nesdev.org

Hi All,

I've been trying to do a couple disk-to-disk copies on my MGD1 that I finally received from ToToTek,and I'm having some issues in my attempt to do this with the unit as a standalone device. This is the procedure that I'm using:

1 - Attach RAM-Adapter to MGD1 and connect to FDS
2 - Apply power from a wall-adapter to FDS;
3 - Apply power to the MGD1;
4 - Insert a disk to read.

I discovered that running the FDS on batteries does nothing with the MGD1, but on wall-power, it seems to be working...or at least somewhat:

At first, a couple disks gave me spinning segment series, then an Error code. Then, after re-leveling the drive (all FDS hate being off-level and will spew error codes when they are leaning too far in a given direction.), when I start up the MGD1 and insert a disk, I get some status indicators as follows...

When I turn on MGD1, it gives the status light like this:
._
|_|
|_|

When I insert a disk, The MGD1 starts to read and gives status lights that look like:
._
|_|
|_|

or like:
._
|_|
|_|


Do you know what causes this? What is the meaning for these displays?

I don't see any spinning segments, just an endless cycle of reading the disk, the drive clicking, reading the disk, etc. I tried a few disks, including various original Nintendo and Chinese disks, plus an original copy of SMB--and all of the disks fire up and load from this drive normally.

I'm not sure if it has issues with my FDS unit, or what these codes mean. Is there a list of MGD1 codes somewhere, or is this lost in translation?

Maybe there is some copy-protection mechanism still intact in the drive that I missed? I swapped out my modified Rev 3 power board for a Rev 2 that I had in a parts unit FDS, but no soap: It still gives me exactly the same readouts and I haven't a clue what they mean. I'm giving it 2-3 minutes to read the surface of a disk at present, before killing power to the MGD1; is that sufficient?

Can anybody confirm or deny that these codes are due to copy protection in the FDS and not something else?

--or--

Could it be a dirty connection between the RAM-Adapter and the MGD1, or is something horribly wrong???

-Xious

Check out my (and another guy's) post on tototek:

http://www.tototek.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2686

RGB_Gamer wrote:Check out my (and another guy's) post on tototek:

http://www.tototek.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2686

Thanks for the link... I was told that it is possible to perform disk-to-disk copies without any additional software. Is that correct, or is MGD.exe / MGDLinker required to perform simple disk-to-disk duplication?

-Xious

For a simple disk to disk copy, I would just use Disk Keeper. You load up the Disk Keeper disk, then it asks you for the source, copies it, then asks for the
destination disk. Simple as that, and doesn't require the MGD1 at all.

Is your FDS drive have the modification for writing disks?

This isn't my goal...

My goal is to be able to use one devidc3 without either a FC or TV connected to it.

I was told that the MGD1 can do disk-to-disk copies by itself, with no additional software required, internally just by connecting it to an FDS.

All I want to do is confirm if this is true or false. ...

I can set up MGDLinker and do it that way, or I can use Disk Tools with my TGD6+, but I was hoping for a simpler method using the MGD1, and if it is *supposed* to be able to do this, it isn't working.

I need Disk Keeper, but once I get the MGD1 working, i can probably write it using MGDLinker...

At present, I want to make a couple quick backups of games with saves on them, and I was trying to do this purely with the FDS and the MGD1 with no additional software or hook-ups. It would be nice if it works this way, but I only have the word of one guy that it is possible.

I have every revision of the FDS: my primary drive (aside from the one in my Twin) has a 7201 IC with an early Rev 2 Power Board., so yes, it hasn't any write protection.

I'm also pondering hard wiring a TGD6+ into a Twin system (AN-500R, to be exact) so that I always have the ability to play Doctor disk games like Akumajou Densetsu (4-Disk set) on it, without having to use an external FDS, but this is a side-project for a later date.

-Xious

The MGD on its own can only load MGD formatted disks into its emulation memory. Anything else requires a connection to a PC. To copy a disk you read the disk to the PC, then write the image from the PC.

Akumajou Densetsu is 3M = 3 disks. If you were to wire in a GD, you'd very likely have power issues since they draw significantly more current than the Famicom itself.

If you want to directly copy games, there's a circuit in the Copy-Tool diagrams. It's also more accurate than the MGD as well being a raw copy from a read drive to a write drive.

kyuusaku wrote:The MGD on its own can only load MGD formatted disks into its emulation memory. Anything else requires a connection to a PC. To copy a disk you read the disk to the PC, then write the image from the PC.

Akumajou Densetsu is 3M = 3 disks. If you were to wire in a GD, you'd very likely have power issues since they draw significantly more current than the Famicom itself.

If you want to directly copy games, there's a circuit in the Copy-Tool diagrams. It's also more accurate than the MGD as well being a raw copy from a read drive to a write drive.

Thank you very much! This is precisely the information about the MGD1 that I required.

I may have been mistaken about the number of disks, but I thought it was four. Nomatter...

I saw Tomy's FDS Copy Tool docs before, but as they haven't any readme.txt file, being not-in-English, I was perplexed at what they were about. I suspected they were adverts and base schematics for an FDS copy cable, but I didn't look closely enough at them to realize that they were for drive-to-drive link copying.

The biggest problem I see with this method is the availability of the connectors that go into each FDS. I guess I could sacrifice two RAM-Adapter units, but I have a MGD-Link cable, so I'll go with that route for now and see what happens.

I can't imagine that the slight signal loss will be all that important in going disk->file->disk versus disk->disk, especially considering the media.

I have to set this up anyway, as I want to play around with making some changes to a few games and its the only way to do it. I need to keep my eyes open for any FDS IPS patches (such as T-Eng) too. I hope that some exist that work on real hardware, as the Deep Dungeon patch fails when done to an FDS image for the PowerPak, so I suspect it'll be the same for a real disk as well.

As to wiring the TGD into a Twin, the power issues are likely to be the least problematic. Finding a way to secure all of the parts, wire it in, and ensure reliable data throughput are probably all more difficult. Heck, I could always wire it for separate power, if it comes down to that, but running off the internal VR would (of course) be ideal.

I figure that as long as I feed the VR sufficient input amperage, that it shouldn't be a problem, but I'll need to do some more research on the TGD6 logic board design to see what I can do to make it work out.

It would be nice to have everything in once nice, red plastic package though.

-Xious

The biggest problem I see with this method is the availability of the connectors that go into each FDS.

Modify some SNES/N64/GC composite cables.

I can't imagine that the slight signal loss will be all that important in going disk->file->disk versus disk->disk, especially considering the media.

It's a digital signal, you don't have to worry about signal loss. Since circuit doesn't perform any error-detection you would have to worry about read errors and perhaps the drives' motor speeds being too far apart. The loss in accuracy with a MGD is because it ALTERS the disk header, file structure, gap periods and drops data outside of a file.

I figure that as long as I feed the VR sufficient input amperage, that it shouldn't be a problem

That's not how it works.. The "VR" are rated for 1-1.5A before shutting down, throw a TGD6 in the picture and you easily exceed that. You'd have to modify the regulator circuit with a current pass transistor or get another regulator.

kyuusaku wrote:

The biggest problem I see with this method is the availability of the connectors that go into each FDS.

Modify some SNES/N64/GC composite cables.

I can't imagine that the slight signal loss will be all that important in going disk->file->disk versus disk->disk, especially considering the media.

It's a digital signal, you don't have to worry about signal loss. Since circuit doesn't perform any error-detection you would have to worry about read errors and perhaps the drives' motor speeds being too far apart. The loss in accuracy with a MGD is because it ALTERS the disk header, file structure, gap periods and drops data outside of a file.

I figure that as long as I feed the VR sufficient input amperage, that it shouldn't be a problem

That's not how it works.. The "VR" are rated for 1-1.5A before shutting down, throw a TGD6 in the picture and you easily exceed that. You'd have to modify the regulator circuit with a current pass transistor or get another regulator.

The VR in the Twin is rated that low? I would have figured it to permit a variance up to 2.5A. I think the Twin logic board assembly uses about 500-700mA, and the FDS probably draws about 300-650mA (depending on usage), but I haven't checked them yet.

I think the MGD draws 900mA or so...

Having expected the VR to provide up to 2.5A, this would have potentially worked, but if it is not, then I'll either have to rework it or provide separate power. Either way, it's possible, if a little pointless.