What's new
By:
Filters

ATAPI/IDE ODE Testing

That's pretty odd - I've definitely used Tekken4 for testing (I forget if it's what's actually installed on my multidongle right now) so I'm not sure what might have gone wrong. The fact it seems to time out trying to do a read (it executes a hard reset in the log during a read, implying it didn't get the whole packet) and then starts to fail asking for the CD capacity implies something's weird with reading the disk, but the problem also occurs once with the IDENTIFY PACKET DEVICE command, which triggers a big transfer of random stuff like drive name/capabilities. As well as another SD card, did you try another IDE cable?
 
I did try another IDE cable.... and the IDE cable that I was using works completely fine with the optical drive attached. The only difference is I plug the ODE in with a SD card and that iso image on it, as opposed to the dvd-drive with the dvd in the drive.

Matt
 
(sorry if I missed where you replied, I did re-skim the past few posts but didn't see it) Is the image from the dump, or did you make it from the DVD? If you try without the SD card inserted (though it obviously won't boot) do you still see the FF command/Reset: hard during IDENTIFY PACKET DEVICE?

Also, was the 2x6 already trying to come up before the monitor command was run? If so, it might be good to turn it off, unplug the ODE (so it resets) and plug it into the computer, run the monitor command, then power up the 2x6 to see the log from the very beginning. I'll also try with the 246 I know is lying around here somewhere.
 
I will try this later tonight. I have the ODE plugged into my computer - to run the monitor command, but I DON'T have the molex plugged in - since its getting power from my laptop.

I did try it with just the molex, and no usb connected, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

And - I used the image from the dump. I will make an exact ISO of the DVD itself later tonight also to test that.

Matt
 
I did two runs - using the ISO image of the DVD that I know works in the DVD-Drive.

Plug computer usb into ODE - serial into it and issue a status command, then I turn the 246 on. The reset at the end is me turning the 246 off, and then I disconnect the usb cable.

One is with no SD card installed, the other is with a SD card installed with the single ISO on it.
 

Attachments

  • no SD card.txt
    1.6 KB · Views: 103
  • SD card.txt
    4.7 KB · Views: 124
Tried a few different PCBs with a few different variations of firmware (some older, some newer than yours) on my 246C, but Tekken 4 booted up each time, so not sure what the issue is yet. Other than that I was using the IDE cable the 246 came with, a Samsung EVO 64GB SD card, I regenerated the ISO from the dump, and I believe I used tekken4-tef3verc.bin (still in the SYS2X6 USB Programmer window, I think chosen pretty much as it was the first one I saw in the directory).
 
electric_monk said:
Just to try, could you install the firmware at https://issues.tattiebogle.net/view.php?id=9#c68 ? It has stuff for DOS PCs that tweaked the timing, perhaps that'll make a difference. DOS PCs are very, very widely varied in their timing and behaviour so this locks it down a lot more.
Click to expand...

This did indeed work! I got most of the 246 games going with this firmware, BR3, VampireNights, Tekken3, Smash Court.

Do you regularly release fw updates with fixes and changes, or is it more custom than that?

Matt
 
More custom - I'll generally release when I think I have a new feature working, or to fix a specific bug (which may be part of getting the new feature working). If I'm just working on stuff I won't release as it may not be ready yet.

The real issue is that when someone says "Yes, this does work better" like for that above build I forget to add it to the actual list of builds :(
 
mathewbeall said:
This did indeed work! I got most of the 246 games going with this firmware, BR3, VampireNights, Tekken3, Smash Court.

Do you regularly release fw updates with fixes and changes, or is it more custom than that?

Matt
Click to expand...
@electric_monk

Just to piggy back on this, @mathewbeall was working on my 246 and I've since gotten it back from him yesterday to continue testing.

I made sure all of the image files on the thumb drive were bin/cue isos by finding and replacing all the tocs to cues. The good news is that all of the 246 exclusive games (that mattered) worked (Smash Court, Tekken 4, Bloody Roar 3). However, the other games that did work were Vampire Nights, Soul Calibur 3 and Kinnikuman: Muscle Grand Prix 2. Every other game had the blue BOOT PROGRAM ERROR BOOT FILE IS NOT RIGHT. Soul Calibur 2 just black screen doesn't even load and resets after a few minutes.

Additionally, I reverted back to the NAMCO I/O as I was having inconsistent JVS connectivity with my Capcom Naomi Converter (JAMMA TO JVS I/O).

Before the firmware update on the IDE, Soul Calibur 2 was working fine.

B36BF500-C885-458A-8CDF-67D540BCB865.jpeg


50FEED18-926E-42BD-B39A-B8C45A87F1F8.jpeg
 
Hi @tacobell

This is interesting as I have an identical issue. I'm using a Namco 246C with brizzo's SYS2X6 Multi dongle and the ODE from @electric_monk with the latest firmware like you.

As you say, all the best 246 games, Tekken 4, Smash Court Tennis and Bloody Roar 3 work. I also get a black screen with Soul Calibur 2, and the blue screen with 'Boot file is not right' for Capcom Fighting Jam and Netchuu Pro Yakyuu 2002.

I haven't tested it yet, but maybe reverting to the original firmware will help?
 
I was wondering if it was a 246B issue (looks like there's a couple on eBay just now, one very rusty and one with no DVD drive, in Italy and Japan respectively, and not clear if either work), though if it's also happening on the 246C then hopefully I can reproduce here since I already have one of those. I'll get debugging SC2 again to begin with (I remember getting it working before, so perhaps something unintentionally changed there for the newer firmware)
 
Still investigating SC2 (using soulcl2b-sc23vera.bin/sc21-dvd0d from the sheet) but I think I've narrowed it down to some IDE bus oddness, relating to the game attempting to do some master/slave detection (apparently poorly). At least for that version of SC2, if I run the command
Code: 
interface set slave
(thus moving the ODE onto IDE Device 1 instead of the default Device 0) the game started fine (to test this, you can save a file called 'autorun.txt' on your flash drive/SD card with that command in it).
 
Thanks, @electric_monk.

Not sure if it's relevant and would help your testing, but I've since bought a System 256 and this plays the non-exclusive 246 games perfectly with the ODE.

For instance, Capcom Fighting Jam didn't work on my 246C but works on the 256 with the exact same ODE and SYS2X6 Multi setup.
 
jj1929 said:
Thanks, @electric_monk.

Not sure if it's relevant and would help your testing, but I've since bought a System 256 and this plays the non-exclusive 246 games perfectly with the ODE.

For instance, Capcom Fighting Jam didn't work on my 246C but works on the 256 with the exact same ODE and SYS2X6 Multi setup.
Click to expand...

This is consistent with my testing as well - the 256 seems to be more tolerant and I have less issues with games loading on it.
 
I've just got my IDE from Colin and first game I tried on the system 246b was soul calibur 2 but it got stuck on 'initialising' so I tried soul calibur 3 and I also had it freezing in random places.

I see searching this thread that happened in early testing, what was the resolution? Is it the USB0 port and I should try USB1 or an SD card as the alternative? Or was it resolved via firmware which I haven't tried yet to update.

Thanks!

Edit: indeed it was down to not using the latest firmware, booted it up and played for over 2 hours with no freezing tonight!
 
Last edited:
I'm also now stuck with my Namco 246 Rev.C with the same issues as mathewbeall was describing. Old firmware worked ok for Tekken 4, Soul calibur 2 (occasionally) but not on Soul Calibur 3 with the stuttering. Now on the latest firmware soul calibur 3 is working but I've lost Soul Calibur 2 as a result, just get the black screen on load up.

Might revert the firmware to the older version for now until there's a long term solution... I prefer SC2 to 3!

If there's anything I can do to help debug what's going on let me know.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top