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If anyone is planning on making an OLED image-based selector for this, let me know. I'd be happy to put together some 1-bit image logos for it.
If they are, hoping we get a bigger oled screen option, even if it cost a bit more.
 
If they are, hoping we get a bigger oled screen option, even if it cost a bit more.
Looking on Aliexpress you can easily get the standard 128x32 and 128x64 OLED displays, anything bigger is a bit sparse. There are some, like 128x128 or 256x64 panels, but they seem to be a lot more expensive, although some are even RGB.

I could look at doing one but I would need to know how that LCD interface works, I can always test on my F3 or CPS2 multi assuming it's the same protocol.
 
Thanks for the reply. This is good news for me, because I've been looking forward to this multi.

Based on your reply, it seems like I have 2 options.

1. Undo the C board patch and run all games with untouched original code.

2. Don't undo the C board patch and ALL (really?? All???) games can be automatically patched (based on config) to run in B21 mode? That sounds pretty amazing, if I understand you correctly.

Regarding the undoing of the patch, is there documentation somewhere? My recollection (which is probably not correct) is that I have to remove the wire and repair a cut trace? Or was that just some type of weird CPS-1 based dream I had (I've really had them)?
1 is OK
2 is wrong. nothing is done automatically. If you want to run the patched games, you need to find them, and copy them to the microSD. Then change the contents of the file enckey, which specifies which chip on the C Board we are running and you are good to go.

The patch to do is documented in several videos on youtube and explained in the page of Dead Battery society.
 
In order to use this board I would need to de-de-suicide as @twistedsymphony has outlined here. Do you need to install a battery as well?
Yes, exactly, but you dont need the battery anymore.
Otherwise as is, I would have to edit the config files for each game to accept the b-21 chip, correct?
Just editing the config files is not enough, you need to used romsets prepared to work with a battery less B21.
Using original code is definitely the best way, but it's also important to be able to play patched sets too.
100% that. I think the best is to use always original, but if you want something patched, that's also an option too.
Really excited for this multi. Pretty damn cool to see the original Q Sound chip on that proto too!
Wait to have it in your hands, then you tell me :)
 
I think the best is to use always original, but if you want something patched, that's also an option too.
Normally I would agree, but this ties us to specific C-boards that must be modified to store a key.

SF2CE/HF is by far the most common, most available CPS1 PCB stack.
It also contains the best A-board (the Dash) for this multi, so naturally I'd think its going to be the most popular pick for this kit.

Just please keep the option open for people like me to use B21 patched sets should we so choose.:saint:
 
Well I'm not sure how the @Darksoft multi will differ from "normal" conversions...
But yea MOST B21 patched CPS1 games already exist as we've been using them for conversions for YEARS now. ;)

I personally sold B21 conversions (as conversions not OG) of Captain Commando, Knights of the Round and GnG on this very forum.

None of those games require any kind of patching to use a B-21 C custom

Captain Commando and Knights of the Round shipped with B-21 C boards (I’m using a KotR set as my donor)

GnG had a Japanese variant released on B-21 from factory as well

CC and KotR do have a battery so if a SF2CE is being used for the conversion the decrypted set would need to be used
 
A lot of games also use different C-boards like Final Fight, Magic Sword, Mercs, Nemo, Mega Twins, etc., etc..

Can the battery-backed B-21 C-boards be reconfigured to match CPS-B-4 (Final Fight) or CPS-B-13 (Magic Sword) on the fly to use original program romsets, or do all of the romsets have to be patched to use the B-21?
 
@jepjepjep theres a file you put a value in and it runs the game in that directory as that C-Board :)
 
Do you have all games that you want patched? If so I guess you are good.
As you are hinting at, no (because not all CPS1 games have been decrypted to use B21, that I'm aware of anyway).
But everything I really care about playing? BIG yes!

See 6 years ago now I basically had everything CPS1 I gave a shit about...
But I thought it would be better to have one multi than a pile of PCB stacks (plus I loved the CPS2 multi) so when it was announced I started selling off my conversions.

Today the multi still isn't available for sale, I'm down some great games I've resorted to emulating, and now I need another C-board (to use the proper encrypted sets).
If I could turn back time, I'd have just kept the conversions.
I can't do that, so at this point I'd simply like to use my one full remaining CPS1 stack/game (SF2:CE) to get my conversions back (as imperfect as they might be).

Who knows, at some future point I could get that C-board if I really cared about doing so, thus the flexibility here is appreciated.
 
I was concerned I was going to ask a dumb question, but it looks like many people benefited from the inquiry.

I am longer anxious about the multi. Now I'm just excited about it!
 
Can the battery-backed B-21 C-boards be reconfigured to match CPS-B-4 (Final Fight) or CPS-B-13 (Magic Sword) on the fly to use original program romsets, or do all of the romsets have to be patched to use the B-21?
The multi will automaticlly reprogram your B-21 to any other configuration, the battery must be removed though.
Who knows, at some future point I could get that C-board if I really cared about doing so, thus the flexibility here is appreciated.
Why choose, if you have both. I personally, think that it's a no brainer, if you can run original code, that's my choice. If you want to run some trainer versions, or special hacks with more features or make your own version, etc. you can have that too. You have it all!
 
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Why choose, if you have both. I personally, think that it's a no brainer, if you can run original code, that's my choice. If you want to run some trainer versions, or special hacks with more features, etc. you can have that too. You have it all!
Yes that's correct maybe, but the wording made it sound mandatory , it should just be classed as "not recommended, or "unsupported but workable"

The best part of 50% of the C boards out there will be of b21 normal style.
Other C board numbers such as B04 in theory also work if you have the correct ROMS.
C board testing , and stressing stuff as little as possible is possible.

It's like saying the car won't work unless you have the special key chip that turns the child locks ;)
 

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I passed on being a beta tester on this multi because I could not dedicate the time to properly test it out, I'm simply too busy irl running 2 businesses and taking care of family. As much as I would have jumped on this it would not have been fair to Darksoft. Also, since spinner support is not implemented yet and I'm in the middle of testing the repro spinner with real hardware, makes sense to finish that up.

I've been in talks with Darksoft about spinner support. Support should be able to be implemented later on either as an addon/revised filter board or maybe as a whole new revised multi. Darksoft never stops improving his multis, so Im sure this will be addressed at some point. I will tell you this, having played both the real thing with spinner and the patched roms with buttons. Only way I will play this game is with the spinners, its a whole different experience and the way it was meant to be.

I envision something simple like this, adding a passthrough 8pin connector on the filter board for the spinners. Although not really necessary, you could have the connector internally and get connectivity out elsewhere mounted to a case.

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This multi has been a huge undertaking, the features and integrations that have been accomplished are simply amazing, it has been a while and at this point, I just want to see this multi be released. IT"S TIME :thumbup:


Im sure DS will add support to his multi as I stated above, but then again, only he can answer this for sure :D . The spinner will be produced regardless as plans are in the process to make an addon replacement encoder for it to be functional with Mame/PC/consoles/ etc. I have also been in contact with a few of the MiSTerFPGA CPS core devs and it seems likely that they will also be implementing spinner support.
DAMN! I'd buy 3 of these "Filter boards" right away! I have 3 CPS 1.5 pcbs missing the filter board.
 
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