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Sane Ting Super Disk Interceptor
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sledge



Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:07 am    Post subject: Sane Ting Super Disk Interceptor Reply with quote

Hi everyone. I have had this copier since 1993, and even though it's not as advanced as the SWC and other copiers, it's still a very nice copier.

I have tried to get more information about it during the years, but people doesn't seem to know much about it really. It could be that I have not yet found the right forum for it Smile

So what I know so far is that I have a 16M version of the copier. It works with both NTSC and PAL SNES units. When used with a PAL it needs a cartridge mounted in the slot to work. It uses it's own file format which is fast and easy to use. You also need special DOS-utilities to write e.g SMC-files to Super Disk's native format. It can read single file SMC images on standard PC formatted floppies too.

What I don't know:

- Are there different revisions of the unit?
- Was is released with different amount of RAM? 8, 16, 24 & 32?
- What is the 23-pin wide connector CON3 on the PCB?
- Firmware versions?

Here's a picture of my units PCB:



SuperDiskInterceptor-PCB.jpeg
 Description:
Super Disk Interceptor PCB 16M BIOS 4.9B
 Filesize:  120.69 KB
 Viewed:  17879 Time(s)

SuperDiskInterceptor-PCB.jpeg




Last edited by sledge on Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:58 am; edited 1 time in total
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Mystic_Merlin



Joined: 15 Oct 2007
Posts: 496
Location: Bangkok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mine is the same:




I know there has been several models with nicers GUIs and more formats supported. You can mostly find this device in Taiwan.
Can't recall my bios version and don't know if it can address more than 16M but there's the space to add 4 more memory chips.
The 46 pin connector is probably a cartridge port replication. Maybe to add DSP support or some other extra function.
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kyuusaku



Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 941
Location: .ma.us

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When used with either NTSC or PAL you should need a boot cart, there's no internal CIC.

There are multiple hardware revisions, I think 3+.

There is a 24/32M version, but it was released significantly later. I have a 32M unit and I believe the BIOS is dated 1994/1995, it can load from FAT formatted disks.

Trace it out.

Many of them, until 1996 I guess. They probably aren't compatible across all hardware though.
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sledge



Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kyuusaku wrote:
When used with either NTSC or PAL you should need a boot cart, there's no internal CIC.

There are multiple hardware revisions, I think 3+.

There is a 24/32M version, but it was released significantly later. I have a 32M unit and I believe the BIOS is dated 1994/1995, it can load from FAT formatted disks.

Trace it out.

Many of them, until 1996 I guess. They probably aren't compatible across all hardware though.


Yes, I need to have a boot cart on my PAL SNES. But when I use it on my FC Twin SNES clone, I don't need a boot cart. I have never tried it on a NTSC SNES though.

My unit has BIOS 4.9B and can read FAT formatted disks, and can load SMC files from FAT. You can have 2 different SMC files on a floppy at once, and you can select the game you want to load with the pad. But 2 files is the maximum, and you cannot load multiple disk SMC games. You need to use ISC to write down games larger than one floppy. But it's still a nice feature that it can load and store multiple SMC files on a standard FAT floppy.

Does your unit looks the same as mine inside? If not, can you perhaps upload a picture of the pcb? I would love to see what the newer versions look like Smile

-sledge
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kyuusaku



Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 941
Location: .ma.us

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You don't need a cart on the FC Twin because it doesn't have any lockout chip to unlock.

Yup, it looks the same. That's the "domestic" shell, there's also an export version with a more boxy look to match the NTSC SNES.

I'm curious myself about the PCB but it's in storage.
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hamburglar



Joined: 06 Feb 2011
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:34 am    Post subject: Super Disk Interceptor Reply with quote

I picked one of these up today, 32M version, my PCB is different, this has to be the simplest copier, no menus or utilities, it is nice that I am able to format and drag and drop SMC files in windows though, I actually downloaded all the DOS utilities and transferred a game to disk that way the first time...

As mentioned earlier, no internal CIC, I have to boot-up with a cart in the slot at all times.
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sledge



Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:05 am    Post subject: Re: Super Disk Interceptor Reply with quote

Please show us some pictures of the PCB Smile Smile
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hamburglar



Joined: 06 Feb 2011
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just realized that this thing does not have a power supply jack, so it can only take it's power from the cart port, also, it was working fine at first, but now it intermittently will not boot up...


sdi1.jpg
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sdi1.jpg



sdi2.jpg
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 Filesize:  151.63 KB
 Viewed:  17901 Time(s)

sdi2.jpg


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sledge



Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the pictures. It looks the same on the outside, but things have happened inside indeed Smile

What is the BIOS version on this unit? You see it on the screen when booted up.

Since it doesn't have the external PSU, it needs the internal battery to store the SRAM saves. The battery leaks like hell, so if you have not already changed your I would suggest you do that. The unit works without it too, but you will not beable to store the saves to disk.
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hamburglar



Joined: 06 Feb 2011
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sledge wrote:
Thanks for the pictures. It looks the same on the outside, but things have happened inside indeed Smile

What is the BIOS version on this unit? You see it on the screen when booted up.

Since it doesn't have the external PSU, it needs the internal battery to store the SRAM saves. The battery leaks like hell, so if you have not already changed your I would suggest you do that. The unit works without it too, but you will not beable to store the saves to disk.


It shows the same exact screen as posted by Mystic_Merlin minus the no drive message, I do not see the BIOS version.

How do you store the saves to disk?
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Mystic_Merlin



Joined: 15 Oct 2007
Posts: 496
Location: Bangkok

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It looks pretty much the same. They just adapted the pcb to newer standards at that time: the main logic chip is now a SMD and they chose different memory packages. But still no CIC onboard...

Just wondering why there's a new Xtal. Maybe the 16.000Mhz was not clocked well enough to match the newer chip?

Oh and I just noticed the empty spot near the 48c2100j...upgradable to 64M maybe.


EDITx10: lol...sorry for editing that reply a thousand times...ideas are popping every 5 secs. Actually this empty spot does not have enough lines for a memory package so it could be for a CIC.
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kyuusaku



Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 941
Location: .ma.us

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mystic_Merlin wrote:
Just wondering why there's a new Xtal. Maybe the 16.000Mhz was not clocked well enough to match the newer chip?

Exactly 16 MHz is necessary for the floppy controller which will divide it down to a precise baud rate, but 16 MHz isn't spectacular for a DRAM state machine. Because the external clock isn't aligned to the CPU the circuit has to be designed so the logic to miss one whole clock cycle. Since they aren't in phase it will happen very often. Perhaps the slight increase in speed was enough to make it work reliably.

Quote:
Actually this empty spot does not have enough lines for a memory package so it could be for a CIC.

It's not for a CIC either (16 pins), it looks like it's for a small 74 series chip.
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Mystic_Merlin



Joined: 15 Oct 2007
Posts: 496
Location: Bangkok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
It's not for a CIC either (16 pins), it looks like it's for a small 74 series chip.


Indeed I noticed it was missing 2 pins but if I remember correctly most CIC on copiers have 4-5(?) lines connected (VCC, GND, DATA IN, DATA OUT, CLOCK). I know, it's a little twisted: missing pins, pin 8 should be connected...

More reasonably I guess you could connect a CIC to the port replicator
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hamburglar



Joined: 06 Feb 2011
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:50 am    Post subject: Sram menu Reply with quote

For those who don't know how to do get to the Sram menu.

After turning the console off with a disk inserted, hold down select while turning the console back on.

Normally if you have anything other than the first disk inserted it will give you the wrong disk prompt, here you can also press select to bring up the Sram menu. It won't bring it up without a disk inserted.

For some reason, holding down A on the second controller while turning the console on fills the screen with Hex characters...

Does anyone have the manual for this? Quick search turned up nothing, I'm sure there's not a whole lot to it, but it would be nice to check out.
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sledge



Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Sram menu Reply with quote

Thanks for the info! I would also like to see a manual for the unit.
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