Sega Saturn Core in Development

[Fpg-lee]

Hi is Saturn functionality not operational till the new core with CD fixes drops?
I tried it last night, and the SATURN disc menu didn't recognize the mounted cue-bin.
Also it used to boot the Hi-Saturn bios, but last night it just booted the regular bios, don't remember the revision.
Ty.

[C-R-T]

2.5 ram works fine with this core.

[Captain FPGA]

2.5 ram works fine with this core.

So, it can play KOF '96 & '97 basically. Those games are 1Mb of RAM.

[Wabbajack]

There is no requirement on any Dev to support non standard 4 Chip Memory. It should never have been made. Why should a dev spend time supporting a non official memory expansion.

True, but it is still supported by the Mister and all finish cores are compatible with both configurations. Since it's an open source project, you always have devs happy to come up with solutions for everyone (especially Patreons, but not just) as long as it's actually possible and simple enough. It's really not necessary to get upset, it's not like you have to do it. Reducing e-waste can be a valid reason to actually make it work as well, but again you don't have to lash out. Antonio had good reasons to do the 4 modules in the first place. These modules were cheaper and easier to find for a while.

You're mostly right, but it is isn't supported by the MiSTer. It is a piece of hardware designed to loosely observe existing standards, under the false impression that it would be 100% compatible (hint: it wasn't). This is not the only piece of hardware which was designed, built, and sold by this manufacturer without a comprehensive set of compatibility testing.

Having said that... yes, if it is realistically possible, I'm sure that the core developer will try to make it work. And if not him, I'm pretty sure that somebody else will try. But because the timing characteristics are different on this module, don't automatically assume that this will be easy, or even possible. There are standard RAM designs for a reason - so that the developers have an established standard set of characteristics to build the designs against. When these are treated as flexible, either things stop working, or we end up with a "lowest common denominator" set of reduced design standards which reduces the potential of the machine, and doesn't benefit anyone.

I totally agree with you.
I've had a lot of trouble with the components that Ricardo sells, it's not about being mean for free or saying bad things about someone who apparently wants to do the right thing.

I bought some components from his store which I just threw away,

• A 128MB RAM module (v3.0 from 2021with a different design than other modules made by other manufacturers) because 90% of saturn games don't work with it.
  I bought an "official" SDRAM module from another store, now all saturn games knowns to work with december 2022 update can run as expected.

• A vga converter (which I talk about in a PVM post) which I threw away because it was a very poor quality converter (sold 18€ on his site) and he sent me a free homemade cable hdmi/scart for remplacement (sold 45€) with which I have flickering problems. I also threw it away...

During all this time I believed that my screen was responsible for all these problems.
I wasted a lot of time looking for solutions elsewhere when the problem came from its defective products.

Despite all his good will, I definitely cannot recommend Ricardo products if you want a proper MISTer experience.

[Beeble]

Unsure where my other (more detailed) post went, but I never had an issue with Stuff from Ricardo, be it RAM, Cables or Adaptors.

He is supporting the community and always helpful, I am sure you could have worked stuff out with him instead of trying to paint him
here in a bad light.

[Wabbajack]

@Beeble "I've had a lot of trouble with the components that Ricardo sells, it's not about being mean for free or saying bad things about someone who apparently wants to do the right thing."
I think it's clear enough... i just share my personnal experience and issues i figured out on saturn core with ricardo products, and other issues whether you like it or not.

[Beeble]

Speak your mind, its just weird since I never had a issue nor did my friends or colleagues that bought from him.

[ntt]

I can only report that I have two 128MB v3.0 SDRAM modules in my MiSTer, and they work like a charm - including with the Saturn core.
Whatever the reason for the Saturn core not working for you, I don't think it's the v3.0 SDRAM module (unless it's a faulty one of course)
Since the core is still in its early stages, having two SDRAM modules does likely help with compatibility and performance.
BTW I think the SDRAM v3.0 modules are now officially approved, see here

I totally agree with you.
I've had a lot of trouble with the components that Ricardo sells, it's not about being mean for free or saying bad things about someone who apparently wants to do the right thing.

I bought some components from his store which I just threw away,

• A 128MB RAM module (v3.0 from 2021with a different design than other modules made by other manufacturers) because 90% of saturn games don't work with it.
  I bought an "official" SDRAM module from another store, now all saturn games knowns to work with december 2022 update can run as expected.

• A vga converter (which I talk about in a PVM post) which I threw away because it was a very poor quality converter (sold 18€ on his site) and he sent me a free homemade cable hdmi/scart for remplacement (sold 45€) with which I have flickering problems. I also threw it away...

During all this time I believed that my screen was responsible for all these problems.
I wasted a lot of time looking for solutions elsewhere when the problem came from its defective products.

Despite all his good will, I definitely cannot recommend Ricardo products if you want a proper MISTer experience.

[Wabbajack]

Of course its SDRAM module (never mind it being 3.0) was the problem because since I bought another one all problems are solved.
Buying a second module to solve the problem is not a solution knowing that the core work with a single module.
Great if you or others find your happiness by buying its products, this is no longer my case.

[aberu]

Of course its SDRAM module (never mind it being 3.0) was the problem because since I bought another one all problems are solved.
Buying a second module to solve the problem is not a solution knowing that the core work with a single module.
Great if you or others find your happiness by buying its products, this is no longer my case.

The point is, if you have two modules you will have higher compatibility. This was known basically since the core was announced and it's in the readme on github. Your earlier comment about having issues with one of Ricardo's sticks is irrelevant since you only had one stick and the second resolved the issue. You were also replying to someone talking about the problems with Antonio's boards, not Ricardo's.

[Wabbajack]

My bad, I don't know about 2nd stick and thanks for sharing source. Lot of games not loading at all (launch them few times) and when i change stick they load at first launch.
Yes he was talking about the Antonio cards, I have problems with the Ricardo ones, maybe I'm answering for the wrong seller, but now you know that another seller can facing issues with SDRAM sticks. My message was not made to make drama just warn, share my experience that by changing stick I have less problem.
No obligation to take what I said as the ultimate truth. Next time I'll keep it all to myself.

[Waifu4Life]

Haven't seen any updates on srg320's GitHub for like 6 weeks now, anyone knows if something big is coming?

[Beeble]

Please leave any politics out our hobby which we have to escape reality.
I respect vanfanel for speaking out and can´t see any glory in this tragedy, but lets stay MiSTer related here my friends

[Waifu4Life]

Please leave any politics out our hobby which we have to escape reality.
I respect vanfanel for speaking out and can´t see any glory in this tragedy, but lets stay MiSTer related here my friends

Well, looks like my post was for nothing after all, his GitHub was updated today

[Xbytez]

Sergey Dvodnenko @srg320_ has posted an update for the Saturn core, details are as follows:

saturn.jpg (5.81 MiB) Viewed 5771 times

Progress update.

CD:

-rework cd drive interface (Main module)

-add fifo logic for “Put sector data” command (Sega Ages Volume 1)

-fixes for SH7034

CPU:

-fix wait logic in SH7604 DIVU

-fix reset in SH7604 peripheries

VDP1:

-fix draw end flag (Worldwide Soccer '98)

-fix table jump to unaligned link (Akumajou Dracula X - Gekka no Yasoukyoku)

-fix IO writing to FB (Valora Valley Golf)

-add support for End Code for Normal/Scaled sprite (Primal Rage)

VDP2:

-fix burst write to VRAM (Shining Wisdom)

-fix window in hires mode (Pro Pinball The Web)

-fix fetch Back Color (Rampage - World Tour)

-fix Field flag (True Pinball)

-add support Screen-over for Rotation scroll screen (Virtua Fighter game series, Fighting Vipers)

-fix line scroll in interlace mode (DecAthlete, Astra Superstars)

-fix Rotation parameters window and pipeline (Azel - Panzer Dragoon RPG, Bulk Slash)

-fix coefficient data transparent bit (Grandia)

-fix IO reading from CRAM (Death Throttle)

-fix pattern name parameters for reduce/expand (Rabbit)

SCSP: fix DMA end flag (Sega Ages Volume 1)

SMPC: fix INTBACK command (Theme Park ,Worldwide Soccer '98)

SCU:

-fix DMA write

-fix BBUS read/write (Virtua Fighter)

-add DMA write to ABUS (Street Fighter Zero 3)

Add full size VDP1 framebuffer memory (Burning Rangers, FIFA - Road to World Cup 98)

Add support for DRAM cartridge.

[lsnderick]

After updating to this new version of the core I now have no luck launching any game at all. After selecting the game there's a bios intro scene, then it says "checking the disk format" and nothing happens after that. Does anybody have any issues or is it just me? Maybe well have to wait for the new unstable MiSTer main build as before.

[MostroW]

God damn the amount of jumper wires on that Saturn, i'm guessing those pcb's are custom made just to analyse the signals coming from the Saturn?

[MrSniffles]

After updating to this new version of the core I now have no luck launching any game at all. After selecting the game there's a bios intro scene, then it says "checking the disk format" and nothing happens after that. Does anybody have any issues or is it just me? Maybe well have to wait for the new unstable MiSTer main build as before.

Same here. I've never had much luck with the core, but I've got the same issue as you have now too.

[lsnderick]

After replacing main MiSTer file with latest unstable it works, so yeah that was it.

[dyanand]

After replacing main MiSTer file with latest unstable it works, so yeah that was it.

Hi, could I ask where you get the latest unstable? I've tried searching here and the web and got this but I'm still having the problem

edit: I think I got it, found https://github.com/mister-unstable-nigh ... ble-builds and that latest is helping

[shaitan]

Well that looks like a pretty simple Saturn mod

[jurkevicz]

After replacing main MiSTer file with latest unstable it works, so yeah that was it.

should we update to the latest unstable maid build or wait for an official release?

[Aspie]

Just try the unstable. I did it today and finally Out Run is working, although without sound but it is still playable

[ghorricks]

I've tried everything I can think of, but I get a black screen when I am using the unstable MiSTer file.
Yeah, I can FTP to it without the HDMI output being on - but I cant figure out why no HDMI for any of the unstable builds for me.

[SuperRPG]

I've tried everything I can think of, but I get a black screen when I am using the unstable MiSTer file.
Yeah, I can FTP to it without the HDMI output being on - but I cant figure out why no HDMI for any of the unstable builds for me.

I had a similar problem, I was trying to transfer the MiSTer file through ftp, I had success when I copied it directly to the SD card using the PC.

[bobbagoose]

I've tried everything I can think of, but I get a black screen when I am using the unstable MiSTer file.
Yeah, I can FTP to it without the HDMI output being on - but I cant figure out why no HDMI for any of the unstable builds for me.

I was having the exact same problem, for some reason installing the unusable MiSTer binary via FTP wasn't working correctly. I used my computer to add it directly to the SD card and then it worked.

[jca]

If using Filezilla you have to set transfers to binary. Go WinSCP!

[aberu]

Yeah for some stupid reason, Filezilla still defaults to ASCII on installation, which is utterly stupid lol...

[Waifu4Life]

People still use FileZilla? I stopped using this when it became a spyware delivery service. WinSCP FTW!

[Krathoon]

Is the current version of the core the latest artifact on the gitHub site?