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Thanks for trying. That's really weird protection concerns only graphics, game should boot anyway.
- Thread starter Derick2k
- Start date
I wouldn't be able to do anything with board until July. I need to get rom burner too! I'm down for a multi though!
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No worries we're progressing with @twistedsymphony
@twistedsymphony can you try to run your OG Tetris Plus board with the .10 and .30 ROMs pulled. And with my files too (should boot with garbage graphics).
[EDIT]
Is it possible to clear NVRAM on this hardware?
Also try swapping motherboards.
same exact results. just snow/static...
I even swapped back in the original .10 and .30 roms and confirmed that they boot normally.
There's a CR2032 on the main board, I pulled it but it made no difference. I don't know if there is any other way.
unfortunately I only have the one motherboard :-/
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This is where the problems start with remote troubleshooting...
Can you dump the OG ROMs .10 and .30 from your Tetris Plus board?
[EDIT]
Earlier in the thread you mentioned your Angel Kiss had the SS92046-01 chip but later your mentioned SS92047-01 and this is the chip I targeted for the conversion.
The snow is what I got in MAME if I use the wrong files (that is to say encrypted for the wrong security chip).
Can you try one last thing: swap all chips from your TP board to the Angel Kiss board.I picked up some Mahjong games on YAJ. opened them up and it seems that my Angel Kiss uses a different security chip than Derick2k's
Angel Kiss:
SS92046-01 9412EV 450891 06441
This is the same security chip used by Tetris Plus according to MAME.
Also fun-fact: None of the Mahjong games will boot without the little sub-PCB that plugs into the bottom of the main board.
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I have, and ROMIDENT says they're match the Tetris Plus ROMs in MAME.
I think I was referencing Derick2k's Angel Kiss board, mine is definitely SS92047-01 9425EV 367821 06441
Looking at MAME the only other game that uses this chip is Kirara Star. were you basing the protection off of that or basing it off of Gratia? The chip number is similar to the Gratia chip, but I think they're different.
Still snow...
EDIT:
My IC10 and IC30 from Angel Kiss match with Angel Kiss in MAME, but the security chip number on my PCB is different than the one listed in MAME.
MAME says: Angel Kiss - Custom chip: JALECO SS92047-01 9423EV 450891 06441
mine is: SS92047-01 9425EV 367821 06441
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I don't think the different numbers in the chips references are a problem:
9423EV 450891 06441 => 9423 is probably the datecode (year = 1994, week = 23), followed by the batch/lot number
9425EV 367821 06441 => 9425 is probably the datecode (year = 1994, week = 25), followed by the batch/lot number
Are you sure Tetris Plus isn't playing "blind"? Leave it run for 20/30s to go past disclaimer and try to add credits.
Can you take a picture of the "snow"?
Here's what I get in MAME if wrong security chip is used:
9423EV 450891 06441 => 9423 is probably the datecode (year = 1994, week = 23), followed by the batch/lot number
9425EV 367821 06441 => 9425 is probably the datecode (year = 1994, week = 25), followed by the batch/lot number
Are you sure Tetris Plus isn't playing "blind"? Leave it run for 20/30s to go past disclaimer and try to add credits.
Can you take a picture of the "snow"?
Here's what I get in MAME if wrong security chip is used:
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I've left it on few a few minutes on one of my tests with no change. there is no disclaimer, it's just snow from the instant it powers on.
it does look different than your picture, mine LITERALLY looks like classic TV snow, it's not still either, it even moves like it:
I'll snap an actual photo or video a little later and test to see if I can get it to coin up despite what I see on screen.
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Interesting. Can you probe program ROMs and main CPU to see if there's any activity or if it crashes immediately on power up?
I haven't really looked at how the main board is laid out, but most of it is covered by the ROM board (it's similar to the Taito F3) so probing the CPU might be difficult. I'll see what I can do though.
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Maybe we should stop this remote troubleshooting BS, it's getting on my nerves (not related to you but very frustrated as most of the things I've asked you I could have tested in minutes here).
totally understand. I've done my share of "blind"/remote troubleshooting and it takes 10x longer to do things and you end up chasing down wrong paths because you can't just see and assess things.
Maybe if you want we could try to set up some kind of video call to work through this. ... or better yet just get some hardware in your hands. You'll need it eventually anyway
Maybe if you want we could try to set up some kind of video call to work through this. ... or better yet just get some hardware in your hands. You'll need it eventually anyway
I have some semi-successfull testing 
I put the Tetris plus ROMs with your patched roms on the Angel Kiss ROM board, started it up, waited a minute and then coined it up. and it's definitely playing blind.
So we know it's running, it's just snowing out the video.
I took a video of the results:
I put the Tetris plus ROMs with your patched roms on the Angel Kiss ROM board, started it up, waited a minute and then coined it up. and it's definitely playing blind.
So we know it's running, it's just snowing out the video.
I took a video of the results:
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I knew it, encryption doesn't stop the game from running!I have some semi-successfull testing
I put the Tetris plus ROMs with your patched roms on the Angel Kiss ROM board, started it up, waited a minute and then coined it up. and it's definitely playing blind.
So we know it's running, it's just snowing out the video.
I took a video of the results:
Can you try pulling ROMs .01 and .13?
And then ROM .11 too.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
As you know there are 2 romsets for Gratia Second Earth, gratia and gratiaa using each a different encryption chip.
Only difference between these two are the encrypted gfx3 and gfx4 files (background and texts).
gfx3 ROM is said being a bad dump in MAME for romset gratiaa but gfx4 ROM is good for both sets.
I've decrypted the 2 files and found only header was different (first 0x40 bytes are 0xD2 for gratia and 0x05 for gratiaa).
Then I re-encrypted the gratia file for gratiaa and obtained a file identical to the OG gratiaa gfx4 file except for the 0x40 bytes of the header (which are now scattered in the re-encrypted file).
Conclusion: my script works fine, problem is either the decrypted header has to be modified before re-encryption or on @twistedsymphony side (ROMs installed in wrong sockets?).
As you know there are 2 romsets for Gratia Second Earth, gratia and gratiaa using each a different encryption chip.
Only difference between these two are the encrypted gfx3 and gfx4 files (background and texts).
gfx3 ROM is said being a bad dump in MAME for romset gratiaa but gfx4 ROM is good for both sets.
I've decrypted the 2 files and found only header was different (first 0x40 bytes are 0xD2 for gratia and 0x05 for gratiaa).
Then I re-encrypted the gratia file for gratiaa and obtained a file identical to the OG gratiaa gfx4 file except for the 0x40 bytes of the header (which are now scattered in the re-encrypted file).
Conclusion: my script works fine, problem is either the decrypted header has to be modified before re-encryption or on @twistedsymphony side (ROMs installed in wrong sockets?).
Definitely not in wrong sockets. I verified ROM number and position on every test, I just checked them again for good measure and they're correct. I can send you some photos if you like.
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Pulled ROMs 01 and 13 and booted... no change, I get snow and the game plays blind
Pulled ROM 11 (so 01, 13 and 11 are all pulled) ... still no change, I get snow and then the game plays blind.
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Thanks, now I think it's really related to the headers.
Allow me few minutes to cook new files.
