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Need help dumping some SNES prototype chips? (Progress being made!) Need help dumping and combining some SNES prototype chips to playable ROMs! (Also PAL!)

May 18, 2015 at 4:43:00 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Hey guys! I recently came into some SNES prototype chips and would like to get them into working ROM files. On a recommendation I bought a GQ-4X Programmer, and after a lot of fandangling I now have it installed properly on Windows 8(I could post the installation guide/notes I wrote myself on just the installation here if anyone needs it, because it was quite an ordeal!)
 
The prototype chips I have are:
Jungle Strike
Mickey Mania
Captain America and the Avengers
Theme Park (PAL) - Working now! Get it here! ---> https://app.box.com/s/mnlfpj8maha...


 
I started by putting the Jungle Strike chips in one at a time and selecting read. It takes 0.2s to read, and only comes up with 1 line of information. I'm likely doing a lot of things wrong. Can anyone help me out? =O


Edited: 10/18/2017 at 07:11 PM by Armageddon Potato

May 18, 2015 at 6:29:34 PM
CD2193 (6)

< Meka Chicken >
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I'm sure they're probably fine, but I just wanted to note that you might want to use some caution when dumping games directly with a programmer instead of popping them into an SNES proto PCB. I know that an Estpolis Denki 2 prototype was inadvertently damaged when someone tried dumping the EPROMs with a Willem EPROM programmer.

I wish I could be of more help but I've yet to use this method to back-up games...

May 18, 2015 at 7:02:03 PM
TheRedEye (6)
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(Frank Cifaldi) < Meka Chicken >
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Are you selecting the EPROM model number from the program before reading it?

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May 18, 2015 at 7:03:45 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: TheRedEye

Are you selecting the EPROM model number from the program before reading it?



Actually I don't know how to do that! I can get to the screen which allows me to select which chip it's reading, but I don't know what to select itself. How do I know what kind of EPROM model those chips are?


Edited: 05/18/2015 at 07:04 PM by Armageddon Potato

May 18, 2015 at 7:05:52 PM
TheRedEye (6)
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(Frank Cifaldi) < Meka Chicken >
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It's printed on the chips, you might have to peel back the stickers if they're obstructing them.

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May 18, 2015 at 7:27:37 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: TheRedEye

It's printed on the chips, you might have to peel back the stickers if they're obstructing them.
Oh I see! I'm going to feel bad removing the stickers, but I'll have to be careful.

Are there any caveats I should know ahead of time to not damage the chips while I do all of this? (The reading/writing of the chips with the GQ-4X programmer.)
 
Also if I do successfully dump these chips, how would I go about turning them into a playable rom?


Edited: 05/18/2015 at 07:51 PM by Armageddon Potato

May 18, 2015 at 10:52:32 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Ok I have Jungle Strike dumped into 4 bin files. What do I do now to make them a workable rom?

May 18, 2015 at 11:38:21 PM
Retrostage (36)
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(Mike S) < Meka Chicken >
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Originally posted by: Armageddon Potato

Ok I have Jungle Strike dumped into 4 bin files. What do I do now to make them a workable rom?

Usually, unless they had the data rearranged in some strange way, you would just open those 4 files up in a hex editor and copy the data from chips 2-4 onto the data from chip 1. Save it as a .bin or .sfc and away you go!

To paint the picture a little more clearly:
Start off with Chip 2's data. Copy all of it in the hex editor (I use HxD), and then scroll to the bottom of the data on chip 1. Now paste it after the LAST bit on chip 1's data. Now do that for chips 3 and 4. After that you should have a complete ROM file.

Clear as mud?


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May 19, 2015 at 12:26:24 AM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: Retrostage

Originally posted by: Armageddon Potato

Ok I have Jungle Strike dumped into 4 bin files. What do I do now to make them a workable rom?

Usually, unless they had the data rearranged in some strange way, you would just open those 4 files up in a hex editor and copy the data from chips 2-4 onto the data from chip 1. Save it as a .bin or .sfc and away you go!

To paint the picture a little more clearly:
Start off with Chip 2's data. Copy all of it in the hex editor (I use HxD), and then scroll to the bottom of the data on chip 1. Now paste it after the LAST bit on chip 1's data. Now do that for chips 3 and 4. After that you should have a complete ROM file.

Clear as mud?
 
Thanks for the info! I will try that right now!
 
Here's the thing... how do I know what chip 1 is 2, 3, and 4? Process of elimination?
 
Edit: I just realized the chips are marked U1, U2, U3, and U4! Oops!


Edited: 05/19/2015 at 12:29 AM by Armageddon Potato

May 19, 2015 at 12:45:35 AM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: Retrostage

Originally posted by: Armageddon Potato

Ok I have Jungle Strike dumped into 4 bin files. What do I do now to make them a workable rom?

Usually, unless they had the data rearranged in some strange way, you would just open those 4 files up in a hex editor and copy the data from chips 2-4 onto the data from chip 1. Save it as a .bin or .sfc and away you go!

To paint the picture a little more clearly:
Start off with Chip 2's data. Copy all of it in the hex editor (I use HxD), and then scroll to the bottom of the data on chip 1. Now paste it after the LAST bit on chip 1's data. Now do that for chips 3 and 4. After that you should have a complete ROM file.

Clear as mud?
 

Ok I redumped them in numerical order, and did what you said, but the sfc/rom file still isn't working in SNES9x... did I do something wrong? Hmmm.... I can post a screenshot of it perhaps? (Might help?)
 
Thanks for the help everyone! I'm almost there!



Edited: 05/19/2015 at 01:34 AM by Armageddon Potato

May 19, 2015 at 9:06:58 AM
dra600n (300)
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(Adym \m/) < Bonk >
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Use uconn64 to put together the rom files. It's been a while since I've used it, so I can't be too much help. I did this for the Targa prototype, but after the first stage it stopped working, so it may not be just as simple as combining the rom files.

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May 19, 2015 at 4:14:00 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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OK. I dumped Theme Park, but after combining them in HxD as explained above the only result I got was this:



It works all glitchy for a about 15 seconds, even going to other glitched screens then it crashes.


Just for reference here is what I got for Jungle Strike:



Just a black screen that never runs.

May 19, 2015 at 7:17:07 PM
CD2193 (6)

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Just in case it isn't something relating to compiling the file from the EPROM dumps, are the legs of the EPROMs clean and free of corrosion? Did you try re-dumping the chips after removing and reseating them just to make sure that successive data-dumps are consistent with each other?

(Sure, that probably isn't the issue and you may have already checked all that, but doesn't hurt to throw it out there, lol)

May 19, 2015 at 8:25:54 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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I put them in the chip reader at the bottom with the text at the top of the chip(so it's readable facing it.)

Is it even possible to dump the chips upside down or something? 0_o


Edited: 05/19/2015 at 08:26 PM by Armageddon Potato

May 19, 2015 at 10:26:24 PM
CD2193 (6)

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You should orient them based on the little notch that's on one end of each EPROM.

May 19, 2015 at 10:28:19 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: CD2193

You should orient them based on the little notch that's on one end of each EPROM.



Do you have a picture example?

May 19, 2015 at 10:38:05 PM
CD2193 (6)

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I've never used the programmer, but looking online it appears that the notch should face toward the top of the device. I have no idea if this person is doing it right, so please don't take this as gospel:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/722...

I think the manual confirms this, but you might want to confirm that first.

May 19, 2015 at 11:23:39 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: CD2193

I've never used the programmer, but looking online it appears that the notch should face toward the top of the device. I have no idea if this person is doing it right, so please don't take this as gospel:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7223/7124974779_e23b0727a9_z.jpg

I think the manual confirms this, but you might want to confirm that first.
Thanks for the pic! Unfortunately that's how I dumped the chips. I just sent them to someone who is gunna take a look at combining them. If anyone else has any other ideas I'm open!


May 20, 2015 at 12:05:20 AM
CD2193 (6)

< Meka Chicken >
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Well hopefully it'll be solved soon then!

May 20, 2015 at 5:14:54 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Quite a few people helping, but no luck just yet! I'll post an update if I can get them dumped/working! =)

If anyone else wants to try to help just send me a message or post here!

May 22, 2015 at 5:02:15 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Ok I have a PAL prototype of Actraiser 2, which if I've been told I can remove the chips by popping them out and putting these ones in. If I do that I should be able to play/dump them. Here goessss nothing!!!

I'll update later with what happens! =)

May 22, 2015 at 6:34:04 PM
CD2193 (6)

< Meka Chicken >
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Depending on the games you might can run them on an NTSC lockout chip PCB as well so you don't have to mess with an adapter (assuming you are using an NTSC SNES or SFC).

Anyway, hopefully they work and can be dumped more easily this way!

May 23, 2015 at 11:53:48 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Alright I've tried everything, but I think I'm completely utterly stumped.
 
I used a PAL Prototype Actraiser 2 board which I dumped, and it works great. I popped the chips off and attempted to play or dump the other games, but none would work. The closet I got was Mickey Mania recognizing it's name in SNES9x
 
Here's the dumps if anyone wants to help:
Jungle Strike chip dump: https://app.box.com/s/q29s2796ndw...
Theme Park individual chip dump: https://app.box.com/s/dhigk2c1tzp...
 
https://app.box.com/s/rtjw97dxweh...
https://app.box.com/s/s1090pqnk80...
https://app.box.com/s/9rupo71lg1b...
https://app.box.com/s/av4tk0y0rv4...
https://app.box.com/s/wbzpsxyi3hc...
 
There are 2 Captain America dumps because the 2 chips aren't numbered, so I wasn't sure what order those needed to be placed in so I did it both ways.


May 25, 2015 at 4:42:50 PM
snescentral (0)
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(Evan Gowan) < Eggplant Wizard >
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Hi Danny, I had a look at these files, as you requested by email.


Theme Park - Got it to work without any problems. In order to get it to work, you have to split each file in half (each half is the same data), and merge the two chips together.

Jungle Strike - Doesn't work, I suspect the first chip is not dumped properly.

LD.90C8.sfc - empty file

NoName.F9F5.sfc - first 512 kB is a fragment of a Super NES game, but I am not sure which one. Rest of the file is either blank, or is mirrored sections of the first 512 kB

NoName.FC34.sfc - appears to have the contents of two games in it (Mickey Mania?), but what is there is definitely corrupt and needs to be redumped (if it isn't damaged)

NoName.FFFF.sfc - empty file

NoName.sfc - Theme Park prototype. Couldn't get it to work, even using the same manifest in Higan as the final game. But it most likely very different from the final version. I would try redumping.

May 25, 2015 at 7:21:21 PM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Originally posted by: badinsults

Hi Danny, I had a look at these files, as you requested by email.


Theme Park - Got it to work without any problems. In order to get it to work, you have to split each file in half (each half is the same data), and merge the two chips together.

Jungle Strike - Doesn't work, I suspect the first chip is not dumped properly.

LD.90C8.sfc - empty file

NoName.F9F5.sfc - first 512 kB is a fragment of a Super NES game, but I am not sure which one. Rest of the file is either blank, or is mirrored sections of the first 512 kB

NoName.FC34.sfc - appears to have the contents of two games in it (Mickey Mania?), but what is there is definitely corrupt and needs to be redumped (if it isn't damaged)

NoName.FFFF.sfc - empty file

NoName.sfc - Theme Park prototype. Couldn't get it to work, even using the same manifest in Higan as the final game. But it most likely very different from the final version. I would try redumping.

Whoa! Thanks for the info! PM sent your way!
 
If I can get any of these working I'll post up the games!