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CrackLtd
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 239
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 Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:44 pm Post subject: Development Idea: Replacing CD Drives with RAM |
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| All the CD based retro consoles have one problem: thair drives will go crap after a while. The electronics most times is in good working condition, the drive is worn out so making the complete console go to the dumpster. Also the CDs (or, since we are all pirates, the CD'rs) only have a very limited lifespan, as we all had to learn. So, isnt there a simple way, just like all the copiers for cartridge based systems do, to replace the ROM with a RAM in apropriate size? For CDs 750MB (or 1GB). So we can keep our games in our PCs harddisk and everytime we want to play the vintage stuff just transfer the whole disk (.iso or whatever format) into that new RAM-Device sitting in some way on the console system. The Console will not necessarily recognise if its accessing the actual CD-Rom or that RAM-Device. That should be possible !? |
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kyuusaku
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 941
Location: .ma.us
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Some points:
-It isn't necessary to store a disc image in RAM, disc drives are slow enough that data could be effortlessly streamed via USB (either NAND/hard drive or computer host) or even a SD card.
-All consoles have DRASTICALLY different CDROM interfaces. Many will probably be too integrated (from RF signals to digital and processed in a single chip) so there's no where to insert digital signals making it just not practical. For certain there are a few (Saturn and Gamecube at least) that do expose digital signals and can be emulated.
-All consoles will need to be thoroughly reverse engineered which alone will likely prevent a product like this from ever existing. There are a few people smart enough to do it though: http://www.crazynation.org/GC/GC_DD_INTERFACE/interface.htm
-This isn't an easy product to sell because users will have to modify their consoles *significantly* (maybe more than a modchip) and unless new CDROM modules (or entire console cases..) are manufactured, there's no way to make the interface to the outside look pretty. |
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system64
Joined: 17 May 2009
Posts: 112
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