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How to Upgrade your NetDimm or Dimm to firmware 4.02

RealMFnG

RealMFnG

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What firmware should you have if you have a regular Dimm:
  • Ideally, the end-state firmware revision of your Dimm should be 4.02. 4.02 shall remove the media checks on your CF card allowing you to use known compatible CF media to CF boot your games.
What firmware should you have if you have a NetDimm:
  • Firmware 3.17 for all intents and purposes shall allow you to Netboot your games. But might as well update to 4.02 to allow for the flexibility to CF boot anyway.
In all the scenarios below, you will need a Zero Key PIC installed in your Dimm or NetDimm. If you have a PIC programmer, you can burn your own. If not, post message on this forum or in the wanted section and one of the helpful guys in this community will be sure to reach out to you. Additionally, in some instances it may be possible to use a firmware upgrade disc to reach the firmware revisions stated above. However, these firmware discs are next to impossible to obtain. The instructions below are written with this limitation in mind.

Firmware revisions in this discussion and other resources are available here.

CAUTION: Never update to 4.02 unless your firmware is already at 3.17 or 4.01. Those that have come before us at A-P.com have left stern warning that your Dimm or NetDimm shall brick if you do. This may be folklore, but why do you have to be the one to prove the legend wrong? Also, don't panic or feel the need to reboot while doing this. Doing so may brick your Dimm or NetDimm.

Special thanks to andygeezer and those on the old Sega-Naomi forum for all of this info. None of this info originated from A-P.com. But is captured here now for those that have come to the hobby later.

If you have a regular Dimm firmware 1.xx:

  • The most practical way is to desolder the bios chip from the Dimm mainboard. Then resolder in a new TSOP48 flash chip with firmware revision 3.17 burned onto it.
  • From there, if you have access to a NetDimm, then you can remove the ethernet daughter board from the NetDimm and install it into your regular Dimm. Then you can netboot from 3.17 to 4.02.
  • Once done, put back the ethernet daughter board into the NetDimm. Put back in the SCSI daughterboard into your Dimm.
  • Now your Dimm can CF boot properly.
As NetDimms are hard to come by, and it is likely you don't have one, it is simply best to have this sent off to Mitsurugi-w to ask for his friendly services to have this done. PM him for details and cost. Should you wish to attempt the surgery yourself, here are the details how to achieve this.

NOTE: It is not possible to use the firmware disc 2.17 or 3.17 to update your Dimm from 1.xx. This has been tried before and confirmed to be not possible as denoted here and here. It may be possible to update a Dimm from from 1.xx to 2.xx with a 2.xx firmware disc, then to 3.17 with the firmware disc. But such 2.xx firmware upgrade discs are hard to come by and have likely been lost to time. Hence, mention of this being the most practical way.
If you have NetDimm with 2.xx firmware:

  • If this a NetDimm with 2.xx firmware, you can simply netboot to upgrade to 4.01 firmware with transfergame.exe. Once your NetDimm has rebooted to 4.01 firmware, you can now netboot to and upgrade to 4.02 firmware.
  • For some reason, if you start with 2.xx firmware, you cannot netboot and upgrade to 3.17 with transfergame.exe. It fails for one reason or another. But the journey to 4.02 nirvana is simply achieved by netbooting the upgrade to 4.01 instead to get to 4.02.
NOTE: This has been successfully confirmed with 2.06 -> 4.01 -> 4.02. I have never heard of anyone starting with another version of 2.xx doing this successfully, but I am assuming this shall work without issue as 2.xx firmware introduced networking functionality to the Dimm/NetDimm. If someone with firmware 2.xx firmware other than 2.06 can confirm this, I can update these details.
If you have a regular Dimm with 2.xx firmware:

  • You'll need a NetDimm to borrow the ethernet daughter card to install into your regular Dimm. If this is accessible to you, simply follow the net steps:
  • Netboot to upgrade to 4.01 firmware with transfergame.exe. Once your NetDimm has rebooted to 4.01 firmware, you can now netboot and upgrade to 4.02 firmware.
  • For some reason, if you start with 2.xx firmware, you cannot netboot and upgrade to 3.17. It fails for one reason or another. But the journey to 4.02 nirvana is simply achieved by netbooting the upgrade to 4.01 instead to get to 4.02.
SIDE NOTE: I can confirm from my own experience that it is possible to use the 3.17 firmware upgrade disc to upgrade a 2.06 firmware Dimm. Then from 3.17 by borrowing the ethernet daughter card from a NetDimm, i can upgrade the Dimm to 4.02. But why make it hard on yourself. The firmware discs are rare.

If you have NetDimm or a regular Dimm with 3.xx - 3.17 firmware:

  • If your NetDimm has 3.xx and is not 3.17, use transfergame.exe to netboot to first to 4.01. Once rebooted, use transfergame.exe to netboot to 4.02. Then enjoy your games.
  • If your regular Dimm has 3.xx firmware and is not 3.17, borrow the ethernet daughter card from a NetDimm. Then use transfergame.exe to netboot to 4.01. Once rebooted, use transfergame.exe to netboot to 4.02. Then enjoy your games.
  • If this a NetDimm with 3.17 firmware, you can simply netboot to upgrade to 4.02 firmware with transfergame.exe then enjoy playing your games.
  • If this is a regular Dimm with 3.17 firmware, you will need to borrow an ethernet daughter card from a NetDimm to netboot and upgrade to 4.02.
NOTE: With a NetDimm starting with 3.xx firmware, these actions have been confirmed to work with firmware 3.03 and 3.13.
 
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I'm starting at v3.13 with a NetDimm. Gonna try the upgrade to 4.01 then 4.02 and report back
 
Roger, had no issues upgrading from 3.13 to 4.01 to 4.02 using piforcetools. (My power supply sucks but that's a separate problem altogether!)
 
Yes, the one I got off eBay was running 3.13, and had a sticker showing the same. Not sure if it was a secondhand sticker, looks 'official'. If the permanent marker on the mobo chassis was any indication, it was a naomi2 initial d of some kind at one point in its life.
 
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ekorz said:
Roger, had no issues upgrading from 3.13 to 4.01 to 4.02 using piforcetools. (My power supply sucks but that's a separate problem altogether!)
Click to expand...
Word up! I made an edit to the OP as a result of your successful report. Also, forgot to mention that I too updated a 3.03 NetDimm by going to 4.01=>4.02.

A member of the forum reached out to me stating he has in storage a 2.xx FW upgrade discs. He may loan it to me as he is local to the SF Bay Area. I have two 1.xx Dimm's that I can try to get to update to 4.02 without using "Dr." Tyler Durden's surgical method. Will update the OP with results.

Also, I feel the OP is a little incomplete. So I will add a little more detail for those that are completely new the Naomi so they don't have to scour the Net for all the needed details.
 
acblunden2 said:
A member of the forum reached out to me stating he has in storage a 2.xx FW upgrade discs. He may loan it to me as he is local to the SF Bay Area. I have two 1.xx Dimm's that I can try to get to update to 4.02 without using "Dr." Tyler Durden's surgical method. Will update the OP with results.
Click to expand...
Whooooohoooo!!! So a member of the forum is sending me a firmware 2.xx upgrade disc with a key! I should have it by this Friday. Will run the update on a couple of 1.xx Dimm's that I have, then see if it is possible to get them to version 4.02 without surgery!! I'll be sure to document the entire process of course. Getting an old TV cart and will use that to setup a test bench to make things easier.

Pretty happy about the outcome of this thread. Proof that you get what you give. Gotta love this forum and the vibe we members put out. More updates to come.
 
acblunden2 said:
acblunden2 said:
A member of the forum reached out to me stating he has in storage a 2.xx FW upgrade discs. He may loan it to me as he is local to the SF Bay Area. I have two 1.xx Dimm's that I can try to get to update to 4.02 without using "Dr." Tyler Durden's surgical method. Will update the OP with results.
Click to expand...
Whooooohoooo!!! So a member of the forum is sending me a firmware 2.xx upgrade disc with a key! I should have it by this Friday. Will run the update on a couple of 1.xx Dimm's that I have, then see if it is possible to get them to version 4.02 without surgery!! I'll be sure to document the entire process of course. Getting an old TV cart and will use that to setup a test bench to make things easier.

Pretty happy about the outcome of this thread. Proof that you get what you give. Gotta love this forum and the vibe we members put out. More updates to come.
Click to expand...
Are those GD-ROMs? I wonder if we could rip those and create a MIL-CD version. Is the GD-ROM Drive for NAOMI able to boot from regular CDs like the Dreamcast can?
 
Smurph said:
Are those GD-ROMs? I wonder if we could rip those and create a MIL-CD version. Is the GD-ROM Drive for NAOMI able to boot from regular CDs like the Dreamcast can?
Click to expand...
Wish it was that simple. The Naomi doesn't have that MIL-CD functionality like the Dreamcast does. But somewhere someone figured how to get CD-R to work with the Naomi, but seems that info is buried or lost somewhere. In that Andy Geezer thread I posted in the OP there is mention of that. But no further details. Would be nice however to get it to work with CD-R.
 
I was given files to test that in theory should have enabled cd-r reading on gd-rom drives months ago but they did not work and I believe the project may have been shelved for now.
 
I upgraded 3.03

iirc I couldn't get it to work with transfergame.exe, I used one of those python scripts.

But, absolutely positive you can upgrade 3.03.
 
plasia said:
I upgraded 3.03

iirc I couldn't get it to work with transfergame.exe, I used one of those python scripts.

But, absolutely positive you can upgrade 3.03.
Click to expand...
You upgraded TO 3.03? If so from what firmware revision? Or did you upgraded FROM 3.03. If so, what firmware revision are you at now? There is a huge difference.

Also, it is stated above that 3.03 is confirmed to work. Here is the quote:

acblunden2 said:
NOTE: With a NetDimm starting with 3.xx firmware, these actions have been confirmed to work with firmware 3.03 and 3.13.
Click to expand...
 
acblunden2 said:
plasia said:
I upgraded 3.03

iirc I couldn't get it to work with transfergame.exe, I used one of those python scripts.

But, absolutely positive you can upgrade 3.03.
Click to expand...
You upgraded TO 3.03? If so from what firmware revision? Or did you upgraded FROM 3.03. If so, what firmware revision are you at now? There is a huge difference.
Also, it is stated above that 3.03 is confirmed to work. Here is the quote:

acblunden2 said:
NOTE: With a NetDimm starting with 3.xx firmware, these actions have been confirmed to work with firmware 3.03 and 3.13.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
My bad, I was skimming.
3.03 to 4.02
 
Any news on this?
Really curious to see if the upgrade from 1.02 to 2.06 is working fine with the upgrade disc.
 
Looks like my GDROM decided to die since the last time I played with it. Did everything, measured voltages, used different SCSI cables, (I have two official Sega GDROM cables), used different Naomi's. Still no good.

IMG_1408.JPG

Sooooooooo...........paging @jugu. It is your lucky day bud. You don't have to surrender your Egret II to get that "sweet sweet upgrade action" if you have a working GDROM at your place. I can bring the discs down to your place in a week and we can play around with this.

P.S. I was only kidding on the other thread :P
 
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I have a gdrom unit I bought from andy years ago...
And never used. My wife will love me for making it look like I'm getting rid of arcade hardware!

PM me :)
 
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