- Thread starter Derick2k
- Start date
Mahjong games wont boot without a small daughter board plugged into the slot on the bottom of the PCB, generally the screen shows garbage and goes into boot loop when it's missing. I suppose it's possible that could be the case with the quiz game too. Is there any other input hardware emulated or bypassed in MAME?
@Derick2k is the best PCB boxer outside of Japan... no question
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Ok so although the 2 romboards @Derick2k sent me are different they share the same security chip.
So I simply swapped ROMs (sockets numbers were different for few of them because of different layout) and got a perfectly working Tetris Plus on the quiz romboard and a stuck in a loop quiz game on the Tetris Plus romboard so:
- either ROMs from the quiz game are bad which I doubt as they work in MAME (using quiz input mapping)
- this quiz game requires extra hardware which is more likely
Anyway real work can begin now.
So I simply swapped ROMs (sockets numbers were different for few of them because of different layout) and got a perfectly working Tetris Plus on the quiz romboard and a stuck in a loop quiz game on the Tetris Plus romboard so:
- either ROMs from the quiz game are bad which I doubt as they work in MAME (using quiz input mapping)
- this quiz game requires extra hardware which is more likely
Anyway real work can begin now.
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Seems correct to me.
Are all the dipswitches on the motherboard set to 0?
no, I have some set for freeplay. I'll try changing those back to 0
so I tried this with all dips set to off and there was no change. I decided to try another game. And converted my Angel Kiss to Gratia (set1). Angel kiss was already socketed so I just had to burn roms.... it's doing the exact same thing that my p47a conversion was doing... again redumped and verified my roms. Swapped back to original roms to verify the rom board was good. Problem persists on both my main boards even with the backup battery pulled and all dips set off.
I feel like there is something else missing here.
I feel like there is something else missing here.
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I don't have much time for Mega System 32 at the moment but when I'll get back to it I hope I'll find a solution to your problems.
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I've bought some more Mega System 32 hardware and it's clear now at least Hayaoshi Quiz Nettou Namahousou and World PK Soccer V2 require this additional daughterboard to boot:
I believe it's an output board. I can confirm that Angel Kiss, Kirara Star, and Suchie-Pai II all require it as well.
those are all Mahjong titles and they come with a small harness that runs from that header to another daughterboard that plugs into the JAMMA edge and provides a new edge pinned for mahjong.
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This is clearly a problem for the multi: so far we've discovered at least 5 games need it but it also seems quite scarce (the Quiz game I got from @Derick2k needs it but wasn't there for some reason, I guess a lot of them have been discarded thinking they were only optional). It's very simple and could be reproduced but the market is probably too small for it.
Regarding the multi, the total size of the games if we include one version of each one would be over 400MB so only a solution with a loader from SD/USB is viable.
But again it's a lot a development for very few unit produced.
@Darksoft Do you think we could reuse the loader from the CPS2 multi?
is it?
Do Not Need It:
Desert War / Wangan Sensou
The Game Paradise / Game Tengoku
Gratia - Second Earth
P-47 Aces
Tetris Plus
Tetris Plus 2
Need It:
Hayaoshi Quiz Nettou Namahousou
Idol Janshi Suchie-Pai II
Mahjong Angel Kiss
Ryuusei Janshi Kirara Star
World PK Soccer V2
Unconfirmed:
Best Bout Boxing [probably doesn't need it]
F1 Super Battle
Hayaoshi Quiz Grand Champion Taikai
Vs. Janshi Brandnew Stars [probably needs it]
If you want to create a complete/all in one solution then you're right that it is a problem, especially because the games that DONT use it wont boot if it's installed So a complete multi solution might require that board to be enabled/disabled somehow.
Honestly though I think the games on this platform that people actually want to play are all on the "dont need it" list. I don't think there are too many people that would lose sleep over not having the Mahjong or Quiz games.
Looking at the list they seem pretty evenly split between the games that need it and the games that don't Maybe you could offer the multi loaded with one game set or the other. I'd be inclined to buy 2 multis and run 1 main board with the output adapter and another main board without it.
Don't let me stop you from developing an all in one solution with an SD-card loader though
I'll buy it either way.I think a higher priority issue though is designing a multi that fits inside the cartridge case (similar to CPS2 or F3).
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You're right maybe better focusing in games people will actually play. Still those for games are 124MB all together.
Don't see much interest for the second set of games. Better dropping them.
I don't have any cartridge case for that.
My bad on the cartridge cases, but that’s how they came. @twistedsymphony can you post some measurements/clearances on the shell and game board.
I think that maybe we can post gerbers and BOM for the additional pcb and people can order pcbs from oshpark and build it themselves if they so choose?
Here are some additional pictures of the mahjong daughter-board and harness
the part number on that chip on the right is: LB1234 4X0
the part number of the big connector is: OMRON XC5D-9621 3016S
Attachments
The cart mounts to the PCB with 5 screw posts that I've highlighted here:
You can see it tapers along the parameter:
The clearance between the PCB top surface and the lid bottom surface I measured at 27.9mm.
Similarly the clearance around the parameter is 13.1mm between the PCB top surface and lid bottom surface.
Estimated length of the tapered section on the front and back:
Estimated length of the tapered section on left and right sides:
One other thing to consider is if the multi board is contained within the cart housing how would you get any wires out to attach a dip-switch bank or other selector without modifying the cart case?
The entire parameter of the cart seats together with a lip, so you wont be able to squeeze any wiring out between the cart halves.
there are only 3 available openings:
1. the air vents on the front and rear of the top shell
this is a really terrible option, you might be able to snake some uncrimped wires through here but that's about it, plus it'd be really truly ugly.
2. The cart connector openings:
it looks like we might be able to snake a ribbon cable out along side the cart connector, this is nice because it's on the underside of the cart housing so it keeps it clean looking, also you could feed the connector through before closing up the cart. The only hold up is if the cable interferes with the connector; it may need some testing.
3. the clip openings on the bottom:
the back edge of the cart has two large plastic hooks that help clip the cart together, but it also provides a pretty big opening where you could fit a wire through, only ~16mm wide though so you could fit a cable with a dupont connector on here, but you likely wouldn't be able to squeeze through a ribbon cable connector
The entire parameter of the cart seats together with a lip, so you wont be able to squeeze any wiring out between the cart halves.
there are only 3 available openings:
1. the air vents on the front and rear of the top shell
this is a really terrible option, you might be able to snake some uncrimped wires through here but that's about it, plus it'd be really truly ugly.
2. The cart connector openings:
it looks like we might be able to snake a ribbon cable out along side the cart connector, this is nice because it's on the underside of the cart housing so it keeps it clean looking, also you could feed the connector through before closing up the cart. The only hold up is if the cable interferes with the connector; it may need some testing.
3. the clip openings on the bottom:
the back edge of the cart has two large plastic hooks that help clip the cart together, but it also provides a pretty big opening where you could fit a wire through, only ~16mm wide though so you could fit a cable with a dupont connector on here, but you likely wouldn't be able to squeeze through a ribbon cable connector
Technically correct... though it's worth noting: games that DONT use the daughterboard, such as Tetris Plus, WILL NOT boot if the daughterboard is connected, the service manual even has a page dedicated to showing you how to remove it.
So if the multi supported 100% of the games, you'd be swapping that sub-board on and off depending on which game you were playing.
I don't know about World PK Soccer, but the mahjong games are meant to be played only with a mahjong panel, AFAIK there's no joystick option, hence the need for the sub-board.
Well, I guess the shell is gonna have to be modified (drill holes, etc) In which case maybe you can 3d print some type of holder that attaches tot he vents, etc.
Or, just have peeps use the multi cart decased, maybe have a replacement plexi made for it that holds lets say lcd screen, like Darksoft uses on his multis??
Or, just have peeps use the multi cart decased, maybe have a replacement plexi made for it that holds lets say lcd screen, like Darksoft uses on his multis??
