the posts prior. I read “stencil” not @st3ncil

 

[FurinArcade]

It's been done:

https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/cps-iii-bios-and-cd-releases.36/page-35#post-416479

I'm not sure why we need two have different bioses, when there is already the one by @Snax Tan that does both.



What's the likelihood your seller made the mistake of putting the NoCD cart in the wrong case and vice versa?

It is possible though unlikely. Someone has said on here though that a nocd cart wouldn't go to region select and st3ncils does.

 

[djsheep]

The ideal thing for Ultrabios users is have two carts. One CD and one NO CD. Both of either encrypted SH2 or standard SH2. and then use the correct disc for the pair of carts.

Edit if someone could hack a larger flash on it and make it banked to have two BIOSes it would be incredible.

Having the CD cart would be useless for UltraSIMMS users however as the SIMMs are written using the adapters and ProMan. NoCD and UltraBIOS BIOS boots right to region selection after DIP change and power cycle.

 

[nem]

UltraSIMM users make up like 1% (0.1%?) of all CPS3 owners.

It is possible though unlikely. Someone has said on here though that a nocd cart wouldn't go to region select and st3ncils does.

That was wrong info. A regular Super or Ultrabios NoCD cart will show the region select.

 

[l_oliveira]

Having the CD cart would be useless for UltraSIMMS users however as the SIMMs are written using the adapters and ProMan. NoCD and UltraBIOS boots right to region selection after DIP change.

Who mentioned UltraSIMMS anywhere ? I sure didn't, did I? The Ultrabios work with regular simms too, you know?
The only "specialty" on Ultrabios is that it has the IDs for the UltraSIMM flash chips on it so those can work.

 

[djsheep]

Who mentioned UltraSIMMS anywhere ? I sure didn't, did I? The Ultrabios work great with regular simms, you know?

I mentioned it as a passing comment for anyone reading who is getting confused as to what cart to use with their UltraSIMMs as there’ll no doubt be users interested reading this who have pre-ordered the UltraSIMMs.

No need to throw out user base statistics (lol).

 

[kazuo]

It's been done:

https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/cps-iii-bios-and-cd-releases.36/page-35#post-416479

I'm not sure why we need two have different bioses, when there is already the one by @Snax Tan that does both.

AFAIK Tovar and Snax has two different BIOSes.

Tovar's requires a physical switch; Snax's does not, you just hold TEST on startup. To my knowledge, Snax's BIOS is not public.

See here where st3ncil says holding TEST did nothing - this seems to confirm they are not using a cart with Snax's BIOS.

I tried starting it with holding the test button, sadly no luck. Still getting the same frezzes no disk loading screen at all

...

Guys, if st3ncil's cart does not boot into the CD check screen, there is no way to rewrite simms with it.

All things points to st3ncil's cart being a custom SH2 NoCD Super or Ultrabios cart. I don't understand why you're assuming otherwise.

I think the confusion is because st3ncil kept saying they erased the SIMMs, but never actually confirmed they did a rewrite. Looking at the video they posted, it seems like you can access the rewrite menu with a NO CD cart, but instead of doing the rewrite, it just boots back into the region select screen (expected behavior with a NO CD BIOS.

IMO, NO CD BIOS should just have the rewrite option disabled since it can't rewrite anyway. @Darksoft , are you accepting feature requests? LOL

I tried it after erasing all Simms, still same issue.
I made a video which shows what’s happening https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5lzw...ey=wrqtpe3yifpx8cx12v45m2y8i&st=t0zlntml&dl=0

In other words, @st3cnil needs a cartridge with a CD BIOS in order to rewrite the SIMMs.

 

[nem]

Tovar's requires a physical switch; Snax's does not, you just hold TEST on startup. To my knowledge, Snax's BIOS is not public.

It's not. But I'm not sure if anyone has actually inquired if it's something that could be released?

Point is, if there is a bios that can do both CD and NoCD, there is zero reason to bankswitch two different bioses.

 

[l_oliveira]

It's not. But I'm not sure if anyone has actually inquired if it's something that could be released?

Point is, if there is a bios that can do both CD and NoCD, there is zero reason to bankswitch two different bioses.

Or have two carts.

 

[Darksoft]

I can get to the Utility Menu if I hold down 1P start

UltraSIMM users make up like 1% (0.1%?) of all CPS3 owners.

Terrible news. We need to do something about it

 

[ForestOfDreams]

for the record: on the photo above is NOT standard SH-2 CPU, but a bit custom chip for Sega. "standard" SH-2 chip is HD6417604

speaking in general - it seems all the Hitachi/Renesas CPUs labeled HD64170xx is the customized CPUs for 3rd party hardware manufacturers.

Is there any reason such a donor wouldn't work on a cps3?
I have a parts saturn here with one good sh2 cpu left.

 

[hatmoose]

Is there any reason such a donor wouldn't work on a cps3?
I have a parts saturn here with one good sh2 cpu left.

Also interested in this, I currently have 4 x "custom" carts, a bunch of busted Saturns, and am itching to try some 4th strike.

 

[xodaraP]

I have a busted ST-V I could steal one of the CPUs from to make my custom CPS3 cart a standard

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Saturn is where we took the first SH2 chips from to test on cps3 carts. They do work.

 

[ForestOfDreams]

I wonder if they're identical to a regular then.
Sega just had them "say" it was custom on the chip #.