Incompatible CPS3 cart?

[mR_CaESaR]

Has anyone ever come across incompatibility when trying to SuperBios mod a CPS3 cart?

Bios: Official BIOS with region selection (custom sh2)
Bios chip used: TSOP48 (Fujitsu 29F400TA)
Programmer: Top3000 [chip selected in program A29400T_(TSOP4, adapter used - the one created by @ModGirl on this thread]
Details:

I have two carts, one was a working SF3 - NG (bottom one with the 3 wires and with an "A" on the main chip) and one suicided Jojos Bizzare Adventure (top one with no additional wires, a larger chip at the back and a "D" on the main chip)

I went through 3 different TSOP48 to DIP48 adapters for my Top 3000 until I was finally about to get one that "verified" when writing the bios.

The SF3NG cart was killed from a working cart, I removed the battery and removed the tsop48 flash with a heat gun.

I attempted the NG cart about 6 times each time writing to a new chip (purchased pre-burnt chips as well from buyicnow) but each time, the cart had garbled screen upon start up - typical suicided symptoms.

I thought it was my "soldering" but looking at the pads and contact, it appears to be OK - I couldn't see any bridges and/or killed pads - I also checked for continuity across all pads to which I couldn't work out 4 pads at the top

Cleaned pads



One end of the contacts

The other side

Nothing I did could get me the DS menu. After 6 or so attempts, I decided to do the same process with the the Jojo cart. Low and behold first go, I get the DS menu which is what I'm expecting.

I initially thought it may have been my soldering/burning of the flash, but as I was able to do the same thing with the Jojo cart, I figured it may possibly be the cart?

Has anyone ever come across a cart they weren't able to install the SuperBios on? @xodaraP is also having the same issue with another NG cart I sent to him that is also coming up with a garbled screen

Would the differing types of carts (refer to the back pic) have any bearing on which flash to use? I noticed the back of the carts are quite different from each other with the one I'm unable to flash having the three extra wires.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I would like to be able to use this as a DS cart.

TIA

 

[nem]

Funnily enough I tried to put SuperBIOS on a SF3NG cart here:

I need a new soldering iron

and I didn't succeed either. Someone suggested the flash chip might have been bad, but I didn't have another chip to try (and I still don't).

 

[Darksoft]

From my experience, in most cases, the problem is a dirty contact. Try cleaning it with flux and a piece of cloth.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Some of those joints do look a bit suspect. I would hit them with a bit more solder to get better elbows at the tips of the pins.

 

[mR_CaESaR]

I've added more solder but it's still in a suicided state unfortunately..

I've tried multiple different chips, even pre made ones from buyicnow.

Contacts have been cleaned..

I'll send this up to xodaraP and go see what he says.

 

[xodaraP]

I’ve been working on the other one of these today. Rev A as above.

I have tried both the TSOP48 and PSOP44 pads, Fujitsu and AMD branded chips both from my own programmer and from buyicnow

No matter what, it boots to a black screen similar to what you see on a working cart if it fails to boot, and normally a restart or reseat will get it to boot

In this case, I have had no success. I have already lifted a pad from repeated replacement of the EEPROM and the EEPROM is confirmed working on another cart I converted.

I have also tried both SuperBIOS and UltraBIOS. These Rev A carts just will not run

@Mitsurugi-w have you run into this before?

 

[xodaraP]

@nem was your cart a Rev A? I’m thinking these very early carts just don’t like being converted.

I wonder if an SH2 swap would help

 

[nem]

Mine's a Rev B. I could never get mine to work, tried a different flash chip too. Eventually lifted a pad due to all the resoldering and then gave up on it.

 

[xodaraP]

@mR_CaESaR is sending me his other one. I’m interested to see if that one works.

I wonder if the CPU change would help.

 

[Darksoft]

Has anyone ever come across incompatibility when trying to SuperBios mod a CPS3 cart?

No, never.

Bios: Official BIOS with region selection (custom sh2)

If it has region selection is not offical

and I didn't succeed either. Someone suggested the flash chip might have been bad, but I didn't have another chip to try (and I still don't).

You can send to me and I'll have a look.

Some of those joints do look a bit suspect. I would hit them with a bit more solder to get better elbows at the tips of the pins.

I noticed exactly the same....

I wonder if an SH2 swap would help

99% of the carts I've checked, changing the SH2 didnt help. The problem was bad solder most of the cases.

@nem was your cart a Rev A? I’m thinking these very early carts just don’t like being converted.

I've converted A carts as well.

Mine's a Rev B. I could never get mine to work, tried a different flash chip too. Eventually lifted a pad due to all the resoldering and then gave up on it.

If it's not too masacred, you can send it to me and I'll have a look.