Ultimate SD Cartridge Help

[+wongojack]

After adding some files and doing some file maintenance, I'm having trouble getting my Atarimax Ultimate SD Cartridge to work. I was wondering if someone here would be willing to PM me their "Firmware Backup" folder as I'd like to try an outside set of files on a brand new SD card and see if I can get a different result.

 

I contacted Steve, but its the weekend and I am impatient

[8bit-guy]

there you go,attached

 

included is a custom .sto file

 

when you want to load a game press #, then

it will prompt you to insert your "special" controller

 

so that you can plug a paddle , trackball, digital joystick,etc

and start your game with that -for better calibration-

5200.zip

[+wongojack]

Thanks!

 

Follow up question - What happens for you if you start the console with the Ultimate Cart in the 5200 but with absolutely no SD card? Does it do anything or just give a blank screen?

[8bit-guy]

it should show a screen telling you there's no card inserted

 

if you have black screen then

 

you will have to recover your cart

 

Steve is very busy with exams so i will explain it to you

Edited May 18, 2013 by 8bit-guy

[8bit-guy]

To upgrade/recover it, please use the attached file and follow these directions:

 

To install the new files, create a directory on the root of your SD card called:

 

/recovery

 

Place the core_firmware.bin in the /recovery folder you created.

 

Place the SD card containing the recovery files in your cartridge and turn on the 5200 console.

 

At this point the cartridge LED will begin blinking as it performs a full read/write pattern diagnostic on its internal 512KB RAM and CPU RAM.

 

The television screen will either stay black or display random garbage. This is normal, as the 5200 cannot see the cartridge while it is busy upgrading the hardware components.

 

The LED will blink rapidly as files are read from the card and applied to the internal components.

 

Once the files have been loaded from the SD card into the internal components, the LED on the cartridge will blink in a pattern of three flashes then a pause, then three flashes then a pause, etc.

 

This pattern means it is safe to remove the SD card and power off the console. Do not power off the console before it finishes and displays a diagnostic blink code. Doing so could result in one of the components of your cartridge being left in an erased or intermediate state.

 

Once the upgrade is complete, place the SD card back into your PC and delete the /recovery directory. If you leave the files on the card the cartridge will attempt and emergency hardware upgrade every time you turn on the 5200 instead of proceeding with a normal boot.

 

Once the upgrade is complete, place the SD card back into your PC and delete the /recovery directory. If you leave the files on the card the cartridge will attempt and emergency hardware upgrade every time you turn on the 5200 instead of proceeding with a normal boot.

 

If the procedure fails at any point, a log file will be created on the SD card and a blink pattern will be displayed on the cartridge LED.

 

The blink codes for non-interactive messages are:

 

10 blinks - Internal RAM pattern test failure

8 blinks - Hardware programming failure

6 blinks - Boot flash programming failure

3 blinks - Recovery process completed OK. Remove SD card and restart system.

core_firmware.bin

[+wongojack]

Mmmk - I followed instructions, creating \recovery. that process completed with 3 blinks repeating. Then removed the recovery directory - still get a blank screen.

 

 

No error file was created.

 

Sanity check here to let you know that other carts work.

[8bit-guy]

if you're getting the 3 blinks then the new core was programmed ok,

(and it's a better one )

 

now

format a card with Fat 32 and put my first files on it,

it should work

 

UNLESS:

 

Have you tried another cart?

it may be a console problem...

[+wongojack]

I tried another reformatted SD card with your files and only your files - same result blank screen.

 

I own 7 other carts and they all work. I don't have another 5200 with which to test.

 

I pushed up the door and looked at the pins - looks like he's got a very small piece of tape on the furthest pin to the left on top. The only other thing I can think of here is that that tape is no longer doing its job and the re-inserting somehow moved it around or something.

 

Other than that I/we need some insight into what is going wrong.

 

 

 

Edit - tried the entire process again with a reformat of the card after the "recover" and got the same result - blank screen.

[8bit-guy]

well

 

At this point , let's think:

 

if you're getting 3 blinks then the sd cart is ok

if other carts work then console is good

 

so your problem can only be in the sd cart contacts

clean them!

if you still have a black screen then a pin may be broken:time to send the cart back

[Seethransom]

I have the same problem, but the core will not take. I get the 6 lights. I can restore the other two files. When I plug it in my console I get a normal 5200 bios boot, but without the complete date. (19XX X=blank).

Edited October 11, 2013 by Seethransom

[Seethransom]

I got the updates to take, thank you for the files. I'm only getting a green screen of death.

[+wongojack]

FYI that I had to get mine replaced

[Seethransom]

Thanks. Any idea what was wrong with it? I got to a restore that flashed 3 lights. Still blank screen. I was putting in an SD, and (with my bad eyesight) missed, and it fell inside. That is how it all started.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Seethransom