New Multi-install – games crashing

[romshark]

I’m having a problem with the games crashing on my CPS2 Multi. Some games crash immediately to a blue screen. When they don’t immediately crash, they either:

-load a bit, then cycle back to the first screen (the one that checks the data on the chips).

-crashes to scrambled graphics partway through the intro sequence, or if I try to coin up and start the game.

-freezes the game during the intro or coining up, the screen sometimes flipping upside down briefly with some flickering graphics, and my coin meter starts clicking and counting up like crazy.

-Megaman Power Fighters and Megaman Power Battle crash to an illegal operation screen during intro or coining up (pic below of this). Street Fighter Alpha 3 Alt 2 US did this too.

-Oddly enough, “MvsC Unocked=U” works perfectly. Ironic, because Marvel vs Capcom is the only working original B board I own.




Detailed data on my setup:

The Multi is a recent one. Just got it from SaveYourGames just a few weeks ago. Purchased a new Pal G chip in case I needed it (pre-purchased the kit way before I had a suicided B board to use.)

The B board I’m using is a revision 3 (93646B-3). Originally a Darkstalkers The Night Warriors (Blue Case) that I bought from the KLOV forum (board was already suicided when I got it.)

Installed the kit as per instructions, including the Key Writing addition. The old PAL I think is a D, so I used the one I bought with the Multi-kit, with pin 9 of the PAL G lifted from the socket and wired to J17 on the Multi.

I’m using the ROMs from the “CPS2 Roll-Up Packs” pinned topic. sd_bootloader.bin is in the SD card root, and the games are in the “games” subdirectory. I am using Windows 10 to write to the SD card.

During troubleshooting, I tried three different SD cards (one is a Sandisk 2GB).

Voltage is verified as 5.1V at the CPS2 jamma connector.

Completely removed the Multi-Kit and reinstalled to make sure things are connected properly. Also verified the jumpers are set up properly using my meter continuity setting.

Also added a 4.7K ohm resistor on the data line (as per this topic for a rev 3 board).

Reseated the board onto my A board multiple times.


Pics of my board:

Error message on Mega Man Power Fighters.



Error message on Street Fighter Alpha 3 Alt 2 US

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

This really sounds like an incorrectly set up SD card or maybe an issue with the program rom pcb. Maybe it isn't seated well, etc.

 

[romshark]

Tried a different SD card (a 400GB Sandisk Ultra class 10 I had bought for my Nintendo Switch). Formatted to Fat32, but the result is still the same.

Checked the PCBs. Everything looks OK. Pins are going into the right slots. Since things are behaving exactly the same as before I pulled everything apart last night, I don't want to try that again.Worried something will bend and break.

Just to make sure, the card steps I'm doing:

1. Format as Fat32
2. Download from the CPS2 Rollup Packs topic (tried both the rollup pack and the big one).
3. Unzip the file. Put the games directory into the SD card root. (so example root\games\mvsc)

Again, I am using a Windows 10 system. Not a Mac.

Do I need sd_bootloader.bin (from the Key Writing topic)? I did try extracting it and putting it in the card root, but no difference.

Also, I am trying this with and without the B board case bottom, to rule out A-B board connection issues.

Update: Found a Sandisk 8GB class 4 card in my Nintendo DS flash card. Formatted it (full format, not quick), and put the Rollup pack on it. Still the same problem.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Have you checked your voltages? Tried another B-board?

 

[romshark]

Did a voltage check. 5.1 volts at the Jamma connector. Also checked at an empty chip socket on the B board while running, and still 5.1 volts. I did get an analog meter, and it agrees with my digital meter. Also tried setting my power supply to 5.2 volts at those positions (the max my arcade power supply can be adjusted to). Still the same results though.

I tried my Marvel VS Capcom B board (it's a non-suicided board). The game ran OK. In fact, I turned the power supply back down to 4.6 volts, and it still ran fine. Also found I can run "MvsC Unlocked=U" at that voltage no problem too.

(Unless you meant did I try installing the Multi-kit to another B board, in which case no.)

I did find some other games that run just fine. Street Fighter Alpha 2 hack, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Hack, Vampire Savior Hack, and Street Fighter II Turbo Trainer. All these are hack versions, so I wonder if I can just run the "pre-key loader method" games. I hope to try tomorrow before work. If all those work, I might just use those, instead of trying to take apart and possibly damage the Multi-kit / B board.

 

[romshark]

Ok, so I tried the older "non-key-writing" Romset from the rollup topic. Tried a bunch of games, and they work just fine.

So I wonder if there's something wrong with the key-writing setup, since only encrypted games are affected. When time permits, I'll remove and resolder the 4 wires for the key writing function.

While the wires are removed, I may try to run the flash software (the one that updates the kit to the latest version.) Any thoughts on if I should or should not do this? I did get the kit from saveyougames just a few weeks ago, so it should be the latest firmware, but there's no menu screen or anything to display the current version that I know of.

Any other advice for troubleshooting key-writing / encrypted game problems? I'll recheck the boards are seated when I redo the wiring. I'll also check the other topics for similar issues others may have had.

I probably won't work on the wiring till the weekend. For now, I'm going to set it to Vampire Savior and play that for Halloween.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Redoing the fw update wont hurt but probably is not necessary. I'd look for shorts caused by the key writing soldering.

 

[romshark]

I finally had time to work on this again yesterday and this morning, but still no luck.

I removed the key writing wires. Made sure I got any excess solder, so no shorts or bridges. Installed new wires for the key writing.

I removed the key writing wires again (on one side only) and did the firmware update. It did take it successfully, and the file disappeared. Reinstalled the key writing wires, but still didn't work.

Completely removed the Darksoft kit boards. Checked all over the boards (kit and B board) for broken or bent pins, or any other issues, and used a continuity meter to verify any suspect possible breaks or shorts. Also checked the jumpers on the board, to make sure they were correct. Resembled, making sure all pins go in their sockets correctly.

Also tried the "sample" games in the Key Writing intro topic. Still nothing.

Throughout this, all encrypted games would not load (same issues as in first post above, though more often "flickering and the coin counter going crazy" now.) "Hacked" games still run just fine.

Voltage is OK. My unmodified Marvel VS Capcom works just fine. Tried multiple memory cards.

I'm not even sure where to go from here.

 

[Darksoft]

If hacked romsets work well, that means that the problem is in the keywriting process.

I've seen the pictures of the 4 cables and those cables are IMO neither appropiate, not soldered in a proper way. I have the feeling that there is some solder blob or some shortcut with another part. Maybe the ARM has gone misconfigured or some component affected if there was a shortcut. At this stage, I'd sent it to @Mitsurugi-w