tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28822521420469689112024-02-19T03:37:33.437-05:00EagleSoft LabsThe blog of EagleSoft Ltd!
At EagleSoft Labs, I post about the development of my various retro homebrew and video game mods, Indie video game projects, software, and electronics. I also review software, and post about other geeky/nerdy stuff.Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-29178518309489620732023-11-04T18:27:00.003-04:002023-11-04T18:27:51.218-04:00 Knuckles' Clackers: Sonic Hacking Contest 2023 demo release (v0.2c)!<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Knuckles' Clackers:<br />Sonic Hacking Contest 2023 demo release (v0.2c)!</span><br /></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi11es-03P61VjGIKvn7WlYJwMKA6bfyk7UvIz95Xqym0JgsMw7U1Bk8a44pS1Vpc9CiKEITRZ6P1RddzY8h3rKRJKVJTP_yDJLC-zKuCutGAGDudC-uYLtQNs4s54tmzKR1_KV6priT7mpVzoIejWVn7mDrhJDBgd5KaQmDQEc-lcnVcm5kmtye1flw/s645/KCL_Title2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="645" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi11es-03P61VjGIKvn7WlYJwMKA6bfyk7UvIz95Xqym0JgsMw7U1Bk8a44pS1Vpc9CiKEITRZ6P1RddzY8h3rKRJKVJTP_yDJLC-zKuCutGAGDudC-uYLtQNs4s54tmzKR1_KV6priT7mpVzoIejWVn7mDrhJDBgd5KaQmDQEc-lcnVcm5kmtye1flw/w400-h283/KCL_Title2.png" width="400" /></a></span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span> </span></b>A new build of <b><span style="color: red;">Knuckles'</span> <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Clackers</span></b> has been released (v0.2c demo) and was submitted to this year's <b>Sonic Hacking Contest 2023</b> and <b>Bitbridge Halloween Showcase 2023</b>! Knuckles' Clackers is an <b>award-winning</b>, major Knuckles' Chaotix ROM hack for the almighty <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sega Genesis </span><span style="color: #ffa400;">32x</span></b>.
The game mod features new zones, new music, new artwork, code edits,
engine bugfixes, and restored Knuckles' Chaotix/Sonic Crackers beta
content.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Build <b>v0.2c demo</b> is an accumulative update from the <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2023/08/knuckles-clackers-v011b-demo-release.html" target="_blank">v0.11b Demo</a>.
It features new music, more polish, new artwork, a few new custom objects, and other code edits. Most importantly it features a new Techno Tower Zone Classic Act 4 level, which is a 3-boss rush level based on the first half of <a href="https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_(2013)/Maps#Egg_Gauntlet_Zone_and_Boss_Attack_Zone" target="_blank">Egg Gauntlet Zone</a> (<a href="https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_(2013)" target="_blank">Sonic 2 2013</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> The new build was submitted </span>to this year's <a href="https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Hacking_Contest" target="_blank">Sonic Hacking Contest</a> <a href="https://shc.zone/entries/contest2023" target="_blank"><b>2023</b></a> and won a <b>few trophies!</b> The community, judges, and media panel enjoyed the game while playing and streaming the new build. <b>Thank you</b> everybody for judging and voting the game; winning a few trophies this year was both an honor and a surprise!<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcRaCDFmYX-eGKrGo64mynSzsgZfuvO8rTf4li-jM99fM3jwWtRWRHRaCuJSrXPOCvTbAMrr4MLqCpcoRPJPHQm1zsrWCm41BWmJw_s84cp5yMJXCOjQT-pGODOAqLDv9c8uWDmneBL8RXd2dxSyg0rrTuOk1QFV92zD19wJvnxZ3k7xHpmScYVy7WCA/s16004/Trophies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9004" data-original-width="16004" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcRaCDFmYX-eGKrGo64mynSzsgZfuvO8rTf4li-jM99fM3jwWtRWRHRaCuJSrXPOCvTbAMrr4MLqCpcoRPJPHQm1zsrWCm41BWmJw_s84cp5yMJXCOjQT-pGODOAqLDv9c8uWDmneBL8RXd2dxSyg0rrTuOk1QFV92zD19wJvnxZ3k7xHpmScYVy7WCA/w640-h360/Trophies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Trophies:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b></b> Hexadecimal Trophy (Community, Honorable Mention)<b></b></li><li>Hexadecimal Trophy (Judged)<b></b></li><li>Spinball Trophy (Judged)<b></b></li><li>Spinball Trophy (Community)</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3N-ZrZe1CWLz2a4JcDgYd-VGkCGGbXYU" target="_blank">Contest stream playlist</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH4ubh68a3mtgbSLM9FzLdif1amgvHbg0RdZvjkpGKgC9swOV5kQ6zXBWEeiIIOFiCwSNR5Qj53k85mBLI-UNXM68UX4ZfOZwV0gQhxGcuACEv8XcQGgQwPpsW197JcedubqCb7musxOq493pXPBHAl7LkT-k6mKjK8k5kF8nqhFoXWOJgwiTF15NAbI/s1920/KCL_SHC23_Entry1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1920" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH4ubh68a3mtgbSLM9FzLdif1amgvHbg0RdZvjkpGKgC9swOV5kQ6zXBWEeiIIOFiCwSNR5Qj53k85mBLI-UNXM68UX4ZfOZwV0gQhxGcuACEv8XcQGgQwPpsW197JcedubqCb7musxOq493pXPBHAl7LkT-k6mKjK8k5kF8nqhFoXWOJgwiTF15NAbI/s320/KCL_SHC23_Entry1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwiM0FHFjPkZvASFdQuTVSycn1p7KJfHfGVQmU7xTcgKVM-KgIU_Psql4cI2DBzIEqYb_92NcriyjNvWNJUQO3v3z3HrqDPeetnShDF4nsrFrwcS01ZOozB7RFdPjpdSSWHrJz-6wqFk_BY9r982aJSV-IzzC4m1iPZX1cKXzPRfC_8hkA-h7TfMqq3A/s7614/KCL_SHC23_Entry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7614" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwiM0FHFjPkZvASFdQuTVSycn1p7KJfHfGVQmU7xTcgKVM-KgIU_Psql4cI2DBzIEqYb_92NcriyjNvWNJUQO3v3z3HrqDPeetnShDF4nsrFrwcS01ZOozB7RFdPjpdSSWHrJz-6wqFk_BY9r982aJSV-IzzC4m1iPZX1cKXzPRfC_8hkA-h7TfMqq3A/w161-h640/KCL_SHC23_Entry2.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><b>SHC23 Entry</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b><br /><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13S-K2d77vQHZM6-yoo2U3sZVK1wv71Mr/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">Contest evaluation feedback</a></b> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> The build was also featured at the annual <a href="https://bitbridge.space/games/" target="_blank">Bitbridge</a> Halloween Showcase 2023 in Pittsburgh, on real Sega 32x hardware and on my EverDrive MD v3 flash cartridge. The public had fun having Halloween candy, dressing up in costumes, and testing out the local Indie gamedev scene's video games.<br /><a href="https://megacatstudios.com/" target="_blank"><br /> Mega Cat Studios</a> was there and showcased their new Indie game, <a href="https://megacatstudios.com/pages/wrestlequest" target="_blank">Wrestle Quest</a>, on Steam Deck. It was nice running into and catching up with my former boss and manager at their booth. Mega Cat Studios is an awesome retro game studio, making <b>new</b> games for retro video game consoles (Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and others) and new Indie games for modern platforms. I <b>highly recommend</b> checking them out, following them on social media, and supporting them with the new Wrestle Quest game release on Steam/Nintendo Switch!</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRr0Dzd3sbDi9QpokZaGByatoppWm_ZTwO9A5rW5zWUHcHFWxpYiwtahsM9qKDz_0VFmH7nEx5iarsNJBo8tuB-HdIUz1S2VkmvqILtfTmDo7-dgvZEJE8ztFXbDzs71hyphenhyphenOkyO2rvwH21dmoCBg9dUAR0lbRlgINNp2VwXLw4mruLeCdDwsH-pusWSZ0/s647/BBHS23.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="647" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRr0Dzd3sbDi9QpokZaGByatoppWm_ZTwO9A5rW5zWUHcHFWxpYiwtahsM9qKDz_0VFmH7nEx5iarsNJBo8tuB-HdIUz1S2VkmvqILtfTmDo7-dgvZEJE8ztFXbDzs71hyphenhyphenOkyO2rvwH21dmoCBg9dUAR0lbRlgINNp2VwXLw4mruLeCdDwsH-pusWSZ0/s320/BBHS23.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7bHWbLeIRXM6bC076jokTztT3JYwcs1k2wBAfrWsEmNHcFnxykdulpQZhAtJpVncjiqBZRWwgLccSdEcLVx5Iq8q3LxCy2thqzS1Ki2szIvOQVtst1ylELsWJhHQREghwom6J4_ocyXl8U2x5IFF5MrryDcjMt4VDWy0wpfJPVynaV4syMYiq2jrzOM/s2864/KCL_BBHS_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2864" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7bHWbLeIRXM6bC076jokTztT3JYwcs1k2wBAfrWsEmNHcFnxykdulpQZhAtJpVncjiqBZRWwgLccSdEcLVx5Iq8q3LxCy2thqzS1Ki2szIvOQVtst1ylELsWJhHQREghwom6J4_ocyXl8U2x5IFF5MrryDcjMt4VDWy0wpfJPVynaV4syMYiq2jrzOM/s320/KCL_BBHS_23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Knuckles' Clackers booth at the<br />Bitbridge Halloween Showcase 2023<br /></b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD58WM7D2JDF0Y0Zo1k86qZwBATDqIuQhkFDxDOuHzuWMZkyXkfPMrBrudaQHAVQV8jSvXSzTRGuBPEND21RFM-oybfS9vTtP9F6pprC34ZmAcUQQZBFE8pjzf11ZgpMXJ60v2UinmW8Y72VFLVUEfD56WxKR3pHEp2ZYtjYH9NosILQRkjAjm2eLcJIk/s3840/BBHS23_Costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD58WM7D2JDF0Y0Zo1k86qZwBATDqIuQhkFDxDOuHzuWMZkyXkfPMrBrudaQHAVQV8jSvXSzTRGuBPEND21RFM-oybfS9vTtP9F6pprC34ZmAcUQQZBFE8pjzf11ZgpMXJ60v2UinmW8Y72VFLVUEfD56WxKR3pHEp2ZYtjYH9NosILQRkjAjm2eLcJIk/s320/BBHS23_Costume.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Sega Genesis homebrew booths of a friend and I.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I'm on the left, in an Eagle costume </b><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Changelog (v0.2c Demo):</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="SpoilerTarget bbCodeSpoilerText" style="display: block; opacity: 1;"><ul><li><b>v0.2c Demo</b><ul><li><b>Sonic Hacking Contest 2023</b> demo update <b>HOTFIX </b>(09/25/2023)</li><li>Fixed a game breaking bug with TTZ4/Egg Gauntlet zone boss triggers and partner death in 2P mode<ul><li>If in 2P mode, player 1 dies, and the 2nd player reaches a boss
trigger in TTZ4/Egg Gauntlet Zone, he will be called towards the dead
player 1 (out-of-bounds) from the boss arena.</li><li>This bug leads to a soft lock</li><li>This bug also causes a ghostly, transparent second Espio to appear in Isolated Island (Intro) act 0 on a new save game</li><li>Both bugs fixed!<br /><br /></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><b>v0.2b</b><ul><li>Sonic Hacking Contest 2023 build (update week, 09/25/2023)</li><li>Implemented new Death Egg Zone (Sonic 2 port) song for TTZ Act 4 level</li><li>Implemented lava palette cycling for TTZ Act 4 level</li><li>Changed graphics for TTZ4 projector screen blocks/tiles (AAZ mini/boss)</li><li>Fixed crashes near lava section and from backtracking in TTZ Act 4 (simpler 32x sprite object placement)</li><li>Added more right one-way doors in TTZ Act 4, modified level layout for doors</li><li>Improved object positioning for TTZ Act 4 level</li><li>Improved collision for quarter pipe launch off chunks</li><li>Replaced a quarter pipe chunk with an alternate chunk to hide Sega 32x sprite loop spritemasker in floor (TTZ Act 3)</li><li>Fixed bug with Shrink powerup effect instantaneously becoming undone<br /><br /></li></ul></li><li><b>v0.2a</b><ul><li><b>Summary</b><ul><li>Sonic Hacking Contest 2023 demo (09/16/2023)</li><li>New Egg Gauntlet Zone part 1 level (Techno Tower Zone Classic Act 4, from Sonic 2 2013 mobile)</li><li>Implemented engine changes to allow for multiple bosses within an act (boss rush mode)</li></ul></li><li><b>New Music</b><ul><li>Hidden Palace Zone (Sonic 2)<ul><li>For Proto Palace Zone</li></ul></li><li>Sonic 2 Club Mix (Sonic 2 beta)<ul><li>For Speed Slider Zone Classic</li><li>Credits to <b>LordXernon/DJ Error</b> for permission to port these to Chaotix</li></ul></li><li>Imported Splash (HyperDimension Neptunia Re;birth 1) song<ul><li>For TTZC/other bosses</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://shc.zone/entries/contest2023/915" target="_blank">Sonic Hacking Contest 2023 game entry</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>IPS download patch available (v0.2c) at the<br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/sega-genesiscd32x/knuckles-clackers" target="_blank"><b>Knuckles' Clackers project page</b></a><b> </b><br /></div></div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l1aLlUXMsKQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="l1aLlUXMsKQ"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>(Older video of Techno Tower Zone Act 4)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrskoZl4s0zHvbKcg8jR7WCsTRtZOXqiZcu71-pimQiMaInF7J_syUU-5bVvTpmo2vD7So6kMW7OqCl4i1r4CN_WY3Xm3FbJkuREqpGYEzf3ZuQiSmzp4mqXC-wP0UKv87Gm4b9bjYT2YZ3qQ61nwIypfmiIM3qfIbc9gmkRzvnsYgw6ishWVEI7Hbwys/s681/EGZ1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="642" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrskoZl4s0zHvbKcg8jR7WCsTRtZOXqiZcu71-pimQiMaInF7J_syUU-5bVvTpmo2vD7So6kMW7OqCl4i1r4CN_WY3Xm3FbJkuREqpGYEzf3ZuQiSmzp4mqXC-wP0UKv87Gm4b9bjYT2YZ3qQ61nwIypfmiIM3qfIbc9gmkRzvnsYgw6ishWVEI7Hbwys/w604-h640/EGZ1.png" width="604" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUxMkNng1fW9WE-Px606ZVbREofElxDmKFuj6aiZhqJus6SbIkUKgv7KwfmytWSz1G3mRsygIg642rve7vyUGYWk4zNkHaPAjhPrmFMaGuTIlmIZg9BZL9dfvFpFRKEMdOtJwKWV03lUPMhwMt9s9-NcYwUKVbO1x4Tq3qpWfT3tLJBtp_pnCEdIeHNc/s644/EGZ1_Bosses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="644" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUxMkNng1fW9WE-Px606ZVbREofElxDmKFuj6aiZhqJus6SbIkUKgv7KwfmytWSz1G3mRsygIg642rve7vyUGYWk4zNkHaPAjhPrmFMaGuTIlmIZg9BZL9dfvFpFRKEMdOtJwKWV03lUPMhwMt9s9-NcYwUKVbO1x4Tq3qpWfT3tLJBtp_pnCEdIeHNc/w640-h444/EGZ1_Bosses.png" width="640" /></a></div></b><b></b><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stay tuned for more Chaotix research and Knuckles Clackers' development<br /></b><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>At this blog</b></li><li><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MrTamk1s/" target="_blank">My YouTube channel</a></b></li><li><b><a href="https://sonicresearch.org/community/index.php?threads/knuckles-clackers-chaotix-hack-v0-1a-demo.6416/" target="_blank">SSRG hack thread</a></b></li></ul></div><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b>- GenesisDoes</b></b></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p></div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-25150327860587721502023-08-16T01:26:00.002-04:002023-08-16T01:26:30.221-04:00Farworld Pioneers release!<p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Farworld Pioneers release!</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM_VS7g-WNoF9p4aPbz_o8n5WefIdLX3eCFjA01F-RV4_pFNSbvh06-sqCyg9uYt1wOk6uY2kCt401g36LV2wum03rSRGhnp5ejsgC-PcFcjd-yXddF129P99KrkO6ZSlnHMO8aYvTIQLl1S4RcNOD8eqrVctUyU9zmm1j9OJnoq-lMrtjT3GDds8FPg/s480/FP_Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="480" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM_VS7g-WNoF9p4aPbz_o8n5WefIdLX3eCFjA01F-RV4_pFNSbvh06-sqCyg9uYt1wOk6uY2kCt401g36LV2wum03rSRGhnp5ejsgC-PcFcjd-yXddF129P99KrkO6ZSlnHMO8aYvTIQLl1S4RcNOD8eqrVctUyU9zmm1j9OJnoq-lMrtjT3GDds8FPg/w640-h120/FP_Logo.png" width="640" /></a></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL3N-ZrZe1CWJKAegNnkWYsCZ7JJLUurZW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> </span>The Indie video game <b>Farworld Pioneers</b> was released for Steam (PC) and Xbox One/Series X(S) on May 30 2023! A PlayStation 4/5 version should be available soon ™. This release marks my (MrTamkis') fourth professional Indie video game release in the gamedev industry that I have contributed development for. The game was developed by <a href="https://www.igloosoft.org/" target="_blank">Igloosoft Games</a> and published by <a href="https://www.tinybuild.com/" target="_blank">tinyBuild</a>.<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> </span></span><span>I worked at Igloosoft Games as a contract Unity/C# developer for the game's development on the devteam from Dec 2021-Dec 2022. This was for the main version of the game (PC/Steam).<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Duties included:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Creating new enemy creature AI</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Designing a character editor</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Designing compound setpieces from procedural generation code</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Polishing up the game, implementing bugfixes and new features<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Iterating on feedback <br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Participating in private and public playtesting sessions for bug hunting</span> on networked multiplayer games <br /></span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span> </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span> </span>Farworld Pioneers</b> is an open-world, 2D, sandbox space colony survival game on foreign planets, with Minecraft-like block crafting/world building, PvP colony battles. It has online multiplayer and colonial building for you faction's bases. Similar in design to Starbound but better.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b> <br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Description from the Steam Store page:</b> <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><p>"<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_multiplayer_final.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="615" height="347" src="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_multiplayer_final.gif" width="615" /></a></div><br /><b><br />Play with friends co-operatively or form hostile factions:</b><br />In this open-world galactic sandbox, how you play is up to you! Bring your friends into the frontier in your own private server, or make new friends (and enemies) in large public multiplayer servers. Play peacefully in co-op, or use the dynamic multiplayer faction system to band together and split apart dynamically as allegiances change.<br /><br /><a href="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_dropship.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="615" height="347" src="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_dropship.gif" width="615" /></a><br /><b>Build ships from scratch and travel to new planets:</b><br />Your first planet is where you’ll learn to survive, but that’s just the start. Build your very own starship and use it to colonise new worlds. It won’t be easy, and only the most successful colonies will be able to pool the resources and knowledge necessary to break orbit. Once you launch, the stars hold brand-new planets, new biomes, bosses and challenges.<br /><br /><a href="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_explore.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="615" height="347" src="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_explore.gif" width="615" /></a><br /><b>Craft, research, loot and exploit your environment:</b><br />You’ll need to prepare to take on this hostile part of the galaxy. Get mining, farming, growing, developing, researching, and building hundreds of different items, from winter combat gear to advanced laboratories. Find something you can’t work out for yourself. Strap on your handcrafted laser rifle and venture out into the unknown to explore dungeons, procedural bases, NPC stores and much more.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwb_combat.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="615" height="360" src="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwb_combat.gif" width="615" /></a></div><br /><b>Defend what you’ve built, or take on the galaxy:</b><br />Defend your colony with fast-paced combat that utilizes physics like bullet drop, projectile speed and spread. Thwart enemy raids on your base with your stock of handcrafted grenades. Tired of just defending? Lay waste to enemy bases with destructible terrain as you wield everything from rusty old carbines to nuke launchers and energy weapons that harness the power of lightning!<br /><br /><a href="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_basebuildings_2.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="615" height="347" src="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_basebuildings_2.gif" width="615" /></a><br /><b>Develop and construct advanced bases for protection:</b><br />Grow from a tiny outpost into an advanced, nuclear-powered fortress. Manage resources carefully and choose research paths based on the items and challenges you encounter on each planet. Watch out, though: the bigger your colony gets, the more of a target it becomes for raiders (and jealous friends).<br /><br /><a href="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_colonists_2.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="615" height="347" src="https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1363900/extras/fwp_colonists_2.gif" width="615" /></a><br /><b>Automate work and train up a team:</b><br />Even out here, you’re not alone. Save AI survivors and build a colony together. A range of unique stats, perks and flaws mean every colonist has something different to contribute. As your AI colonists complete tasks they’ll level up and get smarter, stronger and faster. Best of all, you can assign tasks and orders to NPCs to do the grunt work for you and prioritize their roles based on those skills. Want to take a break from mining to destroy an underground alien nest? Let your colonists handle that for you!<br /><br /><b>And Remember</b><br /><br /><br />Your ship may be in ruins, your ammunition running low, and your teammates scattered across the surface, but remember this:<br /><br />You’re more than just another adventurous spirit.<br /><br /><b>You’re a Farworld Pioneer.</b>"<p></p><br /><p> <b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM_VS7g-WNoF9p4aPbz_o8n5WefIdLX3eCFjA01F-RV4_pFNSbvh06-sqCyg9uYt1wOk6uY2kCt401g36LV2wum03rSRGhnp5ejsgC-PcFcjd-yXddF129P99KrkO6ZSlnHMO8aYvTIQLl1S4RcNOD8eqrVctUyU9zmm1j9OJnoq-lMrtjT3GDds8FPg/s480/FP_Logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="480" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM_VS7g-WNoF9p4aPbz_o8n5WefIdLX3eCFjA01F-RV4_pFNSbvh06-sqCyg9uYt1wOk6uY2kCt401g36LV2wum03rSRGhnp5ejsgC-PcFcjd-yXddF129P99KrkO6ZSlnHMO8aYvTIQLl1S4RcNOD8eqrVctUyU9zmm1j9OJnoq-lMrtjT3GDds8FPg/w640-h120/FP_Logo.png" width="640" /></a></span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span>You can learn more about the game at <a href="https://www.igloosoft.org/" target="_blank">Igloosoft Games</a>' official <a href="https://www.farworldpioneers.com/" target="_blank">Farworld Pioneers website</a> . <br /><br /><b>Game store links:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="goog_1021180982">Steam (PC version)</a></b></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/farworld-pioneers/9mxwqwgkm2lm" target="_blank">Xbox One/Series X(S)</a></b></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="about:blank" target="_blank">PlayStation 4/5 </a><a href="about:blank" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></span></li></ul>
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-MrTamkis (aka "Eagle")</b></span></div><br />Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-45354340614023344902023-08-16T00:04:00.001-04:002023-08-16T00:04:44.916-04:00Knuckles' Clackers: v0.11b demo release!<p style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Knuckles' Clackers: v0.11b demo release</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi11es-03P61VjGIKvn7WlYJwMKA6bfyk7UvIz95Xqym0JgsMw7U1Bk8a44pS1Vpc9CiKEITRZ6P1RddzY8h3rKRJKVJTP_yDJLC-zKuCutGAGDudC-uYLtQNs4s54tmzKR1_KV6priT7mpVzoIejWVn7mDrhJDBgd5KaQmDQEc-lcnVcm5kmtye1flw/s645/KCL_Title2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="645" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi11es-03P61VjGIKvn7WlYJwMKA6bfyk7UvIz95Xqym0JgsMw7U1Bk8a44pS1Vpc9CiKEITRZ6P1RddzY8h3rKRJKVJTP_yDJLC-zKuCutGAGDudC-uYLtQNs4s54tmzKR1_KV6priT7mpVzoIejWVn7mDrhJDBgd5KaQmDQEc-lcnVcm5kmtye1flw/w400-h283/KCL_Title2.png" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span> </span></b>A new build of <b><span style="color: red;">Knuckles'</span> <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Clackers</span></b> has been released (v0.11b demo)! Knuckles' Clackers is a major Knuckles' Chaotix ROM hack for the almighty <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sega Genesis </span><span style="color: #ffa400;">32x</span></b>. The game mod features new zones, new music, new artwork, code edits, engine bugfixes, and restored Knuckles' Chaotix/Sonic Crackers beta content.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Build v0.11b demo is an update from the <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2021/11/knuckles-clackers-project-and-v01a-demo.html" target="_blank">v0.1a Demo</a>. It still features the same 3 acts of Techno Tower zone and the Tutorial Zone, but has more polish, including new music, new SFX and PWM samples, new artwork, and other code edits.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Changelog (v0.11b Demo):</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Artwork edits</b></li><ul><li><b>Menus</b></li><ul><li>New Title Screen road palette/cycle</li><li>New 8x8 menu font</li><li>Final Fantasy 6 SNES font</li><ul><li>Tri-color <br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li><b>New Menu Background artwork</b></li><ul><li>Purple background oval</li><li>Sega Neptune console logo</li><li>Neptune logo (HyperDimension Neptunia)<br /><br /></li></ul><li><b>Sprites</b></li><ul><li><b>New Genesis/32x level icon sprites</b></li><ul><li>SSZC (Speed Slider Zone Classic) </li><li>TTZC (Techno Tower Zone Classic) </li><li>Level icons for Data Load menu (Genesis sprites)</li><li>Level icons for HUB level status screen (32x sprites)</li></ul><li><b>Level edits</b></li><ul><li>Final boss edits</li><ul><li>Blue Metal Sonic Kai Genesis/32x palettes</li><li>Green boss arena (32x polygon palette) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Techno Tower Zone Classic </li><ul><li>New tiles, blocks, and chunks for loop sections</li><li>Better chunk artwork for player 32x sprite prioirty to go "behind" loop sections<br /><br /></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><li><b>Audio edits</b></li><ul><li><b>Music</b></li><ul><li>New song for $01 Door Into Summer</li><ul><li>Isolated Island/Training zone song</li><li>South Island (Sonic OVA anime)</li></ul><li>Updated song $03 PSG/PWM test</li><ul><li><a href="https://youtu.be/ScZF610nBL0" target="_blank">Support for new PWM samples</a></li></ul><li>New song for $0D Overture</li><ul><li><a href="https://youtu.be/QWmxSSARN4E" target="_blank">Intro cutscene song</a></li><li>Intro song (Geograph Seal, Sharp X68000)</li></ul><li>New song for $11 Take A Nap</li><ul><li>New game intro level song </li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/IPPqtJQJX7E" target="_blank">Helper's Rest (Kirby Superstar Ultra)</a></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Replaced song for $12 Surging Power</li><ul><li>Invincibility jingle</li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/zMG2H2KBWYM" target="_blank">SRB2 Invincibility song</a></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Updated song $1A Tachy Touchy</li><ul><li>Bonus Stage song</li><li>Elegy (HyperDimension Neptunia V)</li><li>Rearranged song with new Orchestra Hit PWM samples</li></ul><li>New song for $28 Just Another Day</li><ul><li>Good Ending song</li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/RgpJ11TQrI0" target="_blank">Dimension Tripper!!! (HyperDimension Neptunia: The Animation OP)<br /></a> <br /></li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li><b><a href="https://youtu.be/HglAVwCUUx0" target="_blank">SFX</a></b></li><ul><li>Combine Ring powerup SFX (SFX $3E, Sonic CD port)</li><li>Shrink powerup SFX edit (SFX $59, Sonic CD port)</li><li>Grow powerup SFX edit (SFX $5A, Sonic CD port)</li><li>Dash SFX edit (SFX $5B, Sonic CD port)</li><li>Jump SFX edit (SFX $5F, port of PSG Jump from S3K)<br /><br /></li></ul><li>PWM</li><ul><li>Bugfixes to removal looping electrical buzz noise from PWM samples</li><li>New Orch Hit PWM Samples</li><ul><li>Sample IDs $9F-$A2</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Code edits</b></li><ul><li>Disabled autoDemos</li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/QWmxSSARN4E" target="_blank">Modified Intro cutscene with sound effects</a></li><li>Unrestricted Character Select menu (can select duplicate players in 2P menu for Training)</li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/EgbSUKcJZsE" target="_blank">Engine bugfixes</a></li><ul><li>Removed ring cap from both levels and Bonus Stage (now > 255 rings)</li><li>Bugfix for 1 second timing for Bonus Stage ring drain countdown</li><li>Save/Restore the level timer when entering/exiting the Bonus Stage</li><ul><li>Prevents issues with time up gameover</li></ul></ul></ul></ul><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFb9YEjmbEafLSb_Jigmach3WaXfboZUTBa96ZEvyt0x6nUXJzBhRtVAlI06UZFhsC5cWod6uXh2o7sD7glam00J1P3k-k0CC2qO4vjF-5qWzSctrZzYnXSvZaymzJyWmdO0d4o8MLojXqN_KLxHdUMMFMaTMg8s6mpufP9lnKbRpvM_XT3PdhjGWoSyA/s980/KCL_MenusMisc.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="980" height="605" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFb9YEjmbEafLSb_Jigmach3WaXfboZUTBa96ZEvyt0x6nUXJzBhRtVAlI06UZFhsC5cWod6uXh2o7sD7glam00J1P3k-k0CC2qO4vjF-5qWzSctrZzYnXSvZaymzJyWmdO0d4o8MLojXqN_KLxHdUMMFMaTMg8s6mpufP9lnKbRpvM_XT3PdhjGWoSyA/w640-h605/KCL_MenusMisc.png" width="640" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGMNmUstB-i8SP9dfU62lmm3uaHuYj6dRJD4CVXf0Dhz0H02mYJ44NkZrdqlPVvY1FyuYUgFFdq6C2e4KDuhRLP2BFjbq2l3SNaJ649HXBJCm8PNzp5bj8EpKVF3xnOducPG49k_ertsZb8Q0vXmtnAbj9ccayKvbi1arqC_JYm8k-DoaJpx5-usjNNg/s650/KCL_Menus.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="650" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGMNmUstB-i8SP9dfU62lmm3uaHuYj6dRJD4CVXf0Dhz0H02mYJ44NkZrdqlPVvY1FyuYUgFFdq6C2e4KDuhRLP2BFjbq2l3SNaJ649HXBJCm8PNzp5bj8EpKVF3xnOducPG49k_ertsZb8Q0vXmtnAbj9ccayKvbi1arqC_JYm8k-DoaJpx5-usjNNg/w640-h448/KCL_Menus.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKJSSG742-Tdy_CafBS_mUX9oso_W_Hs0cnNSs_GOLCHFVJGV_27osY_gGJz_0IGHt_G_pjxK-C6sz7HWE6YpRNB4HKAyvPqz1sHTsFvEMjN79tjajoBrjLAovGNszPdf07qC_mJ2FNfF9plaROEKWq-qTq3YSDuZPWogcd0YLKa2aIYzZZ6fpXspJa4/s650/KCL_MSKai_Blue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="650" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKJSSG742-Tdy_CafBS_mUX9oso_W_Hs0cnNSs_GOLCHFVJGV_27osY_gGJz_0IGHt_G_pjxK-C6sz7HWE6YpRNB4HKAyvPqz1sHTsFvEMjN79tjajoBrjLAovGNszPdf07qC_mJ2FNfF9plaROEKWq-qTq3YSDuZPWogcd0YLKa2aIYzZZ6fpXspJa4/w640-h444/KCL_MSKai_Blue.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb75RtpHHsL_2NHx8yfDozg1-3hEAMoYQTPbJBZj12DR70Av3PYna2RswhCUw58qOnEYPMXxD9qEoZoSPFysVlJCIr-_tLy6lObJy7cnSk9ueafZv_dsTnYBVffpXK2XJ4H4TnkiSMEzf43kQLvoXO_ye-HswAz8WAhAt_G_oBDW5I2cyHwdzYM7te-2o/s320/KCL_TTZC_2D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb75RtpHHsL_2NHx8yfDozg1-3hEAMoYQTPbJBZj12DR70Av3PYna2RswhCUw58qOnEYPMXxD9qEoZoSPFysVlJCIr-_tLy6lObJy7cnSk9ueafZv_dsTnYBVffpXK2XJ4H4TnkiSMEzf43kQLvoXO_ye-HswAz8WAhAt_G_oBDW5I2cyHwdzYM7te-2o/s16000/KCL_TTZC_2D.png" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>IPS download patch availabe (v0.11b) at the<br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/sega-genesiscd32x/knuckles-clackers" target="_blank"><b>Knuckles' Clackers project page</b></a><b> </b><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stay tuned for more Chaotix research and Knuckles Clackers' development<br /></b><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>At this blog</b></li><li><b> </b><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MrTamk1s/" target="_blank">My YouTube channel</a></b></li><li><b> </b><b><a href="https://sonicresearch.org/community/index.php?threads/knuckles-clackers-chaotix-hack-v0-1a-demo.6416/" target="_blank">SSRG hack thread</a></b></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b>- GenesisDoes</b></b></div></div><p></p></div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-88001759272757833232023-04-21T05:08:00.003-04:002023-04-21T05:08:26.887-04:00XBandPi NOOBS Compatible image released! (v1.23/v1.7 DLE)<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>XB</b></span><span class="CGqCRe C9DxTc" style="color: #9900ff; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: large; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">∀</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>ND<span style="color: red;">Pi</span></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;"> NOOBS</span><br />Compatible image released!<br />(v1.23/v1.7 DLE)</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfETzXwWQpvZ_9RbhQy37XgvnQz-V-UQYBAxbd5ZmjOEFuzuXLUo7PfU9R0iG9aPuGYSqfUV45k51pbqdjbkToPw4l2u9V6pV_2akUFB2GYle-NkvXBXT5hSjeDUYz1CxrmCfP6Cr4TUJ909lqj5UVmUmpkRYoOVj1PnwspLJreJn1qfS6ejRZsc9/s3436/XBP_Distro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="3436" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfETzXwWQpvZ_9RbhQy37XgvnQz-V-UQYBAxbd5ZmjOEFuzuXLUo7PfU9R0iG9aPuGYSqfUV45k51pbqdjbkToPw4l2u9V6pV_2akUFB2GYle-NkvXBXT5hSjeDUYz1CxrmCfP6Cr4TUJ909lqj5UVmUmpkRYoOVj1PnwspLJreJn1qfS6ejRZsc9/s320/XBP_Distro.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jgLBPsB51sn0IFzPnJjeSns0ySyjjvLUWZTtNGQwUDUoQX2mP96TjROYGE2wL5iSKkmzfFb4aYBgICXfiUtFAS5LLTeTy5HwtT0cNJf_m3s0xOSqjGjHhkjjK9GcQwZs5wdajHHV4Fa9_YeNiom0rLx0si5mLcOCIWOSkRC4x69RhqfRlTSWlRW_/s1172/XBP_Install.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1172" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jgLBPsB51sn0IFzPnJjeSns0ySyjjvLUWZTtNGQwUDUoQX2mP96TjROYGE2wL5iSKkmzfFb4aYBgICXfiUtFAS5LLTeTy5HwtT0cNJf_m3s0xOSqjGjHhkjjK9GcQwZs5wdajHHV4Fa9_YeNiom0rLx0si5mLcOCIWOSkRC4x69RhqfRlTSWlRW_/s320/XBP_Install.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p><b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMh1YnAWJHb9hgqt7IS5zG3zRfmZYfchkWCVE8BTrjDR-R57e-bb_oqYqXiDbElfVtpZt2fIRCr6Wo8H88bUzApSs4evz_wgN5rBpjJp1cvyuDlNaJ84Oar6ZhCy9qekJ7rpqR5-LjNx8SaQicPgKstZnAW-FSeKpMRPe1b-0dF4PUbMa0n6-i5oL/s3080/XBP_SS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3080" data-original-width="1928" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMh1YnAWJHb9hgqt7IS5zG3zRfmZYfchkWCVE8BTrjDR-R57e-bb_oqYqXiDbElfVtpZt2fIRCr6Wo8H88bUzApSs4evz_wgN5rBpjJp1cvyuDlNaJ84Oar6ZhCy9qekJ7rpqR5-LjNx8SaQicPgKstZnAW-FSeKpMRPe1b-0dF4PUbMa0n6-i5oL/s320/XBP_SS.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></b></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Online gaming history</span><br /></b></p><p><span> </span>The almighty <b><a href="https://segaretro.org/Sega_Dreamcast" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sega</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">Dreamcast</span></a> </b>was the first video game console to have both web browsing and online gameplay built-in, out of the box, via its innovative dialup 56k internet modem on its G2 expansion bus. Even with this innovation, its networking capabilities were nothing compared to the breadth and depth of modern online gaming, with it's highspeed broadband, online game stores and robust social networking platforms and features (such as Sony's PlayStation Network for shopping, leaderboards, achievements, friends lists and matchmaking lobbies, etc. on the Sony PlayStation 4). However, the modem's inclusion was a groundbreaking innovation that would help pave the way to our modern day online multiplayer and social gaming networks. Unfortunately, the game servers for the Dreamcast network games were long since discontinued in the early 2000s. I have documented more about getting a Dreamcast back online in my <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2023/04/dreampi-dx-noobs-compatible-image.html" target="_blank">blog article</a> on <a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">DreamPi DX NOOBS image release</a>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6j5GRPGcmU1v_S3SkjIvM5rkYUN9NQp0627jPgqRLPpVG8UDSmRhQXwOZcvDTNo2yDesx1riXk7g3dLOduyb_30ZrWOUltG5ZxYCptMOYGh1z-6XDFnsjpW8LbptIvR4RCB9sWRP6MsRzWkWqi55xGMzPPWBo5_jBWBXsmnu94OhMhZljTCCoQY9/s4540/DC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="4540" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6j5GRPGcmU1v_S3SkjIvM5rkYUN9NQp0627jPgqRLPpVG8UDSmRhQXwOZcvDTNo2yDesx1riXk7g3dLOduyb_30ZrWOUltG5ZxYCptMOYGh1z-6XDFnsjpW8LbptIvR4RCB9sWRP6MsRzWkWqi55xGMzPPWBo5_jBWBXsmnu94OhMhZljTCCoQY9/s320/DC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha21Lva1tFNyXjYK87CIEsk5iBXJo5KolUL_bbMYCX-cvox141zuc6bEw-jrQfM1GW4AEA8TZ1yoFMmUTReVkpR6YQhfxLRZ_5Us0rII9NtyxS4rndfU_AChokWeUWhGaqL0CxprAc4g7RHT-RYjHtqSelC3Q4G27I3onNJho5YYWtAO_T0oUShtMM/s2700/DC_Modem.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2700" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha21Lva1tFNyXjYK87CIEsk5iBXJo5KolUL_bbMYCX-cvox141zuc6bEw-jrQfM1GW4AEA8TZ1yoFMmUTReVkpR6YQhfxLRZ_5Us0rII9NtyxS4rndfU_AChokWeUWhGaqL0CxprAc4g7RHT-RYjHtqSelC3Q4G27I3onNJho5YYWtAO_T0oUShtMM/s320/DC_Modem.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sega</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">Dreamcast</span> and</b><br /><b>its dial-up 56k modem</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span><!--more--></span></b><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Early attempts at online gaming<br />(dialup modem cartridges)</b> </span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> <span> </span>Prior to the Sega Dreamcast, earlier video game consoles attempted rudimentary online networking via much simpler dialup 56k modems on cartridges or other system expansion buses, and these were direct dial gameplay setup. The earliest setups were just for game downloading, while later services added online gameplay. For early online gameplay, the games themselves didn't have code support for multiplayer network lobbies, but usually rudimentary services to connect gamer clients (peer-to-peer direct dialup connection between both players).<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>One of Sega's and Nintendo's earlier attempts at online gaming was through a 3rd-party dial up modem and service called <span style="color: #38761d;"><b>XB</b></span><span class="CGqCRe C9DxTc" style="color: #9900ff; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">∀</span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>ND</b></span>. <a href="https://segaretro.org/XB%E2%88%80ND" target="_blank">XBAND</a> was a dial-up modem cartridge and service created by Catapult during the Fourth Video Game Generation for the 16-bit Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo consoles. It had a passthrough cartridge slot on top which would apply patches to supported games' code in order to add network functionality. These code patches would intercept button presses and transmit them through the XBAND network/direct dial-up connection, as well as help to keep the games in sync via network packets. In a way, the passthrough connector acted like an over glorified cheat device like a Game Genie, but with hardware support for a dial-up modem and networking support. A service fee and subscription was required to use the XBAND service, and fees were applied to dialup phone connections between gamers.</p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYg1OMThzIbNoRdfn4U3ty9UVao3hIA_Kd6y71mQ6KsB_w0xImyuoiT-cIlo0m9h158ztVOgZdOV_DOH0zhrmAynm9PbwU5hLnmcMVSi25AXBsIOY7NcQm9Eiq-wtTfeEkvAl9vwEhgx2JYUNFnpIn_iQgpasloQUMX_p34E-o4V42Zko9K4jZiowi/s250/XBand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="250" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYg1OMThzIbNoRdfn4U3ty9UVao3hIA_Kd6y71mQ6KsB_w0xImyuoiT-cIlo0m9h158ztVOgZdOV_DOH0zhrmAynm9PbwU5hLnmcMVSi25AXBsIOY7NcQm9Eiq-wtTfeEkvAl9vwEhgx2JYUNFnpIn_iQgpasloQUMX_p34E-o4V42Zko9K4jZiowi/s1600/XBand.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>XBAND modem (Genesis/SNES)</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BF-BS5PRLbs" width="320" youtube-src-id="BF-BS5PRLbs"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>XBAND Commercial (Sega Genesis)</b><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span> The XBAND service provided the following features:</span></b></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 30.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 700;">Online messaging</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Sending/receiving XMail message between users (similar to email)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Chatting between opponents in between a network gaming session</span></span></span></p></li></ul></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 30.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 700;">News services</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Gaming industry news (</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-weight: 700;">Bandwidth newsletter</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">XBAND service news</span></span></span></p></li></ul></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 30.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Friends list</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"> with players you like</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 30.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 700;">Creating an XBAND account/profile</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Codename (XBAND account nickname)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Profile picture</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Taunt</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Location</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">About me page</span></span></span></p></li></ul></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 30.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Leaderboard</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"> for XBAND games with top players f</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">or inserted game</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 30.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 700;">Playing applicable XBAND games online</span></span></span></p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Unfortunately, the XBAND service was discontinued for both the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo on April 30, 1997. Full details about XBAND in the YouTube documentary videos below.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KH39J1URHms" width="320" youtube-src-id="KH39J1URHms"></iframe></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k_5M-z_RUKA" width="320" youtube-src-id="k_5M-z_RUKA"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><!--more--></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Enter </b></span></span></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><b>XB</b></span><span class="CGqCRe C9DxTc" style="color: #9900ff; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">∀</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;"><b>ND<span style="color: red;">Pi</span></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " style="margin-left: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 15pt;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc-BGQNJfJTseh3fWpHy2pB7n0Ggg97GAS3RYZ8pD7WISOv3YFz1-Y9ayrcHKSrniIwVtewJP4lwNxtF-_sLLNejifYmpXS1Rk8JijTfUzjwGcHBG_TZKW6iicMMGbSH10V9i1mpuMePmNGxKEJkeC3I0F8Jscgzb2p2bVf431IPuomXJGlb8IxG1/s600/DreamPi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc-BGQNJfJTseh3fWpHy2pB7n0Ggg97GAS3RYZ8pD7WISOv3YFz1-Y9ayrcHKSrniIwVtewJP4lwNxtF-_sLLNejifYmpXS1Rk8JijTfUzjwGcHBG_TZKW6iicMMGbSH10V9i1mpuMePmNGxKEJkeC3I0F8Jscgzb2p2bVf431IPuomXJGlb8IxG1/s320/DreamPi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLlywLCpvPZp62iERYQzXSRVFWzLm9ftOzwbtOY9-WhJeo-lHW5m4HQ4uzFOCh3oft9dqXsilqsvtJda677qNF5ibExI7sP_QqwLdb66DCpR9R9xaO4FH8kJuRRho2wiP0scPuyH6xMUQfyhKvG_9cw4KD0Xcu85gqZC_R3-KzQ1WiEKE1T3XLhen/s2854/XBP_Gens.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2854" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLlywLCpvPZp62iERYQzXSRVFWzLm9ftOzwbtOY9-WhJeo-lHW5m4HQ4uzFOCh3oft9dqXsilqsvtJda677qNF5ibExI7sP_QqwLdb66DCpR9R9xaO4FH8kJuRRho2wiP0scPuyH6xMUQfyhKvG_9cw4KD0Xcu85gqZC_R3-KzQ1WiEKE1T3XLhen/s320/XBP_Gens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz2UISlVrWGsZQnwnE1IlXfqYc59ALyTlB-zlDO208-xOQchPrRPR0hOu-onE-pUA-vmwHJngkPUG_2DcRlcpi5s1qyQmNuwX9r3vPT2vaCvmhIYnsZowopaAu6yFmgyUA87Z9c7_ZY0_L2bcPtiAdEpNBKYVO5Z_HA24WGAarMDn9nAbWJdV6l7q/s3595/XBP_SNES.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3595" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz2UISlVrWGsZQnwnE1IlXfqYc59ALyTlB-zlDO208-xOQchPrRPR0hOu-onE-pUA-vmwHJngkPUG_2DcRlcpi5s1qyQmNuwX9r3vPT2vaCvmhIYnsZowopaAu6yFmgyUA87Z9c7_ZY0_L2bcPtiAdEpNBKYVO5Z_HA24WGAarMDn9nAbWJdV6l7q/s320/XBP_SNES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 15.0pt;">Similarly with the Sega Dreamcast and its online games via <a href="https://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html" target="_blank">DreamPi</a> and <a href="https://dreamcast.online/now/" target="_blank">Dreamcast Now</a> service, enthusiasts are working on bringing back XBAND services. D<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">espite the </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #38761d; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">XB</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #9900ff; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">∀</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #38761d; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">ND</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"> service being discontinued in </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">April 30, 1997</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">, </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">various sceners within the </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Sega</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Genesis</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"> and </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Super</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: red; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Nintendo/</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Super</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: red; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;"> Fa</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">mi</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">co</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: yellow; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">m </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">retro gaming communities have created a replacement, </span><a class="XqQF9c" href="https://xband.retrocomputing.network/" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline;">homebrew XBand server</span></a><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">.
This endeavor was done partially with the original source code given
out from ex-Catapult engineers, from reverse engineering, and from
dumping game ROM patches stored on old XBAND modem cartridges.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">As of the time of this writing (April 2023)</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">, the XBAND replacement servers supports the following features, connections methods, and games:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"></span></span><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #38761d; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">XB</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #9900ff; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">∀</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: #38761d; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">ND</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;"> Setup methods:</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 0.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="XqQF9c" href="https://xband.retrocomputing.network/voip.html" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline;">VoIP Adapter (Linksys SPA1001)</span></a></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 0.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="XqQF9c" href="https://xband.retrocomputing.network/landline.html" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline;">Landline</span></a></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 0.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="XqQF9c" href="https://xband.retrocomputing.network/pi.html" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline;">Raspberry Pi</span></a></span></span></p></li></ul><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-top: 0.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Supported XBand Features:</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">X-Mail (cross-platform on Gen/SNES supported, not yet supported on SFC)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">BANDWIDTH</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">XBAND News</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Player Lists (cross-platform on Gen/SNES supported)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Gameplay (SNES/SFC only, see below)</span></span></span></p></li></ul><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Gameplay Specifics:</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Gameplay is only supported on SNES/SFC</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Very laggy (see video)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Gameplay requires you use the VoIP/Landline connection methods</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Can only match with players who use the same connection method as you.</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Gameplay
on Genesis may work via a real landline, but this has not yet been
tested. Gameplay on Genesis should be considered impossible at this
point.</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span class="Apple-tab-span " style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span class="Apple-tab-span " style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span class="Apple-tab-span " style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></span></span></p></li></ul><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Supported Games for Gameplay:</span></span></span></p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR " style="list-style-type: square; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: red; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">SNES/</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">S</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">F</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: yellow; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">C</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">: Doom (US)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: red; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">SNES/</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">S</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">F</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: yellow; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">C</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">: Super Mario Kart (US)</span></span></span></p></li><li class="zfr3Q TYR86d eD0Rn " style="margin-left: 15.0pt;"><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: red; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">SNES/</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: lime; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">S</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: blue; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">F</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: yellow; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">C</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">: Super Street Fighter 2 (Japan)</span></span></span></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">Using a <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/" target="_blank">Raspberry Pi</a> and a patched DreamPi Linux distro image (called <span style="color: red;"><b>XBandPi</b></span>), a DreamPi device can allow Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo XBAND modems to access the supported XBAND features above, although gameplay is <b>incredibly </b>laggy and limited.</span></span></span></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " role="presentation" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0.0pt; margin-top: 12.0pt; padding-bottom: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; padding-right: 0.0pt; padding-top: 0.0pt; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cl1WqCEwpMU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Cl1WqCEwpMU"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b>XBAND revival!</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b7syMpvHeJE" width="320" youtube-src-id="b7syMpvHeJE"></iframe></div>Modern XBAND gameplay (VoIP)</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"><b> <span><!--more--></span><br /></b></span></span></span><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Enter </span><span style="color: #38761d;">XB</span><span class="CGqCRe C9DxTc" style="color: #9900ff; vertical-align: baseline;">∀</span><span style="color: #38761d;">ND<span style="color: red;">Pi</span></span> <span style="color: red;">NOOBS</span><br />compatible image</span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfETzXwWQpvZ_9RbhQy37XgvnQz-V-UQYBAxbd5ZmjOEFuzuXLUo7PfU9R0iG9aPuGYSqfUV45k51pbqdjbkToPw4l2u9V6pV_2akUFB2GYle-NkvXBXT5hSjeDUYz1CxrmCfP6Cr4TUJ909lqj5UVmUmpkRYoOVj1PnwspLJreJn1qfS6ejRZsc9/s3436/XBP_Distro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="3436" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfETzXwWQpvZ_9RbhQy37XgvnQz-V-UQYBAxbd5ZmjOEFuzuXLUo7PfU9R0iG9aPuGYSqfUV45k51pbqdjbkToPw4l2u9V6pV_2akUFB2GYle-NkvXBXT5hSjeDUYz1CxrmCfP6Cr4TUJ909lqj5UVmUmpkRYoOVj1PnwspLJreJn1qfS6ejRZsc9/s320/XBP_Distro.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jgLBPsB51sn0IFzPnJjeSns0ySyjjvLUWZTtNGQwUDUoQX2mP96TjROYGE2wL5iSKkmzfFb4aYBgICXfiUtFAS5LLTeTy5HwtT0cNJf_m3s0xOSqjGjHhkjjK9GcQwZs5wdajHHV4Fa9_YeNiom0rLx0si5mLcOCIWOSkRC4x69RhqfRlTSWlRW_/s1172/XBP_Install.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1172" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jgLBPsB51sn0IFzPnJjeSns0ySyjjvLUWZTtNGQwUDUoQX2mP96TjROYGE2wL5iSKkmzfFb4aYBgICXfiUtFAS5LLTeTy5HwtT0cNJf_m3s0xOSqjGjHhkjjK9GcQwZs5wdajHHV4Fa9_YeNiom0rLx0si5mLcOCIWOSkRC4x69RhqfRlTSWlRW_/s320/XBP_Install.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p><b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMh1YnAWJHb9hgqt7IS5zG3zRfmZYfchkWCVE8BTrjDR-R57e-bb_oqYqXiDbElfVtpZt2fIRCr6Wo8H88bUzApSs4evz_wgN5rBpjJp1cvyuDlNaJ84Oar6ZhCy9qekJ7rpqR5-LjNx8SaQicPgKstZnAW-FSeKpMRPe1b-0dF4PUbMa0n6-i5oL/s3080/XBP_SS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3080" data-original-width="1928" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMh1YnAWJHb9hgqt7IS5zG3zRfmZYfchkWCVE8BTrjDR-R57e-bb_oqYqXiDbElfVtpZt2fIRCr6Wo8H88bUzApSs4evz_wgN5rBpjJp1cvyuDlNaJ84Oar6ZhCy9qekJ7rpqR5-LjNx8SaQicPgKstZnAW-FSeKpMRPe1b-0dF4PUbMa0n6-i5oL/s320/XBP_SS.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><p><b></b></p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately</span></span>, just like with DreamPi distro image, the stock image is a raw image meant only to be written directly to the SD card. It does not allow for easy partitioning with other distros in a multi-boot setup. Fortunately, just like with <a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">DreamPi DX NOOBS image</a>, I have created a set of <b><a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/genesis/xbandpi-noobs" target="_blank">XBandPi NOOBS compatible images</a> (v1.23/v1.7 DLE) </b>for <a href="https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/noobs-install" target="_blank">NOOBS</a>/<a href="https://github.com/procount/pinn" target="_blank">PINN</a><b> </b>bootloaders which will allow for multiboot. These images are built against DreamPi v1.7 DLE and converted to XBandPi images, and they comes in 2 flavors, "XbandPi4" for Raspberry Pi models 4 and newer, and "XBandPi"for older models. It is <b>highly recommend</b> to use PINN over NOOBS bootloader especially since it will allows easier install, especially with online install support.<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">As usual with these types of NOOBS compatible images, you can either install the</span> XBandPi NOOBS locally on SD card/external flash drive, or via the internet (PINN only).<span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">Just add the line</span></span></span><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700;">alt_image_source</span><span class="C9DxTc " style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); font-weight: 400;">=</span><a class="XqQF9c" href="http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="C9DxTc aw5Odc " style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline;">http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json</span></a></span></span></span></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;">to your recovery.cmdline file in PINN bootloader </span><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">for install from online server.</span></span></span></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black;">Full details and downloads for the XBandPI NOOBS image on the EagleSoft Ltd <a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/genesis/xbandpi-noobs" target="_blank">project page</a> </span></span></span></b></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " style="margin-left: 0.0pt; padding-left: 0.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQB-kseP994yF-QTh6YO_NGicYJiMu0U6OejnSYEeWvo3pcdyd2B49VOnmLA97tR4aCY6qa7VdheZUheL8ebK9Hqlk94ulvRCtRiNQarLjckglAzJkWnICLF947g1FgsbumrZzWGx3Yo-K3xKQdtg-9kPUnxPyRqYDVxYpUT8tKiDrwW49HIWiSo4/s120/geagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQB-kseP994yF-QTh6YO_NGicYJiMu0U6OejnSYEeWvo3pcdyd2B49VOnmLA97tR4aCY6qa7VdheZUheL8ebK9Hqlk94ulvRCtRiNQarLjckglAzJkWnICLF947g1FgsbumrZzWGx3Yo-K3xKQdtg-9kPUnxPyRqYDVxYpUT8tKiDrwW49HIWiSo4/s1600/geagle.png" width="120" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRJKuyrWGPMAJgIoBscKEPY5H1Bfi5lVgeJeqe4fZE3Kwsymlhiap5MOZUZ4QVNcWrDK1ozvC3dEuvWxITCyr0oJdZFEdtOxhBNSzS_Zxr_GhSN4dYf86PI1zFfxF2t8PY5MQ4R1GLdCtfhZ6thcZMHHH64j1p_HxWV7SHOgRx34wBfv5RKvoWa-j/s1091/WTNL.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1091" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRJKuyrWGPMAJgIoBscKEPY5H1Bfi5lVgeJeqe4fZE3Kwsymlhiap5MOZUZ4QVNcWrDK1ozvC3dEuvWxITCyr0oJdZFEdtOxhBNSzS_Zxr_GhSN4dYf86PI1zFfxF2t8PY5MQ4R1GLdCtfhZ6thcZMHHH64j1p_HxWV7SHOgRx34wBfv5RKvoWa-j/s320/WTNL.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"> <br /></span></span></span><p></p><p class="zfr3Q CDt4Ke " style="margin-left: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black;">Enjoy online gaming on your Sega Genesis and SNES XBand modems with XBandPi NOOBS images! - Tamkis</span></span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"></span></span></span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="C9DxTc " style="color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400;"></span></span></span></div><p></p></li></ul></div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-65716247482512572242023-04-19T09:07:00.001-04:002023-04-19T09:15:04.481-04:00 DreamPi DX NOOBS-compatible image updated! (v1.22/v1.7 DLE)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">DreamPi</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">DX</span><br />NOOBS-compatible</b><br />
<b>image updated! (v1.22/v1.7 DLE)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh2XOUk03JPj8NCzftp0oSApab3qWNfwzCGNhd2l5xxJyaMTHGatTTswU75ql-tQ9fqMtdB04ytNj5l5YQC_DkRtHD3YNvSLFK5dXGa0jwyeDNNzdhKTjDzqPcb11onWJBr35KBpm17YltXyUOO5ckYOTr8GMqjslaQj1esWo4oJEeF_OJV9RkmXK/s1280/DPiN2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1280" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh2XOUk03JPj8NCzftp0oSApab3qWNfwzCGNhd2l5xxJyaMTHGatTTswU75ql-tQ9fqMtdB04ytNj5l5YQC_DkRtHD3YNvSLFK5dXGa0jwyeDNNzdhKTjDzqPcb11onWJBr35KBpm17YltXyUOO5ckYOTr8GMqjslaQj1esWo4oJEeF_OJV9RkmXK/s320/DPiN2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaNLDRUUETpt9qm4aq4ojJBkhrakA_ieLg8UMMxySP6UyBq4RDkkvXizNnBt0_tOUYb1J9ukS1r3b-3Kh7f-9P7WPtK1gbqvDWBxLunSYEC3ZSa7KTni-1I__oY-cuDqGyN9JkNQxzEhTF0d005tdU4l09FieiyMT45_J1e0Kcxm891z2vVTW3xV6/s2655/DPiN3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2655" data-original-width="1935" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaNLDRUUETpt9qm4aq4ojJBkhrakA_ieLg8UMMxySP6UyBq4RDkkvXizNnBt0_tOUYb1J9ukS1r3b-3Kh7f-9P7WPtK1gbqvDWBxLunSYEC3ZSa7KTni-1I__oY-cuDqGyN9JkNQxzEhTF0d005tdU4l09FieiyMT45_J1e0Kcxm891z2vVTW3xV6/s320/DPiN3.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> During 2020, I released an update for my <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2020/12/dreampi-noobs-compatible-image-updated.html" target="_blank">DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image</a> (v1.21) for Raspberry Pi for the Sega Dreamcast, built against v1.7 DLE stock image.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> A <a href="http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html" target="_blank">DreamPi</a>
is a customized Linux distro and a set
of hardware created by a fellow named "Kazade" which will create a
simplified dialup network server in order to get a Sega Dreamcast back online for web surfing and online gaming. The DreamPi is a standardized <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/" target="_blank">Raspberry Pi</a> setup with dialup hardware and appropriate software to suit. Online gaming is handled via resurrected, private
game servers. The stock DreamPi image is one which must be written to
the entire SD card of the Raspberry Pi, and thus doesn't easily allow a multi-boot setup with
other Linux distros on the same SD card. This DreamPi NOOBS-compatible
image is compatible with <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/" target="_blank">NOOBS</a> or <a href="https://github.com/procount/pinn/blob/master/README_PINN.md#quick-start" target="_blank">PINN</a> bootloaders.
NOOBS is a simple bootloader which allows one to install
NOOBS-compatible distro images in such a way as to allow for a simple
multi-boot configuration, while PINN is an enhanced
version of NOOBS. PINN fixes some design flaws and adds new useful,
convenient features. PINN is <b>highly recommended</b> over NOOBS.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The DreamPi NOOBS compatible image works with both NOOBS and PINN, and allows
one to install a DreamPi distro with others in a multi-boot configuration. During 2020, the DreamPi NOOBS image was <a href="https://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/dreampi-1.7-dle-released" target="_blank">upgraded against v1.7 DLE</a>, a few new online games were added to the supported games list within the installation slideshow, and online repository support was added to allow installing DreamPi NOOBS via the internet (PINN support only).<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since my older v1.7 DLE NOOBS image (v1.21) was released, 1 new game has had their online support resurrected:<br /></div>
<ul><li><a href="https://dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/dee-dee-planet-is-now-online/" target="_blank">Dee Dee Planet</a><br /></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HVl-TN5PcGc" width="320" youtube-src-id="HVl-TN5PcGc"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dee Dee Planet gameplay<br /></b></div><div><b></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I have updated the DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image to <b>v1.22 </b>. This and future builds will be called <b><span style="color: red;">DreamPi</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">DX (Deluxe) </span></b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><span style="color: black;">going forward henceforth, and will have community made code patches pre-installed. These patches will further enhance DreamPi with newer features and quality-of-life improvements. This latest build adds better functionality for <a href="https://segaretro.org/Broadband_Adapter" target="_blank">Dreamcast BBA (Broadband) modem</a> support and <a href="https://segaretro.org/NetLink_Internet_Modem" target="_blank">Sega Saturn Netlink</a>/<a href="https://segaretro.org/Sega_Saturn_Modem" target="_blank">XBAND modem</a> online gameplay.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-RuYi31Wtfc" width="320" youtube-src-id="-RuYi31Wtfc"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: black;">Sega Saturn Netlink modem review</span></b><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><span style="color: black;">Changelog (DreamPi DX NOOBS v1.22/v1.7 DLE):</span></span></b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>First <b><span style="color: red;">DreamPi NOOBS</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">DX</span></b> Image release (addons to stock DreamPi image)<b> <br /></b></li><li><b>Separate image flavors</b></li><ul><li>"DreamPi4 DX" for newer Raspberry Pi models (RPi 4 and newer)</li><li>"DreamPi" for older Raspberry Pi models<br /><br /></li></ul><li><b>Patch addons</b><br /><ul><li><b>DreamPi Netlink Tunneler for Netlink (Sega Saturn)</b><br /><ul><li>Allows for web browsing, Netlink Zone/features, dialup gameplay for applicable Sega Saturn Netlink/Sega Saturn XBand modem games</li><li><a class="postlink" href="https://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8453">Sega Saturn VOIP Guide</a></li><li><a class="postlink" href="https://github.com/eaudunord/Netlink/" rel="nofollow">DreamPi Netlink Tunneler patch<br /><br /></a></li></ul></li><li><b>Dreamcast Now for BBA</b><br /><ul><li>Allows DreamPi to appear on <a href="https://dreamcast.online/now/" target="_blank">Dreamcast Now</a> service when using a BBA connection</li><li><a class="postlink" href="https://www.dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14233">DC Now BBA patch thread</a></li><li><b>Usage</b><br /><ul><li>Login in to DreamPi, run <div class="codebox"><b><code>. /home/pi/dreampi/dreampi_now.ksh</code></b></div></li><li>Select the game ID<br /><br /></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><b>Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge (BBA)</b><br /><ul><li>If
the DreamPi is using WiFi connection for internet and Dreamcast is
using a BBA, allows to repeat/bridge highspeed broadband connection to
the Dreamcast</li><li><a class="postlink" href="https://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15845">WiFi/Ethernet bridge patch thread</a></li><li><b>Usage</b><br /><ul><li>Login into DreamPi</li><li>Run<br /><b><code>. /home/pi/wifi-to-eth-route.sh<br /><br /></code></b></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><b>Updated installation slideshow</b><br /><ul><li>Added new slides detailing information on the DX patch addons</li><li>Added new slides on information for <a class="postlink" href="https://www.dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13437">Xrider's BBA conversion kit</a></li><li>Added new slide for information</li><li>Updated slides with latest game listing support <a href="https://dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/dee-dee-planet-is-now-online/" target="_blank">(Dee Dee Planet)</a></li></ul></li></ul><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s120/geagle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s0/geagle.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You can download the latest DreamPi NOOBS compatible image (for offline install) and read the guide at <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">this EagleSoft page</a>. The latest version can also be installed online as usual through the Tamkis NOOBS Repo; just add the line <b><code>alt_image_source=<a href="http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json">http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json</a> </code></b>to your recovery.cmdline file at the root of your PINN installation and connect online. The images will be located under <b>"Games" tab</b>.</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdkRiGJLr_E9hreYIU8s5EHWhng1V3NOL4rZjWf2Vg3g5ailjN3kKMFlwiCXQ4mLYL_ynxB3YKwjDJestcSrEuli8NIhHu71Qa7vSNrBMoEq2GypBd_0gLFEScclJD-6_stX8TNT06NgbYWJ1IHKBeG1-EFx3oSa6Xmog3goqKbFdMOMGtVkjdJJn/s3436/XBP_Distro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="3436" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdkRiGJLr_E9hreYIU8s5EHWhng1V3NOL4rZjWf2Vg3g5ailjN3kKMFlwiCXQ4mLYL_ynxB3YKwjDJestcSrEuli8NIhHu71Qa7vSNrBMoEq2GypBd_0gLFEScclJD-6_stX8TNT06NgbYWJ1IHKBeG1-EFx3oSa6Xmog3goqKbFdMOMGtVkjdJJn/s320/XBP_Distro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Download support through</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Tamkis NOOBS Repo</b><br /> </div><div><span> </span>For those whom want faster internet speeds and bandwidth on their Sega Dreamcast but cannot afford the rare and expensive BBA (Broadband) adapter, you can purchase and build yourself a DIY BBA Adapter using <span style="color: black;">Xrider's Conversion Kit</span> (<a href="https://www.retrorgb.com/new-dreamcast-bba-solution.html" target="_blank">RetroRGB article</a>, <a href="https://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13437" target="_blank">Dreamcast Talk thread</a>). Just salvage a <a href="https://dreamcast.wiki/G2_bus" target="_blank">G2 bus</a> connector from an old <a href="https://segaretro.org/Dreamcast_Modem" target="_blank">Dreamcast dial-up modem</a>, purchase Xrider's kit, find an Atomiswave Communication Cartridge, and solder it all together. The <a href="https://segaretro.org/Atomiswave" target="_blank">Sega Sammy Atomiswave</a> was an awesome arcade version of the Sega Dreamcast with similiar hardware, more RAM, and a Broadband modem variant built-in (the Atomiswave Communication Cartridge). If you are feeling adventurous, you could also hack up both a Dreamcast dial-up modem <b>and</b> the DIY BBA modem together for a <a href="https://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15821" target="_blank">combo modem</a> to have the best of both worlds without swapping out modems. (Both the dial-up and BBA modems handle different sets of games.)</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Byg9FSd9cT0LQgiAoRIfP6-OSOWRiXKyMrsbDPmoAnZdrsxwiSt-Q1AwnYuM0O7hMGp2LsPZm0llrDxEpfeU1ivIkapyPQoMqGGQWKNwsW2ndRJBmOMcJy9LPxJMaVEh9V9kv0aOXiLWLtc8yDUAO23_k6jQRkbo9uWmI_2Yk1-N1fR3Nq3hDga9/s640/DPi_DIY_BBA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="640" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Byg9FSd9cT0LQgiAoRIfP6-OSOWRiXKyMrsbDPmoAnZdrsxwiSt-Q1AwnYuM0O7hMGp2LsPZm0llrDxEpfeU1ivIkapyPQoMqGGQWKNwsW2ndRJBmOMcJy9LPxJMaVEh9V9kv0aOXiLWLtc8yDUAO23_k6jQRkbo9uWmI_2Yk1-N1fR3Nq3hDga9/s320/DPi_DIY_BBA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>DIY BBA Kit contents</b><br /> </div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UGDJAU8xpm4" width="320" youtube-src-id="UGDJAU8xpm4"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> DIY Sega Dreamcast BBA<br />Converter kit tutorial</b><br /></div></div><div><span> </span></div><div><span> </span>
Have
fun playing online on Sega Saturn (Netlink/XBAND) gaming, and on the Sega Dreamcast with high-speed broadband internet access</div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoy68wI8-MRbaQksVG_jA0xe5gdGL4Uu7-96lEWPPodb5lgj-ueQcRUjlg-kPPlIEvzPg2TVPcnyesTHOXVdcxkD2JZRa2TvIJLoM0Ixd6Htn5y5F4mjpll1T--OJXkLfPx0dy7NcO2xZc0Q8wq8V6_A3NpTYwMJ414grUhtS77t-zUTotkeUijGH/s1091/WTNL.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1091" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoy68wI8-MRbaQksVG_jA0xe5gdGL4Uu7-96lEWPPodb5lgj-ueQcRUjlg-kPPlIEvzPg2TVPcnyesTHOXVdcxkD2JZRa2TvIJLoM0Ixd6Htn5y5F4mjpll1T--OJXkLfPx0dy7NcO2xZc0Q8wq8V6_A3NpTYwMJ414grUhtS77t-zUTotkeUijGH/s320/WTNL.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Welcome</span> <span style="color: #ffa400;">to</span> <span style="color: #2b00fe;">the</span> <span style="color: #38761d;">next</span> <span style="color: #800180;">level</span></b><br /></div><b>
-Tamkis</b></div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-17187606224473523042021-11-13T11:22:00.003-05:002021-11-13T11:22:22.145-05:00Knuckles' Clackers: Project and v0.1a demo release<div style="text-align: center;"><h3><b>Knuckles' Clackers: Project and v0.1a demo release</b></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuH7chaTfa9AhRnOMB1hD2igC1DIITIzwh_Cbwg8uwFnKljA9Bb7taPszY4xLI2YomJsMNYHAr2Z5vT1dRKDTGs1_-9H8-7j-A7g5Yz_boL1MlqdNg3Bn5tHxRzok_Rehys1eQ5fzQ1io/s645/KCL_Title.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="645" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuH7chaTfa9AhRnOMB1hD2igC1DIITIzwh_Cbwg8uwFnKljA9Bb7taPszY4xLI2YomJsMNYHAr2Z5vT1dRKDTGs1_-9H8-7j-A7g5Yz_boL1MlqdNg3Bn5tHxRzok_Rehys1eQ5fzQ1io/s320/KCL_Title.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> Since Fall of 2019, EagleSoft Ltd has been working on a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knuckles'_Chaotix" target="_blank">Knuckles Chaotix</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROM_hacking" target="_blank">ROM hack</a> for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32X" target="_blank">Sega 32x addon</a> privately called <b>Knuckles' Clackers</b>. Other than a few minor ROM hacks and one with a custom engine based on Chaotix (Sonic 4: Cybernetic Outbreak), Knuckles' Chaotix has had very few major hacks made for it. Although <a href="https://github.com/sonicretro/chaotix" target="_blank">disassemblies</a> of the game's code exist (M68k, SH-2, Z80 code), they are IDA Pro databases used for reference, not fully documented, and are not a split disassembly that can be rebuilt. Some research about how this game works has had information spread out throughout the internet, and isn't well documented or had most of its information consolidated into one place.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span> </span>Knuckles' Clackers</b> aims to be one of the 1st fully-fledged Chaotix ROM hacks. During development, I am further documenting, annotating, and simplifying the old IDA disassemblies of the game's code for research. Development is currently being done using <a href="https://www.headcannon.com/hchc/SonED/" target="_blank">SonED2</a> and extended <a href="https://www.headcannon.com/hchc/ROMulan/" target="_blank">ROMulan scripts</a> to modify game data and code.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>The ROM hack features some ports of <a href="https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_Crackers" target="_blank">Sonic Crackers</a> beta zones (Techno Tower, Speed Slider), new SMPS32x music, new Sega 32x sprite artwork, restored beta content, and many other features.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Summary of features:</b><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>New levels</li><ul><li>Ports and edits of beta Techno Tower and Speed Slider Zones layouts and assets from Sonic Crackers</li><li>New zones</li></ul><li>New music</li><li>New artwork</li><ul><li>Genesis tilemaps, sprites</li><li>32x sprite artwork</li><li>Genesis/32x palettes and palette cycling</li><li>Genesis animated level art</li></ul><li>Assembly code edits where possible/necessary</li><li>Some restored/recreated Chaotix beta content<br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/sega-genesiscd32x/knuckles-clackers" target="_blank"><b>Full details about Knuckles' Clackers at the project page</b></a><b> <br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZP-dPmyyBY" width="320" youtube-src-id="KZP-dPmyyBY"></iframe></div></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b><div style="text-align: left;">An early <b>v0.1 demo</b> of Knuckles' Clackers has been released for the Sega 32x, as part of 2021's BitBridge Halloween Showcase. Available <a href="https://www.mediafire.com/file/71aijha1ymiwtoc/KCl_01a_DemoPatch.7z/file" target="_blank">here</a> as an IPS patch.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It features acts 1-3 of Techno Tower Zone Classic, new SMPS32x music, and art edits.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjhwWH2N8_5ZUbhn1SAw3YnspiBtX99YhzW-fODz6RMi5TkQEIudkEDj-5YTMlYh6nZga0zVx5ZqyRLKKnCrJJwPgo2i5O4lkDhkGZfuDF_fX9eJ0x97rwad5rvhkjGAka9mzSgZGFmE/s1280/BBHS21_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1280" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjhwWH2N8_5ZUbhn1SAw3YnspiBtX99YhzW-fODz6RMi5TkQEIudkEDj-5YTMlYh6nZga0zVx5ZqyRLKKnCrJJwPgo2i5O4lkDhkGZfuDF_fX9eJ0x97rwad5rvhkjGAka9mzSgZGFmE/s320/BBHS21_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnu5clIfGgtIUgwzFv089h7la01UH0rBrMBMBZwCBTZWnOd5HYRm1veiL6mB0tani5fzK0jtC9XNTrpS6LQVsuJJFL_EU4VKdgbUp6oos8rdmepgSFeNUjF7G1oI4KJTAWqCSSUjHilo/s1280/BBHS21_00.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1280" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnu5clIfGgtIUgwzFv089h7la01UH0rBrMBMBZwCBTZWnOd5HYRm1veiL6mB0tani5fzK0jtC9XNTrpS6LQVsuJJFL_EU4VKdgbUp6oos8rdmepgSFeNUjF7G1oI4KJTAWqCSSUjHilo/s320/BBHS21_00.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stay tuned for more Chaotix research and Knuckles Clackers' development</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>At this blog</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MrTamk1s/" target="_blank">My YouTube channel</a></li><li><a href="https://sonicresearch.org/community/index.php?threads/knuckles-clackers-chaotix-hack-v0-1a-demo.6416/" target="_blank">SSRG hack thread</a><br /></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>- GenesisDoes</b></div><br /></div></li></ul></div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-26836770198512533652021-09-01T02:10:00.009-04:002021-09-11T00:05:16.551-04:00EagleSoft Ltd. v2.0 Soft-Launch!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><b>EagleSoft Ltd. v2.0a Soft-Launch!</b></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSTy0y-O6bcwvUGO85R24YBZTjoTMiygfdTt57KC2AvobZ6lkzFU-tqVmGSXb-_ZFzlEYgqq5zmdqbmWvAJlXtHrEU7t-MJMYMFfBPk0htiestnAZAGPT5sUTCq99OTLQH8j59gIdeg4/s1920/EagleSoftLtd_V2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1920" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSTy0y-O6bcwvUGO85R24YBZTjoTMiygfdTt57KC2AvobZ6lkzFU-tqVmGSXb-_ZFzlEYgqq5zmdqbmWvAJlXtHrEU7t-MJMYMFfBPk0htiestnAZAGPT5sUTCq99OTLQH8j59gIdeg4/w640-h327/EagleSoftLtd_V2.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s120/geagle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s0/geagle.png" width="120" /></a></div></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>For those unaware of recent events within the tech industry and Google, in August 2020, Google announced that all Google Sites websites would be <b>required</b> to transition to their <b>New Google Sites</b> system by <b>September 1st, 2021</b>. Prior to this, in 2016 an updated Google Sites experience was deployed, and an announcement in 2017 was sent out that the previous 2016 Google Sites system (now referred to as "Classic Google Sites") would be replaced soon. In August 2020, details on the transition to New Google Sites was released. Full details below in the email screenshot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwODzXsZWhGLCUHpKGh_fB6H23zKXGqLdGZgxKngrfTAueekwE62FZO-MycXZhtg4UACf0xU85EsbRYBRMd6fECpBpIcqJ1h3dktwSPkjn_Aot9fiOocVxtgU1ZXAtvNiSFSD7bV6psv4/s1498/NGS_Migration.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1498" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwODzXsZWhGLCUHpKGh_fB6H23zKXGqLdGZgxKngrfTAueekwE62FZO-MycXZhtg4UACf0xU85EsbRYBRMd6fECpBpIcqJ1h3dktwSPkjn_Aot9fiOocVxtgU1ZXAtvNiSFSD7bV6psv4/w640-h620/NGS_Migration.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/" target="_blank">EagleSoft Ltd.</a> is a Google Sites website with a custom URL. This blog (<a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/" target="_blank">EagleSoft Labs</a>) in turn is a Blogger blog, with a subdomain of "blog" nested under the primary domain. EagleSoft Ltd. is a Google Sites website; therefore, it was required to migrate it to the New Google Sites system.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31KtdN0KKScFooW2BwR5wgpBiVG4FpixtJcc3zIcPCzdxutqzg4V7dXk79b4HufKGaA7axSnOJOc5xLyslTzaXB9Oer3xR2ed8fMvTUuOo_QJgaNdGF7PJjegz7hGJzMbmKzInHep7KM/s1000/Migration.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31KtdN0KKScFooW2BwR5wgpBiVG4FpixtJcc3zIcPCzdxutqzg4V7dXk79b4HufKGaA7axSnOJOc5xLyslTzaXB9Oer3xR2ed8fMvTUuOo_QJgaNdGF7PJjegz7hGJzMbmKzInHep7KM/w400-h300/Migration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A wave of migrating <strike>crows</strike> <b>Classic Google Sites websites</b> for the Fall</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span></span><b><span style="color: red;">^deadline</span></b></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Although I had a year's worth of notice about the transition deadline, in typical Engineering fashion, I procrastinated until 2 weeks before the Sept 1st 2021 deadline to do the migration 😐. The 1st week was just a single day of auto-converting the website to the New Google Sites system, followed by some more procrastination and finally tweaking and editing around the new website in the web builder interface a week before.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> <span> </span>Apparently the New Google Sites system is too simple, too concise, too barebones, and is more tailored to say, Bloggers creating simple websites, not beautiful ones like the old EagleSoft Ltd v1.0 site was. The New Google Sites system lacks some of the great features that Classic Sites did, and is too barebones for power users such as myself. Armed with the knowledge about the New Google Sites regressions from some colleagues, I quickly plowed through a few late nights of work fixing up and reformatting the site to work in time before the deadline.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><b><br /></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Among the features deprecated in New Google Sites:</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Google Gadgets support removed</b></li><ul><li>Allows embedding of code-based functionality for extension of the website</li><li>Example gadgets</li><ul><li>(3D)PDF embedding</li><li>Anti-spam based website contact form</li><li>RSS Readers</li><li>Blog Feed<br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li><b>Table creation tools removed</b></li><ul><li>Still possible via hacky manual workarounds</li><li>Embed HTML code with table-based HTML tags</li><ul><li><tr></li><li><td></li><li><table></li><li>Etc<br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li><b>Themes</b></li><ul><li>EagleSoft had a very nice theme co-designed with an old RMU colleague</li><li>Themes in New Sites are too simple and barebones (no CSS support)</li><ul><li>Main font</li><li>Color for all text</li><li>No color for URLs or special headers</li><li>No gradient for navigation bar handling</li><li>Paragraphs double-spaced by default</li><li>Most theming (such as for URLs) has to be done manually<br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li>Auto-generated Site Map page gone</li><li>Loss of page-level permissions</li><li>Un/ordered lists have a decreased max depth of nested bullet points<br /><br /></li><li><b>Sites attachments gone</b></li><ul><li>Auto-migrate tool moves old attachments into a Google Drive folder</li><li>Breaks old hotlinked URLs</li></ul></ul><div><b><br />Among some of the few good features added:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Section-based website layout design</li><ul><li>Good for easy laying out of images and textboxes in a table-like format</li><li>Bad for inability to put website images in-line with text without hacky workarounds</li><ul><li>Manually write HTML text code and embed images in-line with <img src="foobar.png"></img> tag pairs</li><li>Hotlink Google Sites static image attachments via <a href="https://aboyi.medium.com/host-static-images-for-your-apps-or-website-on-google-drive-hotlink-to-gdrive-images-358d6fcf8ef7" target="_blank">this trick</a><br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li>Google Docs-based multi-user collaboration</li><li>Edits to the site's webpages are made on draft pages</li><ul><li>Press Publish button to see changes, review, and then publish if good to the live website</li></ul><li>Increased max depth of nested page categories for site navigation bar</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><span> </span>Other than these few new features, the New Google Sites system needs improvement and is too barebones from the previous iteration. The auto-migrate tool from Classic to New Google Sites can be buggy and easily breaks formatting, requiring manual editing and hacky workarounds to restore prior formatting and functionality. I do not recommend using the New Google Sites system yet as a previous user until if/when some of the old functionality is restored... although it is required to do so now or have your Classic Google Sites archived and taken down. New Google Sites is good for very barebone, simple sites for new users though.<br /><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Pictures from old EagleSoft Ltd. v1.0 .<br />Has far better theming and default formatting</b></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphfKuh9wgPqKk2Abwmv_t7zo153hOBtDFeBOdW0hBRWo_AnVqer0yW472R5QlY89bqKk8MMR-_AGow_eCDcmWD0LAw1xifvjAmT49HE8Ol9Bw9nFR86DozJ-B7lK5Au524UresCrY6l4/s1920/EagleSoft_v1_00.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1920" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphfKuh9wgPqKk2Abwmv_t7zo153hOBtDFeBOdW0hBRWo_AnVqer0yW472R5QlY89bqKk8MMR-_AGow_eCDcmWD0LAw1xifvjAmT49HE8Ol9Bw9nFR86DozJ-B7lK5Au524UresCrY6l4/w640-h294/EagleSoft_v1_00.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzAERR6TnBXHyUeIupnE4HpHY4QP6r6vcB5NU0K-sbKK4pUvrO38ezyyfV6bXLMRuamTRNZFrplEZw7RKbWnsjW8TP6EPxclJdJ0Xi6M-WRNCJmbzZ31DK_s-pHAu2s4W3yPZXV4Dpv8/s1920/EagleSoft_v1_01.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1920" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzAERR6TnBXHyUeIupnE4HpHY4QP6r6vcB5NU0K-sbKK4pUvrO38ezyyfV6bXLMRuamTRNZFrplEZw7RKbWnsjW8TP6EPxclJdJ0Xi6M-WRNCJmbzZ31DK_s-pHAu2s4W3yPZXV4Dpv8/w640-h296/EagleSoft_v1_01.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><span><!--more--></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div><span> </span>To make a long-story short, the EagleSoft Ltd. v2.0 deployment is somewhat a downgrade in terms of theming, formatting, and functionality, and it took a few late nights last week to scramble, to reformat, and to fix up as much as I could by the September 1st New Google Sites migration deadline. Fortunately, I got a majority of everything restored...<span> </span>on August 31st, one <b>day</b> before the deadline ☠.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYEpruuP_IYer_M-Jhi4VAKq4gmcjpatj_VomVuXgA0p6MRoAy-Fm1_69shHotVH-EhmlggHOdCQTW9NXmPEemO5poywzjbY7vJOLg1keXyY6Cu2-eSlax5dYNTrMg7FdZVIAwhQDUAc/s700/DuctTape_Webdev.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYEpruuP_IYer_M-Jhi4VAKq4gmcjpatj_VomVuXgA0p6MRoAy-Fm1_69shHotVH-EhmlggHOdCQTW9NXmPEemO5poywzjbY7vJOLg1keXyY6Cu2-eSlax5dYNTrMg7FdZVIAwhQDUAc/s320/DuctTape_Webdev.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span><!--more--></span><b><br /></b></div><div><b>EagleSoft Ltd. v2.0a Change Log:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Migrated website to New Google Sites system<br /><br /></li><li>Page level permissions</li><ul><li>Removal of private pages</li><li>Change of certain unlisted pages ("anyone with the link") to public pages<br /><br /></li></ul><li>Regressions in theming</li><ul><li>No top navigation bar grey/white gradient</li><li>Manual theming of everything (URLs, headings, normal text)</li><li>Double-spaced text in most places<br /><br /></li></ul><li>Google Gadgets regressions</li><ul><li>Fixed broken contact form</li><li>Changed contact form from Google Gadget to embedded Google Forms document</li><li>Embedded 3DPDF forms for 3D models of some subpages broken</li><ul><li>To fix/replace with workaround later, if possible<br />OR</li><li>Remove embedded documents (just allow for downloads)<br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li>Improved site navigation bar</li><ul><li>Moved following page categories (and its subpages) under <b>Retro</b> category</li><ul><li>Sega Genesis/CD/32x</li><li>Sega Dreamcast</li><li>Nintendo 64</li><li>Nintendo Wii</li><li>Ti-84<br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li>Overall site edits</li><ul><li>Fixed typos and grammatical errors</li><li>Fixed broken links</li><li>More un/ordered lists for concise paragraphs</li><li>More <b><span style="color: red;">co</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">lo</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">re</span><span style="color: #e69138;">d</span></b> text as appropriate</li><li>Minor changes and improvements to content in main page categories</li><ul><li>Retro</li><ul><li>Sega Genesis/CD/32x</li><li>Sega Dreamcast</li><li>Nintendo 64</li><li>Nintendo Wii</li></ul><li>PC<br /><br /></li></ul></ul><li>Breaking of hotlinked images parented underneath the old website's URLs (http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/) across the internet</li><ul><li>Due to Google Sites attachments being migrated to Google Drive</li><li>On forums etc.<br /><br /></li></ul><li>Hacking in of tables via HTML embed tags</li><ul><li><b>EagleSoft page links inside may be broken</b></li></ul></ul><div><br /></div><div> Overall, things are functional and back to working order although with regressed theming and formatting, other than the broken 3DPDF gadget pages, some formatting that needs polished, EagleSoft Ltd page links within tables that need verified, and hotlinked images across the internet that will need fixed. These small issues will be fixed in the coming month.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Any major EagleSoft Ltd. site issues or feedback, contact me on the <a href="https://www.eaglesoftltd.com/about-us/contact" target="_blank">new contact form</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy the new website!</div><div><br /></div><div>-Tamkis</div><p></p>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-24432562718542981092021-06-20T19:24:00.000-04:002021-06-20T19:24:00.374-04:00Thwimp v1.2.0.1 update!<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Thwimp v1.2.0.1 Update!</b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/Thwimp/Resources/thwimp.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/Thwimp/Resources/thwimp.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> Almost a year since the v1.2 release, <b><a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp" target="_blank">Thwimp</a></b>,
the modification utility which allows one to view, to rip, and to
encode Nintendo THP video files from/for Mario Kart Wii, has been
updated to v1.2.0.1 today!</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> This is a minor update to the original v1.2 build with internal code changes and bugfixes. It contains some bugfixes for some application-breaking issues related to parsing and displaying of Single datatypes on foreign machines within the application.<b> </b><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bug fixes:</b> <br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Fixed various cultural issues that would cause the application to
break when processing THP videos and to display wrongly formatted data
on foreign machines
</li><li> Enforced invariant culture for the bugfixes to parse and to display Single datatype values properly</li><li> Added more input validation within the THP Viewer/Ripper sections
</li><li> Fixed a coding typo of handling the video end frame value as a
Single datatype instead of as a UShort in the THP Viewer/Ripper section </li></ul><p><b>Enhancements:</b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Added a notification MsgBox on successful save of the application's log file </li><li>Updated default "Elevator Music" (song.wav) include with application to <a href="https://youtu.be/wYIMIcdarNQ" target="_blank">final version</a> of Mario Kart Wii Menu SMPS32x song from my own WIP <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/genesis/knuckles-clackers" target="_blank">Knuckles Clackers</a> game mod<br /></li><li>Updated copyright date to ©2021 </li><ul><li>GNU FOSS license of source code</li><li>Manual</li><li>Application build data <br /></li></ul></ul><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYIMIcdarNQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="wYIMIcdarNQ"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>New Elevator Music song</b><br /></div><div> <p></p><p> Download and full changelog available on the <a href="https://github.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/releases/tag/v1.2_Release" target="_blank">releases page</a><br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
-Tamkis</p></div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-12113024848800409942020-12-15T05:01:00.003-05:002020-12-15T13:59:33.945-05:00 DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image updated! (v1.21/v1.7 DLE, now with online repository support)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>DreamPi NOOBS-compatible</b><br />
<b>image updated! (v1.21/v1.7 DLE)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="310" src="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During 2019, I released a newer version of a <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/08/dreampi-noobs-compatible-image-updated.html" target="_blank">DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image</a> for Raspberry Pi for the Sega Dreamcast, built against v1.7 DLE stock image. A <a href="http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html" target="_blank">DreamPi</a>
is a standardized set of software (a customized Linux distro) and a set
of hardware created by a fellow named "Kazade" which will create a
simplified DC-PC server, for getting a Dreamcast back online to connect
to the Internet for browsing and online gaming, via resurrected, private
game servers. The stock DreamPi image is one which must be written to
the entire SD card, and doesn't easily allow a multi-boot setup with
other OSes on other SD card partitions. This DreamPi NOOBS-compatible
image is compatible with <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/" target="_blank">NOOBS</a> or (by extension, the recommended, superior) <a href="https://github.com/procount/pinn/blob/master/README_PINN.md#quick-start" target="_blank">PINN</a>.
NOOBS is a simple bootloader, which allows one to install
NOOBS-compatible distro images in such a way as to allow a simple
multi-boot configuration, while PINN (derived from NOOBS) is a enhanced
version of NOOBS, which fixes some design flaws and adds new useful,
convenient features. PINN is recommended over NOOBS.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The DreamPi NOOBS compatible image works with NOOBS/PINN, and allows
one to install a DreamPi distro with others in a multi-boot configuration. During summer 2019 , the stock DreamPi image was <a href="https://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/dreampi-1.7-dle-released" target="_blank">upgraded to v1.7 DLE</a>.
This has the same features as v1.7, but with the speed stability bugfix
applied and an updated DreamPi WiFi Config Wizard packaged with it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since my older v1.7 DLE NOOBS image (v1.2) was released, 3 new games have had their online support resurrected:<br /></div>
<ul><li>Internet Game Pack</li><li>Metropolis Street Racer <br /></li><li>Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon DX <b>(this game looks awesome 😀)</b></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nZJnUUrYJtM" width="320" youtube-src-id="nZJnUUrYJtM"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MSG: FvZ DX</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Giant robot fighting anime mechs<br />online with the Dreamcast;</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>what more could I want? </b><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You can read the
previous Dreamcast Live blog post for
information about the Changelog for v1.7 DLE.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
I have updated the previous DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image (built against stock image v1.7 <b>RPi 1-3</b> flavor<b>)</b> to v1.21. This new build features:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Updated installer slideshow</li><ul><li>Inserted new Slide F with the 3 new games</li></ul><li>Created a marketing.tar tarball archive with the slides_vga slideshow slides (for the online repository server support)<br /></li><li><b>Created source code repositories </b><br /></li><ul><li>Hosted all DreamPi NOOBS image source files on a <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/dreampi-noobs/">SourceForge repository</a></li><li>Hosted a repo_list.json and os_list_v3.json file on a <a href="https://github.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo" target="_blank">central Github repository</a></li><li>Both repositories allow for NOOBS <b>online distro repository support!</b></li><ul><li>Can download the NOOBS distro from online</li><li>Online auto-updating and reinstallation on PINN</li></ul></ul></ul><p>Do note that this online repo support is relatively new and beta, and has only been tested with <b>PINN</b>. The v1.7 DLE distro currently hosted is the <b>Raspberry Pi 1-3/Zero flavor</b>; I only just discovered right at the time of this writing that there is a separate v1.7 DLE flavor for Raspberry Pi 4. A separate NOOBS image of the RPi 4 flavor will be built and hosted online very soon, as well as tweaks and additions made to the repository JSON files online to handle both flavors.<br /></p><p>In order to access the distro image from the online repository, please read the instructions in the updated <a href="www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">DreamPi NOOBS webpage</a>. For both NOOBS and PINN, you'll need to edit your recovery.cmdline file <span style="color: red;"><b>(after first initalization of NOOBS/PINN)</b></span> at the root of the SD card.<br /></p><b>Basically summary to access the repository server:<br /></b><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>PINN</b></li><ul><li><b>Option #1 <br /></b></li><ul><li>Add a new param of alt_image_source=<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json" rel="nofollow">http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json<br /><br /></a></span></span></span></span></li></ul><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Option #2</b> </span></span></span></span></li><ul><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">In case option #1 doesn't work (not recommended), <b>temporary options</b><br /></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Add a new param of alt_image_source</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Set alt_image_source to value in repo_list</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Set repo_list=</span></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/repo_list.json" rel="nofollow">http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/repo_list.json</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Add <b>no_default_source</b> and <b>showall </b>options</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Reboot, download image, restore options to previous<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul></ul><li><span style="color: red;"><b>NOOBS (untested)</b></span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Repo="" option</span></span></b></span></span><ul><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">This option contains URLs to repositories to fetch distro images</span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Consists of URLs enclosed in "quotes" and separated by spaces. (E.g. repo="www.url1.com" "</span></span><br /><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">www.url2.com")</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Add </span></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json" rel="nofollow">http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json</a></span></span></span></span> to the option if it does not exist or append this URL to list <br /></span></span></span></span></li></ul><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></li></ul><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul>
Using either option and rebooting should allow DreamPi to show up in the "Games" tab, and be downloaded online. In order to allow auto-updating of the distro, any old versions of the DreamPi distro (installed from external media) will probably need removed and replaced from the version downloaded from the online server.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s120/geagle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s0/geagle.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
You can download the latest DreamPi NOOBS compatible image and read the guide at <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">this EagleSoft page</a>. The webpage has also been updated with developer information on how to serve a NOOBS-compatible image online in a repository. (NOOBS/PINN are picky on where/how the distro image files can be hosted online.) This online feature is relatively beta.<br />
<br />
Have
fun playing online and
having DreamPi multi-boot with other OSes on NOOBS/PINN!<br />
<br />
-Tamkis</div>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-25595196690832490392020-08-09T22:37:00.000-04:002020-08-09T22:37:20.437-04:00Thwimp v1.2 Update!<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Thwimp v1.2 Update!</b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/Thwimp/Resources/thwimp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/Thwimp/Resources/thwimp.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><p>
<b> <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp" target="_blank">Thwimp</a></b>,
the modification utility which allows one to view, to rip, and to
encode Nintendo THP video files from/for Mario Kart Wii, has been
updated to v1.2 today! This new update fixes, enhances, and adds the following (summary): <br /></p><p><b>Bug fixes:</b> <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fixed serious, application-breaking bug where pointing to a real
i_view32.exe IrfanView executable would cause the THP Encoder process to
fail.
</li><li> Optimized THP encoding, especially when handling videos requiring dummy/control padding.
</li><li> Fixed error parsing String datatype into Single datatype when in a foreign culture.
</li><li> Fixed KeepInRange() function parsing bugs.
</li><li> Fixed lingering file I/O from StreamReaders/Writers.
<br /></li></ul><p><b>Enhancements:</b> </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Added an additional dummy entry as 0th entry in default Mario Kart Wii data fileset
</li><li> Enhanced and improved GUI.
</li><li>Added new Thwimp CLI feature!
</li><li> Enhanced THP Viewer/Ripper
</li><li> Added new options</li><ul><li>Full Log</li><ul><li>Logs <b>everything</b> (include call to FOSS co-utilities) to the Logger </li></ul><li>Less MsgBox</li><ul><li>Suppress informational MsgBoxes when using the THP Encoder</li></ul><li>Audio</li><ul><li>Enable audio <br /></li></ul><li>Elevator Music </li><ul><li>Enable elevator music (plays a song when using the THP Encoder)<br /></li></ul></ul><li>Added FileSet.txt to Thwimp data fileset (displays metadata about currently loaded fileset)</li><li>Added ability to load/save settings to/from an INI file <br /></li><li>Added audio to application
</li><li> Added progress bars/application logger
</li></ul><p>Furthermore, the <a href="https://github.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/blob/master/README.md" target="_blank">user's manual</a> (on the Github page) has been updated with updated images and information</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/readme/Options.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="469" height="652" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/readme/Options.png" width="382" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/readme/THP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="469" height="652" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/readme/THP.png" width="382" /></a></div> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/readme/CLI.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="800" height="216" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/master/readme/CLI.png" width="590" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> You can view the recent GUI changes and new CLI feature in the following videos:</b><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h2WtU3SD1Wc" width="320" youtube-src-id="h2WtU3SD1Wc"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qbu9eikN_XU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Qbu9eikN_XU"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p> Download and full changelog available on the <a href="https://github.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/releases/tag/v1.2_Release" target="_blank">release page</a><br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
-Tamkis<br />
<br /><br /></p>Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-66501575906334251502020-06-03T18:29:00.004-04:002020-06-03T18:39:15.544-04:00N64RGB Advanced Mod<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>N64RGB Advanced Mod</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxKIiRUykfcxmfOulJ7OaJG-NqjWVircxqtfh2Vou42FEwQYjD9lKck8gPdvScsdE6DUcez5mEKjo9FlbBUwQsI-lU3458zTKW6NzPRhfkgh2axe-qnAGRhaFX8e5k5FSFV41jcG1IOk/s1600/_N64RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1600" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxKIiRUykfcxmfOulJ7OaJG-NqjWVircxqtfh2Vou42FEwQYjD9lKck8gPdvScsdE6DUcez5mEKjo9FlbBUwQsI-lU3458zTKW6NzPRhfkgh2axe-qnAGRhaFX8e5k5FSFV41jcG1IOk/s640/_N64RGB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vfA_8FMGNM5OnEnXmI5ISeZwCdueWdN8ct3tQJDjYp-_B6JxQUhxjjqZxpa0qlAvgy7HqFxO_DZbDA-YkDHaonOaWOuwbL81a6rNYXoSSgbD_Yal0ve7SlJ11yRvDPxN2mRxrNC7xdg/s1600/N64RGB_Success.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1011" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vfA_8FMGNM5OnEnXmI5ISeZwCdueWdN8ct3tQJDjYp-_B6JxQUhxjjqZxpa0qlAvgy7HqFxO_DZbDA-YkDHaonOaWOuwbL81a6rNYXoSSgbD_Yal0ve7SlJ11yRvDPxN2mRxrNC7xdg/s640/N64RGB_Success.jpg" width="404" /></a></b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>EagleSoft Ltd. News</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b>First blog post for 2020</b> 😀! Some people may be wondering what I was doing for the past 6 months, and why EagleSoft Ltd/Labs was so quiet during the hiatus. To make a long story short, I boomeranged back to a gamedev job back in early Dec. 2019 after giving up on the gamedev job search, and have been doing some remote work there lately. Then the COVID-19 pandemic/lockdown hit the nation, and I was stuck indoors for a few months at my parents' house, beating my head against the wall. The local libraries closed down (my goto quiet workplace to get work done while working remotely), and I'm surprised I kept my sanity. Trying to get my life back on track after the fiasco of late 2018-2019, I got too busy with work, though, at the same time, my lack of personal video game development/ROM hacking/blogging in my free time kept bothering and depressing me.<br />
<br />
Now with the weather warming up, my part of the state currently in <span style="color: orange;"><b>COVID Phase 2 Yellow</b></span> (less restrictions), and getting caught up with work, I'm feeling the need to resume operations here at <b>EagleSoft Ltd.</b> for my own sanity 😀. Sometime during this summer while in <span style="color: orange;"><b>Phase 2 </b></span>(when I'm a little more financially stable), I'm planning on moving back out into my own apartment. Not only will this provide living independently, but I'll have my own clean, larger, organized space away from parents where I'll be able to do more nerdy stuff.<br />
<br />
<b>Things such as:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Fully setup my own video gaming/retro game development/entertainment mancave</li>
<ul>
<li>Be able to use my Sony Trinitron KX2501-A RGB CRT more regularly</li>
<li>AV equipment </li>
<ul>
<li>LaserDisc player</li>
<li>Dual VHS/DVD and (S)VCD player</li>
<li>(3D) Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player (PS3)</li>
<li>Accupix Mybud HDMI 3D glasses (3DTV)</li>
</ul>
<li>Retro video game consoles</li>
<ul>
<li>Games better organized</li>
<li>Hooked up</li>
<li>Readily usable</li>
<li>Connected to appropriate displays via AV appropriate switches</li>
<li><b>Organized</b> </li>
</ul>
<li>Dedicated area for PC gaming</li>
<ul>
<li>Physical DosBox machine (Windows XP, ME, 3.11, DOS)</li>
<li>Setup my NeXTCube (NeXTSTEP, Classic Mac OS 9 dual-boot via Darkmatter software)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Have all of my video gaming memorabilia on display that's been kept in storage</li>
<ul>
<li>Posters</li>
<li>Toys</li>
<li>Game dolls</li>
<li>Etc.</li>
</ul>
<li>Have my workstation laptop in the mancave </li>
<ul>
<li>For quicker testing of ROM hacks on real hardware </li>
<li>Video capturing.</li>
</ul>
<li>MIDI piano setup on physical DosBox machine, for gamedev music creation</li>
<li>Review video games for my upcoming <b>Nerdology</b> YouTube channel</li>
<ul>
<li>Less noise interrupting filming</li>
<li>Mancave on display</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/07/virtua-fighter-arcade-repairs-part-i.html" target="_blank">Virtua Fighter arcade machine</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Assemble machine for testing</li>
<li>Create its own arcade cabinet?</li>
</ul>
<li>Dedicated, organized space for EET</li>
<ul>
<li>Use my analog Oscilloscope my regularly</li>
<li>Surface Mount/Through-hole soldering equipment</li>
<li>Build and design more circuits, mod/repair more consoles</li>
</ul>
<li><b>A lot more stuff!</b> </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cJtL8vWNZ4o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJtL8vWNZ4o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>N64RGB Advanced Mod:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A quick introduction to <span style="color: red;">R<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: lime;">G</span>B</span></span> </b></div>
<br />
Although this blog (<b>EagleSoft Labs</b>) is mostly about Indie video game development and other nerdy stuff I blog about, I occasionally post about video game console repairs, mods, or other electronic circuits I assemble. On the topic of video displays, <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2018/09/the-quest-for-rgb.html" target="_blank">two summers ago</a>, I picked up a high-end, rare, special, Sony KX-2501A CRT. This CRT is known as a "component" TV, not because of <span class="st">YPbPr</span><span class="st"></span> (Component) AV input, but because it comes in several pieces ("components") that need assembled.<br />
<br />
<b>These components consist of:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>The CRT itself </b></li>
<b>
</b>
<li><b>Standard 2-wire (+/-) external stereo speakers for audio output</b></li>
<b>
</b>
<li><b>Sony VTX-1000R TV Tuner</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Corresponding RM-705 remote</li>
<li>VK-2D/5DX (2m/5m 8 Pin DIN connector) interconnect cable between tuner and TV</li>
<li>Allows for more AV I/O</li>
<ul>
<li>3 Composite inputs (Video 1-3, RCA <span style="color: red;"><b>Red</b></span>/<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>White</b></span>/<span style="color: orange;"><b>Yellow</b></span> trio)</li>
<li>TV RF input</li>
<li>Single/dual(!) TV composite AV outputs</li>
<ul>
<li>Think composite equivalent of a modern-day HDMI splitter!</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Handling of volume settings, RF channels</li>
<li>Toggle power of CRT from Tuner's power button in a master/slave setup</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/CRT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/CRT.jpg" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="691" height="400" width="345" /></a></div>
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Being a component CRT, it's quite unique, due to the fact that the user can customize it somewhat (with their own 2-wire ghetto-blaster stereo speakers). Not only that, but it contains a <b>Sony Trinitron</b> <b>CRT</b> tube, and most importantly, it can support <b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span> input</b>! Trinitron CRT tubes and <b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b> inputs are highly coveted items by hardcore retro gamers.<br />
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Trinitron CRT tubes are brighter than standard shadow mask CRTs (which lose 80% of their own brightness due to the shadow mask design), reduce moiré effect, and have a unique cylindrical shape. They also use utilize one electron gun to handle all 3 primary colors (<b><u><span style="color: red;">R</span></u></b>ed, <b><u><span style="color: lime;">G</span></u></b>reen, and <u><b><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b></u>lue) per "pixel" compared to 3 separate guns for each color in a conventional CRT, and additionally use vertical strips for its "pixels". (Analog video doesn't have real pixels, unlike with an HDTV.) Like with any other CRT, for retro video gaming, they also have the benefits of having no input lag compared to bad HDTVs, don't have bad scaling problems, and can properly handle any SDI signal thrown at them. Attempting to play retro video games <b>properly</b> on modern HDTV usually requires expensive, specialized AV equipment. Most retro video game consoles were designed and meant to be played on CRTs, not modern, hipster HDTV junk. Kids these days 👴!<br />
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<b>Technology Connections</b> has a great video explaining</div>
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the improvements that Trinitron CRTs have over normal CRTs</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0aFhzGEBQlk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0aFhzGEBQlk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b>, on the <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">other hand, refers to a video </span></span>signal being displayed with up to 5 separate signals:<br />
<ul>
<li><b><b><span style="color: red;">Red</span></b></b></li>
<li><b><b><span style="color: lime;">Green</span></b></b></li>
<li><b><b><span style="color: blue;">Blue</span></b></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Vertical Sync (VSync) and Horizontal Sync (HSync, aka RGBHV),</span></span></b><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br />or just Composite Sync (CSync, or RGBs)</span></span></b></li>
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With <b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b>, video is displayed by mixing the 3 separate primary color signals into one, and synchronization done by the Sync lines. As the name implies, "Sync" keeps the "pixels" aligned (synchronized) as the analog electron gun travels down the screen to display the picture, column by column, row by row. Since the video data is separated into various separate signals, and the color mixing is done on the output display end, the data is precisely read with higher quality than with other video standards.<br />
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The baseline AV interface used for most retro video game consoles was either <b>RF (<u>R</u>adio <u>F</u>requency)</b> or <b>Composite</b> out. RF was the <b>worst</b> AV quality you could get; all video signals <b>and</b> audio stuffed into one interface cable using shielded radio signals through the cable. Needless to say, it looked bad, due to crosstalk and interference of all the analog data through the one cable. Composite video (RCA plugs with <b><span style="color: red;">Red</span>/<span style="color: #999999;">White</span></b> for <b><span style="color: red;">Left</span>/<span style="color: #cccccc;">Right</span></b> audio, <span style="color: orange;"><b>Yellow</b></span> plug for all <span style="color: orange;"><b>video</b></span>) on the other hand, was slightly better, since the audio signals were separated out to their own 2 plugs, and video on its own plug; however the sync information and the color information were still all stuffed into their own single cable, still causing some crosstalk, interference, and picture quality degradation.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Composite-cables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" height="208" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Composite-cables.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>RCA Composite Cable</b><br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/C64_opened_RF_modulator_on_ASSY_NO_250427_motherboard_1984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/C64_opened_RF_modulator_on_ASSY_NO_250427_motherboard_1984.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<b>RCA-styled RF modulator port</b><br />
<b>from a Commodore 64</b></div>
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Since Digital <b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B </span></b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">separates the video signals into up to 5 separate signals (3 </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;">co</span><span style="color: lime;">lo</span><span style="color: blue;">r</span></b> signals, upto 2 sync signals), there is far less interference, and a higher quality picture. This makes this AV standard the best quality signal for most retro game consoles. Some of the later video game consoles (such as those within the 6th video game generation, being the <span style="color: blue;"><b>Sega Dreamcast</b></span>, </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"><b>PlayStation</b></span></span></span> 2</b></span>, <span style="color: red;"><b>Nintendo <span style="color: magenta;">GameCube</span></b></span>, and <span style="color: lime;"><b>Original Microsoft Xbox</b></span>) had official upgraded video cables such as S-Video, Component (</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st">YPbPr</span><span class="st">), or VGA which were better or on-par with RGB, but, for the most part, Digital RGB was the best video you could get for game consoles before the 6th video game generation. Also, some of the upgraded video interfaces for the 6th video game generation could run at higher resolutions than with RGB; so sometimes it's best to use RGB for certain lower-resolution games, or the better interfaces for higher resolution games. The 6th video game generation was a special case in those regards, since the industry began transitioning to higher definition AV interfaces. (The seventh video game generation began having HDMI for certain models of the mainstream consoles, for the <b>Sony PlayStation 3</b> and the <span style="color: lime;"><b>Microsoft Xbox 360</b></span>. The <span style="color: red;"><b>Nintendo <span style="color: #cccccc;">Wii</span></b></span><span style="color: #cccccc;">'</span>s highest official output was still just component video. The 8th generation with the <b>Sony PlayStation 4</b>, the <span style="color: lime;"><b>Microsoft Xbox One</b></span>, and the almighty <b><span style="color: red;">Nintendo</span> <span style="color: #cccccc;">Wii</span> <span style="color: blue;">U</span></b> finally had all 3 big industry players utilizing HDMI output.)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"> As for physical cable interfaces for carrying RGB data, people tend to use either <b>SCART</b> (a European, 21-pin AV standard carrying RGBHV/RGBs + Left/Right audio data on separate signal pins all within a single cable) or BNC on consoles, with the former being more common. SCART tended to be the baseline standard PAL European display interface for consoles back in the day. (PAL land had it posh with highest quality video <b>stock already </b>for retro video game consoles!) A BNC interface is usually done via up to 5 separate BNC ports: 3 ports for </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"><b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b>, and up to 2 ports for HSync and VSync (or just 1 port for CSync). It's also possible to use a VGA <b>interface</b> (<b>not</b> the VGA <b>standard</b> over the port) to carry the RGB signals; however, this is non-standard. VGA is pretty much the same as RGB, but a 33KHz signal frequency vs. a 15KHz signal frequency respectively, and VGA using HSync & VSync, while RGB usually just uses CSync. Most NTSC consoles can natively support </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"><b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b></span></span></span> output, by just using an appropriate console-to-SCART (or to-BNC) cable; others may need hardware modifications.</span></span></span><br />
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<b>SCART Jack and</b></div>
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<b>BNC connections </b><b><b>(RGBs) </b>on a PVM </b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"> As for displaying the RGB data onto a monitor, most NTSC American CRTs cannot do that. It usually requires a high-end PVM or BVM monitor (with either an RGB BNC interface or proprietary interface with adapters) to handle it, or modding a standard CRT to handle RGB. <span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Modding a standard CRT is dangerous, and should only be done if you know what you are doing, due to the high-voltage flyback transformer inside. CRTs also have a high-energy capacitor containing whole <span style="color: black;"><u>Farads</u></span> of charge, and require discharging the CRT tube and other safety requirements first.)</span></b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"> In my case, the <b>Sony Trinitron KX-2501A</b> <b>CRT</b> is unique in that it is not a PVM or BVM monitor, yet has support for Digital RGB. This monitor utilizes a non-standard, proprietary IDC34 "Floppy" port for handling Digital RGB input, in which I've detailed my own <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb" target="_blank">DIY SCART/BNC+RCA to IDC34 adapter (the Sony Super Multi (X) circuit)</a>. </span></span></span></span>Much more information about RGB can be found on the <a href="https://www.retrorgb.com/rgbguide.html" target="_blank">RetroRGB website</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/IDC34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/IDC34.jpg" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="606" height="320" width="242" /></a></div>
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<b>IDC34 "Floppy" RGB port</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiQ5OQWaS-Ww6aJX3HDgfKFnEx-5HDvHtD9COgWx8o5HkisIs4TjGy0kkCpZRfDY8-Q9irxZj6SmcEJzCIc0gYS-Ck8vW8WiGdUWdGyplDeiYudgQ7cjtZacgCm6PRxbMNpQ2w6wsWsY/s1600/IMAG0306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiQ5OQWaS-Ww6aJX3HDgfKFnEx-5HDvHtD9COgWx8o5HkisIs4TjGy0kkCpZRfDY8-Q9irxZj6SmcEJzCIc0gYS-Ck8vW8WiGdUWdGyplDeiYudgQ7cjtZacgCm6PRxbMNpQ2w6wsWsY/s400/IMAG0306.jpg" width="380" /></a></div>
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<b>SSM prototype circuit</b></div>
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<b>The N64 Advanced RGB Mod:</b></div>
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<b>Introduction</b></div>
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All of this quick retro RGB background information leads to the primary topic of this blog article; installing an <b>Advanced N64RGB kit</b>. </div>
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During early 2020, a friend of mine contacted me online asking how he could get an Nintendo 64 (N64) console he picked up hooked up to his modern HDMI-only display. I've heard about some HDMI N64 mods that could be done (such as UltraHDMI mod kit), but knew they were quite expensive, difficult to install, and overkill compared to say an RGB mod. (As I've mentioned earlier, most older video game consoles were designed and meant for SDI displays, not HD junk! <b>Properly</b> displaying these consoles on HD displays requires mods and usually expensive, specialized AV equipment, to prevent scaling issues and input lag).</div>
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Most of Nintendo's NTSC retro consoles (the Japanese Famicom, the SNES, the Nintendo 64, and the Nintendo Gamecube) used the same style of SNES AV Multi-out port. The SNES and Nintendo Gamecube can output Digital RGB simply by using an Nintendo AV Multi out-to-SCART cable; some models of the Famicom, and all models of the N64, on the other hand, require both a hardware mod in order to send an RGB signal over the port and the SCART cable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOkT-rY3Mu4Cqh6ZQ_Pa436nEAZuEe7CqbzvWhtif-3Rg6LGqVDFAocGDAvpOG9Y1W9X9vnIctz3NeTZ2lsjUm9BdjWAB73usXI7EM4ivakubS-ZNvYlB3kVLFwPi-TmPhJETZV6QWUY/s1600/NintendoRGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOkT-rY3Mu4Cqh6ZQ_Pa436nEAZuEe7CqbzvWhtif-3Rg6LGqVDFAocGDAvpOG9Y1W9X9vnIctz3NeTZ2lsjUm9BdjWAB73usXI7EM4ivakubS-ZNvYlB3kVLFwPi-TmPhJETZV6QWUY/s320/NintendoRGB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Nintendo AV Multi-Out SCART cable</b></div>
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After doing some research online, I discovered a <a href="https://www.retrorgb.com/unveiling-the-rad2x-hdmi-cables.html" target="_blank">RetroRGB article</a> about a newly released product called <b>RAD2X. </b>These are high-quality, <b>proper</b> HDMI cables for retro consoles. These are shrunken down, plug n' play, dedicated console versions of the RetroTink2x products, which properly scale the 240p resolution to 480p and send the output signal onto a modern HDMI interface. Separate RAD2X cables exist for the Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, PlayStation AV Multi-out, and any Nintendo console that utilizes a SNES AV Multi-out plug (Japanese Famicom, SNES, N64, Gamecube), with <b>or without</b> an RGB mod! Rather than my friend shelling out $200+ to obtain an UltraHDMI kit and have somebody mod his N64 console simply for display on an HDTV, I suggested to him to pickup a much cheaper Nintendo RAD2X cable ($50) as an entry-level way to get both RGB and HDMI out for his N64. What's nice about the Nintendo RAD2X cable is, when using it on an N64, it can detect whether the console is outputting standard composite or <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="st"><b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></b></span></span></span>, and will adjust its display appropriately. (With an RGB mod, it has better color and picture quality.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DyE85OFGQpM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DyE85OFGQpM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b>RetroRGB's RAD2X Review</b></div>
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<b>(Check out 10:15 for info on its N64 RGB support)</b></div>
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With this information in mind, my friend asked me if I could install an N64 RGB mod into his console, so that it could display a better quality RGB picture on his RAD2X cable he would be picking up later. I hesitated at first, but agreed to do so. The mod requires doing some surface mount soldering, which I wasn't too experienced with, but did have the equipment to do so. This was also the first time I would do a serious hardware mod (and serious surface mount soldering) for somebody else, and for some extra cash on the side.<br />
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(<b>Disclaimer:</b> I mostly repair or mod my own consoles for fun, and I am in no way a "professional mod shop". I was rather nervous of doing the mod due to lack of SMT experience.)<br />
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(Stuff blogged here prior were just minor console repairs, including adjusting CD laser pickups potentiometers/assemblies, "re-cap" capacitor replacements, getting CD trays unstuck, replacing console chassis, and replacing a broken Nintendo Wii ODD with an older, DVD-compatible older one. Most of that SMT equipment, including an Xtronic 3020-XTS temperature-controlled soldering iron, a basic microscope, ESD tweezers and hemostat, paste-flux, ESD brushes, and an SMT practice kit I picked up back in Summer 2018 when I was designing the Sony Super Multi X dedicated circuit kits. The deluxe X version utilizes some SMT bus-switcher ICs, hence the need for upgraded tools. I haven't finalized those kit designs yet, but plan on producing them this year, due to waiting for economic stability to do a run of kits and needing to respin the design caused by some bad footprints for components in the BOM and the Bus Switcher ICs going obsolete for a similar chip with more bus I/O. This will be finished sometime after I move out into my own apartment this summer, when I'm fully rehired full-time with a wage increase, and will have a better workspace for such EET work at the apartment.)</div>
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The friend then sent by mail the N64 and basic accessories he picked up with it (power brick, official N64 controller, composite AV out cable), and I began work.<br />
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According to the RetroRGB <a href="https://www.retrorgb.com/n64rgbcompatible.html" target="_blank">RGB-Compatible N64 Systems subpage</a> under the <a href="https://www.retrorgb.com/n64.html" target="_blank">N64 guide</a>, all N64s are modifiable for RGB output; however, 2 main kit types are available: <br />
<ul>
<li><b>Basic RGB kit</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Simpler</li>
<li>Requires less surface mount soldering</li>
<li>Easier to install </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Advanced RGB kit</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Complex</li>
<li>Requires more soldering</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Harder to install<br /><b><br /></b></li>
</ul>
<li><b>N64 motherboard revisions</b></li>
<ul>
<li><b>New revisions</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Can only accept an Advanced RGB kit.</li>
<li>Due to later motherboard revisions combining some chips and having
different DAC chips. <b><br /></b></li>
</ul>
<li><b>Older revisions</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Can accept both a Basic or Advanced RGB
mod</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
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<b>Basic N64RGB kit (RetroFixes)</b></div>
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<b> </b><a href="https://etim.net.au/shop/sc_images/products/548_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="517" height="185" src="https://etim.net.au/shop/sc_images/products/548_image.jpg" width="320" /></a><b> </b></div>
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<b>Advanced N64RGB Kit (Evil Tim)</b></div>
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<b>Kit, Circuit, MAV-NUS chip adapter</b></div>
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<b><br />4 DAC chip revisions exist between motherboard revisions:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>DENC-NUS & VDC-NUS</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Found in older motherboard revisions</li>
<li>Larger 1.27mm pitch IC chips</li>
<li>Slightly different pinouts, considered the same chip for the mod</li>
<li>Can handle both a Basic and Advanced RGB mod<br /> </li>
</ul>
<li><b>AVDC-NUS & MAV-NUS</b> </li>
<ul>
<li>Found in newer motherboard revisions</li>
<li>Smaller 0.8mm pitch IC chips</li>
<li>Considered the same chip for the mod </li>
<li>Requires MAV-NUS pin adapter</li>
<ul>
<li>Transforms pinout from this to DENC-NUS pinout</li>
<li>Transform pitch from tiny 0.8mm to 1.27mm</li>
</ul>
<li>Can only handle an Advanced RGB mod</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Determining motherboard revisions/DAC chip types inside</b> </li>
<ul>
<li>Can be guessed by serial number (<a href="https://www.retrorgb.com/n64rgbcompatible.html" target="_blank">check out details at page</a>)</li>
<li>Can be determined fully by opening up console and determining DAC chip type</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<b>Pinouts of the various DAC chips</b></div>
<br />
Upon receiving the N64, my first task was to test out the console to make sure it worked before doing <b>any</b> sort of modding. The console didn't come with any RAM pack for the Memory Expansion port, so I installed my old basic RAM pack. (My own N64 was upgraded with an 8MB Expansion pack years ago, and I had the old one as spare) I then proceeded to boot up the console and test all basic functionality, using a personal copy of Diddy Kong Racing and Super Smash Bros 64, and personal copies of 3 other N64 controllers, a Memory Pak, and a Rumble Pak. The supplied controller, Power Pak, and AV cable all worked, as well as all functionality for all 4 controller ports. The console seemed to be in working order!<br />
<br />
Next step was to open the N64, and to determine fully the motherboard revision and DAC chip type inside. I fortunately already had an older model of a spare Basic RGB mod kit (<a href="https://store.retrofixes.com/products/n64-rgb-upgrade-kits?_pos=1&_sid=ca4e42e83&_ss=r" target="_blank">from Retrofixes</a>, pictured earlier), which I received from boss a few years ago since he had a surplus; however, this particular N64 unit was not looking promising for needing a Basic RGB kit installed, due to the serial number stickered on the bottom, and would probably need an Advanced RGB mod. As for opening up the N64, I have some high-quality 3.8mm and 4.5mm "Gamebit" security drivers in my toolbox, which I ordered a few years ago from iFixit.com (<a href="https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Gamebit-3-8mm/IF145-103?o=2" target="_blank">3.8mm</a>, <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Gamebit-4-5mm/IF145-104?o=2" target="_blank">4.5mm</a>). These are high-quality bits (proper metal bit molds with a tight grip), and are deep enough to handle even the Nintendo Virtual Boy's notorious Gamebit screws, and I recommend them for anybody's toolboxes for those whom need to handle such screws on Nintendo consoles or opening game cartridges regularly.<br />
<br />
Upon opening up the consoles, it was determined that the N64 was a later model revision with a <b>MAV-NUS</b> DAC chip. <b>Rats 🐀!</b> This fact would require an <a href="https://etim.net.au/shop/shop.php?crn=209&rn=548&action=show_detail" target="_blank"><b>Evil Tim Advanced N64RGB</b> <b>mod kit</b></a> (see previous pictures for what is included in the kit), and is the hardest kit and DAC type to install/mod. After contacting him about the DAC chip type findings, my friend purchased and sent the over kit (with MAV-NUS chip adapter) to my residency.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The N64 Advanced RGB Mod:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Installing the mod </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
With the kit ordered and sent to my residency, I began work. Full instructions on how to install the kit at <b><a href="http://etim.net.au/n64rgb/" target="_blank">Tim's Advanced N64RGB installation page</a></b>.<b> </b>Installing the Evil Tim Advanced RGB mod for a late-revision N64 utilizing a MAV-NUS DAC chip requires the following steps:</div>
<ol>
<li><b>Gain access to the motherboard (remove screws) </b></li>
<b>
</b>
<li><b>Solder and tape down the MAV-NUS DAC chip adapter</b></li>
<b>
</b>
<li><b>Solder down the input ribbon cable wires from the DAC adapter to the N64RGB circuit</b></li>
<ol>
<li>Strip/tin both ends of the ribbon cable wire</li>
<li>Tin both sets of solder pads</li>
<ol>
<li>DAC adpater chip pads</li>
<li>Input pads on N64RGB Circuit</li>
</ol>
<li>Solder down the ribbon cable wire ends appropriately</li>
</ol>
<li><b>Solder down the output ribbon cable wires from the N64RGB circuit to the Nintendo AV Multi-out port</b></li>
<ol>
<li>Strip/tin both ends of the ribbon cable wire</li>
<li>Tin both sets of solder pads/joints</li>
<ol>
<li> N64RGB output pads</li>
<li>Nintendo AV Multi-output pads</li>
</ol>
<li>Solder down the ribbon cable wire ends appropriately</li>
<li>Create extra ground wire, wrap it around an IC heatsink screw</li>
</ol>
<li><b>Wrap up</b></li>
<ol>
<li>Reassemble N64</li>
<li>Test it!</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<br />
<ol><ol>
</ol>
</ol>
<b>Step 1</b> was easy, and required just removing screws; a more detailed guide about that <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+64+Motherboard+Replacement/1608" target="_blank">here on iFixit.com</a> . (If you cannot even do this, you probably should stop modding 😛.)<br />
<br />
<b>Step 2</b>, taping down and soldering the MAV-NUS DAC chip adapter, in my own opinion, was the hardest part for me for this mod. The MAV-NUS DAC chip uses an <b>extra</b>-fine SMT 0.8mm pitch spacing, and is pretty much impossible to solder wires down to directly; hence the DAC chip adapter transforming the pitch from 0.8mm to 1.27mm, and breaking out the pinout to the easier DENC-NUS chip pinout<b>. </b>Before starting, I refreshed myself on the basics of SMT soldering (<a href="https://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/" target="_blank">main guide</a>, <a href="https://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/Tools" target="_blank">tools needed</a>, <a href="https://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/101" target="_blank">video of basics</a>), as well as got some blocks of spare wood to create a makeshift extended base for my microscope. (The entry-level Amscope microscope I have and its small base is meant for biology purposes, not exactly for soldering, but it works well anyways with such a makeshift, extended base).<br />
<br />
After peeling off the adhesive tape, I aligned the adapter's input pins right up against the DAC's pins, and taped down the output end to the motherboard. Then, using the microscope, soldering iron set to a temperature of 660° F (due to surface mount work), and extra-fine strands of solder that came with the kit, I began soldering down the adapter input pins onto the DAC pins. At the time, all I had was a small jar of flux paste, which I applied to the adapter's input pins with the ESD tweezers, in order to assist with quick and solid soldering. This same jar of paste flux and the brass abrasive that came with the soldering iron I used to regularly tin the iron during the mod installation. After soldering down all the pins, I checked for continuity between the DAC adapter's corresponding input and output pins on my voltmeter, in order to check for a solid electrical connection. Throughout this mod, when the voltmeter was set to the 200Ω resistance setting, I was getting readings between 0.01 to 0.10 (so resistance values of 10mΩ to 100mΩ, with most values reading between 10mΩ to 30mΩ and being an ideal target). Amazingly, I got a solid 10-30mΩ resistance reading between all I/O pins on the chip adapter, meaning everything had continuity and was soldered down correctly, and the N64 still worked! Not too shabby for being relatively inexperienced with SMT, and even having to deal with extra-fine 0.8mm pitch joints 🆒.<br />
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<b>Soldering down the DAC chip adapter</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
In <b>Step 3</b>, I would have to solder down the input ribbon cable wires from the DAC adapter to the N64RGB circuit. This would entail stripping and tinning both ends of the ribbon cable wire, tinning both sets of solder pads (DAC adapter chip pins, input pads on the N64RGB circuit), and finally soldering down both ends of the ribbon cable wires to both sets of pins. The ribbon cable wire supplied/required is a pesky 1.27mm pitch ribbon cable, 28 AWG gauge, stranded, and 7-core (meaning 7 individual wire strands inside). The last two times I had to deal with such pesky, stranded wire around this small size was when I worked briefly as an EET creating modbus cables from RJ45 patch cables at a company, and when designing my own Line Voltage Inducer (LVI) for a Dreamcast DreamPi. I had trouble back then stripping the wire without losing individual wire strands, and ensuring the solder connection was mechanically strong enough to hold down, and have since then hated dealing with such wire and try avoiding using such small, stranded wire as much as a I can. (Solid-core wire FTW.) Ideally, all individual strands for such stranded wire need used, since losing any strand could cause shorts, or a weaker electrical signal over the wire.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unlike with those 2 bad experiences, this time I had my own microscope handy, so I'd be able to inspect and ensure I have all wire strands. In the installation instructions, the manual recommends stripping 3 groups of 4 wires at once from the ribbon cable, by cutting down and pulling away on such wire groups. Due to using bundled ribbon cable like this, the modder would also need to get the wires around the same length too. This group stripping tip turned out to be bad idea, since I often would accidentally lose some wire strands when stripping. I ended up ruining the 12-wire ribbon cable during the stripping part (cutted down the ribbon bundled too short when fixing mistakes for jumping the signals), and had to order an extra-long ribbon cable from eBay to redo it. Live and learn.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
By the time the ribbon cable arrived, I had also ordered and received from eBay a SNES SCART cable (for testing the RGB mod when done on my Sony KX-2501A monitor via Sony Super Multi adapter), and 3 small liquid dropper bottles of awesome <b>Kester 186 RMA flux</b> 😀. With the new ribbon cable, this time I would separate and strip each ribbon cable wire separately (rather than in groups). I also looked up and refreshed on how to tin wire properly, by using capillary action and heat transfer.</div>
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<b>Liquid Kester 186 RMA Flux:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The secret to quality soldering!</b><br />
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pRPF4wpXX9Q/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pRPF4wpXX9Q?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Solder flows where solder's been,</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>so it's always best to tin, tin, tin"</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This time, I had far better results and the proper length ribbon cable bundle made. All wires had all 7 wire strands soldered and tinned together (although some strands got clipped short, and I had to apply extra solder to the base to make all 7 wires still act as its own solid electrical connection), wires were twisted, and properly tinned. Getting all wires the same length wasn't perfect, but it would do. When tinning, I additionally added a <b>tiny drop</b> of Kester flux to the wire, to make the tinning quicker and easier for better capillary action, and used both the ESD tweezers to spread the flux across the wires, and a small cotton swab to clean up any over spill. For the tinning, I used the extra-fine solder that came with the DAC chip adapter. Unfortunately, one of the wires in the middle of the cable I botched badly with respect to getting all strands used and equal wire length with the rest of the ribbon wires, so I split the ribbon cable into 2 smaller groups, and would later solder down a single ribbon cable wire in between them to fix that at the end of the mod. Like before, I checked for continuity between both ends of the wires using a voltmeter, and still got a very small amount of resistance (10-30mΩ), so the electrical connections should be solid enough to work.</div>
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<b>1.27mm 28 AWG</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>stranded ribbon cable wire (7-core)</b><br />
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<b>Microscopic inspection of </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>input tinned ribbon cable (both ends)</b><br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Next substep would be to tin the DAC chip adapter's input pins. This was fairly straight forward, and similar to tinning the wire. (Apply a small <b>drop</b> of solder to solder iron tip for heat transfer, quickly heat up solder pad, and dip extra fine solder strand onto heated pad for even and smooth tinning. Like with before, apply a small <b>drop</b> of Kester flux onto the pads for better results, clean up over spill using cotton swab.)</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A fine job on tinning</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b> With the pads tinned, next step would be to solder the ends of the ribbon cable down to the DAC adapter input pins. This part ended up being difficult, due to the wires not being entirely straight or aligned. I had to do a 2-handed soldering operation; soldering iron in left hand in order to heat up the tinned pad and wire for soldering; and right hand to hold down and to move the wires into place, and to place them flat onto the pad, using ESD tweezers. I also unfortunately made the mistake of <b>not</b> trimming off the ends of the wires to make a flat end (was trying to keep wires proper, equal length), so sometimes wires would unfurl, and I would need a drop of Kester flux to help with soldering the wires down. Occasionally wire insulation did melt off due to the heat applied on the end of the wire. These facts, coupled with having to look into a microscope (within a tight mechanical space, while avoiding burning off nearby SMT capacitors) made this substep difficult. To get the wires better aligned, I applied electrical tape nearby to the ends of the wire, to apply a horizontal adhesive force and to keep them bundled closer together, and mounted the other end of the wire, to keep them taut and straight.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After fighting everything into place, I somehow miraculously still was getting a good continuity reading between everything (<100mΩ), and the wires had a solid, mechanical connection. Although this solder job would work, it could have been done better, neater, and cleaner. It was <b>not</b> my best soldering, but with the difficulties involved with the tiny scale, and this being my first time dealing with such small ribbon cable with major SMT soldering needed, would do.</div>
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<b>Microscopic inspection of DAC adapter</b></div>
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<b>input ribbon cable wires</b></div>
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<b> </b>Next substep would be to solder down the other end of the input ribbon cable (to the N64RGB board); same steps as before (tin pads, solder down wires into place). With the 1st end of the ribbon cable down, I had to bend out a piece of the heatsink near the Nintendo AV Multi-out port, and feed the ribbon cable through, then position the other end of the ribbon cable wire near the N64RGB input pins. To assist with that positioning, I used a magnifying glass stand, which had 2 alligator clips on each end. After removing the magnifying glass that got in the way, I used an alligator clip to position the wires nears the pads, then used the ESD tweezers for finer positioning while soldering. That N64RGB board was taped down onto the heatsink, near the chip heatsink screws. I applied electrical tape to the ribbon cable ends (better horizontal alignment), tinned the pads, applied a <b>drop</b> of Kester flux to the pads, and soldered down the wires. This time I also trimmed off the ends of the ribbon cable, for a flat wire easier to solder down.</div>
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The difference in soldering quality between the DAC adapter and N64RGB ends of the input ribbon cable was night and day 😀. Like usual, everything had continuity with resistance <100mΩ, and the N64 would still function. <b>Step 3 completed!</b></div>
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<b>Tinning the N64RGB input pads,</b></div>
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<b>soldering down the ribbon cable wire</b><br />
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For <b>step 4</b>, I would need to solder down an output ribbon cable, doing mostly the same steps as in Step 3. (Tin the N64RGB and Nintendo AV Multi-out output pads, strip and tin ribbon cable wires, solder them down). Additionally, I would need to create an extra stripped/tinned ribbon cable wire, solder it in parallel onto the GND pin on the N64RGB output pin, and wrap that wire <b>clockwise once</b> onto the nearest chip heatsink screw. This extra ground wire reduces vertical lines appearing in the RGB output picture, and allows for better heat dissipation. Finally, I would need to create that single ribbon cable wire to wrap up the input ribbon cable wire I skipped from earlier.</div>
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Fortunately, the output pads on the N64RGB board were macroscopic this time, and would only require 4 ribbon cable wires, with extra-wide peeling for alignment. This task would be far easier than with the input ribbon cable. Like before, I stripped and tinned both ends of the ribbon cable, tinned the N64RGB output pads, and soldered those ends down. Additionally, I created that extra ground wire. Unfortunately, I made a very minor mistake of soldering the ribbon cable wires in reversed color and direction compared to the original instructions, but this could be remedied by making sure the correct signals still goto their correct destination, improvising the alignment and positioning of the ribbon cable wire to make sure the wires would still fit for the jump, and documenting the new color order for my friend.</div>
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Finally, I needed to solder down the other end of the output ribbon cable onto the appropriate Nintendo AV Multi-Out pins, in order to wrap up and get the port RGB enabled. Physically, this was the hardest part of the mod, due to needing to solder the wires onto the bottom side of the N64 motherboard. I had to clamp down the heatsinks (to prevent the top heatshield with the N64RGB board from falling off), and do some <b>serious</b> improvisation with my blocks of wood, in order to get a good, flat, stable base for soldering. Even with this improvisation, the whole setup was too high to get good optical focus for the wires under the microscope, so I had to wing it. (I could, however, lift up the microscope off the table to check out the wire soldering with better focus, but only <b>after</b> being done soldering. I don't have 3 hands.) Due to soldering the output ribbon cable end on the N64RGB board in the wrong direction, I had to apply a twist to 2 of the wires for better positioning for soldering to the correct Nintendo AV Multi-out pins, and I probably should have soldered down the AV output port end of the ribbon cable down first. Regardless of these minor issues, I was still able to fight everything down into place. To wrap up, I soldered down that additional, single, input ribbon cable wire I skipped; checked continuity for everything within this step (still got continuity with resistance values < 100mΩ), and screwed down that extra ground wire. <b>Mod completed!</b></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b> </b><br />
<b>The N64 Advanced RGB Mod:</b><br />
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<b>Conclusion </b></div>
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Finally, I reassembled the Nintendo 64, connected it to my Sony KX-2501A monitor through RGB (using m ySony Super Multi adapter and SCART cable), and tested everything. Amazingly, everything worked perfectly, and the picture and signal quality was improved! On this CRT previously, when using composite video on Diddy Kong Racing, there was some VSync smear for the copyright text when the Rare logo appears; in RGB mode, it disappeared. (This CRT applies some analog auto-adjustment, and I'm guessing it was freaking out due to the copyright text being slightly out of this CRT's TV Safe Zone.)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vfA_8FMGNM5OnEnXmI5ISeZwCdueWdN8ct3tQJDjYp-_B6JxQUhxjjqZxpa0qlAvgy7HqFxO_DZbDA-YkDHaonOaWOuwbL81a6rNYXoSSgbD_Yal0ve7SlJ11yRvDPxN2mRxrNC7xdg/s1600/N64RGB_Success.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1011" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vfA_8FMGNM5OnEnXmI5ISeZwCdueWdN8ct3tQJDjYp-_B6JxQUhxjjqZxpa0qlAvgy7HqFxO_DZbDA-YkDHaonOaWOuwbL81a6rNYXoSSgbD_Yal0ve7SlJ11yRvDPxN2mRxrNC7xdg/s640/N64RGB_Success.jpg" width="404" /></a></b></span></div>
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This was my first major console mod and SMT project, and it turned out quite well for a first time thing.</div>
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<b>I learned and did many things during its completion:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>How to get an N64 connected to an HDMI device simply and affordibly</li>
<ul>
<li>Basic/Advanced RGB Mod<br />AND</li>
<li>RAD2X Nintendo cable </li>
</ul>
<li>How to do an N64 Advanced RGB mod</li>
<li>How to properly tin wires and solder pads</li>
<li>Gained more experience with</li>
<ul>
<li>SMT soldering (down to fine-pitch 0.8mm ICs)</li>
<li>Tinning, stripping, handling, soldering down small AWG wire (ribbon cable)</li>
</ul>
<li>Obtained some more items for EET toolbox/gameroom</li>
<ul>
<li>Some blocks of woods to assemble makeshfit, larger microscope bases as needed for larger PCBs</li>
<li>3 bottles of Kester 186 RMA liquid flux</li>
<li>Spare 1.27mm 28 AWG ribbon cable wires, for future projects</li>
<li>A Nintendo AV Multi-out SCART cable</li>
<ul>
<li>Usable without RGB mod needed on my SNES</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Although there were a few minor mistakes (wrong coloring and direction of the N64RGB output ribbon cable, okay soldering on the DAC chip adapter wire pins), next time I do such a mod, I'll know how to avoid them, and, with the added XP, can do this faster and with higher quality. Someday I'll need to do this mod on my personal N64 (older revision with a DENC chip, which I can use my RetroFixes Basic N64RGB kit to install).<br />
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<b> Hope somebody finds this blog post informative and useful! </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Affordable, quality way to connect an N64 to an HDMI display</li>
<ul>
<li>Install Basic/Advanced N64RGB Mod</li>
<li>Purchase Nintendo RAD2X cable</li>
</ul>
<li>Installing an Evil Tim
Advanced N64RGB mod</li>
<ul>
<li>Tips</li>
<li>Tricks</li>
<li>Pitfalls</li>
</ul>
<li>General information about RGB video </li>
<li>SMT soldering techniques/tricks. </li>
</ul>
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<b> -Tamkis</b></div>
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Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-41983887603747769392019-12-25T17:49:00.002-05:002019-12-25T17:57:19.472-05:00Merry Christmas/New Year 2020!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Merry Christmas/New Year 2020!</b></div>
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Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas for 2019 and good New Year 2020! At the end of the year, a new decade begins.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Year in Review </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although I did not get as much done as I wanted
with EagleSoft Ltd this year (underemployed most of the year while finding another gamedev gig), I did manage to begin and finish a few new projects this year, and blog about a few misc. things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Gamedev/mods:</b> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Released <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2018/12/hover-pack-release.html" target="_blank">Hover Pack</a> late 2018 as a Mario Kart Wii custom battle course pack</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Updated <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/01/thwimp-v11-update.html" target="_blank">Thwimp</a> to v1.1</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thwimp is a Mario Kart Wii modding utility, for creating custom Nintendo THP videos for menus and such </span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally finished <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/03/socket-hedgeduck-progress-fz-tcz.html" target="_blank">Future Zone and Time Castle Zone</a> for Socket the Hedgeduck Sonic 1 game mod</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Restarted work on my own Unity3D/C# commercial Indie video game, <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/12/stareagle-defenders-of-galaxy-game.html" target="_blank">StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">*Began work on a Knuckles' Chaotix game mod called <i>Knuckles Clackers </i>for the almighty Sega 32x<i><br /></i></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Began updating my ancient <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/genesis/kcobjd" target="_blank">KC SonED2 ObjDef files</a> from wayback</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Created the first set of original music for the SMPS32x sound driver (4-channel software PWM support)!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Added additional features for KC ROMulan support</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sound Driver extraction/injection</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">AAZ Lit palettes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sound Test/Level Select string editing</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Misc:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hacked my own Netgear WNR2000v4 router</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/05/enabling-telnet-on-wnr2000-router.html" target="_blank">To enable telnet </a>for installing OpenWRT </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wrote a generic guide on it</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Picked up a rare <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/07/virtua-fighter-arcade-repairs-part-i.html" target="_blank">Sega Model 1 Virtua Fighter Arcade board</a></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Began blogging about my attempts of repairs and assembling of a
complete machine from scratch</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Multi-part blog mini-series</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">*Picked
up a rare 68030 NeXTCube Computer</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With monochrome MegaPixel display</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With restorations coming up in another multi-part blog mini-series</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Updated my DreamPi NOOBS Compatible image to <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/08/dreampi-noobs-compatible-image-updated.html" target="_blank">v1.7 DLE</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Created a DIY <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2019/11/dreampi-diy-industrial-lvi.html" target="_blank">Industrial Strength LVI</a> for DreamPi</span></li>
</ul>
<b>More Misc:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Basically stuff that was posted on EagleSoft Ltd Facebook Group, due to it not being big enough to warrant their own blog posts</li>
<li>Began early work on another custom Mario Kart Wii racetrack</li>
<ul>
<li>Port of Lego Island Speedway, from Lego Island)</li>
<li><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yF8UhdNb610/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yF8UhdNb610?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></li>
</ul>
<li>Dabbled
with modding Star Wars Battlefront 2</li>
<ul>
<li>The glorious OG 2005 Pandemic
game, not the SW Sequel trilogy EA/Disney garbage</li>
<li>An import test of Hover Maze 1</li>
<li><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7QZj1fOQ03k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7QZj1fOQ03k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<b> *=Blog post drafts I'm working on and hope to squeeze into 2019 before New Years Day.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's next (year)?</b></span></div>
<br />
Overall, for next year, I'm hoping to continue to do the following<br />
<br />
<b>Game Dev:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Continue work and research into Knuckles Chaotix for <i>Knuckles Clackers</i> game mod</li>
<li>Continue work on StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy (Unity3D/C# Indie game)</li>
<li>Polish up and finish Socket the Hedgeduck Sonic 1 game mod?</li>
<li>Work on new Mario Kart Wii tracks (such as finish up Lego Island 1 Speedway)</li>
<li>Star Wars Battlefront 2 modding?</li>
</ul>
<b>Misc:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Loose weight, get healthier and active!</b></li>
<li>Finish up assembling/repairs of my Sega Model 1 Virtua Fighter arcade machine</li>
<li>Finish up restoring the NeXTCube computer</li>
<li><b>Electronics kits</b></li>
</ul>
<ul><ul>
<li><b>Finish up my <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2018/09/the-quest-for-rgb.html" target="_blank">Sony Super Multi (X) kits</a>!</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Remember that old project from almost 2 summers ago?</li>
<li>Well, have been holding off on that until I get a stable job back in gamedev, for steady income, in case I need to spin a few iterative protoypes</li>
<li>Just need to fix the layout footprints for components</li>
<ul>
<li>Original footprints for both models were wrong size for components ordered</li>
<li>Probably will just assemble a dummy PCB</li>
<ul>
<li>With different footprints online for each component</li>
<li>So I can see which footprints are correct for some of the parts from the BOM without wasting too much money</li>
<ul>
<li>Respinning the board</li>
<li>Guessing-and-checking until valid footprints are found</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Then update the boards with the valid footprints</li>
<ul>
<li>Test and verify PCBs work</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Respin board layout for X model with new Bus Switcher ICs</li>
<ul>
<li>Previous Bus Switcher IC became obsolete</li>
<ul>
<li>Replaced with same chip</li>
<li>But has more bus I/O channels</li>
</ul>
<li>Fully test the design</li>
</ul>
<li>Sell them online at my own webstore (as bare or pre-assembled kits)!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/SSM_RGB.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/SSM_RGB.png" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="765" height="320" width="305" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li><u><b>S</b></u>ega <u><b>J</b></u>ST I/O <u><b>I</b></u>nter<u><b>f</b></u>ace Box (S-JIF)</li>
<ul>
<li>2P+ I/O Interface Box for Sega Model 1 or similar arcade machines (IDC26 ports) </li>
<li>Prototype design on breadboard, test it</li>
<li>Fabricate current Eagle layout/board, test it</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUxYxQ83ogw7NAUEgd_qHVkEi1gErNV5yA5dc3FiHf4g_9kpaNKlq0mO4Lnpm9pnXFAcQ51_5c5Ljq-AR4Xy5C8sJhWZlk8bPoKjpCGm7HIL2_eSSfm_C_wWBg9_ndY-BCe4IzH-l34s/s1600/SJIF_Main.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUxYxQ83ogw7NAUEgd_qHVkEi1gErNV5yA5dc3FiHf4g_9kpaNKlq0mO4Lnpm9pnXFAcQ51_5c5Ljq-AR4Xy5C8sJhWZlk8bPoKjpCGm7HIL2_eSSfm_C_wWBg9_ndY-BCe4IzH-l34s/s400/SJIF_Main.jpg" width="400" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgdWEGsXirEwyh7SiUlibzqK_Aew1v-3gwFGy4VK8dwidoMQuHK1H0eEzIpFB_AuLUVnZgnyi5gtzoDXGr1xTcfNqoJCzS-eUmNiOPiPpRkxpEmLuZoOGBu_yFDwOt2QiIGInOuzDe7s/s1600/SJIF_Power.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1600" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgdWEGsXirEwyh7SiUlibzqK_Aew1v-3gwFGy4VK8dwidoMQuHK1H0eEzIpFB_AuLUVnZgnyi5gtzoDXGr1xTcfNqoJCzS-eUmNiOPiPpRkxpEmLuZoOGBu_yFDwOt2QiIGInOuzDe7s/s320/SJIF_Power.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>Sell them also online<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li>Monochrome NeXT MegaPixel Display Soundbox VGA adapter</li>
<ul>
<li>Create Eagle board/layout for NeXTCube Monochrome VGA adapter</li>
<li>Test it</li>
<li>Sell them also online?</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXG778xuYGfZGienyUXFgNVtfBPQEwsmqGLx0gHnTjTtzjfU8MwwfHeROXYsvsWKVvitPPDQOAfZyBiKbD0PmZiohwqTYuq-BMDbuYexU_XLzyl-1xSue7sYUjCxegA2GJFW9nuVwiiUc/s1600/NeXT2VGA_2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXG778xuYGfZGienyUXFgNVtfBPQEwsmqGLx0gHnTjTtzjfU8MwwfHeROXYsvsWKVvitPPDQOAfZyBiKbD0PmZiohwqTYuq-BMDbuYexU_XLzyl-1xSue7sYUjCxegA2GJFW9nuVwiiUc/s320/NeXT2VGA_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
With what is planned next year, 2020 is going to be busier and more productive!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Santa's" Christmas visit</b></span></div>
<br />
To finish off this end-of-year post ("end-of-year" excluding a blog post reveal on <i>Knuckles Clackers </i>game mod, and the first post of NeXTCube restorations in that mini blog series to come before the year ends), "Santa <strike>Claus</strike> Claws" <strike>came</strike> flew to the <strike>house</strike> bird nest last night at the EagleSoft Laboratories, and brought some techie presents 😲!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9Dj-7i-o_s1LpVd_bBILy-VYcXlrdz7ZIAvt_QukdxHWxqLXgBOMVi5E2OvCfspLoDSAYzfX75nGBy3__LtkaPN9EXHtrpLXhQjd-89zS2vjP_cgAV7cIxF_mwumr0896Pt_5JiLw0g/s1600/XEagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9Dj-7i-o_s1LpVd_bBILy-VYcXlrdz7ZIAvt_QukdxHWxqLXgBOMVi5E2OvCfspLoDSAYzfX75nGBy3__LtkaPN9EXHtrpLXhQjd-89zS2vjP_cgAV7cIxF_mwumr0896Pt_5JiLw0g/s1600/XEagle.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Santa Claws flying to each</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>house, delivering presents on Christmas Eve</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Wait, is that how the Christmas story goes at the North Pole 😏?)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strike>Santa Claws</strike> I gifted myself a few items this year from eBay, in order to nearly finish up some projects (mostly assembly of the Sega Model 1 Virtua Fighter arcade machine for bootup), and a few necessities to replace some old laptop parts for my Elitebook 8570w (as well as gave a few presents to friends/family). (Almost 5 years later, my HP Elitebook 8570w is still in service and still being quite powerful for CAD graphics work, video gaming graphics, and gamedev I do regularly. It ain't ever giving up Windows 7 Pro for evil Windows 8 or 10 and their buggy, unstable garbage of OSes 🚮!)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfzJYq5ZojL2ixn2DZWJjbNL0ms6A0EzVBiVcOijhYJAQr2lhyLfm5Q2UKwyragtLaRTiepS0Y-Ut6EldyEA2WgbhHD-ae1gcv-4wfqBNdp1Vh6YTYxZz40s_pxyJEwDfd0CaiKucWek/s1600/M1_Boards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1344" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfzJYq5ZojL2ixn2DZWJjbNL0ms6A0EzVBiVcOijhYJAQr2lhyLfm5Q2UKwyragtLaRTiepS0Y-Ut6EldyEA2WgbhHD-ae1gcv-4wfqBNdp1Vh6YTYxZz40s_pxyJEwDfd0CaiKucWek/s640/M1_Boards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>So close at having the minimum parts</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>necessary to wire up the</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Sega Model 1 Virtua Fighter</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>arcade machine for bootup!</b></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Necessity laptop replacement parts</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Replacement VH08XL battery</li>
<ul>
<li>Old one was beginning to no longer hold a charge well</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWtowG0HTXx48nkJJegQ0zGscJWY26_sxPEdOUr25RA4HKjwfws0PjJZ4cTQkvMVTa6bkBNBtEwJSlF0wZEpzg0A8Q05GCQECtHMZu7G8NOl3IsbPHpJdN2M2j63xda3rEhSbgWQSXsw/s1600/X19_Battery1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="1230" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWtowG0HTXx48nkJJegQ0zGscJWY26_sxPEdOUr25RA4HKjwfws0PjJZ4cTQkvMVTa6bkBNBtEwJSlF0wZEpzg0A8Q05GCQECtHMZu7G8NOl3IsbPHpJdN2M2j63xda3rEhSbgWQSXsw/s320/X19_Battery1.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKlESy5uGgoxltPzh3BJtDQZFNueGmtlDs2ilYzm8vXVJuvXplnorNfU5MnrS12mlcenL5aVvLKOCtPW5KPLXFTeUkOKOtK0_3Sv8kUoOI_f-Z0LJMUzNA3qYKOu1SjyobMr0cOLSYKc/s1600/X19_Battery2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="1066" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKlESy5uGgoxltPzh3BJtDQZFNueGmtlDs2ilYzm8vXVJuvXplnorNfU5MnrS12mlcenL5aVvLKOCtPW5KPLXFTeUkOKOtK0_3Sv8kUoOI_f-Z0LJMUzNA3qYKOu1SjyobMr0cOLSYKc/s320/X19_Battery2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>Replacement 150W AC power brick</li>
<ul>
<li>Old one was beginning to acquire a short on the output end.</li>
<li>I usually take care of equipment, but a short appeared on that end, due to not folding up the cables well into my laptop bag</li>
<li>Unfortunately, this new power brick seems just as bad as the old one with a worse short on the output end.</li>
<li>Just going to use the older one, which is in better condition 🤷.</li>
<li>(Wiggling the old power brick lightly on the Z-Up axis usually gets the output end back into proper alignment for charging )</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQcSH5pt-pkG8fv1D7wW-shEzVHHtzdU7kJapGgxy4PnOwYKycSB4TRx2PvXt2jq-tgW75pqoZQvmDrFXCJtRDJB5Hmz_yCSaaTswBlvsLN2Onjxt_j5NVX1DAuYkocTodH02SL2AljA/s1600/X19_EB8570w_Brick1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="760" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQcSH5pt-pkG8fv1D7wW-shEzVHHtzdU7kJapGgxy4PnOwYKycSB4TRx2PvXt2jq-tgW75pqoZQvmDrFXCJtRDJB5Hmz_yCSaaTswBlvsLN2Onjxt_j5NVX1DAuYkocTodH02SL2AljA/s320/X19_EB8570w_Brick1.jpg" width="320" /></a> </li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYS6zvWydDERadIsfJti4HUejoot56M-o5glYv7bwIF0TKH5YluyDJ_kG85FOA-5aJ6eIi77FNzT72RRyOg2xf55KEyts6yGssdZ693f6Gll4MAxgWEPjFiUzwic0We6AgBO7xBuKYcEg/s1600/X19_EB8570w_Brick2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="1108" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYS6zvWydDERadIsfJti4HUejoot56M-o5glYv7bwIF0TKH5YluyDJ_kG85FOA-5aJ6eIi77FNzT72RRyOg2xf55KEyts6yGssdZ693f6Gll4MAxgWEPjFiUzwic0We6AgBO7xBuKYcEg/s320/X19_EB8570w_Brick2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li> Replacement internal HDD caddy</li>
<ul>
<li>Lost some incredibly tiny screws on the old one, so the caddy was hanging by a thread with approximate screws</li>
<li>I usually take care of equipment, but stupidity on my end this time</li>
<li>Laptop was throwing some false-positive HDD corruption error mesages earlier this year, and it was due to the HDD caddy coming loose during travel and the HDD Sata port becoming partially unconnected 😱.</li>
<li>New caddy holds down the fort well</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpB1HjKLuKLQUDDSrYwnnWwYE-4yIxu4Q_fwITMq8zll-9rC1hXNj60igLh-c1QaksXP-sOMm5ZTJG_uP6iP_-KEdLnsO0blQRJJpC96SHFDKtKYj3ZGwJlRE-8QwaxDlpRTnVL5JHMY/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="841" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpB1HjKLuKLQUDDSrYwnnWwYE-4yIxu4Q_fwITMq8zll-9rC1hXNj60igLh-c1QaksXP-sOMm5ZTJG_uP6iP_-KEdLnsO0blQRJJpC96SHFDKtKYj3ZGwJlRE-8QwaxDlpRTnVL5JHMY/s320/X19_IDCaddy_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpzgYSShDH_CfTDt1eTNZeDj-fIH7-wnDPyaqgx2yOs5vcF-6b0TXutGnUcoa2yEHeFjEhVu5Rg7D5O07bJe0zWb62UhfhWxlP4bhWekxjPO_T9Gz_hfft85XFcAP3WLDDR_Nwxpi6HM/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="908" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpzgYSShDH_CfTDt1eTNZeDj-fIH7-wnDPyaqgx2yOs5vcF-6b0TXutGnUcoa2yEHeFjEhVu5Rg7D5O07bJe0zWb62UhfhWxlP4bhWekxjPO_T9Gz_hfft85XFcAP3WLDDR_Nwxpi6HM/s320/X19_IDCaddy_11.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>Sega Model 1 Virtua Fighter parts</b></li>
<ul>
<li><b>Stuff acquired in the past few months</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Gateway FPD1530 VGA Monitor (15" 1024x768)</li>
<ul>
<li>To use as possible dedicated monitor for the machine</li>
<li>Cranberry Goodwill find (~$12)</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUuCj7HQkTD5FtapQGJoXpcCSHe2tlajnnVDdcz5bCqBJWn7wU8xXEO6QGOdy045P8UiqZgOn6gGbAYGNbZlC2vh1cPBG9mXd0uf0FavrNgVhfNqPLG7r8jI0yGsdYDhyphenhyphen_TcCI93JnOA/s1600/X19_VGAMon_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1242" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUuCj7HQkTD5FtapQGJoXpcCSHe2tlajnnVDdcz5bCqBJWn7wU8xXEO6QGOdy045P8UiqZgOn6gGbAYGNbZlC2vh1cPBG9mXd0uf0FavrNgVhfNqPLG7r8jI0yGsdYDhyphenhyphen_TcCI93JnOA/s320/X19_VGAMon_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSWp1KRIT_Va6T0Glgf1LNM7QR-y1i3os60QCLz6G565pBmoP06NtT4cAfy2TQp9VLgZ__ZTfiPNeOajnYIYuLDbNJEuzJHxaCTYn7GR3-JFZcoD-MfLlQthWJYT_notJvGpgteDLVXw/s1600/X19_VGAMon_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1150" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSWp1KRIT_Va6T0Glgf1LNM7QR-y1i3os60QCLz6G565pBmoP06NtT4cAfy2TQp9VLgZ__ZTfiPNeOajnYIYuLDbNJEuzJHxaCTYn7GR3-JFZcoD-MfLlQthWJYT_notJvGpgteDLVXw/s320/X19_VGAMon_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiRLNvixun-UDnfGX0Km4nZgQuUqepxOfZ-WtcEo43fAFYYd6nuHfdCOPpCjaEqcgrGBfYDvaTwdGKmW0mYoPI2JHIQ1HYvKk3USCqGNr1uc3TtaWbEwiB05KR2YoUet3U_ZhnC3V4fI/s1600/X19_VGAMon_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1344" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiRLNvixun-UDnfGX0Km4nZgQuUqepxOfZ-WtcEo43fAFYYd6nuHfdCOPpCjaEqcgrGBfYDvaTwdGKmW0mYoPI2JHIQ1HYvKk3USCqGNr1uc3TtaWbEwiB05KR2YoUet3U_ZhnC3V4fI/s320/X19_VGAMon_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>10 Pack of microswitches</li>
<ul>
<li>Acquired from a vendor at ReplayFX 2019</li>
<li>Will be used for arcade controls</li>
<li>Will be 3D printing out button/arcade stick housing for the switches</li>
<ul>
<li>To cut down on costs</li>
<li>For customized setup and look</li>
<li>Budgeted arcade machine assembly</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8mSiGYz8QQTOnXFAaReAO4FRdsbfBpvX5KHZVhhtGA8ncwZcGvui5-ClG4-gnu4K6LDnUBFj-SOK8oftz0ZHlggJvpY2eogPvjBKmjzOhqwxrp9LD4mGf12r0PKA_HHmoviBZxbz7nY/s1600/Microswitches_RF19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8mSiGYz8QQTOnXFAaReAO4FRdsbfBpvX5KHZVhhtGA8ncwZcGvui5-ClG4-gnu4K6LDnUBFj-SOK8oftz0ZHlggJvpY2eogPvjBKmjzOhqwxrp9LD4mGf12r0PKA_HHmoviBZxbz7nY/s320/Microswitches_RF19.jpg" width="223" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>CPU Connector</li>
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aGI05WqOZDo6xT31iwW5ma0dgjddQ0CD60W5T6zggGYGtRRuqydq3lggcJk1TCSbYsk8FnBgGW7SO2yD9ha7EspwvBcPGwORp20Q8cO_r425NcDwAHxcwC0ky8TVrlYWRWhYPPnwf84/s1600/Cpu_Con.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aGI05WqOZDo6xT31iwW5ma0dgjddQ0CD60W5T6zggGYGtRRuqydq3lggcJk1TCSbYsk8FnBgGW7SO2yD9ha7EspwvBcPGwORp20Q8cO_r425NcDwAHxcwC0ky8TVrlYWRWhYPPnwf84/s320/Cpu_Con.jpg" width="229" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li>I/O Board (with IDC breakout boards and some cables)</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmse5njVGcfPZ9waaI_QKcfVc5jE0e4vd_E1llOEhyjSrGzC7dotB2VkK_RB37WuAXXopHH6uUCo3Uhf3AB-iDCPKlpQNFOEqnHEzeB6NKN3bSFXoYFm2FMtvKCE5GUtvMYrkcxdu7H0/s1600/X19_IO_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1134" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmse5njVGcfPZ9waaI_QKcfVc5jE0e4vd_E1llOEhyjSrGzC7dotB2VkK_RB37WuAXXopHH6uUCo3Uhf3AB-iDCPKlpQNFOEqnHEzeB6NKN3bSFXoYFm2FMtvKCE5GUtvMYrkcxdu7H0/s320/X19_IO_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-LI9eHJSWs-bJz8gyZHh7DbwMatXQkf9rJfw4-I6tkWoX6AOco-p53qadOYhyeDtTYeLMHcH0CGzd6Bsgh3VocNYXSS0HRgBFCYHlqfNACmABVSLQI6u4LthkYBdHaPIqp_c9qdKE7I/s1600/X19_IO_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1222" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-LI9eHJSWs-bJz8gyZHh7DbwMatXQkf9rJfw4-I6tkWoX6AOco-p53qadOYhyeDtTYeLMHcH0CGzd6Bsgh3VocNYXSS0HRgBFCYHlqfNACmABVSLQI6u4LthkYBdHaPIqp_c9qdKE7I/s320/X19_IO_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTExmfjf563AJM4rpbunGWyAmO2NtJVwBkX5JaMDXr3h3axS4TSK6-g0j59pWxsU35TZBFI3_L4YlXwc_iy3NR3Qk6HUBkALaH_9QLRi8Z47t8KeST6gQF4Cz1QEW3oZL_tAHtkHKKtdM/s1600/X19_IO_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="1175" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTExmfjf563AJM4rpbunGWyAmO2NtJVwBkX5JaMDXr3h3axS4TSK6-g0j59pWxsU35TZBFI3_L4YlXwc_iy3NR3Qk6HUBkALaH_9QLRi8Z47t8KeST6gQF4Cz1QEW3oZL_tAHtkHKKtdM/s320/X19_IO_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<li>ATX Stuff </li>
<ul>
<li>Retronik ATX Breakout board</li>
<li> ATX Power supply tester</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Better ATX Power supply</li>
<ul>
<li>The one acquired in the 1st VF blog post at the magical Red White & Blue Thrift Store near the Fort Pitt tunnel was a dud 😑</li>
<ul>
<li>Was a <strike>Bestec</strike> Worstec ATX power supply model</li>
<li>Notoriously known for faulty, bad capacitors</li>
<li>Known to fry the motherboards of computers using them after the power rails go out of spec 😱</li>
<li>PSU determined to not even power up or output any power with the ATX Power supply tester</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>New power supply actually powers on, and outputs the appropiate voltages on its power rails according to the power supply tester</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskf790tw0krlefRX5bYWKWPetquYoIAdbRmfUfbt7bJ9J2WmxhXCW6XL1SZRhInLV5JsXw2DQ_gqdUIZOH-JevKtir-aGF8GFuzxCrFqJAIZJWhP2OkzpfFCkflP_xWsiJVTiZiN-gt4/s1600/X19_ATX_Stuff1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="453" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskf790tw0krlefRX5bYWKWPetquYoIAdbRmfUfbt7bJ9J2WmxhXCW6XL1SZRhInLV5JsXw2DQ_gqdUIZOH-JevKtir-aGF8GFuzxCrFqJAIZJWhP2OkzpfFCkflP_xWsiJVTiZiN-gt4/s320/X19_ATX_Stuff1.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Rqv1_9O4A0979WZ2nMbCCRxLTHw8nS5qFCxGSoopDCptulelerxgIiKoMyV78obH6GtdXEizlGZMePPUu55i_xkPj6bbCAIUVzwntdnqMOwOGA5mj7G88qVBDX0khMHZLczUoJcNik/s1600/X19_ATX_Stuff2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="672" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Rqv1_9O4A0979WZ2nMbCCRxLTHw8nS5qFCxGSoopDCptulelerxgIiKoMyV78obH6GtdXEizlGZMePPUu55i_xkPj6bbCAIUVzwntdnqMOwOGA5mj7G88qVBDX0khMHZLczUoJcNik/s320/X19_ATX_Stuff2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQ_Op-YVMrkYSWYC2SWOSAKE4e7n_mZ3nalzTtrB_8MD4L0dpwZPpGEXAeKNC4lEScJsChTXxF7OLEazAHy7l4LBl6ylz3oJcjjROhAB0wjwmSJXmTXM9M8IxR5SJETvmtTiqRJAcpZE/s1600/X19_ATX_Stuff3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="322" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQ_Op-YVMrkYSWYC2SWOSAKE4e7n_mZ3nalzTtrB_8MD4L0dpwZPpGEXAeKNC4lEScJsChTXxF7OLEazAHy7l4LBl6ylz3oJcjjROhAB0wjwmSJXmTXM9M8IxR5SJETvmtTiqRJAcpZE/s320/X19_ATX_Stuff3.jpg" width="320" /><br /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>Sega Model 1 Filter Board </li>
<ul>
<li>Used for organized wiring to various board components, especially for </li>
<ul>
<li>Power input</li>
<li>22KHz Medium-Rez RGBHV video signals</li>
</ul>
<li>Board ordered was damaged</li>
<ul>
<li>Dusty</li>
<li>Had various JST NH Female pins bent</li>
</ul>
<li> Repaired by</li>
<ul>
<li>Removing dust with SMT ESD Brushes</li>
<li>Gently bending pins back into alignment with a pliers</li>
</ul>
<li>Original pics (the damages)</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4Wp6UFLZR6Tu-A3FSLfMXEIvishlnSM6Vf0ysLvcPozN06FD7klkA4fzRBavq6wlCLndv0ZSEzSnxcewkMl1FHY8ldpOHq5EXjdwgQq4rOcE0jCOVQuBcFBs_hAJl4Y1CRVculDKb1U/s1600/X19_FBrd_0.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1152" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4Wp6UFLZR6Tu-A3FSLfMXEIvishlnSM6Vf0ysLvcPozN06FD7klkA4fzRBavq6wlCLndv0ZSEzSnxcewkMl1FHY8ldpOHq5EXjdwgQq4rOcE0jCOVQuBcFBs_hAJl4Y1CRVculDKb1U/s320/X19_FBrd_0.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
<li>Front</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDzf0UeqzCL1aG7KopeZAKxXdFZqw9QWWFzhlzMvnzKlem39up18OoJtws-9Pidts8RDOO6KSo5Gq76XjXnwd4EDo1uI_oPJIplbJ1WGPQkoLjjFFWb7JLnHQqmPOc-mgKmdovyytsoc/s1600/X19_FBrd_1_F.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="798" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDzf0UeqzCL1aG7KopeZAKxXdFZqw9QWWFzhlzMvnzKlem39up18OoJtws-9Pidts8RDOO6KSo5Gq76XjXnwd4EDo1uI_oPJIplbJ1WGPQkoLjjFFWb7JLnHQqmPOc-mgKmdovyytsoc/s320/X19_FBrd_1_F.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdtQxO8QNxPZLthhgd_SOzSS8kgc-989YojAxm4DQd46PEOA9aBYCk3ckyZF3kinQX-Klj0w4QnOxxpx99FjMQpQwpS9PzHX4f9vpBjitEMtRYjv1-Wp3tJYFzAuVXrSLVoBFkPWzNtk/s1600/X19_FBrd_2_FFlaw1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1152" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdtQxO8QNxPZLthhgd_SOzSS8kgc-989YojAxm4DQd46PEOA9aBYCk3ckyZF3kinQX-Klj0w4QnOxxpx99FjMQpQwpS9PzHX4f9vpBjitEMtRYjv1-Wp3tJYFzAuVXrSLVoBFkPWzNtk/s320/X19_FBrd_2_FFlaw1.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvST5ORui5xvDPBaSR38AZUl_QDqaI9qRmsBwu1cGWMhRrRO1A_AVrU9f2nci7AOKTKKyR4Irsc0DrWIcCJGosfvsYvG2D8Z4fHH33iE8_xCa0h0PICCImjLb4yizpLK6SXqlcR1S9dE/s1600/X19_FBrd_3_FFlaw2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1152" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvST5ORui5xvDPBaSR38AZUl_QDqaI9qRmsBwu1cGWMhRrRO1A_AVrU9f2nci7AOKTKKyR4Irsc0DrWIcCJGosfvsYvG2D8Z4fHH33iE8_xCa0h0PICCImjLb4yizpLK6SXqlcR1S9dE/s320/X19_FBrd_3_FFlaw2.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>Back </li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn8QRUMTnEIiwxtvLW2RakivOvVrb6OHo3jnTZHyA-kLc_IxjTNUYr6XIKkIAu-SVzbp70bEFb6wnzyiRU9fO9MKR9ufQNTUEUus4Oa5fnHuSCRAgcwH4b9E9Cs6WOi8qN5C2YPcYKw4/s1600/X19_FBrd_4_Back.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="1152" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn8QRUMTnEIiwxtvLW2RakivOvVrb6OHo3jnTZHyA-kLc_IxjTNUYr6XIKkIAu-SVzbp70bEFb6wnzyiRU9fO9MKR9ufQNTUEUus4Oa5fnHuSCRAgcwH4b9E9Cs6WOi8qN5C2YPcYKw4/s320/X19_FBrd_4_Back.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8N9D5Y4LH1yfqr_eb27AJFwGozsS6OhWvFJdOnUgrPo6P9RlnZlN3CVnOfqp7N_AHKlVjuiHNGcNaOBBa8tIxrXb1OzsR9rV2ExDAIpnZ2_0R7tYs4eZm2g2r081BsX8WefZH4CZEl8/s1600/X19_FBrd_5_BFlaw1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1152" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8N9D5Y4LH1yfqr_eb27AJFwGozsS6OhWvFJdOnUgrPo6P9RlnZlN3CVnOfqp7N_AHKlVjuiHNGcNaOBBa8tIxrXb1OzsR9rV2ExDAIpnZ2_0R7tYs4eZm2g2r081BsX8WefZH4CZEl8/s320/X19_FBrd_5_BFlaw1.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQoPMYVzQZDLOjDsh2WZhrejj0jnsCvwH3Wj954G0u3l7oT6f7rouqMEGpE0s21l54-dRTGeixOfGCCaHsAok6PmxyxPP9t-Du9M3hjJmhWU4NBcdHp_0NRQ8tRSH9xERySIJ2MOBnEU/s1600/X19_FBrd_6_BFlaw1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="729" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQoPMYVzQZDLOjDsh2WZhrejj0jnsCvwH3Wj954G0u3l7oT6f7rouqMEGpE0s21l54-dRTGeixOfGCCaHsAok6PmxyxPP9t-Du9M3hjJmhWU4NBcdHp_0NRQ8tRSH9xERySIJ2MOBnEU/s320/X19_FBrd_6_BFlaw1.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul><ul><ul><ul>
<li><b>Repair pics</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Beautifully repaired!<b> </b></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGG6O12AKd7ly3VptAJeAo8xUxK4v11ltd1TJMCnfuTYluNNFotS4BaXqG_23arsBzyg7_VszV7ZucPHvyczFHaenM-CXBgDrBZieCgmbAuxdnRdlVkwLdG7JTpqiT7UdN6LQwsT2jdk/s1600/X19_FBrd_7_Fixed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="1252" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGG6O12AKd7ly3VptAJeAo8xUxK4v11ltd1TJMCnfuTYluNNFotS4BaXqG_23arsBzyg7_VszV7ZucPHvyczFHaenM-CXBgDrBZieCgmbAuxdnRdlVkwLdG7JTpqiT7UdN6LQwsT2jdk/s320/X19_FBrd_7_Fixed.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>Stuff acquired for Christmas</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Arrived at <strike>house</strike> bird nest in time for holidays</li>
<ul>
<li>Gonbes GBS-8200 CGA/EGA/YUV to VGA converter</li>
<ul>
<li>Used for converting VF1's medium-resolution (24 KHz) graphics to high-resolution, modern day VGA (31 KHz)</li>
<li>Am currently powering on the device via</li>
<ul>
<li>The small 2-pin JST connector connected onto a breadboard</li>
<li>Makeshift USB breakout module using Dupont cables to the breadboard</li>
<ul>
<li>USB module scavenged from a broken HP Photosmart printer</li>
</ul>
<li>Power applied via</li>
<ul>
<li>Male-to-male USB cable</li>
<li>Heavy-duty 5V 2A USB wall wart.</li>
<li>Wall wart usually powers up my Raspberry Pi too, which needs the high current.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqd38hsRgv5gAVb0gDCrMoVSawE3hdhtN1BjW00pzhSj5PDxUk7j0XVQOCulBsttZgPH4jBaHVDU4ivxXBQI6Sim0_tSyUgf6TgN47heBOxyj9ClPEG-KNc6tTez1l23Hq1YIvrZAuNQ/s1600/X19_GBS_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqd38hsRgv5gAVb0gDCrMoVSawE3hdhtN1BjW00pzhSj5PDxUk7j0XVQOCulBsttZgPH4jBaHVDU4ivxXBQI6Sim0_tSyUgf6TgN47heBOxyj9ClPEG-KNc6tTez1l23Hq1YIvrZAuNQ/s320/X19_GBS_1.jpg" width="273" /></a> </li>
<li> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFUduklP2tTdyyAoOBYtxzH0Cslu4ribOgxX99KVWaZlZWNyiNITV63HgjqFeZ61deG6uA0ATnLVeDAdZ3JFQMpxzu_Ru2pifXY0n3XVZ2hhee8yeA5Hjj3kXTQ9q5oGzT2Xeuov90yQ/s1600/X19_GBS_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="815" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFUduklP2tTdyyAoOBYtxzH0Cslu4ribOgxX99KVWaZlZWNyiNITV63HgjqFeZ61deG6uA0ATnLVeDAdZ3JFQMpxzu_Ru2pifXY0n3XVZ2hhee8yeA5Hjj3kXTQ9q5oGzT2Xeuov90yQ/s320/X19_GBS_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjabOQgerOVhzoSO2y3kAi3gehIsMt4Q7BHWugU94w_Dv5tVEGz4q1K8h4XITVCbgdNh-tyGGnmBkmxZ2CjDfXRJhtXfOexim4jlZq0obD8vUkHhOtlhkf6izgYu03Q0UqFL7ctLPtYo/s1600/X19_GBS_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="593" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjabOQgerOVhzoSO2y3kAi3gehIsMt4Q7BHWugU94w_Dv5tVEGz4q1K8h4XITVCbgdNh-tyGGnmBkmxZ2CjDfXRJhtXfOexim4jlZq0obD8vUkHhOtlhkf6izgYu03Q0UqFL7ctLPtYo/s320/X19_GBS_3.jpg" width="176" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4K8Yjo7oFXXnPEX0rjpTS7JAPcRogGR8fGFVA1bVa1n7TDFenSwxP1PHsBORWAIvyVMq_2V_M40FneT0EMD_zhO3IImHZ4Hl-Gfz_ZToE7En2lh8NvbfXi2GgHs1o4QWzNYQikpolZQ/s1600/X19_GBS_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="924" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4K8Yjo7oFXXnPEX0rjpTS7JAPcRogGR8fGFVA1bVa1n7TDFenSwxP1PHsBORWAIvyVMq_2V_M40FneT0EMD_zhO3IImHZ4Hl-Gfz_ZToE7En2lh8NvbfXi2GgHs1o4QWzNYQikpolZQ/s320/X19_GBS_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4nqIs_-zHV8p4gxmzxlgE1V1v-L2vtxuMkbjS0SjSRpm7FHNyV_mGur__4OPIUmPU3M_9qsF4xIhSb2Tad-3le3D320HHHOfJKtLdhl1MOmNBPuSIuYMfoGDcDHODRPOTqPh8SbpeeQ/s1600/X19_GBS_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="960" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4nqIs_-zHV8p4gxmzxlgE1V1v-L2vtxuMkbjS0SjSRpm7FHNyV_mGur__4OPIUmPU3M_9qsF4xIhSb2Tad-3le3D320HHHOfJKtLdhl1MOmNBPuSIuYMfoGDcDHODRPOTqPh8SbpeeQ/s320/X19_GBS_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDmHvnbNivJr4R5bO8BKmtV585zlWIdTlbezp9UxFXWviI0ZaAti-69q1XwOnDscSSldqqyEzviiSD4yKrnXwU9P_gw_IgddP3p6PJa_CqMJV69hlqBbg8UqXlAZRlxxllgSViEaqxIo/s1600/X19_GBS_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="795" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDmHvnbNivJr4R5bO8BKmtV585zlWIdTlbezp9UxFXWviI0ZaAti-69q1XwOnDscSSldqqyEzviiSD4yKrnXwU9P_gw_IgddP3p6PJa_CqMJV69hlqBbg8UqXlAZRlxxllgSViEaqxIo/s320/X19_GBS_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhQzjJD94VSabAWzJRqDma7SRALLNepppiEpePAwuE8qvGsQWweVQ4008Ym-KcA7NGm7qav7fGWJsaB57w-TxeellBwrgdmrs7cezKwXE02hzyhzDqPd_8d94Xr4RKAxPrdDcOQctFg0/s1600/X19_GBS_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhQzjJD94VSabAWzJRqDma7SRALLNepppiEpePAwuE8qvGsQWweVQ4008Ym-KcA7NGm7qav7fGWJsaB57w-TxeellBwrgdmrs7cezKwXE02hzyhzDqPd_8d94Xr4RKAxPrdDcOQctFg0/s320/X19_GBS_7.jpg" width="252" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUcRtt8epBd-pzACRjX2i4JrcXhvb73-GCn2vhzf3nUVy2wJVcVNVgHpMzwmJvOqVbb8zzUiTCW5v0HnGnFzf3ei038QexU7S4hakBpNQpfzgSAQH4I9iUyx7QDlcoo8mTDjM16xl44k/s1600/X19_GBS_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1082" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUcRtt8epBd-pzACRjX2i4JrcXhvb73-GCn2vhzf3nUVy2wJVcVNVgHpMzwmJvOqVbb8zzUiTCW5v0HnGnFzf3ei038QexU7S4hakBpNQpfzgSAQH4I9iUyx7QDlcoo8mTDjM16xl44k/s320/X19_GBS_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsz1hYJoK5UMgfMYTt53_KwHaR5xwwwm4NWp1TuNV_xuO9l-HJ4Q5Av2jqvmPERwZIAYqZBGGhVcThazNC_prSN1JATSHydpXgam6nv6Hg5pjxUl6qCIOTqlZIRBD_g5Ksd5q-e8BdW5s/s1600/X19_GBS_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsz1hYJoK5UMgfMYTt53_KwHaR5xwwwm4NWp1TuNV_xuO9l-HJ4Q5Av2jqvmPERwZIAYqZBGGhVcThazNC_prSN1JATSHydpXgam6nv6Hg5pjxUl6qCIOTqlZIRBD_g5Ksd5q-e8BdW5s/s320/X19_GBS_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>IDC adapters</li>
<ul>
<li>IDC50 low-density SCSI Breakout board</li>
<ul>
<li>Used for wiring stuff into the I/O Board's IDC50 port</li>
<li>Have a dual-port IDC50 low-density SCSI cable that fits both boards (thanks, Goodwill!)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>IDC26 Parallel port breakout board</li>
<ul>
<li>Used for wiring in the arcade controls into the I/O Board's IDC26 port</li>
</ul>
<li> Pics</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_en-qM9i3Jf9m5irlwpfiyEiE_8_3dDP87jSEZJxRL3qbbJFWFmSlrJ-RdwYrtiZurIcf5hhbGUdw7zg3M4G_iXI9CnOeKMoOyi2_EKt34I1ZNYAEXqyDf6Rjf-Osx-OeR_TCkn7DwM/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="970" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_en-qM9i3Jf9m5irlwpfiyEiE_8_3dDP87jSEZJxRL3qbbJFWFmSlrJ-RdwYrtiZurIcf5hhbGUdw7zg3M4G_iXI9CnOeKMoOyi2_EKt34I1ZNYAEXqyDf6Rjf-Osx-OeR_TCkn7DwM/s320/X19_IDCaddy_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztEvOHDcZh0-ArfZ2isRDu6pJrEY8M9waNhUkukjOnPODnPvhdFHlmuN_KN9S0pMIDRq6zxnRHRLkp5-Ayu24WPigqH39CaHpC3JiVE390Q2ihIk3yFssBtZNq_-Q88kvozgijlAN5Ek/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztEvOHDcZh0-ArfZ2isRDu6pJrEY8M9waNhUkukjOnPODnPvhdFHlmuN_KN9S0pMIDRq6zxnRHRLkp5-Ayu24WPigqH39CaHpC3JiVE390Q2ihIk3yFssBtZNq_-Q88kvozgijlAN5Ek/s320/X19_IDCaddy_2.jpg" width="247" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivlDaxX8drYNMZkCiK7GkFYZprwu2mGzN6I0EMNjogKoTBdjnSi8pa4Qac_K50g1RswgMYvea9VW3khf10BVkhhjAeGrsTgWs5dpFIzYkVIguWay-Rf1JDO7r8Y9jazHkSE9h5QvFzEE/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="760" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivlDaxX8drYNMZkCiK7GkFYZprwu2mGzN6I0EMNjogKoTBdjnSi8pa4Qac_K50g1RswgMYvea9VW3khf10BVkhhjAeGrsTgWs5dpFIzYkVIguWay-Rf1JDO7r8Y9jazHkSE9h5QvFzEE/s320/X19_IDCaddy_3.jpg" width="216" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yUL2ssiQl6NDmEuvtokl28JJX-sD9tXGDd34qiF4seou9SQu-xCUoMme7VumSnPmQKwuOuaNors95VS5CkfqifsnaSQhC9YeJn7wTZoFtnbnVqQUy3R1qmJKhtVX1rl2O2XxXlvFqCg/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="617" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yUL2ssiQl6NDmEuvtokl28JJX-sD9tXGDd34qiF4seou9SQu-xCUoMme7VumSnPmQKwuOuaNors95VS5CkfqifsnaSQhC9YeJn7wTZoFtnbnVqQUy3R1qmJKhtVX1rl2O2XxXlvFqCg/s320/X19_IDCaddy_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QK9d87SoU6381ZLLaclFfZCcqE071iynx66HrE7NbS6G0vDCJP8FnkU7SMXXezBFd3UvGfmDzhnouW8yF3QRnyOZqzUZsHJwPl4mCpsGjYvI9z4ARM4zvpMzi_Csim1PdLtat1VmhYE/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="877" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QK9d87SoU6381ZLLaclFfZCcqE071iynx66HrE7NbS6G0vDCJP8FnkU7SMXXezBFd3UvGfmDzhnouW8yF3QRnyOZqzUZsHJwPl4mCpsGjYvI9z4ARM4zvpMzi_Csim1PdLtat1VmhYE/s320/X19_IDCaddy_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz1L_kDOWAOU7Zbi5wkzW1z3MAr5IohUyhtEU6zZK528Lh1T3sboJ1VcKY0pEqnn899J8ZcEf7a3sa4wayH_SHK-bBxeWops4zqvbujkDJmCImCNNvg8fywUvywttohsuw1uxDaO2WlA/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="1213" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz1L_kDOWAOU7Zbi5wkzW1z3MAr5IohUyhtEU6zZK528Lh1T3sboJ1VcKY0pEqnn899J8ZcEf7a3sa4wayH_SHK-bBxeWops4zqvbujkDJmCImCNNvg8fywUvywttohsuw1uxDaO2WlA/s320/X19_IDCaddy_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4QjZnpd_sON49N4-PZTCEzESk8LG2C_DLIiFQ1c6ykk_07aebVdAHdaxTu6dggqIypOpmE6dNKbsrBomiJ1X5WStjlMX1huj2YogNnQuv9Uip2W_BSRllsOGEr9M3-eA7ubz7Y2Pnss/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="526" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4QjZnpd_sON49N4-PZTCEzESk8LG2C_DLIiFQ1c6ykk_07aebVdAHdaxTu6dggqIypOpmE6dNKbsrBomiJ1X5WStjlMX1huj2YogNnQuv9Uip2W_BSRllsOGEr9M3-eA7ubz7Y2Pnss/s320/X19_IDCaddy_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX_0oAExOEm2-0Y8OByERJoh3IvhAn8_J3jn9QveROkfGfwu3u3WSPtoLpXR6soYwH1lXZLDk5Dha6DFORWPF2Vkokpnraz9rZ75V-W_GPYx3hlbayR-_rzPTUWJvbBpz_Ocnb29bW58/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="674" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX_0oAExOEm2-0Y8OByERJoh3IvhAn8_J3jn9QveROkfGfwu3u3WSPtoLpXR6soYwH1lXZLDk5Dha6DFORWPF2Vkokpnraz9rZ75V-W_GPYx3hlbayR-_rzPTUWJvbBpz_Ocnb29bW58/s320/X19_IDCaddy_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFKrSsWM7BmbpKzaH7y0JVxi7lgT-1I0pPXdZGHHaSQWjolE7DNh7BZMTlvONjhiKTfxAM4i_3-xHM-5hXKbcE34Dy6uIaHbeAXCzr27kWhyA-nuW-Gcc36hfPa9gf0G3y4r5WVpYDig/s1600/X19_IDCaddy_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="921" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFKrSsWM7BmbpKzaH7y0JVxi7lgT-1I0pPXdZGHHaSQWjolE7DNh7BZMTlvONjhiKTfxAM4i_3-xHM-5hXKbcE34Dy6uIaHbeAXCzr27kWhyA-nuW-Gcc36hfPa9gf0G3y4r5WVpYDig/s320/X19_IDCaddy_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul><ul>
<li><b> Stuff arriving sometime after Christmas</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Another 10 pack of microswitches</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Needed to complete a full set of 16-20 microswitches needed to implement all VF1 arcade controls</li>
<li><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcWvbhcUSBKB4fS5rtRWdbT8tGyOYg9Ye08oeW2PUsJHFsNYEtstkvAg_xeUW4JWh9_igmejmRClQQZVsVyGE2pMCcuYYTnAT6WmJ5N6SZJ5xJepgt0hfJuR3kBUW7smkufu85l-lOz8/s1600/X19_Microswitches_2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="711" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcWvbhcUSBKB4fS5rtRWdbT8tGyOYg9Ye08oeW2PUsJHFsNYEtstkvAg_xeUW4JWh9_igmejmRClQQZVsVyGE2pMCcuYYTnAT6WmJ5N6SZJ5xJepgt0hfJuR3kBUW7smkufu85l-lOz8/s320/X19_Microswitches_2.png" width="320" /></a> </b></li>
</ul>
<li>IDC26 cable</li>
<ul>
<li>Used as an interconnect between the I/O Board's IDC26 port and the IDC26 breakout board (to wire in arcade microswitch controls)</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkFSynosH3vpxPmCtwF6FNw8uwsaO3EE4DRbzQt4Vg9Vv209JqLMfbFbGpVHeLzYhXjHOeHiuJLtByJh7x4SDgmKyedE1CuSEMebc7STyPXGderEUsYtJR9yZ0qBzyzg8PgXoOjuG5Ks/s1600/X19_IDC26_Cable.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="708" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkFSynosH3vpxPmCtwF6FNw8uwsaO3EE4DRbzQt4Vg9Vv209JqLMfbFbGpVHeLzYhXjHOeHiuJLtByJh7x4SDgmKyedE1CuSEMebc7STyPXGderEUsYtJR9yZ0qBzyzg8PgXoOjuG5Ks/s320/X19_IDC26_Cable.png" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
<li>Various quantities and pin-counts of JST NH Female connectors from magical <a href="http://jammastar.com/gb/">Jammastar.com</a> 's <a href="https://www.ebay.com/usr/jammastar*com?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754">eBay store</a>.</li>
<ul>
<li>Original ones are kinda rare, and new ones can only be acquired <a href="http://www.jst-mfg.com/index.php" target="_blank">direct-from-manufacturer</a></li>
<ul>
<li> In bulk, due to direct-to-order state like Digikey, without jacking up costs for only a few parts</li>
</ul>
<li>These are just the female connectors</li>
<ul>
<li>Need to order 200 pins from Jammastar to put into each connector for crimping</li>
</ul>
<li>To be used for creating my own wiring harness from scratch</li>
<ul>
<li>After talking with arcade forum members online</li>
<li>Verifying the wiring from the manual's poorly written schematics</li>
</ul>
<li> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIMcUtpd_g9IKTUIxI3n8Uw27ZZWWZfD5L4J_EAswQy4Mmpb7s5osSDc53Wxc2TQdn8clRc9ge8oMkgtrThGirSvMzsGFXxMVthHje4aD_818HGbBirdvTRf1pjmVJfqrUeKDdoxpfo4/s1600/X19_JST_NH.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="716" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIMcUtpd_g9IKTUIxI3n8Uw27ZZWWZfD5L4J_EAswQy4Mmpb7s5osSDc53Wxc2TQdn8clRc9ge8oMkgtrThGirSvMzsGFXxMVthHje4aD_818HGbBirdvTRf1pjmVJfqrUeKDdoxpfo4/s320/X19_JST_NH.png" width="147" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>Misc stuff</b> </li>
<ul>
<li><b>Stuff acquired in the past few months</b></li>
<ul>
<li> 6 pack of 170 point mini-breadboards</li>
<ul>
<li>Used as dedicated project breadboards</li>
<ul>
<li>Instead of various circuits hogging different sections of my primary Radio Shack breadboard</li>
<li>RIP Brick and Mortar store Radio Shack stores 😭 </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcZIuF19Ct-BIVFs0ngLV6jKgYvtCKbXWL5wro5_ZjVhHXv_bWO2F1ICVUONKV9ZAT_SmK4LoWX1lSwSsc1mt7sRcwvPHZ647XFZzr0OgH5ZOwzsM3S7J5Hff_KYrophp47jstdXTHSM/s1600/X19_MBB_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="808" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcZIuF19Ct-BIVFs0ngLV6jKgYvtCKbXWL5wro5_ZjVhHXv_bWO2F1ICVUONKV9ZAT_SmK4LoWX1lSwSsc1mt7sRcwvPHZ647XFZzr0OgH5ZOwzsM3S7J5Hff_KYrophp47jstdXTHSM/s320/X19_MBB_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYFdqBNTPJMgUa2wlk6jQR86KBbb56dBqVTihRi1pGlRCqsnYRlXE0UcnyiMGQrqDtPD5NUxaYImcJuuwt9UXYcF2aEJHjpNDcdaQXJ1O8_SGzeLiwF1mDO_ML83HFbhYqaLVyyF0OZw/s1600/X19_MBB_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1206" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYFdqBNTPJMgUa2wlk6jQR86KBbb56dBqVTihRi1pGlRCqsnYRlXE0UcnyiMGQrqDtPD5NUxaYImcJuuwt9UXYcF2aEJHjpNDcdaQXJ1O8_SGzeLiwF1mDO_ML83HFbhYqaLVyyF0OZw/s320/X19_MBB_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYaBWVf1Jfasl2jrhVYULy57zx8vY8DqHQl9UwDFGo8gqJmcPJ98__eo1YwAtnORrsatyW1f9HzwAa5yILBDVRzExLQ3mXSDrnLPEabFgRchWnI786deSsufhWOBrOmSxT7ksxKIdJWc/s1600/X19_MBB_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="845" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYaBWVf1Jfasl2jrhVYULy57zx8vY8DqHQl9UwDFGo8gqJmcPJ98__eo1YwAtnORrsatyW1f9HzwAa5yILBDVRzExLQ3mXSDrnLPEabFgRchWnI786deSsufhWOBrOmSxT7ksxKIdJWc/s320/X19_MBB_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t2lwY1aGZ4UzYHE2498X7lcSWvG2oc4GZCworPwnLCEGQIB-75pDLHEw737QXR0d-v4Xm4zqAbIC2P7UYfi7C_jVS05ybhBuEHqU71rP7xWunMio4G7o89zdg1yzN5uPMYB99x37Sgc/s1600/X19_MBB_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1069" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t2lwY1aGZ4UzYHE2498X7lcSWvG2oc4GZCworPwnLCEGQIB-75pDLHEw737QXR0d-v4Xm4zqAbIC2P7UYfi7C_jVS05ybhBuEHqU71rP7xWunMio4G7o89zdg1yzN5uPMYB99x37Sgc/s320/X19_MBB_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b> Stuff arriving sometime after Christmas</b></li>
<ul>
<li><b> </b>5 pack of SN74LS641-1N through-hole chips</li>
<ul>
<li>Chips to be used for a <a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://retropc.net/gimons/&prev=search" target="_blank">RaSCSI</a> adapter board for my Raspberry Pi</li>
<li>Adapter to be used as a temporary virtual SCSI HDD to boot up my NeXTCube 😀</li>
<li> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7w1yGl7vi70SF2bJTEzxrah03hLxY-Ne49jQYdwTQg2Q2UYMKfGlE7RLZ1TqWxPjz9uIo-6XmWPotaD-lFR5o86h7wCVdROhgetILJ7Ib2c7c5zNFANQGVqdvhkuUK9EloAI8D8spiMA/s1600/X19_SN74LS641-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="706" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7w1yGl7vi70SF2bJTEzxrah03hLxY-Ne49jQYdwTQg2Q2UYMKfGlE7RLZ1TqWxPjz9uIo-6XmWPotaD-lFR5o86h7wCVdROhgetILJ7Ib2c7c5zNFANQGVqdvhkuUK9EloAI8D8spiMA/s320/X19_SN74LS641-1.png" width="320" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
The nice thing is that I will be 90% completed with getting the minimum amount of materials required to at least boot up the Sega Model 1 Virtua Fighter Arcade Machine when everything arrives 😀! All that is left to order at a later date to begin assembly for bootup:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>200 JST NH Female terminal pins (for the wiring harness)</li>
<li>3D Print some arcade buttons and joysticks for the microswitches</li>
<ul>
<li>Ask one of my professors at the university</li>
</ul>
<li>A <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/22-AWG-Gauge-Solid-Hook-Up-Wire-Kit-25-ft-Ea-0-0253-10-Color-UL1007-300-Volt/371598097062" target="_blank">boxed set</a> of various solid-core, 22 AWG spools of colored wire</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>To be used for assorted lengths of wire in the actual wire harness</li>
<li>Color-coded similarly as specified as in the manual's poor schematics</li>
<li> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfynyU8sami3-TL0rrqU4WZKh5nMQNaEHhkDktxHCfYUP3nlHco-xlw7hHnTCUX5rc5L1OpumXXzafI95y0Z6rIzuPlWKGoKgF3AIFlMGvd1ZkSCSYK1fMaLvlnwG-8znxU4TiQr4Sjg4/s1600/BoxWireSet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfynyU8sami3-TL0rrqU4WZKh5nMQNaEHhkDktxHCfYUP3nlHco-xlw7hHnTCUX5rc5L1OpumXXzafI95y0Z6rIzuPlWKGoKgF3AIFlMGvd1ZkSCSYK1fMaLvlnwG-8znxU4TiQr4Sjg4/s320/BoxWireSet.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p7jbtIbZKwQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p7jbtIbZKwQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></li>
</ul>
<li>Order a 2 pack of ST Micro M27C160 (2MB 42-pin) chips</li>
<ul>
<li>To replace the one I fried during dumping (chip mpr-16102.32)</li>
</ul>
<li>Assemble the wiring harness, wire everything up!</li>
</ul>
<br />
Overall, this year was somewhat busy, next year will have a lot of game development, repairs, and electronics engineering happening, and Christmas went fine this year.<br />
<br />
<b>Catch you on the flip side in the year 2020!</b><br />
-Tamkis <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-79701991375896098782019-12-02T19:08:00.003-05:002019-12-02T19:08:25.712-05:00StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy Game Reveal!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Game Reveal!</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/stareagle/SE_DotG_Team.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/stareagle/SE_DotG_Team.png" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="800" height="246" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Background</b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Way back during Fall 2015, for graduation from RMU with my now-obtained, B.S. Engineering w/conc. Software Degree, all engineering students had to take a class known as <b>Integrated Engineering Design (IED)</b> class. Basically, this class was a senior project, where students would use their knowledge and skills learned throughout their college career in order to research, to engineer, and to make/do something related to their engineering major.<br />
<br />
As frequent followers of EagleSoft Ltd and this blog may already know, earlier during my Software Engineering college career during Fall 2014 semester, I designed <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/UAHDx" target="_blank">Ultra Air Hockey DX</a> in Unity3D/C# for PC and Android. This game was a deluxe, 3D version of <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/pc/ultra-air-hockey" target="_blank">Ultra Air Hockey</a>, which was my first real video game written in <a href="https://www.portal.qb64.org/" target="_blank">QB64</a>. UAHDX was created for <b>Fundamentals of Software Engineering</b> class, which received an "A" for the class project, which received RMU's Software Engineering Award in Spring 2015, and which was my first Unity3D/C# game. Fundamentals of Software Engineering basically taught about the basics of proper, industry-standard Software Engineering practices (Software Requirements, SDLC/waterfall and other scrum-based methods, basics of Software Verification and Validation, Gantt Charts, and other tools for proper project management.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VjGB5z6n70o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VjGB5z6n70o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b>Original game prototype</b> </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Ultra Air Hockey DX Trailer </b></div>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/UAHDx/Scan-150427-0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/UAHDx/Scan-150427-0003.jpg" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="800" height="254" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Academic achievement unlocked!</b></div>
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During Spring 2015, the fellow classmate/co-developer of Ultra Air Hockey DX and I had to take <b>Distributed Systems</b> class (but at different time slots, unfortunately). All students taking the class (regardless of time slot) had a class project of writing an application utilizing distributed systems concepts. Basically, Distributed Systems class taught about distributed systems architecture, which is distributing computing power between multiple machines/servers over a local network or across the Internet. The project was to write an application fetching data from a database in a language of choice, from both a primary and a secondary server. If the primary server went down, the data should be fetched from a redundant, secondary server. (One requirement for the project intentionally was to disconnect access to the primary server, and prove that the secondary server would kick in for usage.)</div>
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For the Distributed Systems project, a different classmate and I took up an alumnus' unfinished Distributed Systems project, which was written in MIT App Inventor Classic (eww) for Android and called <b><a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/mobile/Equator" target="_blank">The Equator</a></b>. This unfinished application was an educational application which would fetch a mathematical equation name, the equation itself, and an image related to the equation from an online database, cache everything offline into a local database on the device, and display all of the equations in a list. The images were hosted on The Equator's project page at EagleSoft Ltd. Once an equation was clicked from the list, it would bring up the default email client on the device, and allow you to send an email to somebody with all of the equation information. If the primary server went down, the secondary server would kick in, in order to download and to update the local, offline database cache on the device.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The other classmate and I finished The Equator project, by fully implementing the features detailed in the previous paragraph. We imported the project into MIT App Inventor 2, which is a fake, noobish "language" and "IDE" that allows younger programmers to write Android applications by connecting literally code blocks (graphical puzzle pieces with language syntax keywords on them, and other interconnects for parameters and data for each language keyword). This programming "environment" abstracted away both Android programming internals and networking support (no need for handling networking sockets or ports), but had the drawback of having to write complex if/then/else blocks to get everything to run. Overall, MIT AI2 is really meant for younger programmers, instead of college students (whom really should be writing code by then in <b>real</b> programming languages/IDEs, such as C# or Visual Basic in Visual Studio), but the only reason I had to use it was due to the original, unfinished application being written in MIT AI Classic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.</div>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/mobile/Equator/Icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/mobile/Equator/Icon.png" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="416" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Equator app icon</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/mobile/Equator/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/mobile/Equator/2.png" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="709" height="171" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Main app form</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://youtu.be/DdypwL-8vTM" target="_blank"><b>The Equator Video</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Meanwhile, my other classmate<b> </b>(the UAHDX co-developer)<b> </b>at his Distributed Systems class wrote a simple Unity3D/C# PC tech demo game, called <b>Colonial Combat</b>.<b> </b>This game was a simple prototype, which was a 1-on-1 2D fighting game, consisting of two recolored Megaman characters looking like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Morris_(financier)" target="_blank">some school's mascot</a>. Players could walk around, jump, and hadouken swords to deplenish each other's health. No endgame scenario was programmed in (the game would just continue running on player death). To comply with the class' projects requirements, the game had simple online multiplayer support. Two machines running the application within a wired LAN network could type in each other's IP address in an UI dialog box within the game, could connect to each other, and then control one of the characters and play against each other. The game utilized RPC functions, so no intermediary servers were needed (it just did a direct IP connection for online multiplayer). The game had a bug where if you jump and collided with level geometry properly, the player could rotate, and thus would cause movement to move parallel with the new rotation, causing space-like physics.<b> </b>The game was simple, but very incomplete.<b> </b>That classmate graduated in Spring 2015.<b><br /></b></div>
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After the release of Ultra Air Hockey DX, I had plans to work on a new, more ambitious Unity3D/C# game. During summer 2015, during lunchtime breaks at an internship, I was working on a new Unity3D/C# game called<b> <i>StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy</i></b>. At the time, it was a game planned to be a Shadow Squadron/Stellar Assault (Sega 32x) 3D space simulator shmup clone. Unfortunately, all of the Unity3D project files were lost sometime after Fall 2015, except for the game's WIP music (which was at the time uploaded and re-downloaded to/from EagleSoft Ltd's music section), a wallpaper of the title screen, and a promotional 3D printed model of one of the game's characters (King Flight). All I had of the game at that time was a rudimentary Main Menu, a Training test level (where you could fly your spacecraft StarWing in a 6DoF environment and shoot down asteroids), some music and sound effects, a simple FMV system, and an introduction FMV. The game had no UI, no endgame scenario, and literally was just a test level prototype for flying.<br />
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<b>Shadow Squadron (32x) Review</b></div>
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Come Integrated Engineering Design class, and my group and I had to decide whether to make a Unity3D/C# video game of StarEagle or finish my other classmate's Colonial Combat video game. Due to lack of 3D experience for the game's scope, due to the StarEagle's project scope being too large for the class' timeline, we chose Colonial Combat instead. Post-graduation in 2016, I was underemployed for a year in fast food, while working on finishing Colonial Combat outside of school and <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/genesis/sockth" target="_blank">Socket the Hedgeduck</a>. Fortunately, I then got hired at a local game studio and from 2017-Fall 2018, and even got two commercial games released there (<a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2018/09/coffee-crisis-release-pc-xbox-one.html" target="_blank">Coffee Crisis</a> for Sega Genesis as co-developer and Coffee Crisis for PC/Xbox One in Unity3D/C#). Unfortunately, I ended up leaving that job in Fall 2018, and have been underemployed since at the time of this writing.<br />
<br />
Due to development on Socket the Hedgeduck and Colonial Combat in 2016, due to having a professional gamedev gig from 2017-2018, and due to losing most of the Unity3D project, <i>StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy</i> went on the backburner. However, now with a lot of freetime on my hands outside of underemployment jobs, StarEagle is now back in development! Due to having a lot more experience with Unity3D (including new professional Unity3D assets to streamline and simplify development), I believe I now have the means to realize the game's technical and artistic vision.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>About StarEagle: Defenders</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>of the Galaxy</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/stareagle/StarEagle_Title.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/stareagle/StarEagle_Title.png" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="800" height="192" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>"StarEagle: Defenders
of the Galaxy</b></span>” is an in-progress, story-driven, Indie shmup
video game that is a combination of a 3D scrolling on-the-rails and
free-roam shmup game. It is a story-driven game with an art style modeled after
the
early, flat-shaded, low-poly 32-bit and 64-bit 3D
polygon video games. It is heavily inspired by classics such as <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161019111635/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fox_%28video_game%29" target="_blank">StarFox (SNES)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161019111635/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fox_64" target="_blank">StarFox 64 (N64)</a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161019111635/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Squadron" target="_blank">Stellar Assault (Sega 32x, aka Shadow Squadron)</a>.
The game has on-rails flight sections, 3D free range sections (similar
to "All-Range Mode" in StarFox 64), and 6DoF space battles similar to
those in Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005 Pandemic, not the EA garbage),
and player movement/action control scheme similar to StarFox 64's. Game
planned to be released sometime late during 2020 for Windows, Mac OSX,
and Linux through Steam.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Essentially, the game is a StarFox 64 clone but with an additional flight mode of Space Mode for 6DoF levels, and has the following unique features:</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>Original, hand-drawn, low-poly, flat shaded 3D polygon models</li>
<li>16-Bit MS-DOS -like UI graphics (White-on-Blue text and some ASCII art)</li>
<li>Sega Genesis and Soundblaster chiptune music and sfx </li>
<li>SteamWorks support</li>
<li>StarFox 64-styled cutscene dialog system for teammates and enemies </li>
<li>StarFox 64-styled gameplay (including 3 helper teammates)<br /></li>
<li><b>Gameplay</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Standard StarFox 64 StarWing actions</li>
<li>3 gameplay modes </li>
<ul>
<li>Current mode changes at different points in levels </li>
<li>On-the-rails mode </li>
<li>3D Free Range mode </li>
<li>Space Mode<br /></li>
</ul>
<li>Powerups</li>
<ul>
<li>Same types as in StarFox 64 </li>
<li>Rings</li>
<ul>
<li>Checkpoint</li>
<li>Small Silver Rings</li>
<li>Big Silver Rings</li>
<li>Gold Rings</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bombs</li>
<li>Laser powerups <br /></li>
</ul>
<li>Story Mode</li>
<ul>
<li>Ability to save/load up to 3 game slots</li>
<li>Levels</li>
<ul>
<li>7 missions per story</li>
<li>Branching story paths</li>
<li>2 different endings (good/bad)</li>
<li>18 levels available</li>
<li>Medals earned for beating devteam's highscores<br /> </li>
</ul>
<li>Map system</li>
<ul>
<li>Each planet has up to 2 available paths</li>
<li>Map system rotatable on X, Y, and Z axises</li>
<li>Map Menu</li>
<ul>
<li>Ability to change which path to take on certain planets</li>
<li>Retry the previous mission (sacrifice a life) </li>
<li>Go back to main menu<br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Training Mode</li>
<ul>
<li>Teaches the player how to play the game <br /></li>
</ul>
<li>Video Settings menu </li>
<ul>
<li>Allows tweaking of various retro video settings </li>
<li>Can preview current settings </li>
<ul>
<li>Console palette colorspace in use </li>
<li>Sample paletted image with the colorspace </li>
<li>Rendered scene displaying settings</li>
</ul>
<li>Tweakable graphics</li>
<ul>
<li>Retro palette colorspace to render graphics in</li>
<li>Dither texture style, strength, and size</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/dsoft20/psx_retroshader" target="_blank">PSX Shader</a> texture distortion <br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>VectorVision™</li>
<ul>
<li>Branch of <a href="https://wiki.warpzone.ms/projekte:vector_graphics_adapter_en" target="_blank">Linux MPV</a> co-utility that can vectorize the game's graphics and output vector graphics to</li>
<ul>
<li>A retro, CRT-based monochrome oscilloscope in XY Mode<br />OR</li>
<li>Raster-based CRT monitor converted to a fancy color vector monitor using <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YveqKcKqqyY&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Fred K's kit</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li>Uses a custom VGA circuit<br /></li>
</ul>
<li>Peripheral support (Unity3D Rewired library)</li>
<ul>
<li>Remapping of buttons (flightstick/gamepads) and of keys (keyboard)</li>
<li>Supported peripherals</li>
<ul>
<li>XBox 360/One controller support (XInput)</li>
<li>Generic dual-analog stick </li>
<li>Generic HOTAS flightstick support </li>
<li>Saitek ST290 Pro flightstick support</li>
<li>"Unknown" controller support</li>
<ul>
<li>Everything else that Rewired library doesn't natively detect </li>
<li>The "unknown controller" will work as long as it supports the minimum amount of axises/buttons the game uses for remapping everything<br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Various game options</span></span> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Full details and progress on the game's development can be found both at the <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/unity3d/stareagle" target="_blank">game's project page</a> and here at the blog, respectively. Below is a video of a test level showcasing a quick engine test.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VEBMPif-HDU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VEBMPif-HDU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b>More details about the game's development as it comes at this blog!</b></div>
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Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-6750840630691630542019-11-10T15:59:00.004-05:002020-11-02T18:08:47.799-05:00DreamPi: DIY Industrial LVI<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>DreamPi: DIY Industrial LVI </b></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="310" src="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RsoLikBsPsD-921srgjaShcwq6tM9uM511NdCZrqJzIl_vN3HmghPruynxP5XUMrFUop-e6gPxJa3_rLt-exsjRhRji6N56oumvhiJvZoJ6jQV4IcDNc6EAo1Gfb6ZAotu1G5Pl3VZI/s1600/IMAG1012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1173" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RsoLikBsPsD-921srgjaShcwq6tM9uM511NdCZrqJzIl_vN3HmghPruynxP5XUMrFUop-e6gPxJa3_rLt-exsjRhRji6N56oumvhiJvZoJ6jQV4IcDNc6EAo1Gfb6ZAotu1G5Pl3VZI/s320/IMAG1012.jpg" width="234" /></a></b></div>
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In a few prior posts, I have detailed some information about getting a Sega Dreamcast back online by using a DreamPi. A <a href="http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html" target="_blank">DreamPi</a>
is a standardized set of software (a customized Linux distro) and a set
of hardware created by a fellow named "Kazade" which will create a
simplified DC-PC server, for getting a Dreamcast back online to connect
to the Internet for browsing and online gaming, via resurrected, private
game servers. In a few other posts I have also detailed using and writing a customized <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image</a> that I have created for adding the DreamPi Linux distro onto an SD card in a mulit-boot setup (via NOOBS/PINN bootloader).</div>
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One of the main hardware components that is often required for setting up a DreamPi is a <b>Line Voltage Inducer</b>. Most of the dial-up 56k modems models built into most Dreamcast models require voltage on the red wire (+power line) of the RJ11 phone cable; a <a href="https://dreamcast.onlineconsoles.com/phpBB2/guides_pcdcwin98.php#10" target="_blank">Line Voltage Inducer (LVI)</a> is a simple circuit, consisting of an electrolytic capacitor, a resistor, and a 9V battery, which will apply the proper voltage to the red wire (+power line) of the RJ11 phone lack for proper operation of the Dreamcast's dial-up 56k modem.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDDYAe3HtHl-MnG6UTCHPvlna9T-5805qv6ziLXV6cpR-yKxIElKIKVxOFudM4zDG9guDze5xpY2BY4JPT_zjJHaQyN-2l-rVsJwpLZTCbu8xP1EBtVUMg6K0h8MQJUXlhNhgASliRUE/s1600/LVI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDDYAe3HtHl-MnG6UTCHPvlna9T-5805qv6ziLXV6cpR-yKxIElKIKVxOFudM4zDG9guDze5xpY2BY4JPT_zjJHaQyN-2l-rVsJwpLZTCbu8xP1EBtVUMg6K0h8MQJUXlhNhgASliRUE/s320/LVI.jpg" width="320" /></a><b> </b></div>
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<b>Simple depiction of an LVI</b></div>
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<b>(Not electrically functional just depiction, duh.</b><br />
<b>Pic credited to <a href="https://www.onlineconsoles.com/content_images/dc/voltinducc.jpg">onlineconsoles.com</a>)</b></div>
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Although fellow DC scener PCWizard does sell both awesome, Linux-compatible USB RJ11 modems for DreamPis and even complete DreamPi kits at the <a href="https://www.dreamcastlive.net/shop" target="_blank">Dreamcast Live shop</a>, when I built my DreamPi back in January 2018, I built my own kit from scratch, by shopping for the components on eBay and making my own DIY LVI. (If you are not technical, if you would just want to have a simple
complete kit, and if you have the money, I do recommend buying from the Dreamcast Live shop in
order to support both DC Live and the scene.) Making my own DIY kit was done both to save money and for the fun/learning factor; if I remember correctly, I gathered everything for about $50, so I saved some money. (In comparison, at the time of this writing, a complete Standard DreamPi kit from the Dreamcast Live site is USD $79.99, and a Raspberry Pi 3 DreamPi Kit with WiFi support is $99.99 . My DreamPi consists of a used Raspberry Pi Model 2B kit from eBay, which uses an Ethernet connection for the internet. I saved a little more money since I already had spare components available for assembling the DIY LVI.) For the DIY LVI, I just cut open a spare RJ11 cable in half, and soldered the LVI circuit in between the halves on a spare RadioShack prototype PCB. (RIP brick and mortar RadioShack stores, you are still greatly missed in 2019 😢.)</div>
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At a previous job many years ago, I once had a summer job doing some contract EET work of wiring up some safety-related electrical equipment, which was my highest payable job to date (my High Score) of a whopping $20/hr. The main task of the job was cutting open RJ45 Ethernet cable, twisting certain pin pairs of the cable, crimping the pairs into spade terminals, and inserting the spade terminals into screw terminals of the safety devices, in order to wire up a Modbus protocol cable for the devices. Since that job, I have disliked dealing with RJ45/RJ11 cable, due to how difficult stripping, splicing, and dealing with the small gauge of this stranded wire was.</div>
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Like with the old job, one problem I found with creating that LVI (which I will now call "LVI 1.0" throughout the article) was that it was flimsy and hard to solder down. Some soldering wizards just make their own DIY LVI by soldering the circuit components directly between RJ11 wires (no PCB used, like with the simple LVI depiction above); I find doing soldering in between wires like that very difficult. Standard RJ11 wire is both very small gauge wire (either 22 or 24 AWG gauge wire, with 24 being the standard) and is usually stranded (the wire itself has various strands, must be twisted together for easy soldering, and soldered down properly as a whole for stable electrical conductivity). After some attempts, for LVI v1.0, I soldered down the RJ11 wire onto the board, and had to apply some electrical glue to prevent strain on the fragile, soldered RJ11 wire as the ends moved. Despite this, however, some of the RJ11 wires soldered down still would sometimes break off from the PCB, and I would have to redo the soldering for the affected wires. It was annoying.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJo0xlb0T9iU9HEp_2Dk0FInGV69yg8rxC7XBJ9k58syKbzvnZAh1FhuGhJts5VnkOat2mKkb2zxbA1AI6V_r86ScQlHuFz1UxSP2vxFQgIppo0nY-Rf_nsKuXlEoNWa9r0yV2IEAl8UI/s1600/LVI1_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1600" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJo0xlb0T9iU9HEp_2Dk0FInGV69yg8rxC7XBJ9k58syKbzvnZAh1FhuGhJts5VnkOat2mKkb2zxbA1AI6V_r86ScQlHuFz1UxSP2vxFQgIppo0nY-Rf_nsKuXlEoNWa9r0yV2IEAl8UI/s320/LVI1_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>LVI v1.0</b></div>
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A few months ago, after repairing and breaking the circuit for a 2nd time, I decided enough was enough, and to design a solderless, <b>industrial-strength LVI</b>. Instead of even soldering and dealing with the small, fragile, stranded gauge of wire that is RJ11 wire, I designed a better LVI (<b>LVI v2.0</b>). LVI 2.0 is a far more stable design, consisting of x2 4P4C RJ11 wall plates (which utilize user-friendly screws and wire terminals for each pin), a breadboard for the LVI circuitry itself; shorter, replacement plate screws and washers; and small gauge, solid-core, copper wire and 22-16 spade terminals to connect both RJ11 wall plates together and to wire up the red wire (power+ pin) to the mini breadboard with the LVI circuity. To wrap up the industrial-strength LVI, it is all enclosed in a fancy metal box, with the wall plates screwed into the top lid and bottom case (with washers), and cuts to insert the RJ11 keystones.</div>
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The whole thing cost ~<USD $15 if I remember correctly, and was pain-free to create (compared to dealing with that pesky RJ11 24 AWG gauge wire).</div>
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<b>Parts/approx. cost: </b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Metal box</li>
<ul>
<li>Acquired on sale from a Pat Catan's closing sale</li>
<ul>
<li>Pat Catan's was a local craft store, which also went RIP like RadioShack earlier this fall 😢.</li>
<li>It's inventory and business has since been absorbed into <a href="https://www.michaels.com/" target="_blank">Michael's</a> another local Craft store</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.michaels.com/darice-small-rectangular-metal-tin-with-lid-silver/D048191S.html" target="_blank">Equivalent box</a> from Michael's</li>
</ul>
<li>RJ11 keystone wall plates</li>
<ul>
<li>Steal of $0.50 each from a Pittsburgh Goodwill store 😀 </li>
</ul>
<li>Box of 20 22-16 Spade Terminals</li>
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgw8PE7cWbqYRyfwS0CODCDeNM6-fLQSP5ijRzqZg96ktcsvcifP5qY6MiAHqPV-qXnCHKGJ-6vxWknMLcegKOeaTNFXkIwWInHMefL26Qby1V0vUIgbTLRnrRvSvyeWfboisLvnmNa7k/s1600/LVI2_SpadeT1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgw8PE7cWbqYRyfwS0CODCDeNM6-fLQSP5ijRzqZg96ktcsvcifP5qY6MiAHqPV-qXnCHKGJ-6vxWknMLcegKOeaTNFXkIwWInHMefL26Qby1V0vUIgbTLRnrRvSvyeWfboisLvnmNa7k/s320/LVI2_SpadeT1.jpg" width="167" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Nae2s7TzT6P_czRpGtlwFvaQUyCFiWEpNWmi0G77QMnQnRA5ZX7bmTES7gTGsJ1s_ZUDaFUc_KCz-FlkfPekP9dGPMaGQBrI8-kTIUwAvYOHMOkyRoxeD-D_pvvjcR16Lczew9qi8-s/s1600/LVI2_SpadeT2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="999" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Nae2s7TzT6P_czRpGtlwFvaQUyCFiWEpNWmi0G77QMnQnRA5ZX7bmTES7gTGsJ1s_ZUDaFUc_KCz-FlkfPekP9dGPMaGQBrI8-kTIUwAvYOHMOkyRoxeD-D_pvvjcR16Lczew9qi8-s/s320/LVI2_SpadeT2.jpg" width="199" /></a></li>
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<ul>
<li>$4 from <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-20-Count-Spade-Wire-Connectors/999953546" target="_blank">Lowe's</a><br /><br /> </li>
</ul>
<li>Shorter RJ11 plate screws and washers for about
$2 total both from Lowe's</li>
<ul>
<li>Shorter screws needed because screws that came with plates were too long to fit into box</li>
<li>Washers needed to clamp down wall plates to metal box halves<br /></li>
</ul>
<li>LVI Circuitry</li>
<ul>
<li>1μF electrolytic capacitor</li>
<li>390Ω resistor</li>
<li>9V battery terminal</li>
<li>Some from either RadioShack or from part grab-bags elsewhere online<br /></li>
</ul>
<li>Mini breadboard</li>
<ul>
<li>$4 for <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/6pcs-Green-170-Tie-point-Prototype-Solderless-PCB-Breadboard-for-Arduino-DIY/222094173331" target="_blank">pack of 6 from Frentaly (eBay)</a></li>
<li><strike>Not depicted/used yet; to be bought later</strike></li>
<li><strike>Temporarily using a small segment from my main breadboard (which currently has a prototype Sony Super Multi circuit on it)</strike></li></ul><li><b>Edit - 11/2/2020</b></li><ul><li><b><b><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-PCB-Board-Mount-Leg-Feet-L-Post-Bracket-Jamma-Pinball-Arcade-Vewlix-CandyCab/172213183399?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649">Viewlix CandyCab Arcade PCB Legs</a></b> <br /></b></li><ul><li><b>PCB legs to standoff bottom of enclosure</b></li><li><b>Makes it possible to lay it flat (but stood off) from a surface, connect both RJ11 cables </b></li></ul><li><a href="https://harborfreight.com/metric-drill-tap-deburr-bit-set-95529.html" target="_blank"><b> Habor Freight Metric drill bit set</b></a></li><ul><li><b> For drilling out M3 holes for the PCB legs</b><br /></li></ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Assembly was easy; just measure and Dremel out holes for the RJ11 wall plates, drill out holes for the plate screws, screw in the plates (with washers inside the box), and then assemble solid-core, copper, jumper wires for wiring up everything. <b>And also drill out M3 metric holes for the standoff leges, screw them in (11/2/2020 edit).</b> The drilled screw holes and the square cuts for the keystones were filed down (they were too sharp initially). Each jumper wire was cut and stripped, and spade terminals applied to the ends as needed. The black, yellow, and green RJ11 pins between both wall jacks were respectively connected by screwing the spade terminals jumper wires between them (direct connection), while the red pins (power+) from each plate was connected via spade terminal and into a small breadboard (bare solid wire). This breadboard contains the LVI circuity itself for applying the voltage.<br />
And <span data-dobid="hdw">voila</span>, a high quality, industrial-strength LVI was created! This LVI has served to be much more sturdier than v1.0, and has been working flawlessly since. Never again do I have to deal with that pesky RJ11 wire for tweaking. Pictures below of the industrial-strength LVI masterpiece.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRP3S6EBHPHk2vexlMQiFWpA5TI2RpFG2GFD4DnoSKtQj14XTbDaF_kNWHivx35QB9l8d_iQj0b9G7BGnI3RmvAK-7aIw1Dhb6yUWPpn7MYt1l3pMJ3fkrmNrAnY6Z7WhxhnGrd05IEY/s1600/LVI2_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRP3S6EBHPHk2vexlMQiFWpA5TI2RpFG2GFD4DnoSKtQj14XTbDaF_kNWHivx35QB9l8d_iQj0b9G7BGnI3RmvAK-7aIw1Dhb6yUWPpn7MYt1l3pMJ3fkrmNrAnY6Z7WhxhnGrd05IEY/s320/LVI2_1.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
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<b>Entire DreamPi setup</b></div>
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<b>(excuse the mess, semi-temporary living quarters)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh32WBE5p-Y3qCiKckKykvcgpk6_isSg6e-u0uaqnEd3HeQvOH3JVjLAF94AgDePZZJPKtvQpPdF0UjboDHDPkMnpjWuoeUa6aLwSX8UM8gEk3DYSAqTwHHkOgkRGum1vjMI6elMpqBcw/s1600/LVI2_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="894" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh32WBE5p-Y3qCiKckKykvcgpk6_isSg6e-u0uaqnEd3HeQvOH3JVjLAF94AgDePZZJPKtvQpPdF0UjboDHDPkMnpjWuoeUa6aLwSX8UM8gEk3DYSAqTwHHkOgkRGum1vjMI6elMpqBcw/s320/LVI2_2.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Raspberry Pi</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjierfKyFWOsm1xqBR-5rDlCkyN9sn4rTSbuKMwgg1rdQsvsgBVxNV66jnnjGYLGMezevSMQClvFNzyFUpr8fRCA3n3DRWcyXCayVoBi7GfEdoX1ZhkrBkrSTBkaqJ-SPM1TDbi7O4rdA/s1600/LVI2_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1600" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjierfKyFWOsm1xqBR-5rDlCkyN9sn4rTSbuKMwgg1rdQsvsgBVxNV66jnnjGYLGMezevSMQClvFNzyFUpr8fRCA3n3DRWcyXCayVoBi7GfEdoX1ZhkrBkrSTBkaqJ-SPM1TDbi7O4rdA/s320/LVI2_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b>Sega Dreamcast</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuztkMnAOzsKrfweFEjLihbFhXLA-4Kj46woaEL3q4sEx1JDdJwqeDO3ccNo0h_Zwh6cpmkUR6nOG2JP58hl1Br-l8GgLC8uUWOZH5XzJoNbCppzgUsyk9zaPXTacVjA2Q7nctb3Ttb4Y/s1600/LVI2_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1173" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuztkMnAOzsKrfweFEjLihbFhXLA-4Kj46woaEL3q4sEx1JDdJwqeDO3ccNo0h_Zwh6cpmkUR6nOG2JP58hl1Br-l8GgLC8uUWOZH5XzJoNbCppzgUsyk9zaPXTacVjA2Q7nctb3Ttb4Y/s320/LVI2_7.jpg" width="234" /></a> </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIziVRKQGGVc9JpIpMCAisxA5a8Xo5WYMqB2qWPiSQdb8SWY9RNr7jbac0aWEDLLy0mfxWreel-vboa0Razylb35xw7caKUIMbALTCirX7ZKl1xkNswm9JdU1Q6N0Z-B2-3grlEuosW0I/s1600/LVI2_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1600" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIziVRKQGGVc9JpIpMCAisxA5a8Xo5WYMqB2qWPiSQdb8SWY9RNr7jbac0aWEDLLy0mfxWreel-vboa0Razylb35xw7caKUIMbALTCirX7ZKl1xkNswm9JdU1Q6N0Z-B2-3grlEuosW0I/s320/LVI2_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Industrial Strength LVI</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nQQD1hQ7xIND0j05tEpgTTyCRq47MmOU9ss5OZLCTbJ4Mb50pRy-eVCQyRSQSUS0O0HUq_IzHTcmq1YacRbDD3QKeZu9F4cU0LvhB-oitXs7uaFsu_mbFjd5BTEqytXytlG8d4umk5A/s1600/LVI2_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nQQD1hQ7xIND0j05tEpgTTyCRq47MmOU9ss5OZLCTbJ4Mb50pRy-eVCQyRSQSUS0O0HUq_IzHTcmq1YacRbDD3QKeZu9F4cU0LvhB-oitXs7uaFsu_mbFjd5BTEqytXytlG8d4umk5A/s320/LVI2_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4j_SghOmuyF61cVmllJvmU3yt1qj76mLPYkmgrE7WpvpVJskjXch7_HW2wfu1M4Z1RHOnB9DO2ci-0nHHbrwwzC-5rBbLyT4iUU8Pm_NDauY-8gZu6dyS1vpyfzrlS16gGEcpnmAQgtc/s1600/LVI2_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1600" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4j_SghOmuyF61cVmllJvmU3yt1qj76mLPYkmgrE7WpvpVJskjXch7_HW2wfu1M4Z1RHOnB9DO2ci-0nHHbrwwzC-5rBbLyT4iUU8Pm_NDauY-8gZu6dyS1vpyfzrlS16gGEcpnmAQgtc/s320/LVI2_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LVI Circuit (on temporary breadboard)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrNd9TWuk3mVDYf_0jvdUCdx0YfB1txaX2nKaW5tRa9AGpw8BPasP67vB4FztURDs4vUQDmQGMcivPuOQKunxL5lIGPdP0xdPYqbZ3R8LG8q_BaSdlxTphlKanM38-8-RgIwXg6LX0Ew/s1600/LVI2_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="905" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrNd9TWuk3mVDYf_0jvdUCdx0YfB1txaX2nKaW5tRa9AGpw8BPasP67vB4FztURDs4vUQDmQGMcivPuOQKunxL5lIGPdP0xdPYqbZ3R8LG8q_BaSdlxTphlKanM38-8-RgIwXg6LX0Ew/s320/LVI2_8.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbMhrG6FRk3k8sw2UxOrBSjAACNL_UxAlPboMDh7FUfSwWG0P5XXlMVepFv5inq71SA64kW0Vk43s4ywo4GJAy7qs3W5ggKpJxKf7GA7hmN5P96L8ZvLDhuhyZXeYf7IwQYcZjde-oUs/s1600/LVI2_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1197" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbMhrG6FRk3k8sw2UxOrBSjAACNL_UxAlPboMDh7FUfSwWG0P5XXlMVepFv5inq71SA64kW0Vk43s4ywo4GJAy7qs3W5ggKpJxKf7GA7hmN5P96L8ZvLDhuhyZXeYf7IwQYcZjde-oUs/s320/LVI2_9.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LVI Setup</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fMJFb2qjKRrZBaj83kvat5dfeTOuGqC2qeDIEOrkpzrEG2_SWRLQyIEaj-zgBp93MT6VP77J_gNNHk8QlUt9F_6ViT873SRxUOFZ4KTYv4v8rYUZ4b9Yzhivd8u1dH_PgPIp9LaDbRU/s1600/LVI2_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1600" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fMJFb2qjKRrZBaj83kvat5dfeTOuGqC2qeDIEOrkpzrEG2_SWRLQyIEaj-zgBp93MT6VP77J_gNNHk8QlUt9F_6ViT873SRxUOFZ4KTYv4v8rYUZ4b9Yzhivd8u1dH_PgPIp9LaDbRU/s320/LVI2_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcuSDj9Cbm0DIaLKEzBM31ufBm_I_uwf7Cf8zzQ_fq-5o36PfMgE8p_xYG39F4UYPY7xbg3mTP75-TWK2MnqtZwmMCSikCAw-IfPhyHiDG6uQSnk-xBRD7gVfVVfUcyUja1OfBjfzi0Q/s1600/LVI2_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcuSDj9Cbm0DIaLKEzBM31ufBm_I_uwf7Cf8zzQ_fq-5o36PfMgE8p_xYG39F4UYPY7xbg3mTP75-TWK2MnqtZwmMCSikCAw-IfPhyHiDG6uQSnk-xBRD7gVfVVfUcyUja1OfBjfzi0Q/s320/LVI2_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIlJ9SdSIHXIPsm4Le_I9NyZ1gBzkAWRFt8Zgy86X47lVwXegxLY4OT0MdArKBVY-gV-ptDbPd9Lyrah1ClG-dQCnXWfD6mzIVoiDtrhvb1wJ4W4J4njwquYitKwYjD1WiVCgvcBfxJY/s1600/LVI2_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIlJ9SdSIHXIPsm4Le_I9NyZ1gBzkAWRFt8Zgy86X47lVwXegxLY4OT0MdArKBVY-gV-ptDbPd9Lyrah1ClG-dQCnXWfD6mzIVoiDtrhvb1wJ4W4J4njwquYitKwYjD1WiVCgvcBfxJY/s320/LVI2_12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJKfqgvhj5lgjRzq2P6LVMP5phPZCw33X3aLjw5ZwAY_ZeeoJpP35BRnJjTNIrMQqqJiJMWvLOMY1ROV66POw-p2X5z3TEgOa_IIFW2hdQ0FaheiIxI_RcRdNwFEXnltaPJexmlyFZX0/s1600/LVI2_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJKfqgvhj5lgjRzq2P6LVMP5phPZCw33X3aLjw5ZwAY_ZeeoJpP35BRnJjTNIrMQqqJiJMWvLOMY1ROV66POw-p2X5z3TEgOa_IIFW2hdQ0FaheiIxI_RcRdNwFEXnltaPJexmlyFZX0/s320/LVI2_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HNlo3UQpzCrN7cFPj2u-s-C6rJMrNvFvRkNzPMSQgUUaxFya512xC1HmMiCJwtlt5Ceqn98TbkzZlCDqcAznj78g8NWh3Jgh64lPYQDrW6Choj49BbmF-Mv4BFAKM5rsHBkRBBMygxc/s1600/LVI2_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1600" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HNlo3UQpzCrN7cFPj2u-s-C6rJMrNvFvRkNzPMSQgUUaxFya512xC1HmMiCJwtlt5Ceqn98TbkzZlCDqcAznj78g8NWh3Jgh64lPYQDrW6Choj49BbmF-Mv4BFAKM5rsHBkRBBMygxc/s320/LVI2_14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9U9qWpPI8Usoxzhw0zvDRQuSt8CUMyUG4xIuVC-7I6Gh8smLmjtKOl5ao3eJeqhp7JA3GXrVotsRG9sRzTZHl6vUkZwHcmswchG82RUndyHInZOSCCB-CsoUBPaVMf4RdqTeNGFnlTU/s1600/LVI2_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1600" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9U9qWpPI8Usoxzhw0zvDRQuSt8CUMyUG4xIuVC-7I6Gh8smLmjtKOl5ao3eJeqhp7JA3GXrVotsRG9sRzTZHl6vUkZwHcmswchG82RUndyHInZOSCCB-CsoUBPaVMf4RdqTeNGFnlTU/s320/LVI2_15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Connecting to the internet with DreamPi</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and Industrial-strength LVI</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(DreamPi distro output,</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Quake 3 Arena,</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>PlanetWeb connecting to EagleSoft Ltd.)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<span style="color: red;"><b>12/16/19 Update!</b></span><br />
<b>Finally ordered and finished the Industrial LVI</b><br />
<b>with a dedicated mini breadboard.</b><br />
<b>Enclosure can now close shut!</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLm52SQX3tfOxv_XgraGWsjlMwav3O6QKs56X2OiS-2YcJtaQJG0LZMNV4yiWdU8tiuI5eEGxtZ7g4bKZ2S7qvSgUDfKkqJoMAcBLskY3t5opdpXMNbmv6qZH7cpA7tBadPI3O687Dl4/s1600/LVI2_10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLm52SQX3tfOxv_XgraGWsjlMwav3O6QKs56X2OiS-2YcJtaQJG0LZMNV4yiWdU8tiuI5eEGxtZ7g4bKZ2S7qvSgUDfKkqJoMAcBLskY3t5opdpXMNbmv6qZH7cpA7tBadPI3O687Dl4/s320/LVI2_10.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwNCShoReS3UyAxFelhf9oE9rZRXiPxxb7MDhWsobf0O-zKlHAXHjOzC12o5EAIO1IuT9bF3bWi37SFgrkB3MZwfPauBD0W0AhL0SGDy6k26fe0KHyqHdMHNiE2EVq43r_SfrjTU9Hb8/s1600/LVI2_11.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwNCShoReS3UyAxFelhf9oE9rZRXiPxxb7MDhWsobf0O-zKlHAXHjOzC12o5EAIO1IuT9bF3bWi37SFgrkB3MZwfPauBD0W0AhL0SGDy6k26fe0KHyqHdMHNiE2EVq43r_SfrjTU9Hb8/s320/LVI2_11.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b> </b><br />
<b>11/2/2020 Update!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b>Drilled M3 metric holes on bottom, in order to mount PCB Legs to the bottom of the case.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This makes connection of RJ11 cables easier. <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fveJ6IKuuRC67TO0H9KZQvgRZzkIHxu39tEEdUjYq7BjTXm1uUBGYNmRvXoxshpwpaCAe9Mj3jxhLYg_qrk1V1gspX6dMw-2KImps9eNHGyTJxkMolax2xYvmnmdySKUAZG4Ob5rx0M/s1280/LVI2_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1084" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fveJ6IKuuRC67TO0H9KZQvgRZzkIHxu39tEEdUjYq7BjTXm1uUBGYNmRvXoxshpwpaCAe9Mj3jxhLYg_qrk1V1gspX6dMw-2KImps9eNHGyTJxkMolax2xYvmnmdySKUAZG4Ob5rx0M/s320/LVI2_12.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ4AXZvmvlJ_b4v8AgPqRrZV1P1TgMlLZs6sq3oRQrAv7mWAMad1M_tvG9ucOrcdfgXL7gG9FNsmESHhlOYIqCVZ2HlWeyFc44_-IrzpEbcK8TIlzkFDr_jSPHu5l7U6Rt7JG5ZpibX8/s1772/LVI2_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1772" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ4AXZvmvlJ_b4v8AgPqRrZV1P1TgMlLZs6sq3oRQrAv7mWAMad1M_tvG9ucOrcdfgXL7gG9FNsmESHhlOYIqCVZ2HlWeyFc44_-IrzpEbcK8TIlzkFDr_jSPHu5l7U6Rt7JG5ZpibX8/s320/LVI2_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFI4CW_cIZxHUKB1t6mcKZYvrtmN0E7mQE1qvhzDa0ry76WUo2cfTS4aUgFqyGKmRM5U78bF6G7HVFAjJmfWfgxazQ1vKpajtYXSLSJDV-bwCeOvPy7SuNM0HrHXqaKAkcQ0FTstx0Fk/s2046/LVI2_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2046" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFI4CW_cIZxHUKB1t6mcKZYvrtmN0E7mQE1qvhzDa0ry76WUo2cfTS4aUgFqyGKmRM5U78bF6G7HVFAjJmfWfgxazQ1vKpajtYXSLSJDV-bwCeOvPy7SuNM0HrHXqaKAkcQ0FTstx0Fk/s320/LVI2_14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> EagleSoft Ltd. and Labs</b> has been kinda quiet lately, but behind the scenes, I have been working on a new ROM hack (a Knuckles Chaotix hack for the almighty Sega 32x), and EagleSoft Ltd's first self-published, commercial, Unity3D/C# Indie video game, titled <b>StarEagle: Defenders of the Galaxy</b>. More details about both games in the next 2 blog posts.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Also, that repair of getting that Sega Model Virtua Fighter arcade board is still ongoing (saving up money to gather parts needed), and also a blog post about getting that awesome NeXT Cube boot up coming soon (also saving up money for parts).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Stay tuned for those upcoming blog posts and game announcements!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" /></a></div>
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Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-66725711587887488502019-08-01T16:42:00.003-04:002019-08-01T16:42:39.665-04:00DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image updated (v1.2/v1.7 DLE)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>DreamPi NOOBS-compatible</b><br />
<b>image updated! (v1.2/v1.7 DLE)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="310" src="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" /> </a></div>
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During 2018, I released a <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2018/02/dreampi-noobs-compatible-image-release.html" target="_blank">DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image</a> for Raspberry Pi for the Sega Dreamcast. A <a href="http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html" target="_blank">DreamPi</a>
is a standardized set of software (a customized Linux distro) and a set
of hardware created by a fellow named "Kazade" which will create a
simplified DC-PC server, for getting a Dreamcast back online to connect
to the Internet for browsing and online gaming, via resurrected, private
game servers. The stock DreamPi image is one which must be written to
the entire SD card, and doesn't easily allow a multi-boot setup with
other OSes on other SD card partitions. This DreamPi NOOBS-compatible
image is compatible with <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/" target="_blank">NOOBS</a> or (by extension, the recommended, superior) <a href="https://github.com/procount/pinn/blob/master/README_PINN.md#quick-start" target="_blank">PINN</a>.
NOOBS is a simple bootloader, which allows one to install
NOOBS-compatible distro images in such a way as to allow a simple
multi-boot configuration, while PINN (derived from NOOBS) is a enhanced
version of NOOBS, which fixes some design flaws and adds new useful,
convenient features. PINN is recommended over NOOBS.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The DreamPi NOOBS compatible image works with NOOBS/PINN, and allows
one to install a DreamPi distro with others in a multi-boot configuration.
Recently, the stock DreamPi image was <a href="https://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/dreampi-1.7-dle-released" target="_blank">upgraded to v1.7 DLE</a>.
This has the same features as v1.7, but with the speed stability bugfix
applied and an updated DreamPi WiFi Config Wizard packaged with it. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Also, since the original v1.7 was released around last summer, 3 new Dreamcast games have had their online functionality resurrected: </div>
<ul>
<li>Samba De Amigo</li>
<li>Sonic Adventure 2</li>
<li>San Francisco Rush 2049 </li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You can read the
Dreamcast Live blog post and forum thread from the previous link for
information about the Changelog for v1.7 DLE.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
I have updated the DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image against the updated DreamPi v1.7 DLE stock image. Summary of changes for this version of the image:<br />
<ul>
<li>Updated NOOBS image against v1.7 DLE DreamPi image</li>
<li>Updated installer slideshow</li>
<ul>
<li>Added optional WiFi connection to the list of minimum hw requirements </li>
<li>Updated list of online-compatible games, and added link to list of online games at Dreamcast Live website</li>
<li>Added slide with info about <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/dreampicompanion/" target="_blank">DreamPi Companion app</a></li>
<li>Added slide with info about the DreamPi WiFi Config Wizard </li>
<li>Removed slide about the speed bugfix</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN3.png" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="800" height="367" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
You can download the latest DreamPi NOOBS compatible image and read the guide at <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">this EagleSoft page</a>. <br />
<br />
Have
fun playing online and
having DreamPi multi-boot with other OSes on NOOBS/PINN!<br />
<br />
-TamkisTamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-5421680538386639762019-07-25T02:22:00.001-04:002019-07-25T02:22:34.481-04:00Virtua Fighter Arcade Repairs, Part I: Introduction<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Virtua Fighter Arcade Repairs</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Part I: Introduction</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242184435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242184435.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP4jFvOsyMzBY3hTMxwYUr0JvquT_RTAFjdoVvzCuat1DW7EcAlwfY99wNpUV6M_zdJiuqzEaYel3siScnxVl-i8ZTHnlm_OdbUuWKcM2xQq5kInP2ElNbV-_VUkXRz1MhhXLmC7n0KA/s1600/VF_Board.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP4jFvOsyMzBY3hTMxwYUr0JvquT_RTAFjdoVvzCuat1DW7EcAlwfY99wNpUV6M_zdJiuqzEaYel3siScnxVl-i8ZTHnlm_OdbUuWKcM2xQq5kInP2ElNbV-_VUkXRz1MhhXLmC7n0KA/s320/VF_Board.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
June 2019 was a great month! While surfing the local Pittsburgh Craigslist video gaming/electronics ad sections online, I came across a listing for a <a href="https://segaretro.org/Virtua_Fighter" target="_blank">Virtua Fighter</a> (<a href="https://segaretro.org/Sega_Model_1" target="_blank">Sega Model 1 arcade</a>) ROM board set, with the owner selling it for $20/offer. I've never owned an arcade machine before (let alone an awesome Model 1 machine), and for the super cheap price of $20, I couldn't refuse to check it out!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Background Information</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>on the Sega Model 1 arcade hardware</b></span></div>
<br />
The Sega Model 1 arcade system was developed by Sega (specifically by the legendary Yu Suzuki and his AM2 team) from 1990-1992 as their very 1st dedicated arcade machine designed to handle flat-shaded, polygonal, 3D graphics, and was released to the market in 1992 with the launch title <i>Virtua Racing</i>. Ironically, <i>Virtua Racing</i> was developed internally as a game to test the Model 1 system's raw power; however, the game proved to be such a success at Sega, that Virtua Racing and the Model 1 system were commercially released anyways to the public. During this era, Namco was the industry leader with 3D polygon technology with its System 21 arcade hardware running games such as <i>Galaxian^3</i> and <i>StarBlade</i>; Sega intended to compete with Namco with its new Model 1 hardware. Sega's new polygon crunching arcade machine to hit the block was originally known as the "CG Board", but was retroactively given the name "Sega Model 1" after its successor, the Sega Model 2 system, was created a few years later. The Sega Model 1 system handled rendering its cutting-edge, flat-shaded, 3D polygon graphics by using some Fujitsu MB86233 DSP chips (aka the <a href="https://wiki.mamedev.org/index.php/TGP:Index" target="_blank">TGP chip</a>, Sega 837‑7894), and can output anywhere between 120k-410k polygons/sec based on the rendering mode. Some of these TGP chips were stock chips, other ones were modified with custom Sega microcode in order to be used as coprocessors, and others were modified with T&L hardware 3D rendering functions. The TGP chip has hardware support for handling 32-bit floating point, 32-bit fixed point, and 24-bit integer data types, which greatly helped with speedily pumping out the math needed to plot high-precision 3D polygons. Other early 3D games of that era may have used custom 16 or 32-bit fixed-point data types and math on CPUs that didn't support hardware-based fixed/floating point calculations (they used fixed point software emulation), and thus had much overhead and wasted CPU cycles in handling the 3D math needed. Due to the overhead, such games ran at low FPS and had low-precision, jittery polygons. Such games include the original Doom on PC (when not using an Intel x87 FPU coprocessor) or <i>StarFox</i> on the SNES.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJo5dHHiKBHwR7LuJAFwMQhdyqfm6K2DwVyDyndXmomyMza2vaDKVxK7WaIXHNC2030qqiJ_8NLe780j3Vz3Mi9edYrls6KdanTFZioP4PqCtQ_eOgFP9fCjvoHrxnKiU76_KqEDafwI/s1600/TGP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1161" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJo5dHHiKBHwR7LuJAFwMQhdyqfm6K2DwVyDyndXmomyMza2vaDKVxK7WaIXHNC2030qqiJ_8NLe780j3Vz3Mi9edYrls6KdanTFZioP4PqCtQ_eOgFP9fCjvoHrxnKiU76_KqEDafwI/s320/TGP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A TGP chip</b> </div>
<br />
Model 1 machines do not use the now-standard JAMMA wiring, but a machine-specific wiring setup, and they are "<a href="https://blog.allyoucanarcade.com/the-definitive-list-of-all-medium-resolution-games/" target="_blank">medium resolution</a>" machines, meaning that they use <b><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span>S</b> CRT monitors running at 24 kHz and at a resolution of 496×384 px. As for sound, the machines use two <a href="https://segaretro.org/SegaPCM#Sega_MultiPCM" target="_blank">MultiPCM</a> sound chips. The MultiPCM chip is a custom Sega 315‑5560 chip based on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YMF278" target="_blank">Yamaha YMF278</a> (OPL4) chip, which has been customized with the FM synthesis removed and just having Wavetable PCM support. These chips output 28 PCM channels running at an audio data rate of 16-bit, 44100 KHz stereo. One MultiPCM chip is used for music, while the other is used for sound effects. On the MultiPCM sound board, the MultiPCM chips are controlled with a Toshiba TMP68000N‑10 (a <a href="https://segaretro.org/68000" target="_blank">Motorola 68k </a><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" title="68000">chip</a>) at a speedy 12 MHz, and with a Yamaha YM3834 chip (which is only used for sound timing). The machine also has an I/O board for handling the game's controls, and is run by a Z80 CPU at 4 MHz. The main machine itself runs on a <a href="https://archive.org/details/NEC_V60pgmRef" target="_blank">NEC V60 CPU</a>, running at a whopping 16 MHz. This CPU interfaces with all of the hardware and subboards for controlling the game.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_sound_837-8679_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="800" height="253" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_sound_837-8679_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Sega Model 1 Sound Board</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM317m6dluN8UXa9aA-Tto8_yW1IY4I5Zd-cTUZnOVlOkiWeikjjscYjFTpFAUPYRgMJZFmlqOJ5u5FDfZKwSaJzkmUpGu3LUqI5D8T3ZjRkBDVAxDw8V43NWn4VzKmqYhf5YgM9uHMM/s1600/MultiPCM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM317m6dluN8UXa9aA-Tto8_yW1IY4I5Zd-cTUZnOVlOkiWeikjjscYjFTpFAUPYRgMJZFmlqOJ5u5FDfZKwSaJzkmUpGu3LUqI5D8T3ZjRkBDVAxDw8V43NWn4VzKmqYhf5YgM9uHMM/s1600/MultiPCM.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> Sega MultiPCM chip</b><br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5z6-YqOKOg8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5z6-YqOKOg8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> MultiPCM music sample</b></div>
<b>(Guns and Wings Yak 141, <i>Wing War</i>)</b><b> </b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Sega Model 1 arcade games were incredibly cool and technically impressive for their time. While other home video game consoles during 1992 still were primarily using lame, boring 2D sprite and tilemap-based games, the Sega Model 1 system blew them out of the water with 60FPS, flat-shaded, <b>3D</b> polygon graphics. Unlike with some of the early 3D polygon games (such as <i>StarFox</i> on the SNES) which were software-rendered, had low FPS, or had jittery polygons, the Model 1 was able to hardware render accurate, high-precision polygons at a whopping, steady 60 FPS, and even had hardware T&L to accelerate everything too. Compared to games on the Namco System 21, the Model 1 ran at a solid 60 FPS, and many of their games supported multiplayer and multiple camera angles. The flat-shaded 3D models on the Model 1 were bright, crisp, colorful, fast, and plentiful, and the MultiPCM music and sound were rich and deep. Due to the high FPS, games ran fast, and gave a feel of high-powered 3D arcade <b>action</b>!<br />
<br />
Due to being Sega's first cutting-edge 3D arcade machine and having some customized chips, Sega Model 1 hardware was expensive back in the day, and these machines weren't too common in the arcades compared to other games. Due to this, during its lifespan (1992-1995), only 5 games were ever released for the Model 1 hardware:<br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://segaretro.org/Virtua_Racing" title="Virtua Racing">Virtua Racing</a></i> (1992)</li>
<ul>
<li>A high-speed F1 arcade racing game</li>
<li>Launch title</li>
<li>Alternate game called <a href="https://segaretro.org/Virtua_Formula" target="_blank"><i>Virtua Formula</i></a> available </li>
<ul>
<li><i>Virtua Racing</i> but with cabinet machine linking support</li>
<li>Utilizes a special Comm board for linking up each cabinet (ran by a Z80 CPU at 4MHz)</li>
<li>Medium sized attraction game</li>
<li>4-8 players per attraction</li>
<li>Spectator mode of current multiplayer race</li>
<li>"Virt McPolygon" announcer guy</li>
</ul>
<li>Uses a special Motor PCB to handle the steering wheel and force-feedback</li>
<li>Game ports </li>
<ul>
<li>Sega Genesis (<a href="https://segaretro.org/Mega_Drive_cartridges#Sega_Virtua_Processor" target="_blank">SVP cart</a>)</li>
<li>Sega 32x</li>
<li>Sega Saturn</li>
<li>PS2 (Sega AGES)</li>
<li>Nintendo Switch<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><i><a href="https://segaretro.org/Star_Wars_Arcade" title="Star Wars Arcade">Star Wars Arcade</a></i> (1993)</li>
<ul>
<li>3D Star Wars game</li>
<li>Shoot up Tie Fighters in space, attempt to destroy the Death Star from within</li>
<li>Game ports</li>
<ul>
<li>Sega 32x<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><i><a href="https://segaretro.org/Virtua_Fighter" title="Virtua Fighter">Virtua Fighter</a></i> (1993)</li>
<ul>
<li>3D 1v1 fighting game</li>
<li>One of the world's first major 3D fighting games </li>
<li>Game ports</li>
<ul>
<li>Sega 32x</li>
<li>Saturn</li>
<li>PS2<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><i><a href="https://segaretro.org/Wing_War" title="Wing War">Wing War</a></i> (1994)</li>
<ul>
<li>3D aircraft dogfighting game </li>
<li>No home ports available<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<li><i><a href="https://segaretro.org/Dennou_Senki_Net_Merc" title="Dennou Senki Net Merc">Dennou Senki Net Merc</a></i> (1995)</li>
<ul>
<li>Rare <a href="https://segaretro.org/Sega_VR" target="_blank">Sega-VR</a> compatible game</li>
<li>Virtual reality land-shmup game</li>
<li>Only 70 arcade machines in existence, never officially released to the arcades </li>
<li>No home ports available, not emulated in MAME yet</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Brief history and legacy of the</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Sega Model 1 arcade hardware</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i>Virtua Racing</i> and <i>Wing War</i> were unique 3D games for their time, having high-speed driving/flying action, and for having buttons to allow for multiple, dynamic camera views. Both games had multiplayer support. Virtua Racing has a pit section, which has some blocky, bone-rigged characters that animate and perform maintenance on your car, and some characters which celebrate when you win, which were quite cool and creative features for a racing game. <i>Wing War</i> was a 1v1 2P cabinet, while the twin-cabinet version of <i>Virtua Racing </i>was 2P. There also existed a deluxe version of <i>Virtua Racing</i> called <i>Virtua Formula</i>, which was a medium-scale attraction with either 4 or 8 life-sized car cabinets, allowing for 4-8 players to compete against each other in a multiplayer race. These machines could be linked amongst each other (using a unique Model 1 communication board), and had a center screen on top with a spectator view of the current gameplay and a commentator named "Virt McPolygon". <i>Virtua Racing/Formula</i> were the only games to use the Motor PCB board for the Model 1 hardware, which enabled force feedback and support for a racing wheel controller, and <i>Virtua Formula</i> was the only game to use the communication board for cabinet game linking.</div>
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<a href="https://segaretro.org/images/9/9b/VirtuaFormula_Cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://segaretro.org/images/9/9b/VirtuaFormula_Cabinet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Virtua Formula</i>: BIG-time racing!<br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> Wing war</i> was relatively unique for being a 1v1 dogfighting flight arcade game, while other 3D flight games at the time were just sluggish flight simulator games. <i>Star Wars Arcade</i> was the 1st 3D polygon Star Wars game (excluding the Atari wireframe, color vector-based games), and had a <b>huge</b> sense of scale. <i>Dennou Senki Net Merc </i>was an incredibly rare, Japanese-only VR-based game, which used a Sega VR headset. Only 70 machines were produced, and the game itself isn't fully emulated in MAME yet.</div>
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<i><br /></i><i> Virtua Fighter</i> was a 1v1 fighter game, using bone-rigged 3D polygon fighters that animate, and which featured simplistic arenas, realistic movement and physics, and plenty of different fighting moves. <i>Virtua Fighter</i> is cited by most as being the world's first 3D fighting game, and it revolutionized the fighting genre of video games, as well as kicked off 3D animation for bone-rigged humanoids. It and <i>Virtua Racing/Formula </i>popularized the usage of 3D graphics among a wider audience of video gamers and arcade goers, and its pioneering development into 3D graphics led the way to development of texture-mapped 3D during the 5th Video Game Generation (particularly for the Sega Saturn and the Sony Playstation consoles). <i>Virtua Fighter</i> acted as the basic design template for 3D fighting games, and helped inspired such fighting franchises such as Namco's <i>Soul</i> series, Tecmo's <i>Dead or Alive</i>, Namco's <i>Tekken</i>, and obviously Sega's own <i>Virtua Fighter</i> series.<br /><i></i><br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Virtua Fighter gameplay</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(real Model 1 hardware)</b></div>
<br /><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Craigslist Virtua Fighter board</b></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Back to the original topic, according to the Craigslist ad for the <i>Virtua Fighter</i> board, the owner said that the PCB board stack powers on and works, but that the "polygons disappear". Also, the listing was just for the 3-board PCB stack itself (no other boards, power supply, or wiring harnesses). The 3-board stack consisted of the following subboards:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b></b></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Model 1 Memory BD</b></li>
<ul>
<li>This board is the game ROM data itself (<i>Virtua Fighter</i>) </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sega part no. 834-10170</li>
<li>Smaller, top board </li>
<li>Board which contains </li>
<ul>
<li>PROM chips</li>
<li>A few EPROM chips</li>
<li>Chips types </li>
<ul>
<li>AMD AM27C1024</li>
<ul>
<li>PROMs</li>
<li>40-pin chips, DIP40 package</li>
<li>16-bit</li>
<li>128 KB</li>
<li>Virtua Fighter game code/data <br /></li>
</ul>
<li>ST Micro 27C040</li>
<ul>
<li>Some EPROMs, most PROMs</li>
<li>32-pin chips, DIP32 package</li>
<li>8-bit</li>
<li>512 KB</li>
<li>Virtua Fighter game code/data <br /></li>
</ul>
<li>ST Micro 27C160</li>
<ul>
<li>PROMs </li>
<li>42-pin chips, DIP42 package</li>
<li>16-bit</li>
<li>2MB</li>
<li>Virtua Fighter polygon data<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>Model-1 CPU Board</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Sega part no. 833-10016/833-10169 (middle board)</li>
<li>Sega part no. 837-7864-02 (bottom board)</li>
<li>Boards which contain the Model 1 hardware itself (Video and NEC V60 CPU)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
I figured for the low price, I would pickup and purchase the Virtua Fighter ROM board (which I happily did, for $25), begin gathering the other components online needed to assemble a working VF Sega Model 1 arcade machine, and repair the video issues (if any). Since I do not currently live at my own, permanent place (and thus don't have the room for a full-sized, upright arcade cabinet at the moment), I would be looking into consolizing the game into a wooden box, with long, wired arcade stick boxes for controls. The seller and I chatted, and he had this spare board due to the one in his working VF machine going bad. He tried replacing it with this one, but it had the issue of polygons disappearing; he ended up replacing the board with another which worked perfectly, but was selling this spare one due to the polygon flaw. Hopefully the polygon issue will be easy to detect and to fix!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP4jFvOsyMzBY3hTMxwYUr0JvquT_RTAFjdoVvzCuat1DW7EcAlwfY99wNpUV6M_zdJiuqzEaYel3siScnxVl-i8ZTHnlm_OdbUuWKcM2xQq5kInP2ElNbV-_VUkXRz1MhhXLmC7n0KA/s1600/VF_Board.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP4jFvOsyMzBY3hTMxwYUr0JvquT_RTAFjdoVvzCuat1DW7EcAlwfY99wNpUV6M_zdJiuqzEaYel3siScnxVl-i8ZTHnlm_OdbUuWKcM2xQq5kInP2ElNbV-_VUkXRz1MhhXLmC7n0KA/s320/VF_Board.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<br />
During the trip home, I stopped at a nearby yard sale, and found a super rare NeXTCube computer and B&W MegaPixel monitor, many old Linux, Sun, and <span class="st">Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) </span>tech documents and discs, and what appears to be development hardware of a networking device from DEC, all for $10. I believe the sellers at that yard sale were the family of the owner of the equipment (the original owner I am very sure was a senior ex-DEC or ex-IBM employee with diabetic problems). (That pickup/repair log of the NeXTCube and other items from the yard sale to be discussed another day in an upcoming blog post 😀. )<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Potential PAL Problem</b></span></div>
<br />
Once back home from the trip, a premlinary Google search on my part found a few forum posts mentioning that early Model 1 boards (especially Virtua Fighter) have a tendency of the solder joints breaking off on some of the TGP chips, due to the manufacturer using not enough solder on the chips' pins, and causing the polygons to disappear once the solder joints get loose. One thing I did notice after I got home, unfortunately, was that there was a sticker on the CPU board reading "PAL.A", which could mean that this board might be an "A" revision meant for PAL regions (50Hz PAL vs. NTSC 60Hz video used in the U.S. and a few other countries). After emailing back the seller asking if this board were PAL (and if it perhaps the polygon issues were due to him mixmatching a PAL board inside an NTSC machine), he replied that the board is "probably" PAL. If the board is indeed PAL, this will probably make assembling a working Virtua Fighter arcade machine harder, since I'll probably have to get matching PAL components for the other subboards used by the Model 1 hardware, as well as power and video region converters to get it to work on the US's power standards and with the NTSC-U video standard of my monitors. (I unfortunately live in the United States.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguX6BVnYfTHv9g5maybbqqJuGBWQjAk2qSRmXiUx6biVwk2q6VKjNfki7BrPyetjFKKCJMvifW9T2-5Rt1FSDgI-bhwZori-XZuTXQX8JJUDFN34Kwycq8EygZ_e_mqiHL79l-34RFkmY/s1600/IMAG0852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguX6BVnYfTHv9g5maybbqqJuGBWQjAk2qSRmXiUx6biVwk2q6VKjNfki7BrPyetjFKKCJMvifW9T2-5Rt1FSDgI-bhwZori-XZuTXQX8JJUDFN34Kwycq8EygZ_e_mqiHL79l-34RFkmY/s400/IMAG0852.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>50Hz PAL is not my pal</b></div>
<br />
One fact I cannot seem to verify through online research is if Model 1 machines really have separate PAL or NTSC versions of machines for all games like with game consoles, and if so, how badly do parts between the 2 regions differ. MAME for example only has <a href="https://mamedb.org/List.aspx?q=Wing%20War&og=false" target="_blank">one Model 1 game</a> that has ROM dumps for different regions in the Good MAME romset (separate <i>Wing War</i> ROMs for US, Japan, and World, with assumed video formats on my end of NTSC-U, NTSC-J, and PAL respectively). However, the <a href="https://segaretro.org/Virtua_Fighter" target="_blank">Sega Retro page for Virtua Fighter</a> shows 3 different release dates/prices for Virtua Fighter (October 1992 for both Japan and Europe, and just the year of 1992 listed for US), so it's possible there are 3 different regions of hardware for the game (unlikely). Perhaps not all region variations of Virtua Fighter have been dumped for MAME yet; either that or the same hardware was released for all 3 regions (at different dates) and shipped with arcade CRTs and hardware that all run at the same frequency and video standard (possibly 60Hz NTSC), with just a different power supply shipped to step up/down the voltage/current from the country's power standards to whatever specs the machine needs. If indeed there is only one variation (universal hardware for all regions), then the separate WingWar ROMs are probably just slightly different ROM sets with language/localization changes. In fact, a quick differencing between the 3 ROM configurations from the <a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mamedev/mame/a23dd15c38108a06a50d73a7c794efc3b2af3fca/src/mame/drivers/model1.cpp" target="_blank">current version of the model1.cpp driver</a> in MAME just shows 2 ICs changed between all 3 revision<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmaLKgsnvFYnOSupnMjqgywltE2ZEwrnD2tyxmYO8-NUWlZQzYmO-FXjJUU-FbXkb3qqKjtEwCO9pX4BZP_5poJUiGgxiWID7bH73dWkmTor91KLv1clM4dU0Hh9Vu9jAeCa5NObOlfg/s1600/wingwar_revs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmaLKgsnvFYnOSupnMjqgywltE2ZEwrnD2tyxmYO8-NUWlZQzYmO-FXjJUU-FbXkb3qqKjtEwCO9pX4BZP_5poJUiGgxiWID7bH73dWkmTor91KLv1clM4dU0Hh9Vu9jAeCa5NObOlfg/s320/wingwar_revs.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WingWar region differences</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Only 2 IC checksums changed</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> The Hardware Hunt</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Assuming there isn't a thing as different region hardware for Model 1 games (requiring different region hardware components), in order to get the machine up and running, I will need to gather other <a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/pcb_sega.htm" target="_blank">Model 1 hardware components</a> for Virtua Fighter:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b>A power supply</b></li>
<li><b>Appropriate wiring harness or JST NH connectors to wire all subboards together</b></li>
<li><b>Controls</b></li>
<ul>
<li><b>x2 Happ joysticks</b></li>
<li><b>12 buttons total<br /></b></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mikesarcade.com/estore/datasheets/GBS-8200-booklet.pdf" target="_blank"><b>Gonbes GBS-8200 Video converter</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>To convert<b> </b>the Model 1's medium resolution 24 KHz EGA graphics to modern 31 KHz VGA graphics</li>
<li>Allows usage of 24KHz EGA graphics on an ordinary VGA monitor</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWxtJ2D8prxpqbbwceYJjBhxGZDDF6tilbgNvp46AoScemOHfFGBxsqjFwXoE7Sf4VpyolsBStY661c_d3y4XSisbG6l1JSz1Hd6F4LMctOqRtG0_zd-fUF5NSTHIxv487LyEmlxMf4w/s1600/GBS8200.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="932" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWxtJ2D8prxpqbbwceYJjBhxGZDDF6tilbgNvp46AoScemOHfFGBxsqjFwXoE7Sf4VpyolsBStY661c_d3y4XSisbG6l1JSz1Hd6F4LMctOqRtG0_zd-fUF5NSTHIxv487LyEmlxMf4w/s320/GBS8200.png" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<li><b>Sega Filter Board 839-0629</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Receives the power supply's main power</li>
<li>Filters out interference from other electrical or magnetic devices</li>
<li>Has individual JST NH connectors which wire to the Model 1's various subboards</li>
<li>Supplies the proper type of power to the various components (3.3V, 5V, and 12V where necessary)</li>
<li>Most arcade operators consider them unnecessary</li>
<ul>
<li>Sometimes cause more problems than good</li>
<li>However, allows for neat, organized wiring </li>
<li>Arcade operators can bypass needing the filter board and just directly wire machine components to the appropriate power voltages</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_filter_839-0629.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="800" height="86" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_filter_839-0629.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<li><b>Sega CPU Connector 839-0630</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Interfaces between the CPU board (the 3-board stack I have), and the I/O board, provides power</li>
<li>Receives the appropriate voltage power from the filter board (or directly from PSU if bypassed)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_cpuconnector_839-0630.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_cpuconnector_839-0630.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<li><b> Sega <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I/O Board 837-8936-91</span></span></b></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Contains a 4MHz Z80 CPU</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Handles the game's control inputs</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Uses a JST NH 25-pin connector for controls (white jack on the bottom of pic)</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This connector is actually 26-pin, with one pin unused</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Array of 2x13 pins (like an IDC25 ribbon cable port)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Uses a different connector for motor PCB (long black connector on the right of pic)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Connects to the Motor PCB for <i>Virtua Racing/Formula</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_sound_837-8936-91.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="800" height="296" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_sound_837-8936-91.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><b>Sega Sound 837-8679</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Contains the MuliPCM hardware for sound</li>
<li>Each game has separate ROMs containing PCM samples</li>
<li>Each game has different sound driver ROMs</li>
<li><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_sound_837-8679_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="800" height="253" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_sound_837-8679_2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<li><b>Sega Soundamp 838-10018</b></li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Connects to the Sega Sound board and amplifies the audio</li>
<li><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_soundamp_838-10018_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="800" height="259" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_soundamp_838-10018_1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<li> Sega Ampmixer</li>
<ul><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_ampmixer_839-0542_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>
<li>Connects to the sound board/soundamp somehow and mixes/amplifies audio?</li>
<li><a href="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_ampmixer_839-0542_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="800" height="226" src="https://www.tvspels-nostalgi.com/Bilder/PCB/sega_ampmixer_839-0542_2.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
At the bare minimum, just to power up the machine and check out its functionality, I would need to get some sort of compatible power supply, the appropriate wiring, the filter board (nice to have for organized wiring, but optional if I just want to directly wire components up), the CPU connector, the I/O board, and a GBS-8200 convert for the video output (for displaying the medium resolution video on my VGA monitor). (According to <a href="https://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php/3925-Sega-Model-1-Info" target="_blank">this forum post</a>, the I/O board is necessary to boot up the game.) It is possible to boot the game up without sound or controls wired in (it will run, just no sound or controls). Some of these boards are not very common to find online or on eBay and can be somewhat pricey, so I'll have to save up money and gather components over time to assemble a working machine. Despite the costs, assembling the machine component-by-component would be cheaper than buying a complete Virtua Fighter machine in good condition, hence this repair/arcade machine consolization project. Not only is it cheaper, but it is a fun learning process/project too!<br />
<br />
For the power supply, I could get the original one (heavy, expensive, hard to find, has a weird connector), or I could utilize a standard PC ATX power supply (much easier to find and cheaper). A supplier online used to produce a <a href="https://cwispy.com/sega-psu-to-atx-psu-adapter/" target="_blank">Sega PSU to ATX adapter</a>, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be manufactured anymore. <a href="https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=282708" target="_blank">Post #2 in this forum thread</a> has the power pinout from the filter board, as well as some information on a guy's power attempt with an ATX PSU. The power supply would need to be adjusted to apply the correct amount of power wattage and current (not all ATX power supplies can supply the beefy power needed for Model 1 games without cranking the power up, according to the forum thread), and I would need a breakout board for the ATX power wiring (such as <a href="http://retroelectronik.com/en/accueil/148-2420-pin-atx-computer-pc-power-supply-bench-top-power-board-module-adapter.html" target="_blank">this one from RetroElectronik</a>). Fortunately, I've already picked up a cheap ATX power supply from a thrift store, and will just need to make sure it works reliably. The board I have will need 5V supplied to it at a certain power spec for testing its operation.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bb7rSd2WxuYe_8d-4x_jZLQyUNSoe0HaPMlXic4_nIzWpAp4RCOokPgjtx9O85n4vidgEmDO0O_lf1R9Gia5H78zkl-fAgofn6dmhyphenhyphenMQEh5w9lcMq5_RSWPa6NuIlVwq0L74a3zLj_c/s1600/ATX1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1155" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bb7rSd2WxuYe_8d-4x_jZLQyUNSoe0HaPMlXic4_nIzWpAp4RCOokPgjtx9O85n4vidgEmDO0O_lf1R9Gia5H78zkl-fAgofn6dmhyphenhyphenMQEh5w9lcMq5_RSWPa6NuIlVwq0L74a3zLj_c/s320/ATX1.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Moar ATX powa for your ($5) bucks</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYZZgyTwSthsOZp7Wul8Yys3ajDdZOIPMMre7sTR1I65u3UJf6gItHICYQnZSBov3KlpYCFFHexbqtxOtikZmrGgLpUZ7V_KUT-AXpms0irEsGvKN_-64qABX0HdItl89mJwyKm9rOFk/s1600/ATX2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYZZgyTwSthsOZp7Wul8Yys3ajDdZOIPMMre7sTR1I65u3UJf6gItHICYQnZSBov3KlpYCFFHexbqtxOtikZmrGgLpUZ7V_KUT-AXpms0irEsGvKN_-64qABX0HdItl89mJwyKm9rOFk/s320/ATX2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> ATX Power Supply</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuGwcvjk60EuY7UEiYodWNYGEEyZel-WzIPr5NQneHkFIJtQPP5j5j40K2II3B6iQVtDObte9rdYXVEbCMKVwkIjgQ_HEkm4eh5KlpyPpMbeO8_CGhuHBMNDO5dXJ4Ea6peHXQP136Wg/s1600/Breakout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuGwcvjk60EuY7UEiYodWNYGEEyZel-WzIPr5NQneHkFIJtQPP5j5j40K2II3B6iQVtDObte9rdYXVEbCMKVwkIjgQ_HEkm4eh5KlpyPpMbeO8_CGhuHBMNDO5dXJ4Ea6peHXQP136Wg/s320/Breakout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Cheap ATX Power Supply + breakout board</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>+ Model 1 arcade machine = epic win!</b> </div>
<br />
Since I'm making the fully assembled machine as a consolized arcade machine, all of the hardware (model 1 components, ATX power supply, GBS video converter, and wiring) will be housed into a wooden box I'll cut out and assemble. Model 1 machines use a 25-pin connector on the I/O board for the game's main controls. (The connector is actually an IDC26 connector with one pin unused, and is arranged in an array of 2x13 pins. This type of connector is common with wiring up external 25-pin parallel ports to vintage PC motherboards.) The <a href="https://www.villagebbs.com/forum/index.php?topic=27776.0" target="_blank">last post in this forum thread</a> has the pinout for Virtua Fighter. For my consolized arcade machine, I'll be placing the controls for each player into smaller arcade-stick styled boxes, which will connect to a custom interface box via an IDC26 ribbon cable.<br />
<br />
This interface box will contain a simple custom circuit with 2 IDC26 input ports (one for each player), and 1 output IDC26 port. The circuit will perform a logical OR between each input port's signals, pin by pin, and will output the resultant control signals to the I/O board's 25-pin input control port. Since each control is wired to only one input switch, one input for the OR gate would always be logical false (0), while the other may be logical true (1) if pressed. (0 OR x) = x. (Example, there is only one Player 1 Kick button between both players). This interface box would allow a standard connection type for all players (IDC26), without doing any funky wiring, and make the wiring simple. Ideally I would use XOR gates for the circuit (since there is only 1 type of each control), but I already have a few OR gate chips handy and they are cheaper/easier to use than XOR chips. Furthermore, I could use this box in the future for additional model 1 arcade games or other machines with a JST 25-pin I/O input port in the future; just wire up different controls and send them over a IDC26 ribbon cable to the interface box. The interface box would be modular, reusable, and useful. Just for fun, I'd also color code some of the controls for my Virtua Fighter machine, based on the player and control type (colors from the Sega 32x port's options screen). Maybe I'll end up creating a FOSS PCB schematic of this interface box, fab a few PCBs on <a href="https://oshpark.com/" target="_blank">OSHPark</a>, and put up a few kits for sale (and call it the <b>Sega JST I/O Interface Box</b>, or <b>S-JIF</b> for short) 😀.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDMQy4n5Zz_-uqz0IkPOTBz9Zkn3xVVJriGmrrL1H3PnP3GIyvDen4a6IrAzTo5rmpN41r4YoOdMYksA32VG3lsXlyRWcLsZbNfabCc8GTLxT-O9vzWeT-36heg_MDhAeBp1AYHF1jZo/s1600/IDC26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDMQy4n5Zz_-uqz0IkPOTBz9Zkn3xVVJriGmrrL1H3PnP3GIyvDen4a6IrAzTo5rmpN41r4YoOdMYksA32VG3lsXlyRWcLsZbNfabCc8GTLxT-O9vzWeT-36heg_MDhAeBp1AYHF1jZo/s200/IDC26.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Common IDC26 ribbon cable</b></div>
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<b>(as seen on parallel port connections</b></div>
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<b>on PC motherboards)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoD1Fs2SpLRBK74Mf81KGS4i_U6rsiMYuHsVH2mM5UikwlGxmWavOewXwcxNyTMGqF8CwllcXO2C0XDsTtOEPHW3BbnqhiuXHe2RaAaizvLRxp6RxmvSW6B46pkgcBaguxyPg32-5VYc4/s1600/btns.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1192" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoD1Fs2SpLRBK74Mf81KGS4i_U6rsiMYuHsVH2mM5UikwlGxmWavOewXwcxNyTMGqF8CwllcXO2C0XDsTtOEPHW3BbnqhiuXHe2RaAaizvLRxp6RxmvSW6B46pkgcBaguxyPg32-5VYc4/s640/btns.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Virtua Fighter controls pinout/color coding</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfa6Iw-KMXhnpaxO3eX9_QZp0ur0W-TZYSZqpf-JTK5-zPTgNDuQTGF2dZUoYPqMaFcvXA5wRZ9zLjs2chx9n0Y-ExB2phedyGjbytzjgDqHHiJ8OKo2KOHNwPVqwe2_W_eVkAYN2Hqo/s1600/M1_VF_IFBox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="804" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfa6Iw-KMXhnpaxO3eX9_QZp0ur0W-TZYSZqpf-JTK5-zPTgNDuQTGF2dZUoYPqMaFcvXA5wRZ9zLjs2chx9n0Y-ExB2phedyGjbytzjgDqHHiJ8OKo2KOHNwPVqwe2_W_eVkAYN2Hqo/s400/M1_VF_IFBox.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>S-JIF Circuit idea</b></div>
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<b>(Virtua Fighter wiring)</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Checking the Craigslist VF board for bitrot</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Unfortunately, I cannot do anything with the Virtua Fighter board from Craigslist right now until I get the minimum amount of components ordered needed to boot it up, and then afterwards I will need to verify and look into that "polygons disappearing" problem. Also, only then will I know for certain if the board is indeed PAL and may require PAL-based components (assuming that is even a thing with Model 1 arcade machines). If the polygons issue is due to faulty solder connections on some of the TGP chips, I'll probably have to end up getting an arcade repair person to resolder the chip downs. (I suck at surface mount soldering, and there is no way I am attempting that on a valuable, vintage arcade board I got for dirt cheap and risk ruining the board.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> In the meantime, I can use my handy <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2016/12/the-year-2016-in-review_31.html" target="_blank">GQ-4X4 multi-chip programmer</a> (and <a href="https://www.mcumall.com/comersus/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=4289" target="_blank">ADP-054 16-bit chip adapter</a>) I picked up during 2016 to dump the game's ROMs off of the Model 1 Memory BD, and compare their checksums against the ones in the Virtua Fighter ROM set in MAME. This would allow me to do the following:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">To verify what revision of the game I have</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Check if I do indeed have a "PAL.A" revision of game (if such a thing exists)<br />OR</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Check if I have some mysterious undumped revision of the game<br /><br /></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">To check for bitrot (if this game is indeed a known
revision)</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Compare checksums between my dumped chips and MAME's</span></span> for Virtua Fighter</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Burn new chips for bitrotten chips</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Rule out bitrotten ROMs as the cause for the polygon issue </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvc4_qmFBR9WJ5FW7MLTMET5JB6pY_joL6TBmwafYtz-dopDTA1VcCN5ceMqol8WLJ62S570RWMYz1sA3p125KZFELet19j949MFlX34bDAYPTbvegrJ_Le8TUcViiF5z8FBxBz5QBV_4/s1600/GQ4X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="500" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvc4_qmFBR9WJ5FW7MLTMET5JB6pY_joL6TBmwafYtz-dopDTA1VcCN5ceMqol8WLJ62S570RWMYz1sA3p125KZFELet19j949MFlX34bDAYPTbvegrJ_Le8TUcViiF5z8FBxBz5QBV_4/s320/GQ4X.jpg" width="320" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The venerable USB GQ-4X4 multi-chip programmer</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>with 16-bit EPROM adapter:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Chip Overlord!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Do recall that Sega Model 1 machines are relatively "old" (from the early 1990s). Although PROM mask chips can hold their data for a very long time, they don't eternally, and will begin losing data over a very long period of time ("bitrot"). EPROM chips (those with glass windows on top, which can be erased by exposure to UV light and then reprogrammed) can be slightly more prone to bitrot, even with a sticker on top preventing most stray UV photons from erasing data. To determine what revision of board I have and to rule out bitrotten ROMs from causing the polygons disappearing issue, I dumped my ROMs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After dumping my game ROMs and comparing the checksums against MAME's only known dump of the game, curiously enough, the Virtua Fighter Model 1 board I have matches 1:1! This means the PCB I have may not be a unique revision or a "PAL.A" version as labeled on the board. (And if it is indeed some type of PAL revision, it uses the exact same game ROM data as in MAME. If the board does differ, it could differ with the other GAL and TGP chip ROMs on the other boards on the stack I didn't bother try dumping, due to surface mount components and other pains.) This fact reduces my doubt of this being a weird "PAL.A" revision, but doesn't eliminate them. Another thing to remember is that the Craigslist guy was able to boot up the game in his machine, but then ran into the "polygons disappearing" problem. Assuming he wasn't trying to put this dubious "PAL.A" version into what probably was his own NTSC machine (if regions even exist for Model 1 hardware, which I doubt), this meant it booted up and was playable (albeit with disappearing 3D polygon graphics). Either that, or the board I got was some type of Frankenstein board: a "PAL.A" board with NTSC roms inserted. Another possibility is that the "PAL.A" label could just be an indicator from Sega meaning that this hardware was sold within PAL regions; the hardware is exactly the same as all other regions.<b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Dumping these chips with my GQ-4X4 multi-chip programmer and with my ADP-054 16-bit adapter were pretty easy, once I figured out what chip settings to use for reading them; fortunately for me, 2 out of the 3 chip types (the EPROM types) had their exact chip ID type printed on them. The 3rd type (the 42-pin ones on the right side of the board, which stores 3d polygon model data) I had to guess.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> For anybody reading this post who has a Virtua Fighter or other Model 1 game and wishes to dump their own ROMs with this programmer/adapter, refer to the Model 1 Memory BD section under the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"The Craigslist Virtua Fighter board" section of this post for settings to use for dumping. I'm assuming you know how to use the USBPrg software and general knowledge on how to use this programmer. Just align the chips at the bottom of the appropriate ZIF socket (with ADP-054 16-bit adapter in use as applicable), make sure the alignment notch of the chip is facing towards the top, and read it with the appropriate chip type set in USBPrg. If any chips end up being bitrotten, just replace with the same type of EPROM chip as listed, and burn the appropriate rom image from MAME.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nhx_SdlKk0-wPz4VNrsaJMKfvXvZpb18r33W623qFxquGWdnDH7EYCFccxNoVhiKd5KnYa3VVHGekefKsd2jW_el0N7eOZ56u-TBgF-dXAvp87Si_xnksXLB8PJteA66CoCxmrjbQt4/s1600/M1_Chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="1600" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nhx_SdlKk0-wPz4VNrsaJMKfvXvZpb18r33W623qFxquGWdnDH7EYCFccxNoVhiKd5KnYa3VVHGekefKsd2jW_el0N7eOZ56u-TBgF-dXAvp87Si_xnksXLB8PJteA66CoCxmrjbQt4/s640/M1_Chips.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> Chip dump settings for Model 1 hardware</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>(GQ-4X4 programmer with ADP-054 16-bit adapter as needed)</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Unfortunately I made the stupid mistake of second guessing myself on what type of chips were in the purple section when reading my first one. I was assuming they should be read as a generic ST Micro 27C160 (2MB 42-pin) EPROM, but was stupid and tried making a new chip profile for a Fujitsu "</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c">8316200 16M mask ROM (DIP42)" as reported in MAME's Model1.cpp driver. That was a big mistake, and trying to read the mpr-16102.32 chip like that ended up killing the chip with random $00s and $FF data (oops)! I'll have to replace that one with a 27C160 EPROM chip and burn the new image to it when I begin gathering my other Model 1 parts 😞.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's Next?</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"><a href="https://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242184435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242184435.jpg" width="187" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"> Picking up this cool Sega Model 1 arcade machine with Virtua Fighter was crazy for the $25 cost! My first in-progress Sega arcade machine 😀! After picking it up, I learned a ton more about this system's computer architecture and general information about it through online research (NEC V60 CPU with custom TGP chips for 3D rendering, OPL4 MultiPCM sound hardware, medium resolution video hardware, etc). Unfortunately, it is just a 3-board PCB stack (VF game with CPU/video hardware), and it is missing other Model 1 arcade components and wiring harnesses to assemble a complete, working VF game.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"> After gathering the minimum amount of Model 1 arcade parts needed, wiring, and my ATX power supply breakout board, the next step will be to try and wire it up correctly, and then boot it up for the first time within my posession of the game. This part will be tricky, since the information on the proper wiring of VF and Model 1 hardware online is scarce. (There are some forum threads linked in this blog post to help out with that, but the information is still rather scarce). After it is booted up, I will then be able to verify for certain if this board is some weird "PAL.A" revision, and then witness first hand the issue with "polygons disappearing" that the Craiglist seller reported on the sale ad. Hopefully I will be able to identify and to fix whatever is causing that problem, whether that be due to some TGP chips having faulty solder joints or something else altogether.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"> After the basic board setup is wired up and the polygons issue is fixed, the final step to complete this arcade project would be to wire up the remaining hardware (sound hardware and controls) and put everything into a wooden box, for consolization. I will design my own </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"><b>Sega JST I/O Interface Box</b> (<b>S-JIF</b>) circuit to handle custom controls wired up to IDC26 ribbon cables, and then design both arcade fighting stick controllers for the S-JIF circuit. After everything is complete, I am thinking about researching into doing a simple ROM hack of the game within MAME (and then testing code out on the real hardware with newly burned ROM chips). This ROM hack would consist of adding the unused characters as new entries into the character select screen, as well as possibly implementing other <a href="https://tcrf.net/Virtua_Fighter_(Arcade)" target="_blank">unused content</a> from the game. I'll probably call the ROM hack <i>Virtua Fighter DX</i> 😃.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pl-c"> Stay tuned for the next post in this arcade repair log, Virtua Fighter Arcade Repairs, Part II: Bootup !</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-55050048454396818412019-05-02T19:53:00.002-04:002019-05-02T19:53:39.642-04:00Enabling telnet on a WNR2000 Router (OpenWRT install)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Enabling telnet on a</b></div>
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<b>WNR2000v4 Router</b></div>
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<b>(OpenWRT install)</b></div>
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<b>Background:</b><br />
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During late 2018 due to reasons, I temporarily moved back home <strike>into my parents' basement</strike> to look for better game development employment elsewhere while working at a few temp jobs. Previously I was living with my great roommates in an apartment, and fortunately my room was close enough to run a 20ft or so long Ethernet cable from the ISP's router to my room for Internet. Earlier in 2018, back at home, my father "upgraded" the shady Comcast router with a shadier, newer one, and gave me the old router, a Netgear WNR2000v4 router. At the apartment, I used this router as an overglorified network switch for the devices in my room, for giving Internet access to my laptop, a legacy PC, or any older video game consoles or devices that required wired Internet. I also prefer a wired Ethernet connection over WiFi when I can, since it can be more secure and have less overhead (faster and more reliable) than dealing with wireless Internet. Unfortunately, since this was a 2-router network setup, the network was somewhat complex (outer ISP router being on a 192.168.x.x subnet, with my inner router being on a 10.0.x.x subnet). This 2-router network prevented things such as connecting the PS2 versions of Star Wars Battlefront 1 & 2 to SWBFSpy (which requires getting an IP whitelisted by the server's admin for usage). </div>
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Unfortunately, when I moved back home into my room, I didn't have the privilege of having wired Ethernet available, due to the ISP's router being on the other end of the house from my room and my "roommates" not going to like having a 50+ ft. length of Ethernet cable running across the houses to the ISP's router. This obviously wasn't a problem to give Internet access for devices that can use WiFi, but definitely one for devices that only have a wired connection (such as those older video game consoles). Most modern day routers have a web-based GUI for configuring the router (by connecting to the default router gateway in a web browser and logging in as the admin); the WNR2000v4 was no exception. Unfortunately, the default gateway's GUI (called "Genie" by Netgear) for this particular router model does <b>not</b> have a wireless bridging feature, just basic router functionality (via Ethernet or WiFi) for an Internet connection and network switch functionality between wired devices. Getting a wireless bridge function working would allow me to connect devices via wired Ethernet to my room's router and then forward the network data wirelessly (via WiFi) to the main router on the other side of the house. This would allow wired Internet connections from my room to connect to the Internet, and would additionally make the network appear as a single-router network from my router's perspective (with a single subnet; not having to use 2 subnets like at the apartment). Rather than wasting precious money on a dedicated wireless bridge to solve my problem, I was resourceful and used my brain instead, looking into hacking my spare Netgear WNR2000v4 router to install <b>OpenWRT</b>.<br />
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<b>Telnet enable attempt/Installing OpenWRT </b></div>
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For those whom are unaware, <a href="https://openwrt.org/" target="_blank">OpenWRT</a> is a lightweight Linux distribution meant for embedded devices (especially routers). Installing OpenWRT as a replacement firmware on a router removes any restrictions with the stock firmware, and allows full control of the hardware, as well as beefed up security. Basically it can turn any router into a fully configurable business one (with telnet, VLan setting up, etc), just like the Cisco ones my classmates and I learned about in my networking class at college. Most importantly, OpenWRT has a few packages that can be installed to enable wireless bridging functionality on this router. This would solve my problem of connecting my wired devices to the ISP router on the other end of the house without using a double-router setup with 2 subnets and a very long Ethernet cable.<br />
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Unfortunately, the stock firmware on the WNR2000v4 has its telnet feature locked. To summarize the basic process of installing OpenWRT on router devices, you need to telnet into the router (using software such as PuTTY) and flash the device with the new firmware. This file is sent to the router via a TFTP server on a computer, and the flashing is done through a Linux console on the router by running some Linux commands. Most Netgear routers have the telnet locked for security reasons, and in order to unlock the telnet, a special packet usually must be sent either over UDP or TCP (depending on the particular router model). Usually a special program is used to send the magic packet and unlock the telnet. More details about unlocking the telnet on Netgear routers can be found on this <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190205030317/https://oldwiki.archive.openwrt.org/toh/netgear/telnet.console" target="_blank">OpenWRT article</a>, and full details about installing OpenWRT on the WNR2000v4 router (including an UDP telnet enable python script) can be found on this <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181208124200/https://oldwiki.archive.openwrt.org/toh/netgear/wnr2000v4" target="_blank">other OpenWRT article</a> under "How to Install OpenWRT on the Netgear WNR2000v4 through u-boot-env modification on Linux" section.<br />
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Also unfortunately, neither the UDPtelnetenable.py script worked within a Linux virtual machine, nor did any of the telnet enable programs for Windows in the other article were able to unlock the telnet on my router. Perhaps my particular router unit was a newer hardware revision that blocked telnet enabling altogehter, or some other weird networking issues were preventing the packet from being sent/received and properly unlocking the telnet. Fortunately, while doing a Google search about my problems, I came across a security vulnerability (<a href="https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-10174" target="_blank">CVE-2016-10174</a>) for the similar WNR2000v5 router, which, when exploited, can allow an attacker to bruteforce the admin password, enable telnet, and then gain a Linux root console access. These privilege escalations through the exploit are a pretty <b>serious</b> security vulnerability, and you <b>really</b> should replace this router with a more secure one if you wish to use its stock firmware (or do the smart thing and replace the firmware with the much more secure OpenWRT like I'm doing). A person online also wrote up details about the security vulnerability and a PoC hack <a href="https://github.com/pedrib/PoC/blob/master/advisories/netgear-wnr2000.txt" target="_blank">here</a>. Most importantly, a formal exploit was published and included with the <a href="https://www.metasploit.com/" target="_blank">Metasploit framework</a> for white hat hackers. This security vulnerability is confirmed to exist and to work on the v5 router, but only has static analysis to show possible existence on the v4 and v3 routers. Using this exploit to enable telnet and gain the Linux root console access, I could properly install OpenWRT fully without relying upon the broken telnet enable programs that weren't working for me. Since I know the admin password to my own router, I could bypass the password bruteforcing, and just use the exploit to enable telnet/gain Linux root console access, speeding up the exploit process.<br />
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<b>Enabling Telnet the hard way</b></div>
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<b>via the security exploit</b></div>
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Since none of the UDP telnet enable programs were able to properly send the magic packet and enable telnet, I decided to enable telnet the hard way, by bruteforcing telnet enable and gain a root Linux console through the exploit. I did this through installing and using <a href="https://pentestbox.org/" target="_blank">Pentestbox with Metasploit</a>. Fortunately Metasploit has a penetration module to run the exploit on the WNR2000 series of routers; instructions and details on the module usage <a href="https://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/linux/http/netgear_wnr2000_rce" target="_blank">here</a>. I also had to upgrade my router to firmware 10.0.0.58, which is required for installing OpenWRT (see the main OpenWRT install article for this router for the stock firmware link). If I remember correctly, basically I logged into my router's gateway interface (Genie) via the admin password (in order to get the timestamp from the router for the exploit), and then immediately ran the Metasploit module on the page that confirmed access was granted, and was able to get temporary telnet enable and a root Linux console access on the router after the exploit successfully ran. Then I ran all of the normal OpenWRT installation steps for the WNR2000v4 router (setup the TFTP server, send the OpenWRT firmware, run the Linux consoles commands to flash the firmware, etc).</div>
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After all of this was done, I got OpenWRT installed on my spare WNR2000v4 router, and proceeded to setup wireless bridging to solve my original networking problem. So now this router has wireless bridging functionality, and a <b>much</b> more secure firmware (OpenWRT) without nasty, inexcusable security vulnerabilities like CVE-2016-10147. This installation also proves that the vulnerability exists and that the exploit does indeed work for not only the WNR2000v5 router, but also for the v4 router. (Meaning you <b>really</b> should replace this router if you have one or install the much more secure OpenWRT firmware on this model.) Hopefully anybody who runs across the same issue I had with being unable to unlock telnet for an OpenWRT install on a WNR2000 v3-v5 router with the special magic packet programs will find this article useful, and use the security vulnerability method to bruteforce telnet enable/root Linux console access as a last resort. </div>
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-Tamkis</div>
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Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-65012384882924211912019-03-14T21:21:00.001-04:002019-03-14T21:21:10.630-04:00Socket the Hedgeduck Progress: FZ & TCZ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Socket the Hedgeduck Progress: FZ & TCZ</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IONIpK3uxxjZPENax4Ypikf1zBtPjuwWTKu38tuOXTl2G_N8sDimj4jwLWMo6Md6RCIVC3jyDoU26C8_UOTIn5HxGKaWYih-Pm_w82YJxWZ91GuWjJw3-lzDxWdYbw9wqhDLDWBm7vE/s1600/New+Title+2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IONIpK3uxxjZPENax4Ypikf1zBtPjuwWTKu38tuOXTl2G_N8sDimj4jwLWMo6Md6RCIVC3jyDoU26C8_UOTIn5HxGKaWYih-Pm_w82YJxWZ91GuWjJw3-lzDxWdYbw9wqhDLDWBm7vE/s1600/New+Title+2.png" /></a> </b></div>
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After nearly a 2 year hiatus (due to professional gamedev work), development on the Socket the Hedgeduck mod for Sonic 1 has resumed! Recently, Future Zone Acts 2 and 3 have been finished, as well as the entirety of the final zone, Time Castle Zone. A planned v0.4a demo will be released later this year and submitted to the 2019 Sonic Hacking Contest, after more polishing, bugfixes, and improvements will be made to the game.</div>
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Future Zone acts 2 and 3 were previously empty, due to figuring out a way to implement the reverse-gravity gimmick used in the original game for act 2. After a few failed attempts at porting S3K's reverse-gravity gimmick to Sonic 1 (which would have been a high cost, low benefit feature to implement, due to only one level requiring it), I used some out-of-box thinking to implement the feature. Instead of vertically flipping Sonic's gravity and physics, why not vertically flip the entire level around Sonic 😮?</div>
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Behind the scenes, in code, instead of implementing S3K's reverse-gravity gimmick, hitting an activated gravflip bridge instead transports Sonic between FZ2 and FZ4 levels, very similarly to the inter-level warp doors in Olein Cavern Zone 2 (OCZ2) or the boss doors in act 3 of each zone. (I call the types of warp doors that transport Sonic to a different location within the same level "inter-level warp doors".) FZ2 is the normal version of the level, while FZ4 is a copy of FZ2 that is vertically flipped (has vertically flipped level chunks and y positions of objects mirrored about the level's middle y midpoint). The only difference in the warping functionality for the gravflip bridges is Sonic's new warp position. Sonic's new x position is kept the same, while his y position is calculated to be a new one mirrored about the levels y midpoint. This creates the illusion of gravity flipping. Similarly to the Bonus Fence Zone (BZF) levels, where pressing A button while in Debug Mode will send Sonic to the background layer for collision, pressing A button while in Debug Mode will send Sonic between FZ2 and FZ4 levels to implement the "gravity flip".</div>
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Act 3 for each Zone is a unique remix I create using the existing chunks from the other 2 acts, since the original Socket game only has 2 level per zone (excluding High Speed Zone (HSZ) levels). Due to the fact that the Sonic engine (and Socket engine) use large 256x256 px chunks instead of Sonic 2 and later's more flexible 128x128 px chunks, these levels are usually remixed sections of the 2 previous acts, with a few unique chunks I design sprinkled in between to connect sections for smooth level graphics and layout flow. Unfortunately, gravity flipping act 3 would have consumed more than the zone limit of $FF Big ROM Chunks, so the reverse-gravity feature was only designed for act 2. All act 3 levels (except TCZ3) have a boss warp door leading to a boss area.</div>
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FZ3 is an extremely difficult remix of acts 1 and 2, with a ton of traps, surprises, and difficult obstacles, and might actually be the hardest level in the hack. The final section of the level consists of a Labyrinth Zone (LZ)-styled wind tunnel, inside a few huge glass tube chunks. Sonic must float upwards and downwards to avoid painful torpedoes (the same ones as used in Antiquity Zone (AZ)), horizontally moving spiked blocks, collect rings, and cling onto Satebô BS-X Satellaview satellites. (These satellites have the same behavior as LZ wind tunnel poles). The level ends with hitting the boss warp door, which leads to the boss area and a to-be-implemented boss.</div>
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<b>FZ1</b></div>
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<b>FZ2</b></div>
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<b>FZ3</b></div>
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The entirety of Time Castle Zone, the final zone in the game, recently also has been finished. This zone was sitting at approximately 95% complete during the hiatus, and was just waiting on fully implementing 2 new custom objects (the hamster belts and clock platforms). This zone features some custom objects such as:<br />
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<li>Beam bridges</li>
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<li>Hit a button on the object, which unfurls a temporary solid bridge<br /></li>
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<li>Hamster belts</li>
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<li>Operates like Metropolis Zone (MTZ) nuts in Sonic 2, but horizontally</li>
<li>Moving on the object will lock Sonic's position onto the belt</li>
<li>Moving Sonic left will move the hamster belt and Sonic right, and Sonic right move belt and Sonic left</li>
<li>Hamsterbelt will stop moving when it hits a wall either to the left or right</li>
<li>Makes squeaking noises as the object's art updates frames<br /></li>
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<li>Clown faces</li>
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<li>Painful objects that rotate clockwise, counterclockwise, or upside down in either rotational direction<br /></li>
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<li>Clock platform</li>
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<li>Platforms that rotate clockwise on clock faces in the level</li>
<li>2 variants</li>
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<li>Platform with a shorter radius that moves slower (hour hand)</li>
<li>Platform with a longer radius that moves faster (minute hand)<br /></li>
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<li> Crusher blocks</li>
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<li>Purple blocks that oscillate up and down, attempting to crush Sonic in various areas of the level<br /></li>
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<li>Collapsible platform</li>
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<li> Standard Sonic 1 collapsible platform, just updated graphics for zone<br /></li>
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<li>Runaway Saws</li>
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<li>Standard Sonic 1 saws and pizza cutters object from Scrap Brain Zone.</li>
<li>Only runaway version used, with updated graphics</li>
<li>Same objects as used in FZ</li>
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TCZ1 is a rather basic (but difficult) level, introducing the player to this zone's gimmicks. TCZ2 is a difficult labyrinth, and is the only level in the original Socket game to feature <b>two</b> bonus stage doors. TCZ3 is a remixed version of TCZ1 and TCZ2, with bottomless pits and a more difficult level layout. Currently TCZ has an odd memory leak bug somewhere where having too many clown faces and chained spikeballs on screen will cause the game to start corrupting object SSTs, not loading new objects, crash the game, or begin running arbitrary code. This bug happens often in TCZ2, and the bug will be investigated and fixed before the upcoming demo release. In the game mod's extended playlist, each act in TCZ features a song for both the bad ending (not having all 7 chaos emeralds) and the good ending (having all 7 emeralds). Some of these songs are currently WIP, while others are completed.<br />
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TCZ goes over Sonic's original Scrap Brain Zone (SBZ) level slot. The original Sonic 1 game has a SBZ3 level which is actually a Labyrinth Zone (LZ) act 4 level. The real SBZ3 level is Final Zone, and is actually just SBZ2 but starting at a further level position and having the boss implemented. I found this setup to be BS, and undid it completely. (I call this the "Anti-SBZ3 BS feature".) TCZ3 is a real level in this mod. TCZ doesn't have a boss; the next and final zone (a 1-act Time Lord Zone (TLZ)) does feature the final boss, the evil Time Dominator! Time Lord Zone is technically SBZ4 in this mod. It uses some extra chunks from SBZ3 and a new palette for the level. This is a far more acceptable setup for the final zone than the SBZ3/LZ4 BS in the original game 😀.<br />
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TLZ is currently just a level layout, with no final boss yet implemented. Like with TCZ, this level has both a good and bad ending song. I have plans down the road possibly to implement some cutscene screens in the game, replace the emeralds with Sonic CD Time Stones, and to explain a backstory as to why Sonic is in Socket's universe and as to why he is fighting the Time Dominator. In the bad ending, you just fight the Time Dominator; in the good ending, you fight both the Time Dominator and a brand new boss.<br />
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Other changes behind the scenes include refactoring the mod's original warp system to fix screen tearing and BG deformation issues. Inter-level warp doors no longer clear object RAM. This means you can no longer use warp doors and continuously farm up on rings by having them respawn. Sonic is the only object destroyed, and then reloaded with a new warp position set (classical quantum teleportation lol).<br />
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With both FZ and TCZ complete, all of the levels for the hack have been implemented 😀! All that is left to complete this hack is to fix bugs, polish the game, and to implement the remaining bosses.<br />
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Stay tuned for more development on Socket the Hedgeduck this year!<br />
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-TamkisTamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-30465198283443890002019-01-08T01:49:00.001-05:002019-01-08T01:49:48.443-05:00Thwimp v1.1 Update!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thwimp v1.1 Update!</b></div>
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<b> <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp" target="_blank">Thwimp</a></b>, the modification utility which allows one to view, to rip, and to encode Nintendo THP video files from/for Mario Kart Wii, has been updated to v1.1 today!<br />
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This new update fixes a few bugs from the initial release (proper framerate not being applied to newly encoded THP video files, and improper ripping of the control BMP frames from battle_cup_select.thp), as well as refactors the THP Viewer/Ripping section! When cropping THP videos for ripping, users can now click radio buttons to select a subvideo cell to crop to. The section now includes a start/end frame field, for selecting a time period at which to clip the video to. A numeric up/down control has been added to select from which multiplicity time period for ripping subvideo frames from. Furthermore, the <a href="https://github.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp/blob/master/README.md" target="_blank">user's manual</a> (on the Github page) has been updated with images, better spelling/grammar, and updates. Most importantly, an <a href="http://wiki.tockdom.com/wiki/Thwimp" target="_blank">article for the application</a> has been added to the Mario Kart Wiiki!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
You can view the changes with the THP Viewer/Ripper in this update video.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WMLOtY16AtA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WMLOtY16AtA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
I had been holding off on writing a MKWiiki article for the application until this v1.1 update was released. This application was quite challenging to write, due to the idiosyncrocies involved with the command line params for FFMPEG. I'm quite pleased with how this application turned out. Hopefully MKWii modders will find it quite useful for creating new THP videos for their menu-based THP files!<br />
<br />
You can download the application either from the Wiiki article, the Thwimp webpage, or get the source code from the <a href="https://github.com/Tamk1s/Thwimp" target="_blank">Github page</a>.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
-Tamkis<br />
<br />Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-51955083979076978952018-12-09T19:58:00.004-05:002018-12-09T19:58:29.663-05:00Hover Pack Release!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hover Pack Release!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/Nintendo-Wii/mkwii-tracks/HoverPack_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/Nintendo-Wii/mkwii-tracks/HoverPack_Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
After about<b> </b>3 or so months of work during leisure time, <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/mkwii-tracks" target="_blank">Hover Pack</a> has been released for Mario Kart Wii! During the past month, all tracks have been finished, and polished with some bugfixes and some visual enhancements have been added. Furthermore, the pack has been enhanced with custom graphics (making the game more Windows 95/Hover themed), new THP videos, many custom songs, and even a custom Hover Item Pack! This pack replaces all of the items used in the game with some new ones.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3A4avGjDlFk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3A4avGjDlFk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The pack, item pack, and individual courses can be download from the <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/mkwii-tracks" target="_blank">project page</a> (which link to MKWiiki articles where the downloads reside). A future update will be made to address some issues in the new content later.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
--Tamkis</div>
Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-28194851743605756742018-10-25T15:16:00.001-04:002018-10-25T15:16:04.513-04:00Thwimp utility released / Hover Pack project announcement<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thwimp utility released / Hover Pack project announcement</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp/thwimp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp/thwimp.png" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
Lately, I have been looking into modding Mario Kart Wii on the Nintendo Wii, with My Stuff files in Riivolution. Specifically, I have been working on designing a pack of custom battle courses, ported from the mazes in Microsoft Hover! (1995), called "Hover Pack", with an additional track being a port of Arena Rumble from Monster Truck Madness 2. Currently, maze 1, maze 2, and maze 3, and the Easter Egg Credits Maze have been ported, and are all done other than adjusting enemy route widths. The pack (when released), will include a new title screen, sound effects from Hover, music
from Hover, some custom music, new THP videos for the tracks (created
with <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp" target="_blank">Thwimp</a>),
the new battle courses themselves, and "Flag Grabbers" mode (modified
Coin Runners mode with Microsoft Hover flags to capture). You can view the current progress at this <a href="https://youtu.be/gaRIDbdVVcI" target="_blank">YouTube playlist</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
While creating Hover Pack, I created new THP video files. These video files are used in the menus, title video, and ending sequence. Unfortunately, most of these THP files are actually an array of subvideos inside (with a multplicity of subvideo per frame), are all of equal frame length, and are quite complex to create manually. Some actually include padding (THP videos' dimensions must align to the nearest 16px boundary), and sometimes this padding including what I call a "control signal". This signal is usually a white rectangle in the padding, which moves to an integer position at each multiplicity, in order to tell the game which row to highlight in a menu during THP playback.</div>
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With all of these problems with manually creating THP video files, I have create and released Thwimp utility!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b> Thwimp</b> is a Windows utility which allows users easily to view, to rip,
and to encode Nintendo THP video files for Mario Kart Wii. Written in Visual Basic (from Visual
Studio 2010 IDE), the Thwimp application calls some FOSS and other
command line tools <b>(not included)</b> "from arms length" via the Command Prompt to perform its tasks. For encoding new THP files, Thwimp can intelligently handle audio, subvideo array, multiplicity,
and padding/control information when encoding THP files to replace ones
in-game. It does this by accepting appropriately named, input mp4 video
files for each subvideo cell in the array, and for each multiplicity. It
will also accept a WAV audio file, and BMP image frames for each
multiplicity padding/control signal as needed. After reading the input
files, Thwimp will intelligently process and splice all of the files
together appropriately in order to create a high-quality, properly
formatted THP video replacement file!<br />
<br />
Today, I have updated the EagleSoft Ltd webpage with a new <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii" target="_blank">Nintendo Wii</a> section, a <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/thwimp" target="_blank">Thwimp page</a> (where you can learn more about the utility and download it), and <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/Nintendo-Wii/mkwii-tracks" target="_blank">Mario Kart Wii Tracks</a> page (to host all of my incoming new tracks) .<br />
<br />
I hope people find Thwimp useful for THP editing!<br />
<br />
-Tamkis<br />
Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-84865999673877325672018-09-05T13:09:00.001-04:002018-09-05T13:09:26.166-04:00Coffee Crisis Release (PC, XBox One)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Coffee Crisis Release (PC, XBox One)!</b></div>
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<a href="http://games.megacatstudios.com/Coffee-Crisis/images/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="800" height="192" src="https://games.megacatstudios.com/Coffee-Crisis/images/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b>Many people might have been wondering why EagleSoft Ltd hasn't been as active lately since about 2017. The real reason has mostly been life, and starting a new job as full-time Indie video game developer at <a href="http://www.megacatstudios.com/" target="_blank">Mega Cat Studios</a>! Mega Cat Studios is a local Pittsburgh company, that creates Indie video games for modern and retro platforms (such as for Sega Genesis, NES, SNES, and others).<br />
<br />
From 2017 to mid-2018, I was developing for the company the port of Coffee Crisis to next-gen platforms (PC on Steam, and Xbox One) as lead developer, while collaborating with our other teammates. Coffee Crisis is a retro, 2D side-scrolling fighter game, similar to Streets of Rage. The Smurglian alien race has come to Earth and they’re not leaving until
they steal our four most
prized commodities: metal music, the best coffee, cat videos, and all
the WiFi. Challenge them through unique and innovative levels inspired
by real-life areas in Pittsburgh, PA. Join Black Forge Coffeehouse
baristas Nick and Ashley, two galaxy gladiators called to arms to stop
this madness and remove the Smurglian threat from Earth. The Smurglians can have the cat videos… but if you don’t help our heroes fend off against the
alien-assimilated elderly, bros, cowgirls, and country western singers, who knows what could happen!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eUwDNIgS4XQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eUwDNIgS4XQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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The game features 1P and 2P local Co-op, 2 different players (Nick and Ashley), weapons, many fighting moves, powerups, and much more! These ports not only contained the content of the original game, but new enemy types, tons of visual-eye candy, Finish Them Zone modifiers, new bosses, new levels, and tons of improvements over the original game. After a year of many development twists, turns, technical difficulties, and collaborative teamwork, the development team and I at Mega Cat Studios have finally released Coffee Crisis, both for PC on Steam for more recently for XBox One!<br />
<br />
You can learn more about the game at <a href="http://games.megacatstudios.com/Coffee-Crisis/" target="_blank">Mega Cat Studio's Coffee Crisis webpage</a>. The PC version (including a demo) can be purchased/tried at the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/596380/Coffee_Crisis/" target="_blank">Steam store page</a>, the soundtrack at the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/868140/Coffee_Crisis__Soundtrack/" target="_blank">Steam DLC page</a>, and the Xbox One version at the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/coffee-crisis/c4pzgz61tf28" target="_blank">Microsoft Store</a>. The original game for the almighty Sega Genesis can be purchased at Mega Cat's storepage (<a href="https://megacatstudios.com/products/coffee-crisis-genesis-demo" target="_blank">NTSC version</a>, <a href="https://megacatstudios.com/collections/sega-genesis/products/coffee-crisis-mega-drive-pal" target="_blank">PAL version</a>), or users can try out a <a href="https://megacatstudios.com/products/coffee-crisis-genesis-demo" target="_blank">demo</a> in a Sega Genesis emulator. Having a personal Coffee Crisis? Try some <a href="https://megacatstudios.com/collections/coffee" target="_blank">Coffee Crisis coffee</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" /></a></div>
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Stay tuned for official news on progress for other Mega Cat Studio games at their <a href="https://megacatstudios.com/" target="_blank">website</a>! The EagleSoft Ltd portfolio webpage (and softography pages) have been updated with info on the release. Both will be updated with other projects I work on at Mega Cat Studios, as games get completed, as much as NDA will allow me to.<br />
<br />
-MrTamkis (aka "Eagle")</div>
Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-72898126914800801452018-09-01T14:30:00.001-04:002018-09-02T13:39:14.280-04:00The Quest for RGB<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Quest for RGB</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTJgAl_Q43VpCLvGmlz8eoboKP3uF9JSrLKpHYlg-npI8jIIcHhDedS59-wmdH3SUMrDQiao_gbtCYQtmEFhyl_j6TPV5NmZe3dil_bI5wfUz36ZsOFr_lklD2GDTQwTNSE7lhvmEJ4k/s1600/Trinitron-logo-1-525-WP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="525" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTJgAl_Q43VpCLvGmlz8eoboKP3uF9JSrLKpHYlg-npI8jIIcHhDedS59-wmdH3SUMrDQiao_gbtCYQtmEFhyl_j6TPV5NmZe3dil_bI5wfUz36ZsOFr_lklD2GDTQwTNSE7lhvmEJ4k/s320/Trinitron-logo-1-525-WP.jpg" width="320" /></a> </b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
During a Saturday in early May 2018 this summer, I was over in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh in order to stop by to the nearest Get Go for cheaper gasoline for the car. While in that area, I noticed an estate sale going on. Considering estate, garage, yard, and flea market sales have the potential to sell awesome vintage stuff (such as retro video games and vintage technology) for cheap, I decided to stop by and check it out. I'm glad I did stop by; I found treasure that day!</div>
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The estate sale seemed to belong to an older, classy Italian who recently passed away, who had some high-end, retro, AV equipment. The item that caught my eye the most was an old Sony CRT monitor, with a listed sales price of an incredibly affordable $20. Although I've never seen this particular model of CRT before and didn't know exactly what it was at first, it did look quite high-end, and I did notice a "Digital RGB" indicator and a "Sony Trinitron" logo on the front. Apparently this model of CRT could support <a href="http://retrorgb.com/rgbintro.html" target="_blank">RGB input</a>, which is the highest quality video that retro video game consoles can output! Although I already had an older CRT which is starting to go bad, I decided to take the risk and purchase it. Also purchased with the lot was a VK-2D Multi-Input Cable for the CRT, and a generic 3.5mm to Component jack cable. This was the 2nd and final day of the Estate sale, so everything was
being sold for half-off. (I didn't realize this until after the purchase; otherwise, I would have also purchased the remote and TV tuner that was compatible with the CRT).</div>
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The CRT was huge, and weighed about 120 pounds, so a helper at the estate sale and I had to do a two-person lift to haul this treasure into the car. Back at the apartment, I did some research online for what I found. The find was a Sony Profeel KX-2501A Component CRT, which is a high-end CRT manufactured during the 1980s by Sony. It uses a high-end Sony Trinitron monitor, a proprietary Sony technology which reduces the amount of color bleed between pixels. It is known as a "component TV", not because it has component AV inputs (YPbPr), but because it requires external hardware ("components") to fully utilize it. For example, the CRT doesn't include built-in speakers; it has speaker jacks to hook up to 8-16Ω stereo speaker equipment. Furthermore, it is best to use the compatible VTX-1000R TV Tuner with it, which allows hooking up multiple RCA and other inputs to the monitor (such as analog TV on RF), as well as hooking all equipment via a single, optional VK-2D 8-pin DIN Multi Input cable. The CRT also is compatible with the retrotacular Remote Commander RM-205 remote. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmRIlMAf0rcvjIb85iwczKMczZCYqg59nfveoiaprMa_QFdrt-uD0KWZgCQoghOEglUTs3ZG057R5TZvSWsCS8nPxtay9WQCjtgAKqy42AzPKzRmU52-_GNc5fqQ1MyBvVKvDl6tE_PY/s1600/IMAG0291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmRIlMAf0rcvjIb85iwczKMczZCYqg59nfveoiaprMa_QFdrt-uD0KWZgCQoghOEglUTs3ZG057R5TZvSWsCS8nPxtay9WQCjtgAKqy42AzPKzRmU52-_GNc5fqQ1MyBvVKvDl6tE_PY/s400/IMAG0291.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Sony KX-2501a</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(hooked up to a Sega Saturn via RGB)</b></div>
<br />
According to the <a href="http://www.thevintageknob.org/VIDEO/PROFEEL/PROFEEL.html" target="_blank">Vintage Knob</a>, the Sony "Profeel" line of CRTs was Sony's marketing term for their consumer and semi-pro product line of CRTs, with the product line positioned slightly below their fully professional product lines. Their professional product lines were their <b>PVM</b> (<b>P</b>rofessional <b>V</b>ideo <b>M</b>onitor) and <b>BVM</b> (<b>B</b>roadcast <b>V</b>ideo <b>M</b>onitors) monitors. These 3 product lines are highly sought out by retro video gaming and video enthusiasts due to their quality. They utilize Sony Trinitron monitors, high quality monitors which are sharp, bright, and clear. You can learn more about why Sony Trinitron monitors were (and still are) the king of CRT technologies in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aFhzGEBQlk" target="_blank">informative YouTube video</a>.<br />
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Not only do these monitors contain high quality Trinitron monitors, but most of them have inputs for digital RGB. digital RGB is the best quality AV you can get out of most retro video game consoles. Compared to other inferior AV input types (such as RF, Composite, or S-Video), RGB separates the red, green, blue, and sync information on video into separate signals. The other video input types mentioned combine all or some of the color information into individual signals, instead of separating each piece of information into separate signals. This combining of signals causes much signal interference and loss of color quality and information. RGB, on the other hand, separates each piece of color information into their own wire/signal, preventing any interference, and ensuring perfect color accuracy and quality. This is why digital RGB is such a big deal for video enthusiasts. You can learn more about what digital RGB is and why it is so spectacularly awesome for retro video games at this <a href="http://retrorgb.com/rgbintro.html" target="_blank">webpage</a> and at the <a href="http://retrorgb.com/">retrorgb.com</a> website.<br />
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<a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/retrorgb/images/Link%20RGB%20Compare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="384" height="108" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/retrorgb/images/Link%20RGB%20Compare.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Comparison between</b><br />
<b>lowest quality RF</b><br />
<b>and high-quality RGB video</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(Source: RetroRGB website</b>)</div>
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Unfortunately, there was a VTX-1000R TV tuner and the remote for the CRT for sale at the estate sale, but I didn't realize I should have picked it up at the time. I later picked up both for relatively cheap on eBay (but not as cheap as at the estate sale). Dumb mistake!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLL_iRbgdkjmc2mQ3CjNN-lG2ymnqDaBMiVaVbdfMjtuhjP_C7zrIYvIxCMjvYQjS80H3Oa9k3LMl99LwoKI6QlyF4q-ncRCAVTnbmUfUWWgSHgY03tezv24du6TK-djqo7xaBurKHC4/s1600/CRT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1382" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLL_iRbgdkjmc2mQ3CjNN-lG2ymnqDaBMiVaVbdfMjtuhjP_C7zrIYvIxCMjvYQjS80H3Oa9k3LMl99LwoKI6QlyF4q-ncRCAVTnbmUfUWWgSHgY03tezv24du6TK-djqo7xaBurKHC4/s640/CRT.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The KX-2501A monitor in action,</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>with VTX-1000R TV tuner and Remote Commander</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Getting RGB into this monitor</b></div>
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<b></b></div>
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As previously mentioned, Digital RGB is the best quality AV input for most retro video game consoles. RGB can be input to most high-end CRTs either thru SCART or thru BNC (RGBHV) connections. SCART is a European standard, and uses a 21-pin connector which carries RGB signals. Few if any monitors in North America use SCART inputs; however, many higher end CRTs have BNC connections for RGB (RGBHV or RGBs), which are more common than SCART inputs. SCART contains both audio and video on one cable, while BNC connections use 4-5 BNC connections for video, with audio via left/right RCA connections.<br />
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The Sony Profeel KX-2501A does support RGB input; however; it neither uses SCART or BNC inputs for RGB, and instead, uses a proprietary IDC34 jack, which looks the same as a 34-pin floppy drive jack (see input panel on above picture). This change in input interface was a big problem with getting RGB input on the CRT. After doing some research online, I discovered this <a href="https://wavebeam.blogspot.com/2017/08/making-scart-adapter-for-sony-34-pin.html" target="_blank">blog post from WaveBeam</a> on how to rewire the pins on a SCART jack into such an IDC34 port for transmitting an RGB signal, as well as a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/comments/85gxof/sony_profeel_34_pin_rgb_cable_success/dw0ljwp/" target="_blank">proof-of-concept </a>by another person who got RGB working via BNC+RCA connection. Later I discovered a Ben Heck article on creating an <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2007/03/13/how-to-make-a-solid-state-a-v-switcher/" target="_blank">AV switcher circuit</a> using Bus Switcher ICs.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Enter Sony Super Multi (X) RGB Kits</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
With the information researched in those links, I have designed the ultimate conversion interface kit for getting RGB input into IDC34 monitors such as mine. The R&D of the products are in late stage development (about 90% complete), and the kits should be ready to be sold to the public at around early October, after pricing, packaging, and an online store are setup.<br />
<br />
<b> The Sony Super Multi RGB product line</b> of kits will contain two kits: The <b>Sony Super Multi <span style="color: red;">R<span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></span></b>, and the <b>Sony Super Multi X </b><b><span style="color: red;">R<span style="color: lime;">G</span><span style="color: blue;">B</span></span></b>.
The former kit is the basic kit, while the latter is the premium kit.
Both kits will allow one to interface both SCART and BNC (RGBHV/RGBs+RCA
stereo audio) RGB AV into their IDC34 port on their monitor, as well as
to use either a standard (twisted) IDC34 floppy cable or a nonstandard
one. The main difference between the 2 kits is that the former is a
passive circuit and does not prohibit the usage of both SCART <b>and</b>
BNC inputs active at the same (attempting to use both will mux both
signals to the CRT), while the latter is an active, powered, digital
circuit that only allows one input type active at the same time. The
latter uses an AV Input source switch to select which input to use,
power supply, and a few SMT Bus Switcher ICs to fix the design flaw of
the standard kit; however, it costs more and is harder to assemble, due
to the few SMT components and more complex design. Both kits will come with
color instruction manuals for how to use and assemble the kits. The
parts used for the AV inputs will be high-quality, non-oriental parts, in
order to ensure a pure AV signal. Both kits will be open-sourced, fabricated
at OSHPark, and were designed with Autodesk Eagle. Pre-assembled kits
will be tested for QA assurance before shipping.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/SSM_RGB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/SSM_RGB.png" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="765" height="320" width="305" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> SSM RGB Kit</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/SSMX_RGB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/SSMX_RGB.png" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="800" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>SSMX RGB Kit</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/Manuals.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb/Manuals.png" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="800" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Manuals</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> -----------------------------------</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Stay tuned for more news about the development of the Sony Super Multi kits, and an eventual release date for the first batch of kits. The source material for the kits and the manuals will be released when the design is finalized and ready to ship. The EagleSoft Ltd website has been updated with a new "Electronics" tab, including a <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/Electronics/ssm_rgb" target="_blank">WIP page</a> for the SSM Kits.</div>
</div>
Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-45042789517343592042018-08-05T13:36:00.000-04:002019-05-02T19:54:19.284-04:00DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image updated (v1.1/v1.7)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>DreamPi NOOBS-compatible</b><br />
<b>image updated! (v1.1/v1.7)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="310" src="https://sites.google.com/site/eaglesoft92/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DreamPi.png" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Earlier this year, I released a <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2018/02/dreampi-noobs-compatible-image-release.html" target="_blank">DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image</a> for Raspberry Pi for the Sega Dreamcast. A <a href="http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html" target="_blank">DreamPi</a>
is a standardized set of software (a customized Linux distro) and a set
of hardware created by a fellow named "Kazade" which will create a
simplified DC-PC server, for getting a Dreamcast back online to connect to the internet for browsing and online gaming, via resurrected, private game servers. The stock DreamPi image is one which must be written to the entire SD card, and doesn't easily allow a multi-boot setup with other OSes on other SD card partitions. This DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image is compatible with <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/" target="_blank">NOOBS</a> or (by extension, the recommended, superior) <a href="https://github.com/procount/pinn/blob/master/README_PINN.md#quick-start" target="_blank">PINN</a>. NOOBS is a simple bootloader, which allows one to install NOOBS-compatible distro images in such a way as to allow a simple multi-boot configuration, while PINN (derived from NOOBS) is a enhanced version of NOOBS, which fixes some design flaws and adds new useful, convenient features. PINN is recommended over NOOBS.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The DreamPi NOOBS compatible image works with NOOBS/PINN, and allows one to install DreamPi distro with others in a multi-boot configuration. Recently, the stock DreamPi image was <a href="http://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/DreamPi-v1-7-Now-Available/" target="_blank">upgraded to v1.7</a>. You can read the Dreamcast Live blog post and forum thread from the previous link for information about the ChangeLog, but to summarize the changes:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Updated Firmware</li>
<ul>
<li>Image rebuilt against newer minimal Raspbian distro.</li>
<li>Now supports Pi Zero W and Pi 3 B+ models of Raspberry Pi</li>
<li>Smaller image size</li>
</ul>
<li>2K Games support</li>
<ul>
<li>Supports resurrected servers for the supported 2K series of sports games (NBA 2k1/2, NFL 2k1 etc; see up-to-date <a href="http://www.dreamcastlive.net/games.html" target="_blank">games list</a>)</li>
</ul>
<li>Wi-Fi Config Utility </li>
<li>Bugfixes</li>
</ul>
I have updated the DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image against the updated DreamPi v1.7 stock image. The DreamPi NOOBS guide has been updated to detail how to upgrade your DreamPi partition from
an older version to a newer version via the latest NOOBS image, and
clarifies a few items. The upgrade requires the latest version of PINN,
which has now introduced a "replace" OS function, as well as
dual-firmware support to handle Raspberry Pi models 3B+ and newer and
also older models. This OS replacement feature will upgrade DreamPi with
the newer image, without deleting or modifying other partitions within
your multi-boot setup on PINN.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN4.jpg" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="800" height="255" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN2.jpg" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="800" height="338" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs/DPiN3.png" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="800" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Do note that this image may need the <a href="https://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11162&start=20#p110933" target="_blank">speed bugfix</a> applied to make it boot consistently.<br />
<br />
You can download the latest DreamPi NOOBS compatible image and read the guide at <a href="http://www.eaglesoftltd.com/retro/dc/dreampi-noobs" target="_blank">this EagleSoft page</a>. <br />
<br />
Have fun playing with the new support for the 2k series of sports games, and having DreamPi multi-boot with other OSes on NOOBS/PINN!<br />
<br />
-TamkisTamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882252142046968911.post-53164397651063642992018-07-01T22:21:00.004-04:002018-08-05T13:01:16.313-04:00Birthday Bash 2018/Recent pickups<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Birthday Bash/<br />Recent Pickups<br /><span style="font-size: small;">(Not a dead hobo yet)</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltxnGD-PdBdQsT8cvvRbwgWrIcrBJEehcmB-SBw5Npjg5Sjvn5pn62x3PPhtivKocMB1JrRON0g-3IoACOMZxIp2KPW_qU7Gs0IfNHeahDUnfTgQ_Vwm-pS6P4AoTNqBRvhqQZRGOP5Q/s1600/Old.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="794" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltxnGD-PdBdQsT8cvvRbwgWrIcrBJEehcmB-SBw5Npjg5Sjvn5pn62x3PPhtivKocMB1JrRON0g-3IoACOMZxIp2KPW_qU7Gs0IfNHeahDUnfTgQ_Vwm-pS6P4AoTNqBRvhqQZRGOP5Q/s320/Old.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> I and EagleSoft Ltd are not dead! I just have been really busy with my day job as a developer lately. I somehow recently lived long enough to turn 26 years old<b> </b>during April! As usual, I picked up a few video game related items this month in celebration, some homebrew development related, others just video games. Unfortunately, turning 26, I fell off my parents' health insurance. What did I pickup this year?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Around April, I found a few good games at a thrift store for dirt cheap, and some other great finds at the annual <a href="http://pittsburghretrogaming.com/" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Retro Gaming Convention</a> (2018)! At the thrift store, I found a boxed copy of the Starter Pack for Skylanders Superchargers Racing for Wii, with Bowser, his airplane, the portal, and the game, as well as a copy of Megaman Network Transmission for Gamecube, and a longbox copy of Twisted Metal for PS1. A future blog post will give a short game review of Skylanders Superchargers Racing for Wii, as well as a quick review video in a future episode of Nerdology.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0cIYOusA3RzaGAq2roeWrdm22zH-y5JmHF1F8BCEBDlwJEkBDerOip0iLIX4GR7lL_OBzRVB5Z5E_OXW5YBjlZuv1PDhKe_cvxt9mYlWrX-Z2Ot_zgevscN3aZFOKkSCpK9AJHXcpaI/s1600/BDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1176" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0cIYOusA3RzaGAq2roeWrdm22zH-y5JmHF1F8BCEBDlwJEkBDerOip0iLIX4GR7lL_OBzRVB5Z5E_OXW5YBjlZuv1PDhKe_cvxt9mYlWrX-Z2Ot_zgevscN3aZFOKkSCpK9AJHXcpaI/s640/BDay.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </span></b><br />
<b> PRGC/Gamemaster's Realms Pickups:</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
At the 2018 Pittsburgh Retro Gaming Convention (PRGC) and a recent trip to the local game shop (The GameMaster's Realm), I found some great pickups! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>PS2</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Hw </li>
<ul>
<li>8MB Memory Card</li>
</ul>
<li>Applications </li>
<ul>
<li><strike>HDLoader</strike> </li>
<li>Network Adapter Startup Disc</li>
<li>DVD Player v2.10 </li>
</ul>
<li>Games </li>
<ul>
<li>Star Wars Battlefront 1</li>
<li>Star Wars Battlefront 2</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Gamecube</b></li>
<ul>
<li>BMX XXX (at GMR)</li>
<ul>
<li>Homebrew Game Save exploit!</li>
</ul>
<li>Gamecube SD Gecko (eBay)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Sega Saturn</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Games</li>
<ul>
<li>Virtua Fighter 2</li>
<li>Virtua Cop <b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </span></b></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">PS2 Pickups/FHDB Setup</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeTX7dWuRs6VI_AsgUo8yhE1R2CR_RcmOIPTq5jKm9b64DFWttkbvTI1GVgcN8bjrRQqUukfuy32IRNR-fhxAN2y1dnwtH1QT-SkIg_bzbAAsWccn45lZr8TaHvOpsDh7qtwQMK73yxY/s1600/PRGC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1600" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeTX7dWuRs6VI_AsgUo8yhE1R2CR_RcmOIPTq5jKm9b64DFWttkbvTI1GVgcN8bjrRQqUukfuy32IRNR-fhxAN2y1dnwtH1QT-SkIg_bzbAAsWccn45lZr8TaHvOpsDh7qtwQMK73yxY/s640/PRGC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2017/12/merry-christmasrepairaganza.html" target="_blank">Last year</a>, somebody gave me a working Fat PS2. It was fully working, but the CD tray was jammed. I was able to easily fix that by lubricating the drive belt. I also had future plans to acquire a HDD Network Adapter, and to install a HDD with Free Hard Drive Boot (FHDB) and Playstation Broadband Navigator (PSBBN) on it. This adapter would also enable me to play various games online again, via private servers or self-dumped, patched backup discs.<br />
<br />
That same someone also gave me an OEM HDD Network Adapter (with Ethernet and Dialup jacks) on it, so I had been trying to setup my PS2 Fat up with networking and HDD capabilities. Initially, the blank Memory card I acquired at PRGC'18 would be used as the Free McBoot (FMCB) memory card, with HDLoader being the software to use to get over the chicken-and-egg problem of having to write the appropriate files to the memory card on a non-modified console for the FMCB installation, and being the software to use to utilize the HDD. However, the HDLoader disc was badly chipped on a section of disc near the inner ring. Although I tried getting the CD buffed at the Gamemaster's Realm (whose owner has such a professional CD buffing machine), it still wasn't enough to fix the issue, so I ended up returning the disc back to the seller on the 2nd day of the convention. It was a shame too, because HDLoader is a somewhat rare but useful homebrew utility disc, and I found this copy for a steal of only $3.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later I picked up a compatible 40GB IDE HDD for dirt cheap ($10) on eBay, and ended up just writing a modified PSBBN disk image to it ("<span class="st">PSBBN custom install 2013 by AKuHAK</span>" from <i>somewhere</i> online), for a Free Hard Drive Boot (FHDB) installation. More info about what a PS2 FHDB installation can do in a future blog post/Nerdology video.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZXG4Bit83IqPfT1SX1JhIeAvA17nG6N6Irm7QjF82L19lpswTjNwU2HKBVlmm9ihcQN9yBiL0HWc1rpuKtasQhjKUA7kRHwaftlvljAudG0yZtibucgw4IBPrTxnYMDLbnYwdIvwb7Y/s1600/Format.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZXG4Bit83IqPfT1SX1JhIeAvA17nG6N6Irm7QjF82L19lpswTjNwU2HKBVlmm9ihcQN9yBiL0HWc1rpuKtasQhjKUA7kRHwaftlvljAudG0yZtibucgw4IBPrTxnYMDLbnYwdIvwb7Y/s320/Format.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Formatting the old drive</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>on the Windows ME DosBox</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDgfgtEs3Tc54OSaVJuGPtv2nJHR6zIsLuOxH_2Vpt1IpE4FW1VdzAeT7KE2zI9h8JkzJ-Su3MzTCinQUVSGaY1LXX6Blb53mJKn3cs-1VozMG1oZZFm-8b3TvCRTXmlPhSkt6nvvLHM/s1600/Format2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDgfgtEs3Tc54OSaVJuGPtv2nJHR6zIsLuOxH_2Vpt1IpE4FW1VdzAeT7KE2zI9h8JkzJ-Su3MzTCinQUVSGaY1LXX6Blb53mJKn3cs-1VozMG1oZZFm-8b3TvCRTXmlPhSkt6nvvLHM/s320/Format2.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> Powering up the HDD</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>in the Windows ME DosBox desktop,</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LLF formatting the drive,<br />and writing the PSBBN Custom image<br />to the drive from Windows 7 dev machine<span class="st"></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUVSswlZ7OQH6ATfcwDtNZFFfJAUxmqsEqy0pxZ3eLHL5tYgl1d8xf2bt9-fp2hFkOZl2K3ktEG0Od-RveOEPGHbqJwrHlOQb_tQqHcJS_IHDykODoh5TmtUwbgKpoA2ORqjaXcbRbcc/s1600/PS2_FHDB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUVSswlZ7OQH6ATfcwDtNZFFfJAUxmqsEqy0pxZ3eLHL5tYgl1d8xf2bt9-fp2hFkOZl2K3ktEG0Od-RveOEPGHbqJwrHlOQb_tQqHcJS_IHDykODoh5TmtUwbgKpoA2ORqjaXcbRbcc/s640/PS2_FHDB.jpg" width="223" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>End result</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(HDD support in OSDSYS, PSBBN, PS2 Linux</b>)</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Also picked up were a Network Startup Disc and a DVD Player v2.10 disc. The former allows setting up a Network Adapter for usage with an internet connection, while the latter installs an updated version of the PS2's DVD Player application onto a memory card. Using the former, I was able to determine that my HDD Network Adapter does indeed work with respect to connecting to the internet, as well as setup the PS2 with an internet connection. The FHDB installation also showed the HDD interface to be working too. The latter pickup is mostly a curio item, which updates the PS2's DVD Player version. (My PS2 had its DVD Player software on v1.x, this updated it to v2.10). Most PS2 online games back in the day were hosted via GameSpy; however, when the website folded, so did all of the servers. Believe it or not, in 2018, it is still possible to play some games online, via reverse-engineered, <a href="http://info.swbfspy.org/Official_List_of_PlayStation_2_Online_Games.html" target="_blank">dedicated servers</a>.</div>
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As far as games, I found copies of Star Wars Battlefront 1 & 2 for PS2 (the original games, not the terrible next-generation ones ruined by EA Games). A SWBF community member by the name of Phobos has recently put the finishing touches this summer on launching <a href="http://info.swbfspy.org/index.html" target="_blank">SWBFSpy</a>, an OpenSpy replacement for the SWBF Master Servers. This will allow online multiplayer for these games once again, after applying patches to them, as well as gameplay stats and a plethora of other features, which haven't been around since the GameSpy servers ended. I'm quite excited for the release, and to play some SWBF online once again very soon!<br />
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<b>GameCube Homebrew Exploit</b></div>
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To quickly followup from <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2017/12/merry-christmasrepairaganza.html" target="_blank">Repairaganza last year</a>, someone gave me a used Wii. It was fully functional, but the DVD Drive mechanism was jammed. It was determined that a copy of Mario Kart Wii was jammed in the drive. After prying the DVD out, the drive still wouldn't suck or eject discs. Although I attempted lubricating and adjusting the DVD drive's gear system after disassembly of the console, I was unable to repair the drive; the mechanism was just too fragile to fix up. During early 2018, I transplanted the working DVD Drive from my brother's dead Wii. This DVD Drive was an early D2A chip drive, and works perfectly in my Wii! As a bonus, it's an early enough disc drive revision that it can watch DVD movies through MPlayer for Wii (not that I want to reduce the lifespan of the ODD's laser by watching DVD movies).<br />
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One item I was looking for the GameCube at the convention was a copy of any GCN game from the <a href="http://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=39&sid=2e2477b069c20843d4b97111a2b31f35" target="_blank">short list of exploitable GameCube games</a>. Games from this list can utilize a hacked saved file, which will exploit the game into running unsigned code from another device (run boot.dol converted to a save file on the same GCN memory card, Mini DVD-R, SD Gecko, etc). An SD Gecko is a GCN Memory card which allows plugging in an SD Card. Such devices are widely use in the GCN homebrew scene for running games, apps, and other things on real hardware, but compatibility is better on smaller SD Cards (not SDHC cards). In order to setup the exploit, the user needs to copy the hacked saved file onto a GCN memory card through a hacked Wii, using a utility such as <a href="http://wiibrew.org/wiki/GCMM" target="_blank">GCMM</a> on the Wii. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any of those games (there was a copy of 007 Agent Under Fire, but it was case only; no game). I was hoping to get <a href="http://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=25" target="_blank">Swiss</a> running on an SD Gecko, so I'd be able to run and play Gamecube hombrew on real hardware. Specifically, I was planning on running the <a href="https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2782" target="_blank">Gameboy Inteface (GBI)</a> homebrew app using the softmod. GBI is a GB(C)/Advanced emulator that utilizes the Gameboy Player hardware to play real cartridges, and has much superior emulation than that with the official Nintendo GBP Bootdisc. This would allow me to play old Gameboy games on the big screen, as well as allow for future streaming of retro games for Nerdology in glorious high quality.</div>
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Fortunately, I found a very cheap copy ($3) of BMX XXX at Gamemaster's Realm. (No, I'm not interested in playing this mature game lol. Just using BMX XXX as an <a href="http://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3492" target="_blank">XXXPloit</a> game). After ordering a cheap SD Gecko and recently acquiring an official Wii SD Card (1GB, so less than SDHC capacities). I was able to get Swiss and GBI running on my 'Cube through the Exploit 😎. I still have been having too many troubles with running homebrew that access external files, for whatever reason. Further details about this softmod in a future blog post/Nerdology video.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A8evuLPcA5lwshpSB4nSkvu9AvkcmmcBUKKxvYoXR5VTgmNaomOl2oYADaQZvVEdxfjRcR5tiTL7ZTg7ufVIwcZyRQRzRvqvxWWbVQq0ZYI7ERHgdP4dh2uAlpWHRdsCv7SEJJ3CM6Y/s1600/GCN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="391" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A8evuLPcA5lwshpSB4nSkvu9AvkcmmcBUKKxvYoXR5VTgmNaomOl2oYADaQZvVEdxfjRcR5tiTL7ZTg7ufVIwcZyRQRzRvqvxWWbVQq0ZYI7ERHgdP4dh2uAlpWHRdsCv7SEJJ3CM6Y/s640/GCN.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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<b>Running Swiss and GBI</b></div>
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<b>through the BMX XXXPloit</b></div>
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<b>via SDGecko</b></div>
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<b>Sega Saturn finds</b></div>
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Some better finds at the convention were copies of Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtua Cop for the Sega Saturn. The latter came in a longbox (CIB minus manual), while the latter was a loose copy. The longbox game is the first for my Sega Saturn collection; I've only recently gotten around to collecting and playing on the Sega Saturn, after I <a href="https://blog.eaglesoftltd.com/2017/11/sega-saturn-pickupsrepairs.html" target="_blank">repaired one last year</a>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">Other EagleSoft Ltd News.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEZu6OfH1IJ5oe6ei9RbLt0wgym_QctslhYW7z-HCMybexP9n3bV1kUSScIdWIBU6YCBeBJVrneN01hzXBO4as_qmCWQUKd8fKWvEcdL0UWT5bJzoh-k4qDEkm66bo4uVGMPa8IEy-Fw/s1600/geagle.png" /></a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> EagleSoft Ltd</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: small;">has been relatively inactive the last 1.5 years, due to real life. Recently, this blog has been updated to use an HTTPS connection, in order to encrypt traffic for its own safety on the public web. Furthermore, the 100 blog post here at EagleSoft Labs, <b>is coming very soon</b>! I have a few surprises, announcements, and important web/blog updates for the incoming</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">-Tamkis</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></div>
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Tamkishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259428442539902927noreply@blogger.com0