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Dreamcast Devkit Dreamcast HKT-0120 no boot Dreamcast mode

chacal231077

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Hi! :)

I have my Devkit Dreamcast HKT-0120 which has trouble booting in Dreamcast mode.
The screen freezes with the logo of the hairspring and then after a minute it hangs in the menu with the message "please wait while disc is being cheked"

220218635_560068121695803_55088857837555586_n.jpg

I had the Switch on the right and I think that's what must have erased the Boot to flash memory.

in the Getting Started with Dreamcast R10 manual it is written

Capture d’écran de 2021-07-25 18-51-07.png

"Make certain the slide switch on the front of the Dreamcast development system is set to the LEFT.

Note:

Setting this switch to the right enables writing to the Dreamcast Boot ROM (flash memory). The Boot ROM
contains code to load games, play audio CDs, transfer files to save game cards, etc. This switch has no effect
on the Cross Products DA (Debug Adapter) and GD-M (GD-ROM Emulator) flash ROMs.
Your development system may become unbootable if you accidentally write to flash memory when this
switch is to the right. Don’t try to reflash your system's Boot ROM unless instructed to do so by Sega.

Anyone know how to fix this?

Thank you for Help
 

bart_simpson

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Right been a few year's i willing to try and help
i assume you have the 50pin scsi ternmatiors and best to use a windows xp computer for the sdk try using r9 sdk
and reflash again double check cables ect.

I do miss my dev kit :)
 

T_chan

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1 works without problems for me.
Be sure to select the one with the 50 individual pins, search for "active scsi terminator hd50", but check the inside of the connector !
 

chacal231077

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Hi! T-chan :)

the one i received with my devkit in 2012 is an active yamaichi scsi terminator.

When I saw the price and it was hard to get, I started to panic to buy a second lol.

My brother who is an administrator in computer network security internet, will be able to help me.

He will bring back a pc with windows xp this weekend, i have the adaptec aha 2940U2 scsi card.

I preferred that he chooses an XP pc because of the valid Aspi for the good progress of the bios flashing.

Because from what I read under Windows 7 and Windows 10 the home made aspi not recommended to flash the devkit is that right?
 

T_chan

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Pricey ? You can find terminators for +- 10€ without shipping on ebay....

If you have a windows XP, it's better, because I cannot take any responsibility for MekugiAspi if something goes wrong :D

(I started working on a new/cleaner/better version for MekugiAspi, to be able to use that in a Windows VM on a Linux Host, but that will still take a lot of months to finish)

Concerning the devkit: be sure also to set the rotary switch to the correct country.

Also: the GD-ROM drive is compatible with the one you find in a dreamcast, so you can swap them out to see if it changes something (the cables are somewhat shorter on a Dreamcast)
 

T_chan

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Well, if you gdrom reader cannot read gd-roms/cds, that wouldn't help I'm afraid :D
 

MetalliC

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Also: the GD-ROM drive is compatible with the one you find in a dreamcast, so you can swap them out
are you sure ? if I not mistaken, Katana's GD drive MCU chip should have different firmware (no sec.ring check) at least
 

T_chan

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Mind you, I'm not talking about the gd-rom controller board, I'm talking just about the black box with the motor & lens in it.
The controller board is quite different indeed (the wholes in the board don't match, the chips don't match, and the devkit controller board has several extra connectors for cables)
4 cables of the devkit gdrom controller board go into a special adapter board, from which the same 1 flat cable as in the Dreamcast, goes to the black box.
I think I remember trying to swap that black box & that it worked... but it's been a very long while ago to be honest...
 
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chacal231077

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Mind you, I'm not talking about the gd-rom controller board, I'm talking just about the black box with the motor & lens in it.
The controller board is quite different indeed (the wholes in the board don't match, the chips don't match, and the devkit controller board has several extra connectors for cables)
4 cables of the devkit gdrom controller board go into a special adapter board, from which the same 1 flat cable as in the Dreamcast, goes to the black box.
I think I remember trying to swap that black box & that it worked... but it's been a very long while ago to


I have spare Naomi GD-ROM drives.
I will test with the devkit.

but the thing that I didn't say
it is that when starting the devkit I do not have the animation of the hairspring and the music of the devkit bios.

I have a black screen of 30 seconds, then the white screen with the dreamcast logo not animated and without music, then it freezes, for 1 minutes, then comes next, the check disk ect ....
 

MetalliC

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super nice, it took you only 4 days to finally tell us the details!

in this case it really looks like bad BIOS flash ROM data, which leads to any GD-drive access blocked by HOLLY chipset protection.
 
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bart_simpson

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Video Today

😭 I really miss having one of these now.
There's a self test mode for these forget something with dip switches ect to get it
On test mode.

I will try and help you get it running
As for the dev kit sounds like it's running in hdd mode.

The lights should just have the gd-rom light up
But been a few years now since I had one.


With the scsi setup there's switchs at the back near the scsi ports aswell.
I will dig old photos of mine and check for you.

Love the hdd sounds
 
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MetalliC

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Video Today

thanks, this is pretty much common Dreamcast/Katana behavior when GD-drive does not accessible at all, because of missing or completely dead, or (most common) blocked by checksum protection due to bad BIOS.
 

bart_simpson

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Have you done a da check
if so what does it say
 

chacal231077

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Hello to all 😊

here is the news I could not continue the procedure because I was missing a SCSi Terminator:cry:, it takes 2 to communicate with the computer.

I ordered some on a site, it cost me an arm 5 in shipping costs o_O but it has 3 for the price (y)

https://www.jpscerveira.top/new-lot...y-active-terminator-pcmacsun-hd50-p-49948.htm

I don't know how long it's going to happen, but it's China sometimes it's super fast and sometimes it's Mega snail 🐌🐌🐌🐌😅.

I'm on the ad or someone has one to sell me, but they have to find it 😅.

On the other hand I have the impression that the DD is getting tired :unsure:
It boots 1 out of 2 times when I start up, when I don't hear the HDD's heads scratching I have to turn it off and on again:cautious:

it smells like the hard drive's definitive vacation 😬
 

T_chan

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here is the news I could not continue the procedure because I was missing a SCSi Terminator:cry:, it takes 2 to communicate with the computer.

It doesn't here... I always only have 1 terminator, that I put in SCSI-B.
SCSI-A is connected to the PC, with a cable that is not too long (remember with SCSI, the shorter the cable, the better).
SCSI-A set to 3, SCSI-B set to 4.

Be sure to check the bios settings of the SCSI card, that influences if you can connect to the devkit or not.
On my pc:
1627970499687.png
1627970556964.png

1627970167451.png

1627970204377.png
 
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chacal231077

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Hi! 😊

This is the configuration of my adaptec model 2940U2 SCSI card. There are menu options different from yours and I'm lost :eek:


Thank you for your help;)

 
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