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roy

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does stv has regions?
some carts are with blue and some are red background
does it mean anything?
thank's
 
st-v-pcb.jpg


Please read http://tjaberg.com/stv/index.htm
 
Actualy ST-V have 2 "region" software region and hardware region.
The ONLY game that care about hardware region is Sport Fishing 2.
There is a Input port on the smpc that read the HW region (have a look at OLD mame stv.cpp IIRC I called it FAKE or region), right now there is a "hack" in the rom loading to bypass it.

Hello @MetalliC
 
Actualy ST-V have 2 "region" software region and hardware region.
The ONLY game that care about hardware region is Sport Fishing 2.
There is a Input port on the smpc that read the HW region (have a look at OLD mame stv.cpp IIRC I called it FAKE or region), right now there is a "hack" in the rom loading to bypass it.

Hello @MetalliC
My understanding is that there are a fair number of region limitations on different STV carts.
https://wiki.arcadeotaku.com/w/Sega_ST-V

Simple solution, is to just install the modbios. Problem with that is I can't find a M27C400 for a fair price these days...
 
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Maybe get buyicnow.com to burn one for you, or maybe someone on the forums and problems solved :)
 
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Maybe get buyicnow.com to burn one for you, or maybe someone on the forums and problems solved :)
Yeah, there's a couple folk on eBay and here that'll do it. But I have to justify having an EPROM burner somehow...
 
Actualy ST-V have 2 "region" software region and hardware region.
The ONLY game that care about hardware region is Sport Fishing 2.
There is a Input port on the smpc that read the HW region (have a look at OLD mame stv.cpp IIRC I called it FAKE or region), right now there is a "hack" in the rom loading to bypass it.

Hello @MetalliC
My understanding is that there are a fair number of region limitations on different STV carts.https://wiki.arcadeotaku.com/w/Sega_ST-V

Simple solution, is to just install the modbios. Problem with that is I can't find a M27C400 for a fair price these days...
Double the rom file and use a m27c800 should work fine. Remove pins 1 and 42 after burning. I've done it in a pinch when out of 27c400.
 
@Darksoft Hey buddy, I found this topic right at the top of the forum list so I'm just going to use it instead of making a second thread. To catch everyone up, I got an ST-V mobo which works, passes all the tests including slave SH-2, verified with an authentic cart. When I use the old ST-V multicart (not the dark knight variant), with a smoke monster roll up pack, I can see the game is flashed correctly onto the cart. When booting up the ST-V, I get the screen announcing the correct game (i.e. if it's astra super stars, it'll say Astra Super Stars, if it's die hard arcade, it'll say die hard arcade, etc). After that, I get to the "checking system" screen and then I get black screen, nothing more.

I DM'd darksoft prior asking if perhaps the problem was a firmware issue, as I saw a post from 2018 where Darksoft mentioned a few multi-carts had shipped with the bootstrap loaded but not the firmware, but I'd have to buy a programmer to flash the firmware. However I bought the ST-V multicart in 2021 and I saw another post where they had indicated the lack of firmware problem had long been solved, so I'm thinking perhaps it's not a firmware problem. Darksoft suggested perhaps I have an incompatible bios, and I'm fairly certain this ST-V is a japanese unit but can't tell for sure. Reading this topic, it seems flashing an eeprom with the multibios is the way to go, and I have an eeprom programmer I can use. Darksoft asked me to take the topic to the boards instead of DM, hence this post.

What I need help with:
1) How can I identify what bios I have? The label text on my chip on my ST-V has deteriorated away to the point where it's a blurry mess that I can't really read well.
2) Anybody know where to find a 27C400 eeprom? Looking online they are hard to get and are going for something like $70?? That can't be right, can it?
3) Any other troubleshooting help would be appreciated.

EDIT: Alternatively, if anybody has an already programmed 27C400 they'd be willing to sell, I'd be up for buying it straight from them, that would save me a day of digging out the eeprom programmer haha.
 
1) How can I identify what bios I have? The label text on my chip on my ST-V has deteriorated away to the point where it's a blurry mess that I can't really read well.

If you have a programmer, you could read it and identify it with Mame.

Do you have a mask rom or an eprom (chip with window)? If it's the latter, you could just erase and rewrite it.
 
Alternatively, if anybody has an already programmed 27C400 they'd be willing to sell, I'd be up for buying it straight from them, that would save me a day of digging out the eeprom programmer haha.
I have a few stv multi bios ICs left listed on genuine D27C400s on eBay. The cost is definitely up, more so than other roms. When these few sell, the price I'll have to chagre will probably close to double. Just being honest. I did not raise the price on these because I got them fair and square years ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115831447381
 
I would still do a rework on those SH2 anyways. Very often games some games work with the original cart, but then any others dont.
 
If you have a programmer, you could read it and identify it with Mame.

Do you have a mask rom or an eprom (chip with window)? If it's the latter, you could just erase and rewrite it.
mask rom unfortunately, no window.

I have a few stv multi bios ICs left listed on genuine D27C400s on eBay. The cost is definitely up, more so than other roms. When these few sell, the price I'll have to chagre will probably close to double. Just being honest. I did not raise the price on these because I got them fair and square years ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115831447381
Your price is still lower than any other 27C400 I've found elsewhere and they were already programmed. Plus I prefer to keep things in this community, you earned a sale, thanks duder!

I would still do a rework on those SH2 anyways. Very often games some games work with the original cart, but then any others dont.
I examined them with a magnifying glass and didn't see any broken traces or anything, plus it passed all the internal tests on the STV board. You're saying it's still wise to reflow even with all that? Is there a way for the Slave SH2 to fail but still pass the test?
 
Yes, still think you should do it. Don't trust your eye, trust your meter ;)
Haven't reflowed anything in ages, just checking to make sure -- I have a heat station with a heat gun. Plop some flux on it, and turn the heat gun on for a few seconds and that should do it, right?
 
@Darksoft I'm running out of things to try. I got the multibios installed, it seems to work fine with a real cart, but I still get the black screen after "checking system." I reflowed the motherboard, everything works and it still passes the test, but I'm still getting the black screen after "checking system." I looked into updating the firmware on the cart, but wow, that's quite a bit of work to do, and it requires me buying a firmware programmer, and I need to solder a few points on the cart which is frustrating. Before I go through the process of buying a programmer and opening and messing with the cart, can you think of any other things to try first?
 
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