PGM Cart Dip-Switch Settings

I recently recieved a CAVE conversion cart (Espgaluda) and noticed the dip switches on the mobo were set all over the place.
Dip 3 was set on to enable 'Free Play' but does nothing on the cave conversions it seems. Dip 7 and 8 were also on, that normally do nothing on PGM?

It got me thinking - is there a list anywhere of DIP settings not just for the official PGM releases, but also the new conversion game carts that have been made since?
(Was there a DDP cart that switched between white & black label on dip switches for instance?)

According to the PGM manual, dip switch 4 on the motherboard is for toggling free play, however, I believe the Cave games must be set to free play via the service menu. Press and hold the test switch on the PGM motherboard to access the service menu.

Ah yes, you're correct (and doh.. it was 4, not 3). The dips don't appear to do much but yes.. software settings in this case.

So the plot thickens!
If I go into the test menu, and set the 'cave' settings like freeplay etc.. power down, and return to power up the cab later, then all is good.
Scores are saved, difficulty, and coin settings too.

However, if I remove the game cart and then go into the usual PGM test mode settings, then it appears to wipe the 'cave' data, replacing it with the PGM's settings.
Then when I re-insert the cart my your highscores, difficulty and freeplay settings are all gone and back to the game defaults.

I guess it makes sense that the Cave boards, despite using PGM hardware have no blatant 'PGM / IGS' bootup like the bare motherboards or PGM game releases, and wouldn't have the standard PGM test mode either. So the 'cave' test mode data is saved in a different way, but to the same area. So each set of config data conflicts.
Long story short.. don't try to play Cave booty carts and standard PGM carts back to back, unless you don't care about retaining settings & scores

Interesting!

Preserving high scores has always been an unattainable goal for me.

Espgaluda and Kesui both use a CAVE BIOS. DDP doesn't. Plus not all the DIPS work with the Cave games.. as the dips on the real cave boards were wired differently. I want to figure out the differences in case a normal PGM motherboard can have a CAVE dips wired into it.
Dip 8 ON "Should" enable the high scores to save. BUT you will need a function Battery Back up working on your PGM Motherboard!!

T.

www.igspgm.com

And just to aid the chaos here, I have high score saving on my battery enabled PGM motherboard with Espgaluda conversion cart in it.. with DIP switch 8 set to... OFF.

Flinnster said:

And just to aid the chaos here, I have high score saving on my battery enabled PGM motherboard with Espgaluda conversion cart in it.. with DIP switch 8 set to... OFF.

Click to expand...

Yeah, Why am i not surprised??