john_q_atari Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 I recently got a jaguar (serial number begins with an M) and I modified it to run the BJL 1.06.1 rom. The ROM appears to run properly as I get the register dump screen, the built in games, and can launch a cartridge game. I also built a BJL cable using this schematic: I tested the connections pin by pin with a continuity tester and the cable seems to test good. In addition to connecting pin23 of the centronics to pin 9 of the jaguar, I also connected it to the DE15 shield/shroud since that connection had a ground symbol on it in the above diagram. I notice that if I have the cable connected to both the jaguar and PC before starting up the jaguar, I don't get the BJL rom screen. If I power up the jaguar first I get the BJL screen and then I can plug in the cable and I can still use the BJL rom built in games. I also notice that if I have the jaguar off and plug the JBL cable into the jaguar and the PC, the power LED of the jaguar glows dimly. Is that supposed to happen? My PC has a motherboard with parallel (printer) port integrated into the motherboard itself. I have other questions, but first I wanted to try and verify that I can get the BJL cable to work with my BJL modded jaguar. Thanks for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CyranoJ Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Make sure you have a "real" port on the PC side and not some simulated PCI psuedo-real one, as it won't work with those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 (edited) 3 minutes ago, CyranoJ said: Make sure you have a "real" port on the PC side and not some simulated PCI psuedo-real one, as it won't work with those. My motherboard is 20+ year old Abit KT7A-raid: http://abit.ws/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php@pMODEL_NAME=KT7A-RAID&fMTYPE=Socket+A&DEFTITLE=Y Is there a certain address and IRQ it needs to be set to? Edited October 31, 2023 by john_q_atari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 (edited) 57 minutes ago, john_q_atari said: LED of the jaguar glows dimly. Is that supposed to happen? No. It could be a short cut somewhere. It looks like the Centronics is powering the Jaguar. But to be honest my BJL modding times are way back and I have no way to check here but I cannot remember seeing this. Edited October 31, 2023 by 42bs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Check if Centronics ground is correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CyranoJ Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 1 hour ago, john_q_atari said: My motherboard is 20+ year old Abit KT7A-raid A board that old should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Just checked the pinout. If you did mirror the pins GND becomes an active high signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosquare Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Yes, double check that the wiring is correct and that there aren't any shorts. Address should be 378. IRQ is not needed and can be disabled. Which OS and uploader program are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 5 hours ago, Zerosquare said: Yes, double check that the wiring is correct and that there aren't any shorts. Address should be 378. IRQ is not needed and can be disabled. Which OS and uploader program are you using? I'll double check the pinout connections tonight. I am trying to use bjl_dump.exe on windows XP sp2 in a command prompt window to dump a cart image to use on my laptop with BigPemu. I see there is a < 1kB bjl_dump.bin. do I need to transfer that to the jag first with the bjl cable somehow and then run bjl_dump.exe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 (edited) No idea. Do you have the source for the exe? Ah, found, @Zerosquare did it. Edited October 31, 2023 by 42bs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 (edited) 11 hours ago, john_q_atari said: I'll double check the pinout connections tonight. I am trying to use bjl_dump.exe on windows XP sp2 in a command prompt window to dump a cart image to use on my laptop with BigPemu. I see there is a < 1kB bjl_dump.bin. do I need to transfer that to the jag first with the bjl cable somehow and then run bjl_dump.exe? I've ran into this before is your LPT1 port set to "EPP" ? If not try that, you should be able to dump your cart. If you don't have an "EPP" setting you won't be able to bump your cart. Edited October 31, 2023 by walter_J64bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 2 minutes ago, walter_J64bit said: I've ran into this before is your LPT1 port set to "EPP" ? If not try that, you should be able to dump your cart. If you don't have an "EPP" setting you won't be able to bump your cat. It is set to EPP. I can set it to EPP v1.7 instead of EPP v1.9. I guess one question I had, is if everything worked, what are the requirements, and what is the exact sequence of actions to take. For example, maybe dependencies are jag with BJL rom installed, bjl cable, and computer with parallel port set to 378, EPP v1.7, and then there is a sequence of commands like connect cable, turn on jag, turn on computer, run these commands in command shell, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 4 hours ago, john_q_atari said: It is set to EPP. I can set it to EPP v1.7 instead of EPP v1.9. I guess one question I had, is if everything worked, what are the requirements, and what is the exact sequence of actions to take. For example, maybe dependencies are jag with BJL rom installed, bjl cable, and computer with parallel port set to 378, EPP v1.7, and then there is a sequence of commands like connect cable, turn on jag, turn on computer, run these commands in command shell, etc. I when I dump my cart I just set my LPT1 port set to "EPP" I had the Jag on with the cart I wanted to dump and bjl cable from the computer to the Jag Game port 2 and just ran bjl_dump.exe. You should this see bjl_dump.exe start to dumpping the cart. I've added a screenshot from the time I used bjl_dump.exe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cubanismo Posted November 1, 2023 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Yeah, the BJL cable shouldn't power the Jag. I've had that happen before when I wired things wrong on a joystick port for something I was working on, and I means you're feeding some voltage into the +5v line of the joystick connector that is supposed to be an output, but isn't isolated on the Jag side. I've never had that happen with a regular PC parallel port connected with BJL wiring, so I suspect something isn't wired correctly. Make sure you're looking at both connectors from the correct side (I.e, not counting pins looking at the connector from the back rather than the front, or vice-versa). I always lined the pins up from pin-out diagrams of the Atari joystick connector and the centronics parallel port and double -checked it all made sense in that context to make sure I was interpreting the BJL wiring diagrams correctly. Measure twice, cut once and all of that. Also, try loading some trivial program first to make sure basic BJL stuff is working before you advance to dumping carts. Regular BJL works even with the wrong EPP/ECP or whatever settings IIRC, so that could help narrow it down. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted November 1, 2023 Author Share Posted November 1, 2023 I tested each pin of the cable at both ends for shorts and for continuity matching the diagram in my post. If the pins in that diagram are numbered correctly then I wired it correctly. I changed the bios setting to EPP 1.7 and plugged in the cable and powered on the computer. Interestingly the jag led glowed faintly at first and then dimmed out as the computer booted and maybe the epp1.7 settings took effect? Now, unlike before, I can turn on the jag when the cable is plugged into the printer port. I tried running "bjl_dump aliens.bin 0 800000 0" with am alien vs predator cart plugged in and now I get the first line "Jaguar cartridge dumper through BJL cable by Zerosquare - version 1.02" but nothing else displayed after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted November 1, 2023 Author Share Posted November 1, 2023 I tested each pin of the cable at both ends for shorts and for continuity matching the diagram in my post. If the pins in that diagram are numbered correctly then I wired it correctly. I changed the bios setting to EPP 1.7 and plugged in the cable and powered on the computer. Interestingly the jag led glowed faintly at first and then dimmed out as the computer booted and maybe the epp1.7 settings took effect? Now, unlike before, I can turn on the jag when the cable is plugged into the printer port. I tried running "bjl_dump aliens.bin 0 800000 0" with am alien vs predator cart plugged in and now I get the first line "Jaguar cartridge dumper through BJL cable by Zerosquare - version 1.02" but nothing else displayed after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted November 1, 2023 Author Share Posted November 1, 2023 7 minutes ago, cubanismo said: Also, try loading some trivial program first to make sure basic BJL stuff is working before you advance to dumping carts. Regular BJL works even with the wrong EPP/ECP or whatever settings IIRC, so that could help narrow it down. Is there a guide or instructions somewhere detailing how to do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted November 1, 2023 Author Share Posted November 1, 2023 If the pin numbering in the wiring diagram is correct then I am beginning to think maybe it is my printer port. The jag power light lights up dim and goes out multiple times during computer bootup. If I disable the LPT1 port in winxp then the light goes out when jag is not turned on. Very strange. If my cable is wired incorrectly then the pinout diagram pins are numbered incorrectly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted November 1, 2023 Share Posted November 1, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, john_q_atari said: I tried running "bjl_dump aliens.bin 0 800000 0" with am alien vs predator cart plugged in and now I get the first line "Jaguar cartridge dumper through BJL cable by Zerosquare - version 1.02" You did read the "Readme.txt" Zerosquare wrote for the bjl_dump? Edit: Just google for bjl_dump Edited November 1, 2023 by 42bs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted November 1, 2023 Share Posted November 1, 2023 24 minutes ago, john_q_atari said: If my cable is wired incorrectly then the pinout diagram pins are numbered incorrectly Nope, the diagram is correct. Since nearly 30 years 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosquare Posted November 1, 2023 Share Posted November 1, 2023 If you're not using it already, download lo_inp and read the lo_inp.txt file, especially this part: Quote * Under Windows XP (may also apply to WinNT and 2000), change the properties of your parallel port in Device Manager to disable the interrupt and Plug-and-Play detection. It has been reported that it works better that way. You may also need to disable EPP/ECP support in the BIOS. As this program use low-level parallel port access, you need to run it with Administrator privileges. Also, if you're using Windows XP, applying the following patch (and rebooting afterwards) may help solve problems: DisableWarmPoll.reg Then try uploading a small program, like Matthias Domin's Colors, like this: lo_inp colors.jag Then reset your Jaguar, and try it again in 8-bit mode, like this: lo_inp -8 colors.jag If this works, then your BJL setup is good. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted November 2, 2023 Author Share Posted November 2, 2023 I tried all of the above, the .reg the lo_inp, and the transfer and I wasn't able to transfer anything. Should I have the parallel port set as SPP or EPP? Also I verified the pinout yet again but just to be sure this is how I have wired my cable: DB15 pin 1 shorted to DE15 male pin 10 DB25 male pin 23 shorted to DE15 male pin 9 Is my cable wired correctly? Luckily my PC motherboard has a single ISA slot so just in case my motherboard's parallel port is shot, I ordered a new ISA parallel port card: Kouwell KW-508D v1.5 16-bit ISA single parallel port card SPP/EPP/ECP irq, io address, and SPP/EPP/ECP mode can be set with jumpers. I assume this sort of a card should work in my winxp system. I should get the card in a few days. I really want to get this to work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosquare Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 16 hours ago, john_q_atari said: Should I have the parallel port set as SPP or EPP? Use Bidirectional if that option is available, otherwise use EPP. SPP will not work. 16 hours ago, john_q_atari said: DB15 pin 1 shorted to DE15 male pin 10 DB25 male pin 23 shorted to DE15 male pin 9 Is my cable wired correctly? Yes, that's correct. Are you plugging the cable in the correct port on the Jaguar? It must be connected to the second pad port (the one of the right). 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 On 10/31/2023 at 10:44 PM, Zerosquare said: If you're not using it already, download lo_inp and read the lo_inp.txt file, especially this part: Also, if you're using Windows XP, applying the following patch (and rebooting afterwards) may help solve problems: DisableWarmPoll.reg 149 B · 5 downloads Then try uploading a small program, like Matthias Domin's Colors, like this: lo_inp colors.jag Then reset your Jaguar, and try it again in 8-bit mode, like this: lo_inp -8 colors.jag If this works, then your BJL setup is good. So I was able to make progress by installing a quarter century old operating system on my computer. Once I had win98 installed I was able to successfully transfer colors.jag with "lo_inp colors.jag" I tried "lo_inp -8 colors.jag" but after the transfer nothing happened. Should that have worked? I tried transferring a 2 MB cart image but the transfer hung at 98% Maybe that is too big to use for bjl? I have also finally made some progress with bjl_dump: I got a similar error after 1KB with cybermorph. The carts load and play in the jag. Any idea what is causing this? Does this indicate some sort of problem with the cable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosquare Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 (edited) 51 minutes ago, john_q_atari said: I tried "lo_inp -8 colors.jag" but after the transfer nothing happened. Should that have worked? Yes. If it didn't, something may be wrong with your cable. Also check that the parallel port mode has been set to "Bidirectional" or "EPP" in the BIOS. "SPP" won't work, and "ECP" may not. 51 minutes ago, john_q_atari said: I tried transferring a 2 MB cart image but the transfer hung at 98% Maybe that is too big to use for bjl? You can't upload cart images with BJL. 51 minutes ago, john_q_atari said: I got a similar error after 1KB with cybermorph. The carts load and play in the jag. Any idea what is causing this? Does this indicate some sort of problem with the cable? If the cartridge plays fine, it's probably inserted correctly. So a bad cable or improperly configured parallel port would be the next possibility. Edited November 4, 2023 by Zerosquare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.