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DARKSOFT Darksoft's MultiMVS Latest Firmware, Menu and Instructions

Loving the hardware so far!

The multi seems to play nice with my single slot and stock bios, but I think it struggles to boot on my 4 slot with unibios version 3.2. Maybe this is because of the size of the games I have loaded onto the 3 slots though, I need to play around with it some more.

I also think I misunderstood the utility of the 3 slots. This cart is not capable simply cycling through the 3 game slots by using the mvs game switch button? If a game from a different slot is to be loaded then I need to go to the menu and select the slot I wish to play?

Starting the 4 slot, cycling the games, then doing a soft reboot with the unibios then enters the multi mvs menu reliably using unibios 3.2.

EDIT: I'm gonna update the bios to version 4 and see what that does since I guess that's free now :thumbsup:

I'm not sure if this feature is new to version 4 of unibios but
with "Disable BootUp HW Test" enabled: the MVS ignores the cart until I do a soft reboot

with "Disable BootUp HW Test" disabled: the MVS acts like Mitsu shows in the youtube video shown in the manual. It recognizes the cart almost immediately.

I think this is also known, but I do get noticeable issues with graphics and audio on Metal Slug 2 when I am running on unibios, in addition to sometimes no sound at all
 
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snakeGrave said:
This cart is not capable simply cycling through the 3 game slots by using the mvs game switch button? If a game from a different slot is to be loaded then I need to go to the menu and select the slot I wish to play?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can cycle between games without having to go the menu as it's explained in the instructions. You need to press START + LEFT (or RIGHT) during 3 seconds and it will change to next slot.

snakeGrave said:
with "Disable BootUp HW Test" disabled: the MVS acts like Mitsu shows in the youtube video shown in the manual. It recognizes the cart almost immediately.
Click to expand...

Oh I understand now the issue that some people were having.
 
BamaBlaze said:
Im so confused on the instructions. I need a step by step. Like Step 1 do this etc... The official steps are vague to me. Like I have a blank sd card. What's next?
Click to expand...

In case you didn't notice, Instructions have been updated. Check 1st post of this thread.
 
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I'm beginning to pick up on graphical issues in many titles. All glitches cease when I switch over to my stock single slot, but keep in mind the single slot is also in an entirely different cabinet as well.
I am using the Smokemonster roll-up for all games and a sandisk evo sd card btw. I am using slot 4 on my mvs for most of these tests.

I have not confirmed 100% that this is due to the unibios and not the other aspects of my setup, 4slot, power supply, etc.
I have tried different slots on my 4 slot, adjusting the 5 volt line, and the graphical issues still persist. I've tried running the same physical cart, MSlug2 cart in slot where the multi was, and the glitches are not present for that cart.
Another thing I've noticed is that with the multi present in my unibios 4 slot the list of carts when setting the softDIP gets quite mixed up. And when I remove the multi, the hardware has even labeled a game that was left in the cab as the multimvs still.

What I may try next is switching to a stock bios on the 4 slot to see if any glitches persist.

Are there any suggestions as far as rolling back to previous firmware to resolve some of the glitches that seem to be isolated to unibios?
 
snakeGrave said:
What I may try next is switching to a stock bios on the 4 slot to see if any glitches persist.

Are there any suggestions as far as rolling back to previous firmware to resolve some of the glitches that seem to be isolated to unibios?
Click to expand...
That's a good test. Did you "Disable BootUp HW Test" in UNIBIOS 4 that I mentioned before?
 
I have yeah, audio and video glitches still show up with the unibios on my 4 slot no matter the settings. For some games more than others.
 
snakeGrave said:
I have yeah, audio and video glitches still show up with the unibios on my 4 slot no matter the settings. For some games more than others.
Click to expand...
OK, let us know about Stock BIOS and another mobo, if you can try. I've tested all these carts one by one, so I'm confident that they work well.
 
Unfortunately I don’t the ability to easily swap out the bios on my single slot. I think I have a two slot that I can easily run the stock/unibios comparison on too. I’ll try to find time to do the following this weekend and will share the results

-test 4 slot stock bios
-test 2 slot stock bios
-test 2 slot unibios

Edit: my two slot is kinda glitchy in general so I’ll just be doing the bios swap on my 4 slot
 
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Needing some help with troubleshooting.

My system:
BeharBros CMVS ultra - connected via SCART (retroaccess cable) to a Retrotink 5x - to HDMI to TV.

First thing I did was take authentic Art of Fighting 2 Cart to check the system. Runs perfect. System confirmed working.

1. Loaded up the multipack & put the updated menu per the instructions on a Sandisk Extreme 32gb microsd formatted to Fat32.
2. Insert this microSD into the Darksoft multi, insert into the CMVS ultra.
3. Looks like it updated the menu as expected, the cart menu loads up, works fine. Seems like everything is working perfectly.
4. Start up and run Metal Slug - it loads, I start playing. Maybe 1-2 minutes in first level , system hard locks. Audio & video hard freeze. I let this sit for a second - it is clearly locked up.
5. Hard restart the system. then the system loads to the cross hatch screen like it does not detect a cart.
6. Green light on the darksoft cart is on. the CMVS cross hatch screen and menus work appropriately.
7. Power back off, try again. Same thing , cross hatch screen.
8. Power off. Put Art of Fighting back in , runs perfect.

So i go check the memory card on the computer . it has deleted the files in the update/menu folder as expected, otherwise nothing unusual.

Then i reformat the Sandisk Extreme microSd, loaded everything back on, this time no menu update. Straight to cross hatch.

So i thought maybe it is an Sd card problem.
I then bought multiple SD cards - shipped & sold by Amazon - no marketplace sellers (i know this doesn't guarantee a fake but it is the best I can do)
32gb SanDisk Ultra
32gb PNY cards
32gb Lexar cards

All formatted to fat32 and loaded up as previously mentioned. All go straight to cross hatch.

I tried all the cards without and with a menu update.

when I add the menu update it goes to the cross hatch for about 10-15 seconds, looks like it soft restarts then immediately go straight to cross hatch. So it does looks like it is trying to apply the menu update but after the update is done, still goes to cross hatch.

Basically since the first time it ran for a couple of minutes it has not worked. Tried 4 different Sd cards from 3 different brands.

Art of Fighting 2 cart works perfect.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
IMO you clearly have a power issue. Your PSU is not providing enough amps. CMVS is a consolization of the MVS console, so those modifications maybe adding to the problem, but in general I'm pretty confiden that the problem comes from the PSU. How many amps has your PSU? have you tried in another MVS?
 
This is the power supply that came with the CMVS Ultra. I do not have a way to try another MVS.

Edit:
Darksoft -
Any thoughts/recommendations on Power supply? Would you want me to try something with higher amps? Happy to get something ordered - just needing some guidance on what you feel is appropriate.


CMVS PS.jpg
 
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Ok I purchased a new power supply - picture of the attached model below, it is from Digikey - 5V 6A.

Made zero difference.

I redownloaded the Multipack, firmware and menu firmware.

Formatted SD cards - started all over again.

Ultimately after all the permutations of troubleshooting - still goes straight to cross hatch screen.

I did order another 5V 8A power supply from digikey. Based on my research a 5V 6A PSU should be more than sufficient.

Is there any other troubleshooting to recommend?

newps.jpg
 
Mean Well is a quality supply and 6 amps should be plenty. Let’s see what @Darksoft says but I’m willing to cross-test your cart with a Omega CMVS and a MV1FZ if that would be helpful to narrowing down the culprit to the CMVS or the cart.
 
That PSU should be good enough. Would be great if @ShootTheCore could have a look at this. I'm confident it has to be something simple.
 
but show us your directory first please. Are you using a Mac or a PC to write these?
 
Ok
also tried the 5V 8A power supply - ordered from digikey and shown below. Did not help - went straight to cross hatch.
ps8a.jpg
 
Ok
Windows PC

I am using the Tuxera" SD card formatter - the one on the SDcard.org Association website.

- properties of the SD card - showing the file system
SDcard.JPG



- Root of the SD cards - this is immediately after updating the firmware, then following update of the menu. The updates were performed sequentially and not at simultaneously. Both updates still result in cross hatch screen.

Root:
root.JPG


- example of the /games folder showing menu folder -
games.JPG


- contents of the menu folder
menu.JPG


- contents of the update folder after all aforementioned updates (it is empty as expected)
update.JPG
 
Please let me know if there is anything further you'd like me to try or more information you need from me.
 
the directory structure looks solid. If it did a proper update and the files placed in the \update folder were deleted, that means that the microSD is read properly and the contents too. You are not using a microSD XC, are you? Multi only supports SDHC. Try to search for errors in the microSD from Windows. Right click and Tools, then check.
Can you show me the files that you copied in the \update folder as they are when you put them? Just for the info, you can delete, no need to make again an update.
 
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