Sega Normal Non NET Dimm Upgraded to 4.02 - Problems....

[glstar]

Hi.
I upgraded some Non Net Dimm board to 4.02, using the method from the great TylerDurden.
I have some problems with all of them....
Some days ago i do several test.
All the boards are working without the gdrom cable connected.
It's really strange....
Without the gdrom cable connected, all boots and i can also go in test menu and there it shows 4.02 and good dimm rom....
But if i shutdown the cab, reconnect the gdrom and power the cab, all i have is black screen.....
then i tried with a legit netdimm and it works.
then i tried using the bottom board of the legit netdimm with the top of the normal dimm and it works.
then i tried using the bottom board of the 4.02 non net dimm with the top board of the legit netdim and it works.
if i use bottom and top boards from the 4.02 modified non net dimm it won't boot......never.
so i can't use gdrom....
so they are useless......
Do someone knows what can be the problem?

Thank you.

 

[Darksoft]

This looks to me like a bad solder. Are you sure that the flash is properly soldered? It could be also a power problem but I dount it.

 

[glstar]

This looks to me like a bad solder. Are you sure that the flash is properly soldered? It could be also a power problem but I dount it.

It's strange because the solder were made not by me but a great skilled technician
Plus it's strange that this problem is the same in all the dimm i modded (around 10).
They all do the same.
I also tried to do a little more power using a multimeter, but it change nothing.
It's really really strange.
Strange is that if i use the top board from a regulare net dimm, using a modified bottom board, it works.....
Seems like if the dimm cannot understand the gdrom, for some reason, and then remain with the black screen....

 

[Darksoft]

have you tried loading from cf? Are you using the same gdrom drive in all tests?

 

[glstar]

have you tried loading from cf? Are you using the same gdrom drive in all tests?

No, i didn't try using a cf card reader.
the same result on both sides of the twin, so with two different gdrom readers.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Which error do you get when no gdrom is connected?

 

[glstar]

Which error do you get when no gdrom is connected?

I only have black screen and nothing more.
It cannot boot at all.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

I meant not connected. Sorry.

 

[glstar]

I meant not connected. Sorry.

when not connected i get error 24 (or 25 cannot exactly remember) and it told me gdrom not found

 

[MetalliC]

Do someone knows what can be the problem?

possible options:
- 4.02 may not like EEPROM contents (93C46 IC65 on bottom of main board), besides DIMM s/n there is also stored some settings, its possible 4.02 have them different and goes crazy because of 1.02 or none settings stored.
- some odd/wrong jumper settings on top board

 

[glstar]

Do someone knows what can be the problem?

possible options:- 4.02 may not like EEPROM contents (93C46 IC65 on bottom of main board), besides DIMM s/n there is also stored some settings, its possible 4.02 have them different and goes crazy because of 1.02 or none settings stored.
- some odd/wrong jumper settings on top board

For sure seems that something is wrong in the lower part (the one flashed).
But strange is that if i mix up one legit network dimm (vxworks) and one flashed 4.02 non net dimm, it works.....
-Network lower board (vxworks) with non net dimm top board - work
-Non network 4.02 lower board with legit net dimm top board - work

I didn't touch the jumpers in the top board and in the lower board

 

[Darksoft]

I think @TylerDurden67 can shed some light here.

 

[glstar]

I think @TylerDurden67 can shed some light here.

I tried to reach him on neo-arcadia but he didn't read my PM yet.

 

[yavuzg]

Did you erased the network stuff (i.e. the IP address etc) BEFORE separating the non-netDIMM components from the netDIMM components you used to upgrade it?

Do not leave the network settings on a non-netDIMM. I don't know the exact reason but if you don't erase the network settings when you are finished with the upgrade process it causes problems later.

To erase the network settings, re-assemble the non-netDIMM with netDIMM components (i.e. "make" it a netDIMM again) then go to the menu and erase the networking settings. Now, re-assemble your non-netDIMM again and try...

 

[glstar]

Did you erased the network stuff (i.e. the IP address etc) BEFORE separating the non-netDIMM components from the netDIMM components you used to upgrade it?

Do not leave the network settings on a non-netDIMM. I don't know the exact reason but if you don't erase the network settings when you are finished with the upgrade process it causes problems later.

To erase the network settings, re-assemble the non-netDIMM with netDIMM components (i.e. "make" it a netDIMM again) then go to the menu and erase the networking settings. Now, re-assemble your non-netDIMM again and try...

Yes i tried to put back a net dimm top board, erase all the settings and also set the net dimm to no network.
Then i save and remove the net dimm top board and use the normal non net dimm top board, but i always get black screen.
Also Tylerdurden doesn't know what the problem could be.....
Someone could test this mod with a naomi 2 board to see if it's working?
Because he also told me that maybe it could be a problem with the naomi 2 mainboard.

 

[yavuzg]

I only used a CF solution with the non-netDIMM and didn't get any stable solution either. One day working fine the next day nothing works. My problem could be related with many things.

Although you are using a GD-ROM, few things I would check would be your power at the Naomi (not at the PSU output). Check the 5.0V and 3.3V specifically. Lack of adequite 5.0V and 3.3V level results in black screen. Although Naomi2 consumes less power than a Naomi1, its better check the voltages.

 

[glstar]

I only used a CF solution with the non-netDIMM and didn't get any stable solution either. One day working fine the next day nothing works. My problem could be related with many things.Although you are using a GD-ROM, few things I would check would be your power at the Naomi (not at the PSU output). Check the 5.0V and 3.3V specifically. Lack of adequite 5.0V and 3.3V level results in black screen. Although Naomi2 consumes less power than a Naomi1, its better check the voltages.

I tried with cf too with no luck.
Also tried to check the voltage and they are absolutely fine.
Infact if i mix top and bottom with a real netdimm, using the same voltage settings as before, it works.....

 

[glstar]

I do some other test yesterday....
I had an original vxworks 3.03 bottom board that worked perfectly with a non net dimm top board......until i upgraded it to 4.02 via netboot......
Yesterday i upgraded the vxworks bottom board to 4.02 via netboot (of course using his net dimm top board)...
flash was fine....
then i tried again the non net dimm top board and also this one is not working if i connect the gdrom drive (or the cf card reader)....black screen......(of course works just fine with the net dimm top board).
if i remove the gdrom cable is boot again (and of course it gave me error of gdrom missing).
Also tried to delete network settings when used the net dimm top board, but that not change anything....
Now i know that is not a problem with the mod, but a problem with the firmware 4.02, since with 3.03 is was working.
Could it be a naomi 2 bios difference?
I use NAOMI2_EXP_EPR-23608_B.
Could be this the problem?
Otherwise i cannot understand why someone have them working but not me.....even with an original vxworks board....
This is really strange.
Here are some pics of mine settings with non net dimm top board/naomi2 bios/settings....
Do you see something wrong?
Thank you.

 

[yavuzg]

May be a dumb question but did you directly upgraded from 3.03 to 4.02?

According to Tyler you have to first upgrade the non-NetDIMM fw by de-solder/burn/re-solder technique to 3.17 fw THEN with NetDIMM equipment, upgrade it to 4.02 via netboot. I don't know the specific reason for that, but that is the way he described and that is the way I do...

 

[glstar]

May be a dumb question but did you directly upgraded from 3.03 to 4.02?According to Tyler you have to first upgrade the non-NetDIMM fw by de-solder/burn/re-solder technique to 3.17 fw THEN with NetDIMM equipment, upgrade it to 4.02 via netboot. I don't know the specific reason for that, but that is the way he described and that is the way I do...

Yes i upgraded it directly because that dimm board was a regular vxworks dimm (an original netdimm board).
So no need to desolder anything, since it was already ok to be upgraded, like any normal netdimm board.
If you have one working, could you tell me what naomi 1/2 bios you use?
I'm start to think that is something related to this.