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DARKSOFT New CPSIII Ultra Simms! 8 times the size of a regular SIMM

bgwelistyl said:
If you have the ultra simms, you might as well just send your cart to get it reflashed to a ultra NoCD by shootthecore
Click to expand...
I have a NoCD chip, I had mixed them up when soldering it back then. I was planning to eventually swap it to the NoCD chip, but being inside the case and working just fine led me to not bothering. I guess I may as well do that now, though.
 
mathewbeall said:
I am pretty sure that is a Standard SH-2 , with the CD BIOS - but with the ultrasimms, you really don't need the CD portion at all.
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hey, yup you were the one that helped me with the CD/NoCD BIOS. You flashed mine to a CD and gave me an extra as the NoCD chip so I could choose. I was going to use the NoCD one but mixed them up.

It'll be some time before I can get around to swapping those chips, are you thinking the issue is my SCSI2SD not working? If I have the CD BIOS, do I need a properly imaged SD card in the SCSI2SD, or does the CPS-3 just need to "see" that there's something connected on the ribbon cable. Just trying to determine if it's the SCSI2SD, SD card, or something else that's the problem.
 
mikaeltarquin said:
hey, yup you were the one that helped me with the CD/NoCD BIOS. You flashed mine to a CD and gave me an extra as the NoCD chip so I could choose. I was going to use the NoCD one but mixed them up.

It'll be some time before I can get around to swapping those chips, are you thinking the issue is my SCSI2SD not working? If I have the CD BIOS, do I need a properly imaged SD card in the SCSI2SD, or does the CPS-3 just need to "see" that there's something connected on the ribbon cable. Just trying to determine if it's the SCSI2SD, SD card, or something else that's the problem.
Click to expand...

From Darksoft himself:


Let me clarify this again please:
You can choose between 2 versions: CD and NOCD:
* CD version obliges you to have a CD drive plugged all the time, but allows you to upload a new game to regular SIMMs at any time. It won't allow to write Ultrasimms.
* NOCD version doesn't need a CD plugged at all, but you can't change game in the regular SIMMS as there is no CD Drive access anymore with this version. This is the best option if you plan to just play games with UltraSimms.


@ShootTheCore has discovered a way of reflashing the chips without soldering. You might as well go that route
 
mikaeltarquin said:
hey, yup you were the one that helped me with the CD/NoCD BIOS. You flashed mine to a CD and gave me an extra as the NoCD chip so I could choose. I was going to use the NoCD one but mixed them up.

It'll be some time before I can get around to swapping those chips, are you thinking the issue is my SCSI2SD not working? If I have the CD BIOS, do I need a properly imaged SD card in the SCSI2SD, or does the CPS-3 just need to "see" that there's something connected on the ribbon cable. Just trying to determine if it's the SCSI2SD, SD card, or something else that's the problem.
Click to expand...

You need the right image of the CD on the SD card, as well as the right settings.... as I understand it - those settings, etc. can be a bit tough to figure out?

Matt
 
SCSI2SD is really easy to set up. There's a separate utility for it. More than likely the settings are correct though and the issue is the SD card. I would try reflashing the card, and then if that doesn't work, replacing it.

Instructions on how to set up SCSI2SD are in the post below:

T

Post in thread 'replacing scsi cd-rom drive with scsi sd card adapter?'

I just got a scsi2sd v5.0a and thanks everyone for this thread :thumbsup:
Everything is working fine when following these steps:
The latest firmware I'm using is 4.7.01

IMG_20170801_191924.jpg
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mikaeltarquin said:
it's a Standard SH2 (repro) because it says SH-2 on it? And the OEM Capcom ones are (confusingly) called Custom and don't say SH-2, do I have that right or am I backwards?
Click to expand...
That is correct. Now be careful! Custom SH2, which uses a special version of the off-the-shelf SH2 and says Capcom, will run encrypted code. You CAN'T change the cartridge from Standard SH2 to Custom SH2 and call it a day. The code running on Simms1 and Simm2 needs to be updated too.

About the naming issue, probably it makes more sense now after my explanation, but how would you call them?

bgwelistyl said:
From Darksoft himself:
Click to expand...
Yes! Somebody is listening to whay I say (or write)
 
Darksoft said:
That is correct. Now be careful! Custom SH2, which uses a special version of the off-the-shelf SH2 and says Capcom, will run encrypted code. You CAN'T change the cartridge from Standard SH2 to Custom SH2 and call it a day. The code running on Simms1 and Simm2 needs to be updated too.
Click to expand...

Can confirm that if the board hangs with either a frozen region select cursor or black screen after selecting the region, it's probably a Capcom CPU vs Standard CPU mismatch between the security cart and the programming on UltraSIMMs 1 and 2.
 
I haven't changed anything since putting the cab in storage. Until that point, it was running Ultra SIMMs just fine with Standard SH2, CD BIOS, and SCSI2SD connected. This previously had the older Darksoft Multi Kit installed (that was how it was when I purchased it).

I'm thinking nem is right and the SD card could have just died over the last year or two. It's an older 2 GB microsd in a full size adapter, if that matters. I plugged it into my PC but Windows couldn't read it, didn't have time to diagnose further but I'm gonna try writing a new full size (no adapter) card as the next step.
 
ShootTheCore said:
Can confirm that if the board hangs with either a frozen region select cursor or black screen after selecting the region, it's probably a Capcom CPU vs Standard CPU mismatch between the security cart and the programming on UltraSIMMs 1 and 2.
Click to expand...
Makes sense. I posted the screen mine gets stuck at though (attached again for convenience), which is the reading CD ROM screen. There was one time yesterday that I was able to press 1P Start and get to the Darksoft menu. I think that's how I got it to start to load 3S, but it went black after the game title/ID screen and never loaded anything. I couldn't make it do that again, though, I just get this screen no matter what, or the "connect the CD drive" screen if I unplug the SCSI2SD.

I'm going to swap the BIOS eventually, it's just that my soldering equipment is still in storage and inaccessible for the moment.
 

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If you use the right NOCD version of the cart, then you won't need to have anything attached at all.
 
Darksoft said:
If you use the right NOCD version of the cart, then you won't need to have anything attached at all.
Click to expand...
Yes, again I understand this. I have a NoCD chip for the cart. I was going to install the NoCD chip in the cart when I set this up 4 years ago. I mixed up the chips at the time, and had to leave my SCSI2SD plugged in. I had already assembled it all back in the Hursit case (beautiful but a pain to work in), so I left well enough alone and didn't both swapping it back. I plan to make that swap, but my tools are inaccessible at the moment. In the meantime, I was confused why something that was working flawlessly for 2 years, then was put into storage, now doesn't work.
 
Anyone ever see an issue like this?
View: https://youtu.be/4K1V94o5xiY


I flashed the Ultra SIMMs for sLpFhaWK and this is what 3rd strike does. (Custom SH2)
I've verified the flash on all sims.

New Generation and Red Earth seem to work fine but all other games have issues.

His Simms and cart seem to work with my mobo (-3 rev) his is a -2 mobo with the Capcom mod board. His setup was working fine with 3rd strike with the superbios before the upgrade.
 
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And the same motherboard works well with regular simms?
 
sLpFhaWK said:
my -2 mobo worked with the regular simms before with 3rd strike. i recorded a video last week playing it on the new unico nova blast arcade that was just released to show it off to my friend.

don't judge my 3rd strike skills =) it's hard to record with a camera right in your face between your arms lol
View: https://youtu.be/I6LiOeNpxqE
Click to expand...
That's pretty cool but why is the monitor display curved?
 
I would try to program the simms in different order and see if the problem propagates. If it stays, then it's the simm socket.
Anyways, before reprogramming the Simms, I would give a nice clean to those simm sockets.
 
Darksoft said:
I would try to program the simms in different order and see if the problem propagates. If it stays, then it's the simm socket.
Anyways, before reprogramming the Simms, I would give a nice clean to those simm sockets.
Click to expand...
GoldenGlover said:
Wild guess from me here, but considering NG and Red Earth work fine (using SIMM slots 1-4) and that the rest of the games tried aren’t working properly, my $ is on either UltraSIMM 5 or 6 being faulty.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I've got it fixed. Based on these two comments I decided to focus my troubleshooting under the assumption that there was a bad connection between the SIMM and the socket on either SIMM 5 or 6.

removing the ribbon cable for the selector I noticed that SIMM6 was lose in the socket compared to the other sims and wanted to naturally sit more upright but the ribbon cable was forcing it more towards an angle.

I removed SIMM6 and took a small flat screwdriver and gently pushed all of the back/upper pins towards the socket... the whole row. Reinstalling the SIMM it was then nice and snug in the socket and sitting at the correct angle and now 3rd Strike seems to be working well.

View: https://youtu.be/x5oY-a9CMT0

EDIT: I've done a more through test and all games seem to be running rock solid now. Thanks all!
 
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