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Topic: dreamcast get SD adapter

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Mazonemayu
rank 27
Posted:
Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:11 am
quote : #1
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Posts: 573
http://www.seganerds.com/2009/03/29/dreamcast-is-getting-a-sd-adapter/

now this in very interestimg methinks
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Einhander
rank 20
Posted:
Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:22 am
quote : #2
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Posts: 389
Type: NTSC-U/C
It uses the serial port, so the transfer speed is going to be way too slow for homebrew won't it?

Still, would be interesting to be able to use it to transfer savegames without needing a nexus. Storing roms might be interesting, but if you have an emulator on a disc, your roms are likely going to be on the disc as well. I guess if emulators were rewritten to support booting from an SD card then it would be nice to have your emulator, roms, and rom saves all in one spot.

That said, even having another way to backup and store game saves (to a cheap and widespread memory card format, no less), then that is pretty awesome.
 
gary_b
rank 37
Posted:
Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:29 am
quote : #3
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Posts: 817
Type: NTSC-U/C
Einhander wrote:
It uses the serial port, so the transfer speed is going to be way too slow for homebrew won't it?

Still, would be interesting to be able to use it to transfer savegames without needing a nexus. Storing roms might be interesting, but if you have an emulator on a disc, your roms are likely going to be on the disc as well. I guess if emulators were rewritten to support booting from an SD card then it would be nice to have your emulator, roms, and rom saves all in one spot.

some people from the link where already talking about this.

Quote:
cube_b3's comment at link: After alittle search

“The software driver will use the FatFs module by ChaN, with CRC32 control, allowing to boost up emulators like AES4ALL (promising no more big sets lagging), managing saved games and loading binaries.”

So we may be able to run stuff full speed till Snes/Genesis, but don’t expect proper games to boot up.

George's comment from link: cube: from the looks of it this should load as fast as the serial port will allow on the dreamcast, which is about the speed of USB 2.0

if its using the full transfer rate of the serial I dont see why it should not be as fast (faster being that its solid state) as the GDROM itself Smile

idk how true any of this is, but it would be nice if it could be used in such a way. but as you said having another way to back up saves is awesome by its self.
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lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:23 am
quote : #4
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Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
My whole question is, would this be manufactured and sold in bulk? or is this a hardware hack using just a spare VS cable. If it is a one of a kind, its going to be hard to impact the DC community as whole. This is more like "look what I can do". That is cool if it works, but its relevance is so small if it isn't going to be distributed in some way.

For homebrew, it would work really well. Especially for testing out code. This is what dcload and a BBA/LAN adapter is used for. You simply load up a bit of code into the DC's memory. Though, it would still require the use of a burned CDR to boot into the data off the SD card. It would be nice if someone found a solution so that a CDR wouldn't need to be used as the middleman.
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Dreamcast â„¢
rank 39
Posted:
Wed Apr 01, 2009 1:03 pm
quote : #5
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Posts: 923
Type: NTSC-U/C
It is possible to eliminate the need for a CD-R by replacing the BIOS chip with one flashed with a custom system menu (or next generation fans might know it better as a "dashboard."). Someone has done this by creating a "Navi Dreamcast" boot menu: link. Some schematics for the DC lead some to believe that it might even be possible to dual bank, so a secondary chip wouldn't need to be added.

Unfortunately, the success of this project relies on their ability to get the correct ends. That means destroying more VS, NeoGeo Pocket, and dare I say, MIDI cables instead of creating new ends. Actually, I'll have to find the video, but someone made a really slick internal mod by creating an access slot on the front of the unit. Couple this with a custom menu and you'd have one heck of a DC.
 
gRimGrAvY014
rank 27
Posted:
Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:54 pm
quote : #6
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Posts: 551
Type: NTSC-U/C
An intriguing new peripheral, I'd love to see it live us to these capabilities.
 
devil-mav
rank 4
Posted:
Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:41 pm
quote : #7
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Posts: 24
where can we buy it???
 
HuBBsDoctor
rank 6
Posted:
Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:58 am
quote : #8
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Posts: 45
Type: NTSU-U
Interesting. I guess its a wait and see kind of thing. I hope it does make it past the testing stage.
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lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:51 pm
quote : #9
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Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
I wouldn't mind it if a modding tutorial was posted as well. My Dragoncast VS cable is non-functional. So all I can really use it for is modding a coders cable or maybe for making this SD adapter.
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Blast
rank 43
Posted:
Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:54 pm
quote : #10
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Posts: 1285
Type: Pal
Being hyper critical why dont they shorten the cable? Whats the point in having a cable that goes nowhere Laughing Ideally this needs to look like a card reader/memory stick for PC.

Laters
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Saturn
rank 11
Posted:
Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:05 pm
quote : #11
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Posts: 160
Type: PAL
An SD cable, wow thats new. Is there anything you can't do to a Dreamcast? Soon, they'll make a Dreamcast that can make waffles.
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Ronin
rank 5
Posted:
Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:38 pm
quote : #12
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Posts: 36
Type: NTSC-U/C
I wonder what you can do with the card? Can you save VMU data and the like?
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Metal Hedgehog
rank 11
Posted:
Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:58 pm
quote : #13
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Posts: 159
I read the article. Who is making these? I am REALLY glad if they do! I want to save all my files to the computer or something. I have enough trouble saving stuff on my memory cards.
 
Segata Sanshiro
rank 9
Posted:
Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:51 pm
quote : #14
profile : pm
Posts: 108
Type: PAL
lordnikon wrote:
My whole question is, would this be manufactured and sold in bulk? or is this a hardware hack using just a spare VS cable. If it is a one of a kind, its going to be hard to impact the DC community as whole. This is more like "look what I can do". That is cool if it works, but its relevance is so small if it isn't going to be distributed in some way.

For homebrew, it would work really well. Especially for testing out code. This is what dcload and a BBA/LAN adapter is used for. You simply load up a bit of code into the DC's memory. Though, it would still require the use of a burned CDR to boot into the data off the SD card. It would be nice if someone found a solution so that a CDR wouldn't need to be used as the middleman.


Maybe I'm a bit late here but no, it's not a one of a kind. It's going to be sold at around €30 inc. international shipping, or at least that's what they're intending to do. I do wonder however how they're gonna get all those serial port connectors, since salvaging parts from working cables doesn't sound practical. Besides, some of those cables which Dreamcast ™ mentions aren't too common. I don't know how hard it'd be to get custom cables made at some chinese manufacturer, but it probably is just a matter of money.

The only way to get one so far is posting in (this) thread (Spanish language). Actually, people who are serious about getting one should sign up and vote on the poll on that site, since they're currently figuring out how big the demand is.

Also, I'm wondering whether this is such a big step forward from jj1odm's SD card interface. He's done a lot of Dreamcast related hacking, including a working LAN adapter done from scratch after probably hours and hours of reverse engineering. There's not many people like that Wink And obviously the best part is how everything is freely and openly available at his site.
 
Mazonemayu
rank 27
Posted:
Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:29 pm
quote : #15
profile : pm
Posts: 573
awesome!! I love the pic of the DC with the Sd card sticking out above the controller
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