FPGA Based Videogame System

[impetus_maximus]

Atariboy. Thank you. The title screen/intro? I can't start playing until Mega Man/Rock Man fires at you which is the first sound you hear (when bugged). Starting after that, the game it has no sound.

[Atariboy]

Yes, what plays automatically if you don't press start.

 

I'm sitting at my Mega Sg now and it all sounds fine on mine. The classic Capcom jingle plays when the Capcom logo appears, the background music and sound effects play during the title screen sequence, and I just played through a stage twice using both the classic and modern audio options with no issues.

 

I'm on JB 7.8 which is the jailbreak counterpart to the official 4.8 firmware (there's no jailbreak counterpart yet for the latest 4.9 firmware). Assuming a lack of audio irregularities with other games on your new Mega Sg, your issue either is a bad download, a Mega Everdrive X5 incompatibility, or something in the audio department was broken with the latest 4.9 firmware and is affecting this recent homebrew release. My suggestion is to first redownload it from the team's website that RetroRGB links to in this news article.

 

If that doesn't solve your issue, my next suggestion is to install the JB 7.8 firmware (you can always go back to the non-jailbreak 4.9 afterwards) and try running the rom both off your Everdrive as well as off a SD card directly inserted into your Mega Sg. 

 

Between all that, you should be able to rule out a bad rom download as well as figure out what link in the chain is the culprit. 

 

Edit: I was on v1.0 of this homebrew but have now grabbed v1.1 and confirmed it also works just fine on my Mega Sg when ran directly off the system's own SD card slot with the JB 7.8 firmware installed to the system.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Atariboy

[impetus_maximus]

Thanks Atariboy. I can play on my MegaRetronHD for now.

I did post what you said, and linked here on the dev's page. Hopefully that helps others get running til a proper fix is found.

The site RetroRGB links to, is the same as i linked to (itch.io)

MD5 checksup for v1_1 6f122df5e2b86bc0bc8885cafe4b9eab

 

Thanks again.

/max

[RobDangerous]

Looks like the new Mega Sg (and I suppose also new Super Nts) do not allow firmware-downgrades: https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogueInc/comments/14gl0x6/jailbreak_new_mega_sg_on_49_to_jb78_firmware/
Hope they are just behind schedule with new Jailbreak firmwares, otherwise this is very mean.

[impetus_maximus]

1 hour ago, RobDangerous said:

Looks like the new Mega Sg (and I suppose also new Super Nts) do not allow firmware-downgrades: https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogueInc/comments/14gl0x6/jailbreak_new_mega_sg_on_49_to_jb78_firmware/
Hope they are just behind schedule with new Jailbreak firmwares, otherwise this is very mean.

Have you tried it yourself?

[cacophony]

1 hour ago, RobDangerous said:

Looks like the new Mega Sg (and I suppose also new Super Nts) do not allow firmware-downgrades: https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogueInc/comments/14gl0x6/jailbreak_new_mega_sg_on_49_to_jb78_firmware/
Hope they are just behind schedule with new Jailbreak firmwares, otherwise this is very mean.

It's possible it's user error or there's a hardware issue with the sd card reader on this new batch of consoles. Somebody with a new unit should reach out to Analogue.
Another possibility is that there was a hardware revision that made it impractical to support firmware revisions pre the current firmware.

Edited June 23, 2023 by cacophony

[bikerspade]

https://www.analogue.co/support/resource/super-nt-and-mega-sg-preorder-faq

Quote

There are no differences between this Super Nt and Mega Sg production run and previous production runs.

 

[RobDangerous]

Can't try it myself, my Mega Sg is old. There's some "same" messages in that Reddit-thread and there's also another thread so I doubt it's user-error.

[cacophony]

2 hours ago, bikerspade said:

https://www.analogue.co/support/resource/super-nt-and-mega-sg-preorder-faq

 

 

Official confirmation from Kevtris (via FPGaming discord) that it's due to "major hardware revisions"

Edited June 23, 2023 by cacophony

[impetus_maximus]

16 minutes ago, cacophony said:

 

Official confirmation from Kevtris (via FPGaming discord) that it's due to "major hardware revisions"

Great... Just Great x_x I understand hardware changes as components reach 'end of life'. However i find it hard to believe not being able to downgrade is a hardware limitation.

Are they still 'unbrickable'? Will they take returns since they were mistaken(?) about "no hardware changes"?

 

thank you for the info.

 

Are the chips flashable with a programmer? (BIOS + CH341A 24 25 Series EEPROM Flash BIOS USB Programmer)

 

 

 

 

and just in case for the record...

https://web.archive.org/web/20230316031207/https://www.analogue.co/support/resource/super-nt-and-mega-sg-preorder-faq

 

 

[Kaide]

29 minutes ago, impetus_maximus said:

Great... Just Great x_x I understand hardware changes as components reach 'end of life'. However i find it hard to believe not being able to downgrade is a hardware limitation.

If the older firmware lacks bits for the hardware changes that were made, then it would make sense to block downgrading below 4.9 to avoid someone flashing an incompatible version and getting into a bad state.

[impetus_maximus]

1 minute ago, Kaide said:

If the older firmware lacks bits for the hardware changes that were made, then it would make sense to block downgrading below 4.9 to avoid someone flashing an incompatible version and getting into a bad state.

OF COURSE! duh

thanks

[Atariboy]

This revelation with this last run of Mega Sg's must explain your audio issue with Mega Man: The Sequel Wars - Episode Red.

[impetus_maximus]

21 minutes ago, Atariboy said:

This revelation with this last run of Mega Sg's must explain your audio issue with Mega Man: The Sequel Wars - Episode Red.

Yes, It's the 4.9 firmware. Users of the original V1.0 release boards confirmed audio issues with 4.9. downgrading to 4.8 fixed it for them.

 

I contacted Analogue about the issue. They are aware and said it will be fixed in a future firmware release.

[Atariboy]

Jailbreak both for original Mega Sg's and these newest systems.

 

https://github.com/analoguejb/Analogue-Mega-Sg-JB

 

I've not tried it myself, but someone on the FPGA Discord channel has and it worked.

[RobDangerous]

Yay and also a new Jailbreak for the Nt Mini Noire. Only the Super Nt missing now.

[Atariboy]

7 minutes ago, RobDangerous said:

Yay and also a new Jailbreak for the Nt Mini Noire. Only the Super Nt missing now.

Hopefully about this time next week.

[impetus_maximus]

28 minutes ago, Atariboy said:

Jailbreak both for original Mega Sg's and these newest systems.

 

https://github.com/analoguejb/Analogue-Mega-Sg-JB

 

I've not tried it myself, but someone on the FPGA Discord channel has and it worked.

Thank you. I just tried flashing with that using a FAT32 card. My Mega Sg (1.5 board) just boots normally.

[Atariboy]

2 minutes ago, impetus_maximus said:

Thank you. I just tried flashing with that using a FAT32 card. My Mega Sg (1.5 board) just boots normally.

It's probably not the problem, but check that you didn't inadvertently slide the locking tab on your SD card to the locked position when you inserted it into your Mega Sg. The Mega Sg and Super Nt will only read a card if it's open and able to be written to.

 

I've accidentally done that a couple of times when inserting a SD card into them.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Atariboy

[impetus_maximus]

I checked, the card (adapter) isn't locked. confirmed the adapter can read and write to the Micro SD. 🤔

still just boots normally.

[SegaSnatcher]

8 minutes ago, impetus_maximus said:

I checked, the card (adapter) isn't locked. confirmed the adapter can read and write to the Micro SD. 🤔

still just boots normally.

Do you have it on root of sd card and unzipped? 

Try a different freshly formatted SD Card. 

If you have two firmware files on your card that is the problem. You have to delete the old firmware bin file. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by SegaSnatcher

[impetus_maximus]

8 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

Do you have it on root of sd card and unzipped? 

Try a different freshly formatted SD Card. 

If you have two firmware files on your card that is the problem. You have to delete the old firmware bin file. 

thank you. yes, unzipped and the bin file is in the root of the card. there are no other bios/bin files.

tried two different micro SD cards both formated to fat32. i've tried several adapters which are not set to lock, including the one that works in my Super Nt.

 

no errors, just boots normally. hope i don't have a dud slot.

[SegaSnatcher]

2 minutes ago, impetus_maximus said:

thank you. yes, unzipped and the bin file is in the root of the card. there are no other bios/bin files.

tried two different micro SD cards both formated to fat32. i've tried several adapters which are not set to lock, including the one that works in my Super Nt.

 

no errors, just boots normally. hope i don't have a dud slot.

Well make a save and if the SD Card creates a save you'll know the slot is fine. 

Show me a pic of your SD Card file structure. 
 

Edited June 25, 2023 by SegaSnatcher

[Atariboy]

Someone on Discord successfully has updated their new Mega Sg and has games running off the SD card slot, so it would seem to not be the firmware's fault.

 

Like you said, hopefully it's not a faulty SD card slot. I get the impression that their customer support isn't too "supportive" at times, but hopefully you'll have a good experience if you end up having to go down that path.

 

Also since it's pertinent to recent discussion here, it's worth passing along from Discord that it sounds like the latest jailbreak shares the audio issues that the latest official firmware has with Mega Man: The Sequel Wars - Episode Red. Not too big of a surprise, but hopefully we'll see a fix be released soon for both (or maybe the homebrew's development team can even address it from their end given the significant number of fans that want to play it on their Mega Sg).

Edited June 25, 2023 by Atariboy

[impetus_maximus]

25 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

Well make a save and if the SD Card creates a save you'll know the slot is fine. 

Show me a pic of your SD Card file structure. 
 

i'm sorry, but make a save of what?

24 minutes ago, Atariboy said:

Someone on Discord successfully has updated their new Mega Sg and has games running off the SD card slot, so it would seem to not be the firmware's fault.

 

Like you said, hopefully it's not a faulty SD card slot. I get the impression that their customer support isn't too "supportive" at times, but hopefully you'll have a good experience if you end up having to go down that path.

 

Also since it's pertinent to recent discussion here, it's worth passing along from Discord that it sounds like the latest jailbreak shares the audio issues that the latest official firmware has with Mega Man: The Sequel Wars - Episode Red. Not too big of a surprise, but hopefully we'll see a fix be released soon for both (or maybe the homebrew's development team can even address it from their end given the significant number of fans that want to play it on their Mega Sg).

i guess i'll wait to see if more report positive results with v1.5 boards get posted.

latest as in the one i'm attempting to flash? that makes sense if it's based off 4.9 official. if that is the case, i'll wait for 5.0 official. i would be happy if that at least flashed.

 

thank you both for taking the time to help out!

/max

Edited June 25, 2023 by impetus_maximus