Brand new Jaguar GameDrive doesn't let me download firmware

[ChaoticBiker]

Hi All,

Having this issue on my Jaguar Gamedrive brand new, first time use.
Goes into RetroHQ logo, and asks to press option for firmware update. Once option pressed, logo and notification slide down, and screen remains black.

Same behaviour with or without SD card in.

Any advice?

[SainT]

What happens if you just let it boot? Don't press anything.

 

All carts are shipped with the latest firmware installed, so it should just boot into the menu and let you play.

 

Possible issues are with the Jaglink for network games or similar multi-devices which provide RGB out as well as Jaglink, but it wouldn't normally leave you on a black screen.

[ChaoticBiker]

Thank you for responding so quickly.
If I let it sit it will sit at RetroHQ logo and not move any further
If I press OPTION it will all slide down and sit at a black screen.

Sometimes it "hangs" on the press option for firmware and does not react to any input
other times it won't even bring up the prompt
And finally, occasionally it will bring up the prompt only for it to slide down after a second or two
The RetroHQ logo in all cases above stays on.

Same behaviour with or without an SD card and with or without joystick plugged in

I am not using Jaglink, just a generic SCART cable from cool-novelties on ebay (been using them for most of my SCART needs)
Apart from that I have a replacement PSU
Jaguar has been very recently re-capped and does not have caps C93 and C45 as it did not have them before recap

Could a dodgy cart slot pin connection could be the cause of such behaviour?

Edited October 3, 2022 by ChaoticBiker

[SainT]

It does seem like it could be related to the serial connection used during boot. The jaglink blocks this, but also a bad cart pin can cause the same issue. The pins are uarti and uarto, which are pins B30-B31. As ever, if you happen to have access to another Jaguar, testing on another unit is very helpful to narrow down the issue to the cart or the console.

[ChaoticBiker]

On 10/3/2022 at 7:51 PM, SainT said:

It does seem like it could be related to the serial connection used during boot. The jaglink blocks this, but also a bad cart pin can cause the same issue. The pins are uarti and uarto, which are pins B30-B31. As ever, if you happen to have access to another Jaguar, testing on another unit is very helpful to narrow down the issue to the cart or the console.

Hi,
Just wanted to update - it's all finally working! While the port remains dodgy with a very crude repair to a broken pin - it works.
The actual offender was a damaged resistor R151 - it got damaged during recap, but I measured it then and it seemed OK. Well, checked it again and it wasn't OK anymore. Just received my replacement smd resistors (a whole 100 of them, lol) and replaced - and it works no issue at the moment