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Hello all,
Is there any way a switch can be fitted to a 32X allowing MasterSystem games to be played through it? Having recently purchased my Everdrive, I'm keen to play all those MasterSystem titles that were basically the same as my old GameGear favourites. The 32X in this case is, of course, a royal pain in the ass.
Cheers.
I was under the understanding that you could play both 32x and SMS games through the ED with the 32x attached.
It doesn't seem so. I tried the SMS games on my plain PAL MD and they worked there, but not through my 32X. Not sure if this is normal or not, my setup is modified, so not sure if that has anything to do with it.
afaik 32x can't run SMS games because it can't do the passthroug of the grounded pins present in the SMS>MD adaptor, so the console can't switch in "SMS mode" but i don't know if there are additional HW complications in the 32x...
if not, maybe adding a switch wich short to ground those pins could enable the sms mode
Thanks for the reply, but you're talking another language to me my friend! Who would I be best to ask about fitting something like that up? I have a mate who's an electronics engineer, but I don't think he knows much about retro consoles and stuff. I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to start, I can barely play games with the thing!Quote:
Originally Posted by Yfrid
There is no way to activate SMS mode while the 32X is plugged in. The reason is the 32X is ALWAYS active, looking for reads from 0xA130EC, which it then drives the bus with the value 'MARS'. This means the 32X is always using the cart port in MD mode, and any attempt to switch into SMS mode will have the 32X conflicting with it since it stays in MD mode. I know Tiido has done some experimenting to see what it would take to do SMS through the 32X, but it seems like a huge mod to do it right now.
just wondering: adding a switch on the MD itself (or on 32x male pins) to enable the sms mode, unplug the power jack of the 32x and try to run a sms cartridge would be just plain stupid?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chilly Willy
is 32x always active even when 10V are unplugged?
That sounds pretty final. Thanks for the answer, and thanks to Yfrid also. I'll just have to (sigh) keep unplugging the damn thing!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chilly Willy
I think that's partly what Tiido was looking into. My educated guess (since I've not actually tried it) is no - the bus goes through the interface chip on the 32X so that the 32X can be delayed from accessing the bus during DMA operations on the MD side, or the MD side can be held off while the 32X is accessing the bus.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yfrid
If I were going to test something myself - I'd check into what the 32X is doing when RV is set to hold it off the bus... is the 32X REALLY OFF the bus? Is it passing the bus through to the MD in a manner that could be driven into SMS mode? It would depend on how the interface chip in the 32X handles the bus pass-through while RV is set. So what I would try is to alter the NeoMyth menu to activate the 32X, set the RV bit, then try to activate SMS mode to run an SMS game.
Wait wait... So unplugging the 32x power will let the SMS games work?? Or you have to completely detach the 32x to go into SMS mode?
You have to detach it. As mentioned above, there's no way you can just unplug the power and have it work since the bus goes through the 32X's interface chip. No power == no interface chip == no bus.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrbigreddog
This has always been a pain in the butt everytime I want to use my PBC, because for me its not just removing the 32x and its cable, since I have a Gen1, I have to use and entirely DIFFERENT AV cable and rehook it up! :bang:
The easiest thing to do is just get another Genny just for the 32X or just the SMS. A plain model 2 will run $20 to $40 depending on what it comes with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaijuboy
Unplugging the 32X adapter results in dead MD or 32X eventually, as the 32X starts sucking power off bus signals on MD, thus overstressing the ASIC and other chips and causing them to fail at some point.
The problem is that 32X is indeed in passthrough mode, but not all of the pins are bidirectional, and for SMS mode there's quite a lot of signals that change into something completely different alltogether.
argh, i'm used to unplug it when play normal MD games because my 32x squeaks a lot when powered and i can hear the same noise even in the loudspeakers. I guess i should stop instantly oO'Quote:
Originally Posted by TmEE
Install another filter coil and bigger µF caps on the switch mode voltage regulator in the 32X :P