I dont have imports no. I am waiting for a batch of Verbatim datalife plus cdrom that I have bought on amazon, so I cant really test the cart right now.
However, is it normal that when pseudo saturn cart is plugged, original games cannot boot?
Pseudo Saturn Kai official thread
- Thread starter vbt
- Start date
However, is it normal that when pseudo saturn cart is plugged, original games cannot boot?
SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
No that's not normal at all. Are you able to boot up the saturn cart flasher disk again? Try and reflash your cart but try wiggling the cart as I described in a previous post to get it to identify the chipset. It sounds like you bricked your cart, but not all is lost, you might be able to reflash it
cafe-alpha
Established Member
Glad you could flash your cartridge :]
After flashing, utility compares whole flash with firmware data in memory, so if it displayed "Write verification success." in green color, you can consider that flashing was OK.
Pseudo Saturn Kai will have a self-test feature which verify each executable CRC value, so it will be possible to verify that firmware is still OK from its menu.
cafe-alpha
Established Member
Pseudo Saturn Kai release candidate is ready 🙂
People interested in testing it ?
People interested in testing it ?
SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
I can test it with my AR 4-in-1 cart but I don't think that would serve much purpose as it doesn't have the parallel port on it 😛. If you need compatibility testing with various games to make sure nothing "broke" when you made your changes, I can do that, but I can't really test any of the extra functionality...
cafe-alpha
Established Member
"Bugs will appear in one part of a working program when another 'unrelated' part is modified".
So your help is welcome 🙂
With a link-less ARP, you can test :
- Flasher and Save Data Manager CD-ROM : after flashing, please give a try to Save Data Import feature 🙂
- Lite version of the firmware : if it still loads CD-Rs or not.
- The readme file : please let me know in the case setup instructions are unclear.
I PMed you a link to the beta. Feel free to share your test feedback directly in this thread.
SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
Pm received 🙂. I will keep it private as requested. When you release the final "product" with your permission, I will throw it up as a torrent on my website and can setup a donation page that goes directly to you if you'd like 🙂
UPDATE: Did quite a bit a testing today, decided against doing a video this time as the FBA testing video I did last time came out terrible (thanks CRT tv! lol). Anyways below is what I found, more positive than negative 🙂
PS Kai 5/28/16 Private Beta (Lite Version)
My Setup: US NTSC Model 2 Sega Saturn with a modchip installed. One of the older model 2 specific chips, not the universal ones. EMS brand AR 4 in 1 Cart without a comms port on it.
Flashing Process: No issues although the main menu of the flasher utility was a bit confusing, it would help if there was an onscreen instruction to prompt the user to press the "R shoulder" button to open up the firmware menu. Had to look it up in the readme file
Custom Saves: I was shocked to see the flasher utility iso contains some custom save files right on the disc! Nice touch! They can be written directly to the cartridge. This is a really nice feature for people without a comms or usb port like myself 🙂.
Tested one of the custom saves for Sonic R (as that seems to be your favorite game @cafe-alpha 😛), worked great- no issues to report.
Game Compatibility: I still have a lot of games left that I haven't gotten around to testing but this should do for now 😛.
Sonic R (U.S. Version CD-R)- played extensively with the custom save file-no issues.
Alien Trilogy (U.S Version CD-R)- kicks out before reaching the title screen, goes back to "multiplayer screen" on the Saturn itself. Could just be my disc though as it looks like a chew toy 😛.
Jo-engine Gamepad Demo (Homebrew)- Works fine except a weird colored line at the top of the screen, doesn't interfere with anything though.
Sonic Jam (U.S. Version Original)- booted fine, but I know my original disc is pretty beat up so I didn't bother testing any further.
Sonic Xtreme (unreleased-prepatched to U.S.)- Works fine for what it is, its the really early unreleased demo most people here are already aware of.
Doom (U.S. CD-R)- no issues
Assault Suit Laynos (Japanese CD-R)- First Option (CHX) hangs with the following information on screen from PS Kai:
Top half of screen
"Pseudo Saturn Kai Lite-V.6035B
Stage 2a is_cd_auth[0x0000][0]
Stage 2b jhT_cd_hack[0x0001][0]
FFFFFFFF>FF>0
Stage 3a..."
Bottom half of screen
"boot_type=0
cd_read_sector..."
Disc stops spinning as soon as it hangs.
Second Option (JHL) initially says "insert disc" as if there wasn't one already in the drive, then finally detects it and tries to boot it, but hangs with the following information from PS Kai on the screen:
Top half of screen
"emu_fcts=1
Stage 2a is_cd_auth[0x0000][0]
Stage 2b jhT_cd_hack[0x0002][0]
41000096>41>0
Loading disc..."
Bottom half of screen
"Initializing CD block...Done.
Reading CD data...
boot_type=1
is_cd_auth#2..."
Disc stops spinning just like with the first option.
Area 51 (U.S. CD-R)- booted fine, didn't have a chance to test gameplay though. Not sure where my lightgun is lol.
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cafe-alpha
Established Member
Torrenting it is welcome. Thank you 🙂
Near the torrent link, please add a link to my homepage ( http://ppcenter.free.fr/pskai/ ), so that latest version of the firmware can be easily retrieved.
In 10 years, I received around 5$ as donation for my Saturn projects, so you can do as you want for the donation link 😀
Thank you for testing !
Even if "only" CRT, video is appreciated 😉
I personally take videos from few inches sized portable DVD player, and I totally assume it 😀
Text currently displaying under the menu is for debug purpose, so instead of it I will add some message like "Please press R shoulder button to access flasher menu" when cartridge is detected and utility is running from CD-ROM.
Are you OK to test RC2 when it will be ready ? It requires another CD-R on your side.
Please thank @ReyVGM, because something something like half of the saves are from him 🙂
This is a known uncompatible game. It requires some game patching in order to make it playable.
Probably something wrong in Pseudo Saturn Kai soft reset module.
Will fix later (not in initial release).
Does it boots fine with original Pseudo Saturn ?
Maybe a bad dump or bad burn ?
Edit : RC2 is ready for testing. Other testers welcome.
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SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
I received your link for RC2, thanks! Assault Suit Laynos could just be a bad burn I'm not sure, its a japanese game so my modchip won't boot it alone. I could however reflash my AR back to stock and see if it boots that way to test that theory...
cafe-alpha
Established Member
Please do your best in testing 🙂
In order to prepare release, I flashed all the carts here with RC2, so I really don't want to prepare a RC3 😀
Let's suppose that Assault Suit Laynos was a bad burn, or incompatible game (it happens), and please test with few other games, in order to be 100% sure it's OK on your side.
On my side, I tried with Fire Pro Wrestling S - 6men Scramble, and both game boot and virtual memory cart were working fine.
I just would some confirmation from people other than me it's OK before putting firmware in the wild.
In order to prepare release, I flashed all the carts here with RC2, so I really don't want to prepare a RC3 😀
Let's suppose that Assault Suit Laynos was a bad burn, or incompatible game (it happens), and please test with few other games, in order to be 100% sure it's OK on your side.
On my side, I tried with Fire Pro Wrestling S - 6men Scramble, and both game boot and virtual memory cart were working fine.
I just would some confirmation from people other than me it's OK before putting firmware in the wild.
SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
Ya no problem, I'll test it out more thoroughly when I get a chance. I did successfully flash it to my AR cart without any issues, I saw the message you put in about the shoulder button, nice 😛. I also saw the credits, thanks!
Hi cafe-alpha!
you may remember me from some comments on your youtube videos.
I find your work really impressive, and would like to be of some help to you and the community of this very under-rated but awesome console!
I have a Saturn Model 2 without modchip, in which I use the current version of Pseudo Saturn that is available on your site, and I have aproximately 120 recently burned CD-R games, most of these I burned with the Region set to US, due to using swap trick before buying an action replay. And, if possible I would like to help testing the RC firmware with all these games I have.
I can confirm is that Assault Suit Laynos DOES work in the currently available firmware! but I kind of suck at this game so I didn't played that much.
Edit: pictures of the game running (Pseudo v0. 832)
Thanks for continuing the work on this awesome project!!
you may remember me from some comments on your youtube videos.
I find your work really impressive, and would like to be of some help to you and the community of this very under-rated but awesome console!
I have a Saturn Model 2 without modchip, in which I use the current version of Pseudo Saturn that is available on your site, and I have aproximately 120 recently burned CD-R games, most of these I burned with the Region set to US, due to using swap trick before buying an action replay. And, if possible I would like to help testing the RC firmware with all these games I have.
I can confirm is that Assault Suit Laynos DOES work in the currently available firmware! but I kind of suck at this game so I didn't played that much.
Edit: pictures of the game running (Pseudo v0. 832)
Thanks for continuing the work on this awesome project!!
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Sorry guys for being out of context with this, but I need help or advices.
I think my saturn have problem reading cd-r burned with imgburn. After a lot of swap trick tries, with different cd-r brand, it worked only once, and I think I successfully installed pseudo saturn on my AR. (I don't remember seeing an error message and the installation ended by asking me to go multiplayer which I did before powering it off) However it can't boot burned games, so I'm not sure it's correctly flashed.
My saturn don't have problem loading original game. Contrary to what i was saying in a previous post, I can boot original game with the flashed AR plugged. Increasing slightly the potentiometer did not help.
Any suggestion? What version of what software are you using to burn?
Thanks a lot!
I think my saturn have problem reading cd-r burned with imgburn. After a lot of swap trick tries, with different cd-r brand, it worked only once, and I think I successfully installed pseudo saturn on my AR. (I don't remember seeing an error message and the installation ended by asking me to go multiplayer which I did before powering it off) However it can't boot burned games, so I'm not sure it's correctly flashed.
My saturn don't have problem loading original game. Contrary to what i was saying in a previous post, I can boot original game with the flashed AR plugged. Increasing slightly the potentiometer did not help.
Any suggestion? What version of what software are you using to burn?
Thanks a lot!
cafe-alpha
Established Member
PM sent 🙂
If possible, please verify about Assault Suit Laynos.
ImgBurn version I'm using here is 2.5.8.0 ... it sometimes botch write CD-R, but the next try almost everytime OK.
> However it can't boot burned games
Can you please describe your problem in details :
- Saturn region (US/JPN/PAL/other) ? Round power button ? Oval power button ?
- Pseudo Saturn 0.832 ? 0.831 ?
- Do you confirm your Saturn boots to Pseudo Saturn logo (version 0.832 only), then main menu ?
- What is your Saturn behavior when trying to boot CD-R game ?
-> Is there some error message displayed ? Or does the CD drive starts to spin in a weird way ?
I will Flash my ARP when I get home from work 😀
I want to point out that due to the size of the cartridge flasher iso, the swap trick for it has a smaller timing window to make it work, i was used on doing the swap trick to make it work everytime, yet, it took me a few failed tries to boot the flasher via swap trick.
I always used imgburn to burn my games, I can't inform the exact version right now because i'm not on my own PC, but i'm sure any version/latest version will work! never had any problems burning for lots of platforms.
do you remember if vendor id and device id numbers showed up with green color? if yes, then the Action Replay was flashed correctly.
maybe tweaking more the laser potentiometer might work.... but do this with caution!
I want to point out that due to the size of the cartridge flasher iso, the swap trick for it has a smaller timing window to make it work, i was used on doing the swap trick to make it work everytime, yet, it took me a few failed tries to boot the flasher via swap trick.
I always used imgburn to burn my games, I can't inform the exact version right now because i'm not on my own PC, but i'm sure any version/latest version will work! never had any problems burning for lots of platforms.
do you remember if vendor id and device id numbers showed up with green color? if yes, then the Action Replay was flashed correctly.
maybe tweaking more the laser potentiometer might work.... but do this with caution!
too late for a label submission?
SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
@HazukiRyo
If possible use a multimeter or ohmmeter while making the potentiometer adjustments. If you put the resistance too low the current and voltage will be too high and will fry the laser lens, leaving you with a paperweight (unless you replace the laser assembly or get an ODE). What speed are you burning your discs at? I always set IMGBURN to 4x even though my drive doesn't support that slow of a speed for writing. It forces the drive to burn at the lowest speed its capable of burning at though. Also what brand of media are you using? It could just be crappy cd-r's. Game consoles were never designed with recordable media in mind so its helps to use high quality brands like verbatim as they are more reflective than cheaper brands and easier for the laser to read properly.
But from my knowledge, I think the original is for the SNES only, and the only Assault Suit Leynos for the Saturn is the sequel
I'll look for an ISO though...
I always check on region patcher first before burning a game, if i open the iso, and it shows de dialog to open a file again(which happens if you have a broken ISO), I look for the ISO in some other source.
It'a US Saturn, model 2 (round button). I tryed to install Pseudo Saturn 0.832 (with logo version) but I dont see the Pseudo Saturn logo when I boot. Yes the CD drive spin in a weird way then the bios menu appear with a message about format verification. Then,after a while, the CD music tracks appear and I can ear the music if I press play.
Ok maybe I am not fast enough with the swap trick. Can you provide some advices to make it works? First I insert the flasher cd then when it spin fast (this happen only 1-2 seconds after powering on) I swap to Virtual Fighter 2. Then I wait the cd finish to spin slowly, and when it starts to spin fast again, I swap back to the flasher cd. Is this correct?
I burn in 4X too, and I use an CD-ROM burner that support that speed. I use Verbatim Datalife plus CD-R and ImgBurn 2.5.7.0 because this version use to work for Dreamcast.
SegaSaturnShrine
Established Member
But from my knowledge, I think the original is for the SNES only, and the only Assault Suit Leynos for the Saturn is the sequel
I'll look for an ISO though...
I always check on region patcher first before burning a game, if i open the iso, and it shows de dialog to open a file again(which happens if you have a broken ISO), I look for the ISO in some other source.
Ya I was mistaken lol. I'm reburning the game to test again with my configuration. Modchip and latest beta version of PSkai, I think mine was just a bad one.
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