The Netlink Question...

[Noobsa44]

Is there any docs for the Netlink (other than mine 😛 )? I'm particularly interested in the possibility in forwarding information from the netlink to a PC (and back to a netlink)... I know the topic was discussed long ago, but I'm just hoping more info has come up... And since a friend of mine is looking to get into a programming project... We've done some discussing of a netlink system. Antime--I know this is your field of expertise... So start talking! 🙂 TTFN

-Noob

 

[antime]

At some point I had done some reverse engineering on the browser app, but lost my notes in a HD crash. What I did was simply to look for accesses to the A-bus areas and actually found a few addresses. I didn't really go further from this point, but then you'd start looking at how these registers are used. Since the hardware used is known it shouldn't be too hard to compare with the datasheets and go from there (you'd have to ask Conexant for the datasheets and just hope they kept Rockwell's old stuff).

 

[slinga]

Hey Noob,

About two winters back I tried something similar. I had a Windows 2000 Server running RAS, which I tried dialing in from with my netlink. Since I only had one phone line, I tried the dreamcast method of trying to dial directly into my pc, without the use of an outside line. Unfortunately I got no where, my PC would never answer the netlink. My goal was to have my netlink dial into my pc, get assigned an IP via dhcp, and log on to the internet to download\upload saves.

The only thing I could think of was that I was not spoofing the dial tone correctly.

Later.

 

[ExCyber]

I haven't found datasheets online, but to save anyone interested a small bit of screwdriver time it looks like the Netlink (mine, at least) is using the Rockwell L3903-57 and RC288DPi, a chipset apparently used in at least a handful of old Diamond/Supra modems. IOW, it looks like this is a fully controller-based modem. I wonder if it's using one of the SH-2 serial ports to communicate (it doesn't look like it has enough signal pins to have a significant address space; I'll check it against my notes later but I seem to recall that it uses a number of pins not used by the Action Replay 4M Plus). There is a Macronix 27C1000 EPROM, but it is either 45ns or 450ns, both speeds that don't make any sense for connecting to the A-bus, so it's probably controller firmware. There's also a 32K SRAM on the back, a Winbond W24257AS. This is probably just work RAM for the controller.

 

[antime]

You could have consulted Noobs' Netlink FAQ instead, it has contained that info for over two years (it was the first Saturn-related thing I did, I didn't have an Action Replay yet and was investigating using the browser's update feature to run my own code).

AFAIK the datasheets haven't ever been available online, but back when Rockwell still existed I got an email address from which you could request the info. If you're interested you could try contacting Conexant.

 

[Noobsa44]

Thanks guys for all your help... While we are still investigating (I say 'we,' even though I'm not doing any of the techincal work), I don't think that any of the rockwell docs will be of much use. With that said, I personally would be interested in anything you find (to add to my FAQ)... So if you get a chance, please e-mail them and let me know what you find out. Thanks again,

-Noob

 

[ExCyber]

You could have consulted Noobs' Netlink FAQ instead

Yes, I suppose I could have clicked on the nonexistent link in the original post or searched Google for the title that he didn't mention. :sigh

 

[slinga]

How would you code for the netlink, all assembly right? I'm under the impression that there were no C libraries for the netlink. Seeing how only 4-5 games supported it, that makes sense.

Also, as a starting point, I have an extremely simple 12 player snake clone written in C. It uses slPrint statements to draw the "graphics". I think that would be a good program to modify to use a proof of concept for netlink programming. I'll release the source code hopefully this weekend when I put the finishing touches on version 2.00.

 

[Noobsa44]

While any/all documentation is useful, this is not about releasing games for the Netlink but more to see if it is possible to 'forward' the information from one PC to another via a broadband connection so that one does not have to direct-dial. Is it possible? I believe it is... however I don't have the technical background to do it... but my partner may. As with everything, we shall see.

-Noob

P.S. Just as a quick shameless plugin, you can view my FAQ by clicking

here and then clicking on the Netlink/Directlink FAQ.

 

[Zaksund]

I forgot just how cool this thing was, especially for its time. Sure you can't access 3/4ths of the www now because it doesn't support java, but that doesn't matter!! because for some strange and perhaps sick reason...browsing with this thing is fun! That and I can still remember some CRAZY fullscreen, lag - free virtual on matches all those years ago (wonder if I still got the juice with Viper 2??).

About a year ago, I was trying like all hell to get an output signal from the Saturn for forcefeedback or really really crude multiplayer over tcp/ip, so I did something not too bright...

I opened a digital saturn pad, soldered wires to the traces of the U, D, L, R, START, and I think B buttons. Then I soldered the other ends of those wires to a parallel port connector. Using QB and its wicked INP & OUT commands, I wrote a simple program that logged keypresses on the saturn pad and saved them in a file. Then, when you were done 'recording' you could 'playback' the file. Truth be told, the thing was really accurate! In games like Last Bronx & DOA it played back combos perfectly. Well, stuff like: B, BB, BBB, UDLRBBB, RR, DB, UB, BB, B, D, START.

And while it was good in shooters too, I noticed that the longer you played, the more it would desynch.

There used to be a programming language called Euphoria where it was pretty easy to set up inp/out & tcp. Lo & behold the signals went through from one computer to the next, but they were incredibly delayed!! At times Hayabusa would punch like 2 seconds after I pressed the button. There were 2 libraries that you could use for networking, tcp4eu and eulib. One checked and made sure every bit of data got through okay and the other just blasted data through UDP style and didn't care whether the other computer got it or not (it was faster, though it was still too slow for realtime play...)

:lol:, it was just interesting then. If you ever wanted to try it, my advice would be: DON'T!! Its incredibly easy to fry your stuff and my brain must've been stuck on stupid those few days...but if you're hellbent, at least do it with a breadboard. I just remembered that I did end up frying the 1P port of that saturn. Ha! guess I'll leave saturn networking to someone more skilled (using the netlink sure would be cool!), or emulation. Hope this made for an interesting read at least.

Sorry for digging up an old post!!

 

[CyberWarriorX]

Might as well add this to the thread, since it's relevant.

Disclaimer: They're rough notes I made for myself a few months ago. If you can't read them, you're SOL.