APOCALYPSE Sega System 24 multi kit sale & support

[Mitsurugi-w]

CURRENT PRICING

Full System 24 Multi
$225.00 w/eproms
$205.00 w/o eproms

Repro Floppy Controller $150.00

Important information:
Games aren't preloaded in the multi, users must download romsets by themselves then burn the eproms.



1) (Long) Introduction

This System uses either floppies or romboards to load games or both for Bonanza Bros.
It's not JAMMA but a System 16 to JAMMA adapter works fine.
It's mid-res, thus 24kHz.

The multi kit allows to play all floppy based games, included encrypted ones which I have decrypted, from a floppy emulator device.
Romboard based games are supported on a daughterboard that plugs in any romboard, whatever the security chip installed (but one must be present as it's also used for bank switching). Romboard based games have been patched to circumvent the protection.

Supported games from the floppy emulator:
- Bonanza Bros (W), patched - requires a romboard too
- Crack Down (W), decrypted
- Dynamic Country Club (U), decrypted
- Gain Ground (W), decrypted
- Hot Rod (Turbo 3P, W, set 2) - requires analog I/O board to boot
- Hot Rod (4P, J, rev C) - requires analog I/O board to boot
- Quiz Syukudai wo Wasuremashita (J), decrypted
- Rough Racer (J), decrypted - requires analog I/O board to boot
- Scramble Spirits (W)
-Jumbo Ozaki Super Masters Golf (W), decrypted

Supported games from the romboard:
- Bonanza Bros, patched - requires the floppy controller too
- Quiz Ghost Hunter, patched
- Quiz Mekurumeku Story, patched
- Quiz Rouka ni Tattenasai, patched - requires 3/4p I/O board to boot
- Tokoro San no MahMahjan, patched
- Tokoro San no MahMahjan 2, patched
- Dynamic Country Club (W), patched

To enjoy the whole library you need:

- A motherboard with a standard 68000 CPU installed for the second CPU, if the FD1094 is installed like in the picture below, pull it and install a standart 68000 CPU (original one is rated 10Mhz)

- a floppy controller (plugs underneath the motherboard), with cables of course (data and power):

- a romboard (plugs on top of the motherboard):

- Also some games require extra hardware for controls:

* 834-6510 analog I/O board for Hot Rod and Rough Racer

* 3/4p I/O board (plugs on the smaller connector of the motherboard just like on System 18 or 32) for Quiz Rouka ni Tattenasai
* and probably some specific hardware for the mah-jong games

With a motherboard and the floppy controller you can play:
- Crack Down (W), decrypted
- Dynamic Country Club (U)
- Gain Ground (W), decrypted
- Hot Rod (Turbo 3P, W, set 2) - requires analog I/O board to boot
- Hot Rod (4P, J, rev C) - requires analog I/O board to boot
- Quiz Syukudai wo Wasuremashita (J), decrypted
- Rough Racer (J), decrypted - requires analog I/O board to boot
- Scramble Spirits (W)
-Jumbo Ozaki Super Masters Golf (W), decrypted

With a motherboard and a romboard you can play:
- Quiz Ghost Hunter, patched
- Quiz Mekurumeku Story, patched
- Quiz Rouka ni Tattenasai, patched - requires 3/4p I/O board to boot
- Tokoro San no MahMahjan, patched
- Tokoro San no MahMahjan 2, patched
- Dynamic Country Club (W), patched

With a motherboard, a floppy controller and a romboard you can play all listed games above plus Bonanza Bros.

2) How to install

The kit is composed of:
- a USB floppy emulator with upgraded firmware
- a USB stick
- a small board that plugs in the motherboard
- a bigger board that plugs in the romboard or a complete custom romboard
- jumper cables to interconnect the 2 boards from the kit

To install the small board on the motherboard first pull IC1 and IC2, then install the board like this (better pics to come):

The bigger board plugs in the romboard like this, again all ROMs have to be pulled first.
Jumpers have to be set like this:
- J2/J3/J7/J9 = closed
- J1/J4/J5/J6/J8 = open
- J10/J11 = 1-2

If you instead requested a custom romboard with your kit just plug it on the CN2 connector of the motherboard where original romboards plug. There are no jumpers on the custom romboard (everything is already hardwired properly).

Boards interconnection is simple, left pin with left pin, middle pin with middle pin and... right pin with right pin. You can't damage anything if you do it wrong but games won't boot.

The USB floppy emulator plugs in place of the original floppy drive:

Dipswitches allow to select game loader:
DIP 1/2/3 ---- loader
000 ---- Dynamic Country Club (rom based)
100 ---- Hot Rod (floppy)
010 ---- Quiz Ghost Hunter (rom based)
110 ---- Tokoro San no MahMahjan (rom based)
001 ---- Tokoro San no MahMahjan 2 (rom based)
101 ---- Quiz Mekurumeku Story (rom based)
011 ---- Quiz Rouka ni Tattenasai (rom based)
111 ---- All floppy based games except Hot Rod

Floppy image selection is made by using the two buttons on the front panel of the floppy emulator (-/+), segment display shows selected image (3 digit number), you have few seconds to change image on boot up (3s maybe?):
- 000 = Bonanza Bros (W)
- 001 = Crack Down (W)
- 002 = Dynamic Country Club (U)
- 003 = Gain Ground (W)
- 004 = Hot Rod (Turbo 3P, W, set 2)
- 005 = Hot Rod (4P, J, rev C)
- 006 = Quiz Syukudai wo Wasuremashita (J)
- 007 = Rough Racer (J)
- 008 = Scramble Spirits (W)
- 009 = Jumbo Ozaki Super Masters Golf (W)

[EDIT]
31/07/2108: Added 2 pics to show how pins must be aligned on the motherboard and romboard and how to plug the floppy emulator

[EDIT 2]
Dynamic Country Club is now also available from the romboard for those not having a floppy drive controller (altough repro is available from @Mitsurugi-w) or wanting to cut loading times.

[EDIT 3]
A custom romboard can now be ordered with the kit for those not having an original romboard or as an upgrade.

SOME PICTURES COURTESY OF @XtraSmiley

 

[rtw]

Would it be possible to resurrect the images in the first post ?

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

For which version of the kit?

 

[rtw]

Will investigate, is there a version printed on the PCB ?

 

[plasticfactory]

Is this available? I'm not sure what happened to the posts...

 

[SMD88]

Finally just got another S24 motherboard with the floppy board. I have another motherboard somewhere with a ROM board, so I will finally be able to get the S24 multi. Is it still available? I won't be able to buy it for a month or two yet, just want to make sure it is still available.

What is the best SD floppy emulator to get?

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Yes. I make them to order. They include a gotek floppy drive modified to run on s24.

 

[SMD88]

Wonderful! Good thing I did not buy a Gotek this week

 

[sugar4salt]

Would it be possible to resurrect the images in the first post ?

I also want images from the first post.

 

[XtraSmiley]

@Mitsurugi-w can you post pictures from the 2nd S24 kit? I finally found my motherboard and now am trying to figure out how to do this. I have the Quiz game, so no floppy drive on that working motherboard, and I also have a Gain ground with a floppy drive, but have no idea if the motherboard works as the drive is missing the disk.

Finally, I have a scattered S24 kit (2nd rev), so I need pictures of what was included initially and how to install. Thanks!

 

[XtraSmiley]

Here are two pictures of all the stuff in the boxes I had. I think I have a full Rev 2 kit, and some extra EPROMs from something... probably not related.

EDIT: Looks like I'm missing the jumper cables, if you update the pictures on the first post it will help with installation and for me to figure out where/what these look like.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

The kit you have there installs the same way as the kit in the pictures above. It is a production v1 kit. You are missing the cable tho.

Not sure about the eproms though. Next time I assemble the new kits I will add some pics.

 

[XtraSmiley]

The kit you have there installs the same way as the kit in the pictures above. It is a production v1 kit. You are missing the cable tho.

Not sure about the eproms though. Next time I assemble the new kits I will add some pics.

I think the problem is those of us looking at the forms cannot see the pictures in your first post. I think you’re seeing them but all we’re getting is a broken blue square.

 

[XtraSmiley]

To be clear, I’m not necessarily asking for fresh new pictures. I’m asking for the original pictures in the first post to be re-uploaded because no one else can see them but you I think.

 

[XtraSmiley]

OK, I just couldn't wait, after all it's been like 3 years since I bought this multi, so like, maybe it's time to find out if my Gain Ground and Quiz PCBs actually work...

WARNING: I did blow my OSSC up by plugging in something the RIGHT way, but it turns out it should have been backwards. Read on to make sure you don't make this mistake.


OK First up System24 PCB (remember it is NOT JAMMA, you need a converter and a System16 one will work). Notice the ROM board on the bottom left. You need this to play all those shit Quiz games with moon language. I took a semester of Japanese and I still have no idea what these games say.


Let's start here. First make sure you have TWO 68000 CPUs, 10mhz plugged in. I got some really nice looking ones from eBay for $8 shipped (for the pair). Took 6 weeks from China to get here, but man, they really looked clean. Next, see my two yellow labeled ROMs? IC1 and IC2. Grab some pliers and yank them out. Fuck the pins, you're tossing them in the trash anyway!


Here you go, all pulled out and tossed away!


Next plug in the first of your multi PCBs. This one plugs in like this, with the power on the left side and crazy overhang underneath.


Here is a picture from the side so you can how it goes in. ALL the way to the right and double check the other side before you push. The multi Boyz went with some delicate ass thin pins. Don't bend them, but if you do, use a .7mm mechanical pencil, slide over the pin and slowly bend it back. You think this one is tricky? Wait the fuck until you see the god damn ROM board. Geez @Mitsurugi-w what are you doing to us!?!?


OK, I've already plugged in the multi board here, but as you'll see, it's tricky as fuck getting those lone center pins lined up. Especially with old man eyes. By the way, this is why I don't own a Steam Deck. Who the fuck over the age of 40 is trying to game on the go on a tiny ass screen?


Here is a "top" view looking down, once again, all the way to the "right" and triple check that shit before you push it's shit in.


Here's another shot for you.

 

[XtraSmiley]

OK, now that it's all plugged in, let's do the jumpers. It's listed above, but an easy reference is also printed on the PCB. You're setting it for "4M" whatever the hell that means. I think it means, "This multi only has 4 good games!" Also, don't forget to swing your ass by and hit the last two jumpers in the bottom corner. There is no cool silk screening here to help you out, so just try to remember, OK?




OK, now you're set to play all the shitty ROM only games. They suck, so let's press on to the good stuff on the floppy drive board.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL S24 ribbon cable. If you get a new one with your kit ignore this and follow @Mitsurugi-w ‘s directions!!!!!!

Here is what the floppy drive PCB looks like plugged into drive emulator and with a thumb drive plugged in. THIS IS WHERE I BLEW UP MY OSSC. @Mitsurugi-w, you owe me a free repair buddy.


See how this fucking thing has a notch in it? See how the fucking ribbon cable has a notch in it? Well, DO NOT fucking use the notch. If you do, you will blow the audio out of your OSSC (and get a "floppy data not found" screen). DON'T DO IT! FIGHT YOUR INSTINCTS! Plug that shit in the WRONG way, trust me on this.



here we are, plugged in the wrong way.


Now on the PCB end, you HAVE to plug it in the correct way, it won't fit the other way, unless you shove it in really hard. Don't do that. Just do it the right way.

ANNNND, you're done.

This is where I normally post awesome pictures of me playing Crackdown (my second favorite game on S24) or Gain Ground (my favorite game on S24), but you know what sucks? Not have fucking sound out of your $200 OSSC... because plugging in a ribbon cable the right way, blew something. So no pictures. Fuck off and go enjoy your own Multi. I'm over here sulking.


Her is my F2 fuse on my OSSC. I don't have a DMM handy, but it looks like a giant gap in the middle (F1 is solid), so I'm hoping the fuse saved my OSSC, so once I find someone who can do tiny surface repair, I'll let you know!

I hope the pics helped you guys out.

Oh and @Mitsurugi-w, for some reason, all games work, except for the first and last ROM games:

000 ---- Dynamic Country Club (rom based)

011 ---- Quiz Rouka ni Tattenasai (rom based) Ignore me on this one, I missed I need an I/O board for it to boot. I recommend putting what games need an I/O board right by the name of the game on the section with their dip switch settings.

I'm not sure why?

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

1: Yes its a pain installing that kit on the romboard. That's why we created the v2 kit that simply replaces the entire romboard.

2: Is that an original s24 floppy cable? I've never had one. The cables I buy and send with the floppy controller repros I sell MUST BE plugged in using the notch. Let me know because it is indeed good info to know if the original is indeed reverse from normal cables.

3. If the fuse is indeed blown I can easily fix that for you.

4. Not sure why those two games aren't working for you. Let me look into it.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Can you all see the pictures now?

 

[XtraSmiley]

Can you all see the pictures now?

All but the one after the jumper info.

 

[XtraSmiley]

1: Yes its a pain installing that kit on the romboard. That's why we created the v2 kit that simply replaces the entire romboard.

2: Is that an original s24 floppy cable? I've never had one. The cables I buy and send with the floppy controller repros I sell MUST BE plugged in using the notch. Let me know because it is indeed good info to know if the original is indeed reverse from normal cables.

3. If the fuse is indeed blown I can easily fix that for you.

4. Not sure why those two games aren't working for you. Let me look into it.

1. Yeah, I figured as much. Mine says v2 on it, but I guess it’s an early one.

2. Yes original floppy cable as per the old directions I guess. I don’t think I got new ones of these, but boy that would have helped! Getting these off the original floppy drive was intense.

3. Thank you! I was just joking, but I do need to buy a few things from you anyway…

4. Yeah, it’s weird. These EPROMS were burned years ago, so who knows. IGNORE me on the quiz game, it needs an I/O. Not sure about the Dynamic Country Club (W), maybe my patch is bad.