ToToTEK.COM

[noha420]

Hi, I purchased a SF7 unit from Tototek a few months back. I got around to messing with it the other day, and I can't figure out how to boot a ROM from the diskette. I know I have to patch or retitle the ROM. I downloaded Ucon64, but these are the only SF7 commands I found:

Game Doctor SF3(SF6/SF7)/Professor SF(SF II)
--xgd3 send ROM to Game Doctor SF3/SF6/SF7; --port=PORT
this option uses the Game Doctor SF3 protocol
--xgd6 send ROM to Game Doctor SF6/SF7; --port=PORT
this option uses the Game Doctor SF6 protocol
--xgd3s send SRAM to Game Doctor SF3/SF6/SF7; --port=PORT
--xgd6s send/receive SRAM to/from Game Doctor SF6/SF7; --port=PORT
receives automatically when SRAM does not exist
--xgd6r send/receive saver (RTS) data to/from Game Doctor SF6/SF7;
--port=PORT
receives automatically when saver file does not exist

These commands seem to be just for sending the ROM to the unit directly from a PC. Are there other commands that will just fix the ROM to put it onto disk? How about a file larger than 1MB that needs to go onto several diskettes? Also, is there different software (other than Ucon64) I should be using for this, or am I just doing something wrong? Let me know if you can help me!

[tristanfleet]

Hi there
I'm waiting for SF7 Unit from TOTOTEK but i think your problem maybe is.....

Before trying to patch any rom (maybe you don't need to do this).....

TRY TO USE AN HD PARTITON WITH FAT32 to transfer roms from your PC to 3,5 Floppy Disks.
Than the Roms must be there before you can tranfer them correctly from your PC HD to Floppy 3,5 inches.


XP works with NTFS and this won't works with any 3,5 Disks of any back-up console unit.

Just let me know.....

[noha420]

Ok, I'm not really sure how to do this so I can't test it. But from what I understand, this is the method I could use break up a ROM larger than 1MB onto multiple diskettes. But I'm still not sure if the SF7 would read this. From what I understand, the ROM header has to be fixed in some way for the SF7 to recognize it. Once you patch the ROM, or fix the header, then partitioning it with FAT32 may work. But then again, I'm not too sure!

[kyuusaku]

Your OS' file system has absolutely nothing to do with how it stores data to floppies. Infact, when copying data *anywhere* file systems are irrelevant as long as the copying function understands both file systems, in some cases even that doesn't matter. Windows/DOS floppys use FAT12, which all copiers understand (it's the only floppy format they understand generally) Windows will index the data you want to copy to floppy by using the file system, but only copy the actual user data. During the copying process it will also modify the floppy's file system to show there's a file there (and the properties of the file such as the creation date etc)

Heres a prototype to convert mario.smc to Game Doctor SF3+ format:

ucon64 -gd3 mario.smc

this will create something like SF4MAR. The 4 denotes the game's size in megabits (if you didn't know, a megabit is 128 kibibytes/"kilobytes")

Windows can format a disk to 11 megabits while copiers can format them to 12, which is "1.6M". Format your disks with the Game Doctor so you can store a 8M game with a 4M game or a single 12M game or 10M and 2M.

Every game under 12M (or 11M if you use Windows to format) must be split, unfortunately you can only split files into 8M parts. If the game doesn't divide evenly into 8M chunks there will be a remainder file.

To split a game such as Chrono Trigger which is 32M (which you already converted to Game Doctor format with ucon64 -gd3 chrono.smc and is named SF32CHR)

Just type:

ucon64 -snes sf32chr -s

uCON64 will output four 8M (1MB) files:

SF32CHRA.078
SF32CHRB.078
SF32CHRC.078
SF32CHRD.078

Place these files onto four floppy disks. Place the disk with the first part, SF32CHRA.078 into the drive and turn on the system. If the copier has auto-load enabled (this is default) it will automatically start loading part A. After part A is loaded, it will prompt for you to insert part B, etc. Once part D is loaded, the game will start.

If you want to load the game into a specific memory block or do something other than just loading a game, you must start the system holding down the R button. This will bring you to the Game Doctor's utilities interface. You can choose which logical RAM block the Game is loaded into by selecting the block with X/Y buttons and selecting load file/game/disk prompt (it's been many years since I fired up a SNES copier, don't exactly remember what it's called) You must copy the parts of a game to blocks sequentially! To play a game select the first block of the game (the one with part A) and find the Start Game prompt. If you choose to "Start game with Super Mode" (or something), you must have an additional 8M block of RAM free to buffer the real time save data.



OT: Whoo bay area, I'm from the east bay ;)

[tristanfleet]

I have a VENUS Multigame Hunter and when i try to transfer roms from PC with S.O. XP and NT File System to Floppy Disk 3,5 inches, my backup unit doesn't recognise the rom.
So i've made a 100 Megabytes partition as FAT 32 of my secondary PC HD 80 Gigabytes.
I've stored a lot of roms there and after i've transfered on various Floppy Disk 3,5 inches. Multi Game Hunter Recognise these roms finally !!!

kyuusaku: This is my experience. I only would help people arou d here....

So Thank Yoy to help me for the future...

[noha420]

kyuusaku: Thanks a lot for the info, exactly what I needed to know!

[kyuusaku]

[tristanfleet]

Don't know what is the problem, the S.O. is XP service pack 2 with NTFS.

When i'll receive my Doctor SF7 (i'm waiting for local post) i'll try to transfer roms and let you know the results.