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WTF do i need to have a CPS3 multi?

penrhos said:
I resurrected a dead all-in-1 CPS2 board by re-writing the simm with the $55 bios swap cart...

One Question - I know most SCSI CD-Rom drives work but has anyone tried using a SCSI DVD-Drive (as I will have a couple from scrapped kit in a couple of weeks) with a CPS3 board.

@Darksoft - "New version of the bios" - I assume it'll be another bios swap not a flash upgrade from a CD. If so I'll hang onto the two dead carts I have until it's released...
Click to expand...
Well, my idea is to make it so that it will check in the CD for a file and if found, it will make an automatic update. No more soldering after this one.
 
Ah, so correction... Zero reason to own the swapped SH2 (CPS2 SIMMs write just fine with both versions).
Thanks for clearing that up. :D
 
Derick2k said:
So I can send you the following:

MOBO
SIMMS
DEAD CART (if you want I can send the dead cart to Mitsu to flash for you) I have to send him like 2 other dead carts I have.
Click to expand...
And its gone, defor got it :D
 
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You can use SCSI DVD drives with a CPS3 PCB with no issues - I'm using a Plextor on my spare setup (I use SCSI2SD on my main one) & the Toshiba ones from Dell servers seem to work OK too.
 
Realize this is old.
I have a parts saturn I am using to revive a ST-V that someone couldn't package worth a dang and killed the slave sh-2 in shipping.
Is there ANY disadvantage to me saving the second sh2 off the donor for a future cps3 cart?
I realize it isn't exactly needed but I do have it so...
All I need is a donor third strike pcb to have a multi if I swap the bios and by choice the sh2, right?
No Cd is the goal.
Ultra simms just speed things up?
 
ForestOfDreams said:
Realize this is old.
I have a parts saturn I am using to revive a ST-V that someone couldn't package worth a dang and killed the slave sh-2 in shipping.
Is there ANY disadvantage to me saving the second sh2 off the donor for a future cps3 cart?
I realize it isn't exactly needed but I do have it so...
All I need is a donor third strike pcb to have a multi if I swap the bios and by choice the sh2, right?
No Cd is the goal.
Ultra simms just speed things up?
Click to expand...

For the SH2
Broadly speaking yes. The "custom" SH2 on the CPS3 security cart works perfectly for almost all use cases
Exceptions if you want to play 4th strike, then you need the "standard".
Swapping the SH2 chip over to play an unofficial variant of one game is a sweet technical trick and I'd love to do it, but probably not everyones cup of tea.

For the SIMMS
Ultrasimms are extremely awesome but also extremely hard to get - Maybe Darksoft might make more, but unless that happens I assume they are gone from the market. Being both awesome and irreplaceable, I cant imagine there are many willing sellers.

So that leaves you with Standard SIMMS which work with both SuperBIOS or the UltraBios
Ultrabios comes in 2 flavours, CD and NOCD

If you want to get rid of the CD drive entirely you'll first need to write the SIMMS with the CD bios, then swap the bios to the NOCD bios. Reworking TSOP is much easier than replacing the SH2 but given the value of the cart (moonbeams) and the number of swaps to accomplish this (four) there are a lot of expensive things that can go wrong.

So the best options as I see them are

1) A CD drive replacement - bluescsi is the easiest IMO
My assembly notes here, I have none to sell at the moment sorry
https://www.arcade-projects.com/thr...t-others-have-shared-bluescsi-for-cps3.23819/

2) A dual bios implementation
There is public dual bios project here from the awesome @tovar
https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/cps-iii-bios-and-cd-releases.36/post-416563
And I designed a helper board for that project here (the board is untested, use at own risk!)
https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/cps-iii-bios-and-cd-releases.36/post-431433
 
Looks like I'll be saving my second standard sh-2 for a future cps3 setup.
Thanks for the tips. :D

Provided my donor saturn had two good ones. That pcb had glitchy sprites so I'm nearly certain it did.

Fwiw as a tip chipquik over all pins and hot air combined make for a nice way to keep heat out of a chip and the board for rework when removing it.
You barely heat it at all. Then nudge it.
One can just use hot air but for expensive donor chips or boards thats my method, and then solder it back on.
 
Mitsurugi-w said:
Nope. Ultrasimms works with Standard and Custom. Which file set you load to the ultrasimms depends on your cart type.
Click to expand...

Whoa, good to know! I was mistakenly under the impression that they didn't for some reason.

ForestOfDreams said:
Fwiw as a tip chipquik over all pins and hot air combined make for a nice way to keep heat out of a chip and the board for rework when removing it.
You barely heat it at all. Then nudge it.
One can just use hot air but for expensive donor chips or boards thats my method, and then solder it back on.
Click to expand...

Big +1 to using low melt. It also lets you do removal of these ICs with eight thousand legs without needing a hot air station. It is super important though to make absolutely sure you've soaked every single joint with low melt, AND that the chip and all of the legs (and the pads) are at a sufficient temperature. The chip should basically come off on its own, don't force it. Otherwise, please enjoy running a bunch of jumper wires after you pull a bunch of pads.
 
There's nothing worse than pulling pads on an IC that small, that's for sure.
Learned that the hard way on modding much cheaper consoles.
 
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