Dev Console

[thisisentchris87]

Hi,

I've read all about the CartDev and how impossible it is to get one, its either broken, in garbage dump, or siting on a collector's self not being used. I'm wondering if its possible to create one or something of function similar or limited myself? This is more than likely impossible, but I would like to see what can be said and ask what you are using/doing in a CartDevs absence. Personally, I'm finding my work sort of crippled without a CartDev or whatever.

 

[ExCyber]

Well, the most widely available/supported thing is probably using the comms features of an Action Replay. The downside is that it uses a proprietary protocol that requires some sort of adapter, e.g. this one for a USB-based solution, but there are some other options if you're handy with a soldering iron and have a decent parallel port. This gets you the basic ability to upload programs to RAM and run them. A debugger for this interface exists, but it's pretty old; I don't know if it runs in modern versions of Windows.

 

[thisisentchris87]

Well, the most widely available/supported thing is probably using the comms features of an Action Replay. The downside is that it uses a proprietary protocol that requires some sort of adapter, e.g. this one for a USB-based solution, but there are some other options if you're handy with a soldering iron and have a decent parallel port. This gets you the basic ability to upload programs to RAM and run them. A debugger for this interface exists, but it's pretty old; I don't know if it runs in modern versions of Windows.

Know where I can get the instructions for the parallel port thing and the debugger software? That sound more along the lines of what I need.

 

[ExCyber]

Know where I can get the instructions for the parallel port thing and the debugger software? That sound more along the lines of what I need.

The debugger can be found here. The official download site for the Free Wing comms interface for parallel port is here (the file you want is PAR_HARD.LZH). There used to be a website with more detailed instructions in English whose URL I don't remember, but the schematic should be enough if you know what you're doing. If you really know what you're doing, I think that file also contains the waveforms for a basic transaction in case you want to try designing your own hardware.

One caveat: if you're going to buy a new Action Replay cartridge for this, keep in mind that recent versions of the EMS "Action Replay 4M Plus" do not have the comms connector (it can probably be added if you feel like doing a bit more soldering).

 

[thisisentchris87]

So I would need a Action Replay cartage for this debugger, I'm lacking one and eBay isn't turning up one with a port. Any other methods?

Could I use the Yabause Saturn emulator as a "Dev Console?" I've noticed that it has a large range of debugging dialog boxes which cover all of the major processors? Would those give me the same functionality as this parallel port method? I'm not asking anything else, just if its possible.

 

[cafe-alpha]

The debugger can be found here. The official download site for the Free Wing comms interface for parallel port is here (the file you want is PAR_HARD.LZH). There used to be a website with more detailed instructions in English whose URL I don't remember, but the schematic should be enough if you know what you're doing.

I think you were speaking about http://members.fortunecity.com/raptor_x_psx/.

As you said, electronic schematics from the Japanese homepage are self-explaining enough.

To thisisentchris87 :

Last February, I built a freewing, and now I am rewriting all the software stuff about it. About 60% of the work is done, so if you want to become a beta tester of it, please ask me

(see http://segaxtreme.net/community/topic/16749-some-informations-about-exstand/ )