As Matthias_H requested in another thread, I'll create this wishlist of feature suggestions. Please post in this thread if you have a feature you want to be added, and I'll add it to this first post. I'll also guess how hard it would be for Matthias_H to implement, but not having seen how exactly the code works, bear in mind that these are my estimations and the real difficulty levels might be very different.
Current feature requests, in my estimated difficulty order:
* Flash LED to indicate changes in overdump mode (easy)
* PS3 home button support (medium)
* Mega Drive EEPROM support (hard)
* Convert Game Boy Camera pictures to image files on-the-fly and have them openable (hard)
* Power Base Converter support (hard, maybe impossible)
* Satellaview support ((very?) hard, not definitely possible)
* Mega CD RAM cartridge support (hard)
* Super Street Fighter 2 for Mega Drive bankswitching (hard)
* Tales of Phantasia oversize (48Mbit) ROM support (medium)
Features that are definitely impossible without hardware modification/adaptors:
* SA-1 support (for Super Mario RPG etc. - very hard, and therefore unlikely - extra hardware would be required)
* ColecoVision controller support (lack of hw support)
* Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2/+3 Joystick support (lack of hw support)
* J-cart support (lack of hw support)
* Xbox 360 controller support (impossible due to it using undocumented encryption, which won't be supported even if it were documented for legal/moral reasons)
Features previously on this list that have been implemented:
* Some way to prevent filenames in games with a blank title field (Micro Machines '96) from starting with a dot, as this makes them hidden in UNIX-like OSes
* Ability to access Sonic 3's FRAM (SRAM) when playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles
* Hold button on controller at startup to change HID mode
Plug-in Suggestions
If anyone has a request for a specific plug-in adaptor, perhaps post that here and the difficulty could be assessed. Ones that already exist/are planned can be found in my other thread here (http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,7.0.html).
Edit, Matthias_H: Stickied.
Actually, I'm not even sure if Power Base Converter is technically possible at all. Won't work if /CE and /OE require different signals (they're wired together in the Retrode)
Edit: I'd feel much more comfortable if this thread were called "Feature Suggestions", a "wishlist" or something less, uhm, requesting :)
One feature I would appreciate is the ability to dump Satellaview 8M Memory Paks via the BS-X cart. I have no idea how difficult it will be to implement, but it should be possible.
Quote from: Matthias_H on 13/Feb/2012 08:56:00 PM
Actually, I'm not even sure if Power Base Converter is technically possible at all. Won't work if /CE and /OE require different signals (they're wired together in the Retrode)
Edit: I'd feel much more comfortable if this thread were called "Feature Suggestions", a "wishlist" or something less, uhm, requesting :)
OK, done :)
EDIT: Looks to me, from various schematics I found, like OE (Mega Drive pin 16B) is connected to the "Not read" pin (ie, 0 when you're reading), and CE_L (pin 17B) is connected to both "not address range $0000-$7fff" (0 when it is in that range) and the 15th address bit, which is odd. CE_H (pin 26B) is not connected.
Quote* Some way to prevent filenames in games with a blank title field (Micro Machines '96) from starting with a dot, as this makes them hidden in UNIX-like OSes (very easy)
* Ability to access Sonic 3's FRAM (SRAM) when playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles (medium?)
Try http://www.retrode.com/files/firmware/Retrode2-v0.17e-alpha.zip (http://www.retrode.com/files/firmware/Retrode2-v0.17e-alpha.zip) and see if those two points work for you. (I haven't tested either but they seemed rather straightforward fixes.)
Edit: Tested both; seem to work.
We're going to have to come up with a whole lot more suggestions if you are going to implement them this quickly ;)
Afraid it'll have to wait until Saturday, as I'm currently staying at relatives' without my Retrode.
I wonder if the SA1 chip support for retrode could be done as another adapter or if that would be even harder.
Quote from: Ness and Sonic on 15/Feb/2012 11:08:29 PM
I wonder if the SA1 chip support for retrode could be done as another adapter or if that would be even harder.
Except in case of a miracle, there will be no SA-1 support from my side.
ColecoVision controller support (almost definitely without keypad): http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,41.msg320.html#msg320
Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2/+3 joysticks: http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,42.0.html
I've added a new section for things that you have said are definitely impossible without hardware modification.
Quote from: Matthias_H on 14/Feb/2012 07:23:25 AM
Quote* Some way to prevent filenames in games with a blank title field (Micro Machines '96) from starting with a dot, as this makes them hidden in UNIX-like OSes (very easy)
* Ability to access Sonic 3's FRAM (SRAM) when playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles (medium?)
Try http://www.retrode.com/files/firmware/Retrode2-v0.17e-alpha.zip (http://www.retrode.com/files/firmware/Retrode2-v0.17e-alpha.zip) and see if those two points work for you. (I haven't tested either but they seemed rather straightforward fixes.)
Edit: Tested both; seem to work.
Both appear to work for me as well! Thanks! Removed from list in first post.
Maybe the "done" points should be moved, not deleted. Otherwise, it will look as though I never get anything done and there's only a huge pile of to-dos :)
OK!
Xbox 360 compatibility
I'd be interested in seeing Xbox 360 compatibility, with the aim of playing Megadrive Collection, Street Fighter II and lots of arcade classics on XBLA and through Game Room.
But it's not so easy. I understand there's a challenge and response made by the 360 when you plug a USB pad, so you can't just use a standard USB controller. That means the Retrode firmware would need to have an Xbox 360 mode and be able to send back the correct response.
This might be too much hard work, but I thought I'd start a thread as this is definitely something I would use and like to see added to the Retrode in the future.
Thanks,
matt
Support for the PS3 Home Button
When you connect an official USB joystick that has a Home button to a PS3, "there are 8 bytes transfered during the enumeration phase, just after the device sends it's report descriptor. Mimicking the same exchange results in the Home button functioning correctly when button 13 is pressed."
http://www.slashdev.ca/2010/05/25/ps3-gamepad-with-home-button/
http://forums.obdev.at/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5385
I thought I would post this information just in case there is any interest in increasing Retrode support for PS3. Of course, not all controllers have 13 buttons, so there may need to be some sort of remapping done.
Changes needed:
PS3 mode
magic bytes sent during enumeration
mapping of a button to be button 13
Any thoughts?
matt
Ability to change mode without having to use a computer
This might sound like an odd request, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to change the mode using the device alone, rather than having to plug it into a computer to edit the CFG file.
Something like: hold down HWB for a few seconds, LED blinks a X times to show current mode. Single presses of HWB step through modes. Light flashes to confirm. Hold HWB again to store new mode.
Just a thought. I am sure Matthias can come up with a good system.
Great idea! It will be a pain with the one programmable button on the Retrode body, but since we're talking about HID functionality, we might as well use the controller to choose a mode upon startup. Hold D-pad right when powering/connecting Retrode -> HID mode 1, up:mode2, etc. Shouldn't be too hard to implement; give me a week or two, and I'll see when I can squeeze it in.
Good ideas, in my opinion :)
BTW, any chance we could have some visual indicator when you press HWB to change overdump modes? Maybe something as simple as flashing the LED once when you press it, and twice once it gets (back) to "auto" mode (and the user has to remember the rest), or maybe something more complex that doesn't require the user to remember all the modes.
Thanks @Matthias_H
I think it's worth keeping in mind that there may grow to be more than four modes?
Moved J-cart to the impossible section a per the tweet. Just out of interest more than anything, is it impossible because of it needing an extra pin being connected or something, or is it just something that you couldn't get to work for unknown reasons?
Could be that connecting and flashing pin B19 (CLK) would already do the trick. However, that puts the project far down on my agenda (way below the line of "things I'll ever actually get to do").
I'll probably sit down on the "hold-button-down-upon-startup" feature later today. Am I right in assuming that the most popular setting by far will be HID mode (with the option to set this permanently), followed maybe by dump size? They should in fact be fairly easy to do.
I'd expect so, certainly true for me.
My other suggestion that's in the list is that, if you do keep the hardware button to cycle dump size thing, could you make the LED flash to give an indication on where in the cycle you are (maybe just something simple like flash once when you press, and twice when it goes back to auto mode).
I just found this board and the retrode device and I would definitely purchase if I could connect to my Xbox 360. I have tons of old cartridge games but don't want to have 6 different systems plugged in to play them. I really hope someone can dedicate the time to develop this, it would make many many people happy.
So what's the matter with Xbox 360 support? I don't think I've ever received any reports of people who tried this combination.
I don't know anything about the 360 but I would have thought that provided you have set it up with homebrew and so can run emulators, at least the cartridge part of the Retrode should work - no clue about controllers, though, as someone mentioned earlier something about a special command.
Quote from: matt on 02/Mar/2012 12:54:33 AM
I'd be interested in seeing Xbox 360 compatibility, with the aim of playing Megadrive Collection, Street Fighter II and lots of arcade classics on XBLA and through Game Room.
But it's not so easy. I understand there's a challenge and response made by the 360 when you plug a USB pad, so you can't just use a standard USB controller. That means the Retrode firmware would need to have an Xbox 360 mode and be able to send back the correct response.
So what you mean is, being able to use the controller ports on an Xbox 360 in regular (non-homebrew) mode? Do you have a source for this challenge-and-response scheme?
Bad news: http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/xbox-360-controller-authentication-workarounds.158737/ (http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/xbox-360-controller-authentication-workarounds.158737/)
Xbox 360 locks out 3rd party accessories with one of the strongest encryption chips on the market. The Retrode doesn't circumvent cryptographic measures, lockout chips, etc., and never will.
OK, moved to the impossible list. Also moved the HID mode one to the completed list as I realised I'd forgotten to do that.
Just remembered something, is the controller ports support for the Wii still being considered?
Also, even if there's not going to be J-Cart support, wouldn't it be possible to support connecting the Sega-Tap for reading 4 Mega Drive controllers at once?
How about this thread -- have you tried using the controllers in HID Keyboard Mode?
http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,20.0.html (http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,20.0.html)
With the latest firmware, 4 controllers should be supported (2SNES+2Sega) even in keyboard mode.
Just read that, but Genesis Plus GX doesn't allow to play with a keyboard and define keys...
In any case... are 4 Mega Drive controllers out of the question, then?
Quote from: ICEknight on 19/May/2012 06:22:59 PM
In any case... are 4 Mega Drive controllers out of the question, then?
But no! You can, of course, buy as many Retrodes as you like :-)
Hoping that it would be possible to add support for bankswitching / SSF2.. I don't know if this document provides sufficient info: http://emu-docs.org/Genesis/ssf2.txt
Otherwise it should be possible to contact Cowering to ask how the cartridge is dumped with the Sega CD cable method (he made that possible.. and also wrote the bankswitching code for MESS IIRC).
I have a cartridge here that I could provide..
Regards
QuoteHi,
I've been trying to dump my Super Street Fighter 2 cartridge for genesis, but it appears to be giving a wrong output. Besides the fact that it's recognized as a 4 MB cartridge (when it's really 40 Mbits / 5 MB), the appears to be a different pattern in the data in some places:
At the end of a block of 256 bytes, either 7 or 8 bytes are different sometimes.. the different bytes are either 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 or 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07.. I'm pretty sure that it's related to the bankswitching mechanism (some documentation on that here: http://emu-docs.org/Genesis/ssf2.txt )
Is there any way to add support for this cartridge through a firmware update?
Regards
QuoteCould be possible, depending on whether the bank switching chip uses the clock signal or not. Why don't you suggest it in the Feature Suggestion Thread and I'll see when I find the time to hunt down such a cart and try to get it to run.
Thanks for adding my feature suggestion of HID selection using a connected controller. It's as useful as I had hoped!
I have a couple of related thoughts:
1. Could something like the following ASCII art be added in the CFG by default?
So you always know where to go to see which direction you need to hold to make the setting change you desire.
;
; STARTUP HID MODE SELECTION:
;
; 0: Off
; 1: 4Joy+M |
; \
;
; 2: 2Joy -- + [START] Store setting
;
; /
; 3: KB |
; 4: iCade
;
2. When using a one-button Atari joystick the startup HID mode setting is ALWAYS stored (even though there is no START button on such a joystick). This behaviour is fine by me, but it might work better if the single button on such a controller could be used to optionally store the setting as can be done using a controller with a START button?
Solution: Connect Atari 1-button joysticks after powering up the Retrode :)
As crazy as this sounds I don't use any other type of controller with my Retrode.
Maybe it's time to buy a SNES or MD controller.
I see the Power Base Converter support has already been suggested, but not implemented. Oh well. =\
It's so odd that one of the times I was trying to dump SMS cartridges I got a ".gg" ROM... filled with nonsense, but still.
I believe some of the address/data lines are connected to pins that are connected together inside the Retrode, probably, so it's apparently almost certainly impossible.
With regards to SA-1, perhaps if a SuperCIC were placed in a pass-through SNES to SNES board, one could send the correct signals to the key chip in the games? I'm not an electrical engineer (circuits fry my brain), but it's just a random idea that could work.
Probably couldn't be an official adapter even if it did work, anyway, since it would be breaking copy protection and all. But it would be a lot easier than tracking down one of the incredibly rare dumpers that can dump SA-1 games.
EDIT: After making this message I actually tracked down one of the rare dumpers I was talking about... Perhaps I should mention odd dumping devices I still need more often, lol.
Are there any plans on supporting Backup RAM cartridges?
Right now, the Retrode just detects them as "Generic ROM in SEGA slot", but might not be detecting its entire contents. Also, it doesn't allow to write data back into the cartridge.
Up to now, the only ways to get your pictures off your Game Boy Camera are:
- Print them on a Game Boy Printer.
- Buy a Mad Catz GB to PC Camera Link Cable (http://"http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00002AH2V") or make yourself a Game Boy to PC lead (http://"http://forums.qj.net/everything-else-gaming-central/147397-gameboy-printer-cable.html#post2148777"), then emulate a Game Boy printer (http://"http://web.archive.org/web/20010519131856/http://skyscraper.fortunecity.com/macro/730/") and save the output to a file.
- Plug your Game Boy Camera in to a device to back up the save file (http://"http://drx.a-blast.org/~drx/projects/gameboy/howto/gbcamguide/index.html"), then use some software to decode the images (http://"http://drx.a-blast.org/~drx/projects/gameboy/howto/index.en.html").
Printing has the problem of having to find the rolls of paper, and then it would need scanning if you wanted it on your computer. The other two options bring issues of software no longer working on newer computers, having to locate or make the lead etc.
When Matthias tweeted a picture from a Game Boy Camera (http://"https://twitter.com/Retrode/status/222365889088073728") that he had purchased, it got me wondering how he had extracted the picture. I asked if he had written some new firmware that listed the images from the Game Boy Camera as image files on the Retrode when you plug one in via a Game Boy Plug-In Adapter. I am guessing that isn't how he did it, as he told me to suggest it here, so here it is (please make this one happen, I have a few Game Boy Cameras that could do with being backed up!).
Suggestion: Make the retrode list the image files from a Game Boy Camera when plugged in via a Game Boy Plug-In Adapter.
That is correct: I used a Game Boy Camera image dumping tool on the SRAM file.
Suggestion duly added!
Why would Back-up RAM Cartridge support be "hard"? The data can be accessed by the Retrode already and the format is fully documented... ???
I don't know according to which criteria Muzer gave it this rating. Would you prefer to hear "really, really, low priority for no particular reason"? :)
Oww well. :(
You should add this one to the "incompatible Mega Drive cartridges" list, probably.
Alright, I'll try to put it in a more positive way: getting stuff done needs people who do it. Bring on capable and motivated people, and more stuff will be done for which I simply don't have the time.
Edit: I should add that when people send me material for testing, I do my best to take the time needed to get it to run (if possible), although I'm stuck in work up to here. Besides, the following is not exactly helpful if you don't tell what documentation you're referring to:
Quote from: ICEknight on 13/Jul/2012 07:26:24 AM
[...]and the format is fully documented... ???
OK, since I have someone asking, my general criteria are:
Easy - requires only a simple tweak in existing software (as far as I can guess)
Medium - requires writing some extra code, but nothing that would require reading a significant amount of documentation.
Hard - requires intensive studying of documentation and implementing in software
Very hard - requires studying of little or nonexistent documentation and a lot of research, and implementing in software
Impossible - requires extra or modified hardware at the very least, or even a new Retrode revision.
I'll just have a look through my list and change anything that doesn't fit with these.
EDIT: Yeah, the only real one was the mega drive EEPROMs, changed that to hard from medium.
Matthias: when you replied to my tweet (https://twitter.com/Retrode/status/222476019582500864), you said that it wouldn't work with the original batch of Game Boy plug-in adapters. Is it just a missing connection from Game Boy pin to the adapter edge connector (as in, can an original one be modded to have the same functionality?). I want to try backing up some Game Boy Camera photos :)
I guess so, although the trickier part may be to undo one of the existing connections. I'll have to check when I get home...
Quote from: Matthias_H on 13/Jul/2012 06:21:39 PMthe following is not exactly helpful if you don't tell what documentation you're referring to:
Quote from: ICEknight on 13/Jul/2012 07:26:24 AM
[...]and the format is fully documented... ???
Oh, sorry for not being more specific, that's just what eke-eke (author of Genesis Plus GX) told me in a conversation we had over PM.
I guess he might be able to help you with this, and perhaps even adding support for the Turrican cartridge?
Hi,
I'm sorry if this has been asked before. I was just wondering if it would even be possible to create an adapter for retrode that would support nintendo nes games? From what I can gather, the cartridge edge connector contains contacts for both the address and data pins on each of the two roms. So in theory using some kind of adapter and a retrode you could dump the contents of a nes game?
I'd be very interested in this for probably the same reasons as your existing customers in regards to super nintendo games. (1) they are coming up on 25 years old, so having a backup of their data in case they fail would be very helpful. Of course (2) Being able to use legal roms (in america's legal system) is based on the prerequisites that you own the game in question, and that you took the data in your "legal" rom from that owned copy, not another one, not downloaded, but that exact game.
So there you have it, I'd like to know what you think regarding if what I'm describing would be feasible?
Best Wishes on your Awesome Project!
-Cam
Quote from: Cam on 19/Jan/2013 02:32:39 AM
... I was just wondering if it would even be possible to create an adapter for retrode that would support nintendo nes games? ...
It has been asked before. The latest answer was: http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,7.msg925.html#msg925 (http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,7.msg925.html#msg925)
See also the table here: http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,7.msg13.html#msg13 (http://forum.retrode.org/index.php/topic,7.msg13.html#msg13)
Could you implement the dumping of Gameboy carts through the N64 Transfer Pak? I've heard stories of people being able to do this with the 64Drive, so I know that the transfer pack can read the whole cartridge. With the Retrode's ability to read Memory Cards plugged into N64 controllers, would it not be possible to read gameboy cartridges?
If so, I'd love the ability to be able to. I'm supposing that a firmware update could make this possible and it's been proven possible with the 64Drive, which is only a flash cart in the end.
I believe this has been implemented, no?
"Flash LED to indicate changes in overdump mode (easy)"
Interesting. Where did you find that and is there any more documentation on it describing how to do so?
Quote from: RetrodeLuver on 01/Aug/2014 12:02:44 PM
Interesting. Where did you find that and is there any more documentation on it describing how to do so?
Not dumping GB carts, flashing the LED for overdump.
I'm one of the users requesting support for the Tales of Phantasia SNES cartridge. If there's anything I can do to help out, please let me know. I'm a programmer myself even though I'm not really familiar with writing embedded software. Additionally, I'd be willing to post a bounty for the feature if that would encourage development.
I don't think dumping Satellaview carts separately via the BS-X cart is possible, based on the fact that other hardware-centric SNES adapters (such as the Super Game Boy and RetroPort adapters) don't work with the Retrode. The best solution would be to make an adapter for the Satellaview save carts.
Quote from: ericbazinga on 01/Feb/2016 10:02:57 PM
I don't think dumping Satellaview carts separately via the BS-X cart is possible, based on the fact that other hardware-centric SNES adapters (such as the Super Game Boy and RetroPort adapters) don't work with the Retrode. The best solution would be to make an adapter for the Satellaview save carts.
I'm pretty sure it is. What makes the Super Game Boy and RetroPort adapters different is that they are essentially consoles that use the SNES power and I/O.
Well, the only way to find out is to test a Satellaview cart with the Retrode.
I don't have a BS-X, do you?
Quote from: wyaman on 09/Jan/2015 04:03:49 AM
I'm one of the users requesting support for the Tales of Phantasia SNES cartridge. If there's anything I can do to help out, please let me know. I'm a programmer myself even though I'm not really familiar with writing embedded software. Additionally, I'd be willing to post a bounty for the feature if that would encourage development.
Assuming it doesn't have an SA-1 lockout chip and you cleaned the game very well, there is one other thing you can try. Check the voltage. Make sure it is set to 5V. Some SNES games are picky about that. I got Killer Instinct and F-Zero recently and they were like that for me.
It's been four years since this was last discussed, and now that Wannado is working on the firmware again, is it possible that there might be an update to let the SMS Plugin read Japanese Master System / Mark III games? I assume you would have to have one of the JP -> US cart adapters to change the pinout, but it's my understanding that the existing firmware still only supports US carts, even if you have such an adapter.
Well, I cannot do that now. Someone else might try it after the open-source release (which is the top item on my to-do list now, but nevertheless far from completion).
Am I correct in thinking that the official Power Base Converter, as well as the Power Base Mini and Power Base Mini FM adapters would work for dumping Japanese carts once somebody has added firmware support for them?
Quote from: Aleron Ives on 26/Sep/2016 09:31:04 PM
Am I correct in thinking that the official Power Base Converter, as well as the Power Base Mini and Power Base Mini FM adapters would work for dumping Japanese carts once somebody has added firmware support for them?
No, otherwise there wouldn't be an official Retrode adapter for the Master System.
From reading the other thread about this, I got the impression that the SMS plugin won't work, because the Japanese pinout is different, and the SMS plugin only works with the Western pinout. If this isn't the case and a firmware update can enable Japanese cart support with the SMS plugin, then that would be great.
Would it be feasible to disable the locking of the ROM file? I know you can't write to it through the Retrode, but it's a pain to have to unlock every ROM I dump, as OpenEmu can't move locked files.
Note that "deleting" the ROM file from the Retrode's file system (e. g. by "moving" the file) may cause issues when trying to write the config or SRAM file afterwards.
Nevertheless, I'll consider adding a config option to control the ROM file's read-only attribute.
I figured tampering with the filesystem would cause some problems. No worries though, "moving" the file in my experience just copies it, since it's on an external drive.
Any chance of looking into support for the Nintendo e-reader for Game Boy Advance? I'm not sure if it's officially supported or not, and I'd like to hear about it before I try anything.
Quote from: Ness and Sonic on 22/Sep/2018 04:41:19 AM
Any chance of looking into support for the Nintendo e-reader for Game Boy Advance? I'm not sure if it's officially supported or not, and I'd like to hear about it before I try anything.
The eReader is just a specialized matrix code scanner. (ie. similar to QR Codes)
You'll need emulator support for it either way, so a better option would be to just write something where you snap a picture of the code on the eReader card and it saves it to a format your emulator can load.