Updating a Triforce Type 3 to use CF cards, tutorial

[nem]

I have a pair of F-Zero AX sitdowns that I've been meaning to update to CF cards for almost as long I have owned them (10 years!). Well, I finally got around to doing it. Considering I had to look up info to do for this from a bunch of different posts from different forums, I thought I could save someone else the trouble with a one stop guide here at A-P.

This the starting point. A Triforce with a GDROM drive attached. The Triforce firmware is old.

Since most people have Windows 10 computers, that's what I'm going to use for everything too.

Part 1: Creating the necessary zero key PIC
Part 2: Netbooting the hacked CF BOX firmware
Part 3: Using CF cards

 

[nem]

Part 1: Creating the necessary zero key PIC

You will need a zero key pic for this. I have a programmer and the needed chip (PIC16F628A) for this, so I'm going to make my own. Download the archive from the post below

https://www.arcade-projects.com/thr...-naomi-chihiro-and-triforce.6611/#post-100601

Take your programmer, set it to PIC16F628A. Put your chip in your programmer. Erase it. Load ABC_BIN_0000000000000000_NET.bin. Set your programmer settings as per the post above. The programmer I use is a Xeltek 610p. On this unit, the configuration screen will look like this

Write and then verify.

 

[nem]

Part 2: Netbooting the hacked CF BOX firmware

Take off the Triforce motherboard cover and flip the second dipswitch on SW1 to ON. The first dipswitch is there to control the memory 512MB/1024MB (ON/OFF), the second for NETWORK/DRIVE (ON/OFF). Remove the security key and insert your freshly burned zero pic key. Make sure it's correctly oriented. If you have a battery, unplug it. You can unplug the GDROM drive too.

Take a crossover ethernet cable and connect it to the LAN port on the Triforce and the LAN port on your computer.

Turn on your cab. It should boot to 'Checking network' and then a Gateway error. However, if it boots straight to Error 31, don't worry about it, carry on with the tutorial.

Press test to access the test menu. Go to NETWORK SETTING, set NETWORK TYPE to ETHER. Go to SET IP ADDRESS. Set REMOTE to DISABLE, IP to 192.168.1.2 and SUBNET MASK to 255.255.255.0.

Exit out of the test menu. Power cycle the cab. If it still returns to Error 31, that's fine, don't worry about it. It can now sit there while we configure the computer side.

Boot up your computer. On Windows 10, open 'Network & Internet settings'. Press 'Change adapter options'. You should see an ethernet connection

If you don't see one, I don't know, make sure the network adapter is enabled in the BIOS? Anyway, right-click Properties, then choose 'Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)' and click Properties. Then punch in 192.168.1.1 as the IP and 255.255.255.0 as the Subnet mask

Press OK and Close. Open command prompt. Type 'ipconfig'. IP checks out? Cool. Then type 'ping 192.168.1.2'. You should get a ping back.

If you don't get a ping back, power cycle the cab if you didn't before. Then double check settings on both cab and PC. If they're OK, swap your ethernet cable and make sure it's crossover. If still no success, try a different computer. If you can't get a ping, there's no point in continuing with the tutorial. No ping, no connection.

Now download transfergame.exe from the Mega resource below. It's under tools.

https://mega.nz/folder/lg4TTIrL#Bs03RF6fYjoUg1YYUt70Dw

Then download the hacked CF BOX firmware from the post below. The hack allows you to use any CF card.

https://www.arcade-projects.com/thr...-french-national-day-release.1526/#post-18091

Put both files in the same directory.

Open command, navigate to whatever directory you put the files in, and type 'transfergame 192.168.1.2 Triforce_Firm_v3.12_TYPE3_ONLY.BIN'. You will get a load of gibberish, don't worry.

 

[nem]

On the cab it should boot to the following screen

Press test as many times as needed. It will update up to four different things. When it's ready, it will tell you to power off. Powercycle the cab.

The system will boot to a 'Checking network' screen. System Information should now show the updated version numbers

Exit test menu.

Let's try netbooting a game. Download a Triforce game from the Mega resource posted above. Since I'm going to be running F-Zero, that's what I downloaded (FZeroAx.rar). Extract, then put in the same folder as transfergame. Type 'transfergame.exe 192.168.1.2 FZ.bin', where FZ.bin is the name of the game image you're uploading.

After loading, the game will boot up. For me, F-Zero booted up to a network check. That's good enough for me!

 

[nem]

Part 3: Using CF cards

You need a compatible CF card, an IDE to CF adapter and a USB CF adapter. Pictured are the IDE to CF adapters and the cards I have tested working.

First connect the IDE to CF adapter (with the CF card plugged in) to your computer. Format your CF card to FAT.

Download gcfi_1.30.zip from the post below

https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/naomi-cf-tools.2667/#post-35204

Open up disk management (diskmgmt). For me, disk management will show the CF card as a removable drive as Disk 0.

Run an elevated command prompt with administrator rights. Go to the folder where you extracted the gcfi zip archive to. Type 'ataid -p 0', where 0 is your CF card disk number.

'sector' is what we're interested in here. Go to My Computer, pick your CF card and go to Properties. Set the sector as the name of your card. This way you don't forget it.

On Windows 10 I couldn't write the Triforce game image to the card with the IDE to CF adapter. It would throw an error. It's some Windows security thing. This is where you will need an USB adapter. Remove the CF card from the IDE adapter. Reboot your computer (I had issues when I didn't). Put the CF in the USB adapter

Open up Disk Management again. For me, the CF card is mounted as E:

Move your Triforce game image to the gcfi folder. Type 'gcfi -r -s 0x3032 -d E:\ -l ABC.BIN -g FZ.bin', where 0x3032 is the offset sector of your card, E:\ is your drive and FZ.bin is the name of your game image.

If it throws an error about it not containing a valid F16 boot sector, type the same thing as before and put a '-W' modifier at the end. Format your card to FAT. Then try again without '-W'.

After it's done, your drive should look like this

 

[nem]

Take your IDE to CF adapter and plug it in your Triforce. You will need to power it. There's an unused header that you can use for this. It's next to where you plug in the fan. The connector series is Mini-Universal MATE-N-LOK. The exact connector you need is a 172167-1, and you also need two female pins, 794137-1.

Pinout is as follows

1 - +12V
2 - GND
3 - GND
4 - +5V

Here's the adapter I made plugged in

Flip the second dip on dipswitch SW1 back to OFF (for DRIVE). Boot up your cab.

It should start loading your game into memory. If not, double check the wiring you made for the power, try a different card, then a different adapter and finally get a new PIC. If it's throwing an error after loading, try a different game image.

The problem with the IDE to CF adapter that has the female IDE header on it is that the card sticks out, you can't get the top cover back on anymore

So I switched to a different adapter that has a male IDE connector and used a 10cm IDE cable

It's perfect. Put some tape over the back side so it doesn't short on the underside of the cover.

Job done.

Thanks to @Darksoft and @rtw.

 

[Vanark]

Can i use USB CF adapter for checking sector name number ? For naomi

 

[nem]

I'm pretty sure USB doesn't support the needed ATA commands, so no, a USB connection won't work for finding the sector.

 

[Vanark]

I'm pretty sure USB doesn't support the needed ATA commands, so no, a USB connection won't work for finding the sector.

Thx for answer.
I don’t have vintage PC, I can’t plug ))). I have sata PC. Photo - is it ok for checking sector and etc ?

 

[rtw]

@Vanark that SATA to CF should work.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

I asked on another thread, but this one is more appropriate.

Has anyone tested other devices like DOMs, IDE to SD/SATA/mSATA adapters in their Triforce systems?

 

[Vanark]

I received cf/sata but win7 dont sea this device (((

 

[streetfighterken]

What if my board doesn't have dip switches? It has the NAND. Can I still do this and can I skip any steps?

 

[rtw]

You cannot do this if you have the NAND media board.

 

[streetfighterken]

You cannot do this if you have the NAND media board.

It does have the IDE header. It won’t just boot from IDE if I remove the NAND? I have a pair of JP Mario Kart GP2s I’m trying to get in English. What are my options? I’ve tried the zero key and changing region to USA but the game rom is in Japanese and can’t be changed. (Game actually won’t boot with different region)

 

[rtw]

You are missing the DIMM board so the system cannot load the game to memory.

 

[MataPichones]

Great tutorial! I finally did my 2 fzeros too , and now doing mario kart witht he one I have the correct board.