Initial challenges with cores loading

[Mastodon]

Hi, first post here - and new to MiSTer.

Just got my system up and running - very vanilla - imaged the SD card, copied over and ran the update -all and wifi scripts. Pulled down arcade roms as part of the update -all. Loaded some NES and SNES roms into their respective /games folders.

Input is a USB keyboard and Mayflash stick. Output is HDMI to a TCL TV.

Some arcade cores load fine and play fine. Most do not. Screen goes black, or in some cases grey, and in a few cases freezes on some sort of pattern.

None of the NES/SNES roms load at all, although I can see the rom loading progress bar complete complete, then black screen.

In the root of my SD I have a MiSTer_example.ini file, attached. Is there something wrong in there related to my output? Should I be deleting the example part of the file name?

Thank you!

[Mastodon]

I seem to have found a fix for the issue of NES/SNES roms not loading - I read that I need additional SDRAM for that.

Re the main problem of most arcade cores not loading, I noticed the following error message as it tried to load the arcade cores. Attached.

[jca]

Did you copy MiSTer_example.ini to MiSTer.ini?
MiSTer_example.ini is just an example. You need to have a MiSTer.ini file in the root of your SD. You will have to edit it to match your system but you can try before: you have HDMI so it will be 720p by default, you may be missing the sound if you plan to get it on your TV.
You can modify the file later on but you should have something usable like it is.
What I find strange is the errors you are getting.

[Mastodon]

Yes, I renamed MiSTer_example.ini to MiSTer.ini.

I loaded some Genesis roms, and they all loaded fine. (Stretched to full widescreen... but I can fix that later).

Still no luck with most Arcade roms. Here's an example of the "patterned" display I mentioned when trying to load 1942. Most still load with a black or white screen though.

Also if it helps, my TV flashes an "invalid format" error on the screen after the arcade roms fail to load.

[jca]

Do you have any SDRAM? If not you will be severely limited.

[Mastodon]

No SDRAM currently installed. It's on the way. Surprised though that even with just a DE-10 nano, the Genesis roms work just fine.

Would arcade cores be more demanding on SDRAM?

[jca]

There are only a few cores working without SDRAM, there is a list which lists the cores using SDRAM and the cores not on the list do not need SDRAM:
https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Wiki_Mi ... -use-SDRAM

[Mastodon]

Thank you for that. I took a quick look, and none of the arcade cores were the ones I tested - which would infer SDRAM is not required for the ones that failed for me.

Since none of the NES or SNES games I tested worked, and all of the Genesis ones did work, tells me the problem is with the arcade cores.

I tried two different TVs - one a TCL 4K unit, and a second older LG 1080P plasma. Both are only able to play a handful of arcade cores. I reverted to the current standard, unedited mister.ini to see if I had somehow corrupted the .ini, but the same symptoms remain - only a few work.

[jca]

I am not sure the list is accurate for arcades. Very few arcades work without SDRAM.

[Mastodon]

Fair. I'll report back after I receive my SDRAM

[Mastodon]

Reporting back after installing SDRAM... no longer having issues running arcade cores. Thank you @jca