need help with dreamcast HDD IDE

[alimadhi]

any help please. now my console can not booting after install last ver. boot_loader.bios

[SWAT]

alimadhi, in press release you can find info about this situation.
Because all bioses doesn't have passed protection checking by Holly, G1 bus is blocked and any G1 devices doesn't work. I'm still not find solution for this.
For working G1-ATA and GD-ROM you can use only sd_loader_with.bios firmware for now Just put DS_CORE.BIN on SD, for other data you can use HDD.
If you boot console from sd_loader_with.bios, you need to run games from IP.BIN mode.

[alimadhi]

your sound i cant run games from HDD ?
i'm install firmware sd_loader_with.bios
and about DS_CORE.BIN its already with DreamShell_4.0.0_RC2_and_Boot_Loader and no HDD active

[SWAT]

With bios firmware sd_loader_with.bios, HDD and GD drive works for me fine.

[alimadhi]

you are using [G1-ATA (IDE) adapter] I'm using wiring did you think the wiring not work ?
what hdd format NTSC or FAT32 ?

[SWAT]

In your previous post, you show working connection.
DreamShell 4.0 RC2 supports FAT 16/32 and EXT2 filesystems. But the iso loaders can run images only from FAT 16/32.
NTFS filesystem doesn't supported at all.

[alimadhi]

the mod work
the problem with file system of the hdd in my PC reading Fat32 but in the SwissKnife software reading NTFS so i remove the partition and create FAT32 now its work

i have anther problem with my games all my game like this:-

track01.bin
track02.raw
track03.bin
Under Defeat.gdi


how to make those files to one file image ?

[SWAT]

Why do you need it? You can repack the files to a new one ISO image, but this is not necessary, just optimize GDI image by converting BIN tracks in to ISO format (use optimize_gdi.bat in ISO make pack v2.2) and enjoy original GD dump!

[alimadhi]

Boot Mod : ? IP.BIN

[SWAT]

IP.BIN mode need only if you have BIOS mod and boot console from sd_loader_with.bios
In other cases Direct mode works fine.

[alimadhi]

Direct mode not work with me just IP.BIN mode ( yes i have BIOS mod and boot console from sd_loader_with.bios) my CD Drive Not work
and i keep the CD door open if i close it can't runing the game the console reboot

[SWAT]

Strangely, I don't know why this is happening with the door.

[alimadhi]

thank you so much for help

[SWAT]

Enjoy
BTW, you can delete unused tracks from GDI image (all RAW tracks and first track) for save space.

[alimadhi]

thank you so much, you make us very happy with Dreamcast

[OzOnE]

Just got it working as well last night - very nice.

I'm using an 80GB IDE HDD and sd_loader_with.bios (ISO Loader in IP.BIN mode).

Quite a few games are working already (Sonic 1 + 2, Crazy Taxi 1 + 2, DOA 2, Ferrari F355, Alone In The Dark).

Runs SO much better from IDE, even in PIO mode.

I would also recommend converting all your GDI .BIN files to ISO - I don't think many games at all need the extra header info in the .BIN files?

@SWAT - does your BIN to ISO util modify the .GDI file too? It would save me a lot of time.

Is there a compatibility list on the forum for the best settings to use for each game? (for RC2.2 + sd_loader_with.bios etc.)

@alimadhi - I'm not sure what's causing the CD door problem? That doesn't seem to happen on mine?

I did notice though that Windows 7 upwards forces you to format a large HDD with exFAT instead of FAT32.
DS doesn't want to read exFAT, so I had to download a simple FAT32 format util to make it work.

After I did that, it's all working great.

I'm still not quite ready yet to send off for the new batch of IDE adapters, but I will very soon.

I probably should update that connection / test pad diagram again to simplify it a bit.
Credit to "werd" (IIRC?) for the original diagram btw. I just added the IDE signal names.

I'm tempted to make my own "Dream Tablet" too, especially when we can get the custom BIOS fully working for DS...
http://modsbywerd.blogspot.co.uk/

The custom BIOS will allow the GD drive to be removed completely, which would be great.

OzOnE.

---

btw, it's probably not a good idea to run a big HDD on the poor DC power supply.

It struggles slightly to spin up (fan slows down for a second), and will probably kill the PSU eventually.

I'm running the 80GB from the DC PSU atm, but it's worth mentioning that it could damage something in the long run.

OzOnE.

[SWAT]

(11.06.2014 02:36)OzOnE писал(а):  Quite a few games are working already (Sonic 1 + 2, Crazy Taxi 1 + 2, DOA 2, Ferrari F355, Alone In The Dark).

Alone In The Dark works for you?! What a version?
My version of this game freezes after start menu.

(11.06.2014 02:36)OzOnE писал(а):  I would also recommend converting all your GDI .BIN files to ISO - I don't think many games at all need the extra header info in the .BIN files?

Subheaders the ISO Loader generates himself, so this data in sectors doesn't need in general.

(11.06.2014 02:36)OzOnE писал(а):  @SWAT - does your BIN to ISO util modify the .GDI file too? It would save me a lot of time.

Use optimize_gdi.bat (or gdiopt utility directly), this is new utility converts BIN tracks to ISO and change the info in .gdi file.

(11.06.2014 02:36)OzOnE писал(а):  Is there a compatibility list on the forum for the best settings to use for each game? (for RC2.2 + sd_loader_with.bios etc.)

For now only one list exists for RC 2: http://www.dc-swat.ru/forum/thread-2145-post-27203.html
sd_loader_with.bios potentially worsens the compatibility, because need use high memory for the loader (in low memory placed IP.BIN).

[OzOnE]

Ahh, you're right - I thought I'd played AITD, but I obviously never tested it - it still freezes after I press Start.

Alone in the Dark - The New Nightmare v1.000 (2001)(Infogrames)(NTSC)(US)(Disc 1 of 2)[!]

I also just noticed that the ISO Loader often reboots the machine unless the GD drive lid is open (as others have said).

I'm using the OAK chipset GDD atm, if that makes any difference?

Actually, I can't seem to get Sonic 1 running either?

Sonic Adventure v1.003 (1999)(Sega)(PAL)(M5)[!]

(I got most of the GDIs from freeroms.com.)


I don't actually have a "lid" on my machine, as it's my fake "dev box" (old satellite box).
I did have the switch held down though.

SWAT писал(а):Subheaders the ISO Loader generates himself, so this data in sectors doesn't need in general.

Great, that's what I was thinking - I haven't seen a game yet which wants to read in 2532 byte sector mode?

SWAT писал(а):Use optimize_gdi.bat (or gdiopt utility directly), this is new utility converts BIN tracks to ISO and change the info in .gdi file.

Ohhh, I see the util now in the SDK files. lol
Sorry, I saw that mentioned once, but didn't see the file.
That's much nicer, as the old bin2iso I was using didn't update the GDI file (and left .bin.iso as the file extensions).

So, for best compatibility right now (until we can bypass the HOLLY protection) - is it best to just boot DS from CD-R?

Thanks, SWAT,
OzOnE.

[OzOnE]

OK, tried booting from CD-R with Sega BIOS enabled = compatibility much better.

I'm just going to try the custom boot_loader_wsc_bfont.bios, but switching back to the Sega BIOS just after the bootloader shows (as a test).

Do you know when / if DS or the ISO Loader still does the gdrom_activate thing before loading a game from HDD?

I know as well now that I need to burn DC CD-Rs at a lower speed - 24x didn't work at all, but 2x is fine.
So, there really is a difference with CDs burned at a lower speed. I didn't quite believe that for a while.

OzOnE.

---

SWAT - I almost got boot_loader_wsc_bfont.bios working...

I simply threw the switch back to the Sega BIOS just after powering on, and it managed to read the HDD OK.

But, it still freezes at the ISO Loader stage (just before the game runs).

If you could make a BIOS which says "switch to stock BIOS" just before the gdrom_activate stage, I could do some testing.

Have you managed to test this BIOS on the real DC yet?

EDIT: I have to get the timing JUST right when changing the switch. It's around 700ms after I power on.
The BIOS fonts are then screwed up, but I can change the switch back to your wsc_bfont BIOS and it gets a bit further.

When I try Sonic 1 in direct mode now, it says "executing at...", then resets back to the boot_loader saying "cannot find IDE MBR" etc.

This is promising though, as it does show we just need a simply way to bypass the Holly lockout.

(btw, for anyone else reading - this isn't an inherent problem with Dreamshell, we're just trying to get the custom BIOS to work. ; )


OzOnE.

[SWAT]

(12.06.2014 04:48)OzOnE писал(а):  I also just noticed that the ISO Loader often reboots the machine unless the GD drive lid is open (as others have said).

I'm using the OAK chipset GDD atm, if that makes any difference?

The situation with the opened lid I was very surprised, apparently bypassing the system call it is verified elsewhere.
It's very strange. But in my tests, did not notice anything like that.

(12.06.2014 04:48)OzOnE писал(а):  

SWAT писал(а):Subheaders the ISO Loader generates himself, so this data in sectors doesn't need in general.

Great, that's what I was thinking - I haven't seen a game yet which wants to read in 2532 byte sector mode?

Games never read these data directly, they ask subheaders through separate system calls.

(12.06.2014 04:48)OzOnE писал(а):  So, for best compatibility right now (until we can bypass the HOLLY protection) - is it best to just boot DS from CD-R?

Yes. But for best result, put DS resources to HDD/SD, the core scans all devices and partitions, so you can boot core from CD, but resources can be loaded from HDD/SD.
Or you can use boot loader on CD for load core from any devices.

I make new bios for boot loader with switching, test it: http://www.dc-swat.ru/download/dc/ds/4.0..._switch.7z