Looking for info/help on a Dreamcast G1-ATA(IDE) mod.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok so I knew about the fact that you could solder a bunch of wires to a DC motherboard and then be able to access a HDD via dreamshell.  What I didn't know is that there are adapters out there and if you get the proper one, you can remove the disc drive completely!  I found one on this Chinese site (wish I had bookmarked it.) and it was roughly 15 bucks. 

Here's the rub...  the site is literally Chinese, I can't read anything on it, even with google translate, so I'm not 100% sure of what I am buying.  Supposedly the kit comes with a custom BIOS chip, which is needed to remove the gdrom, but I'm unsure if it's pre-burned or not. 

So I'm looking for an adapter and a BIOS burned to unlock the G1 port.  Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. 

I'm actually not sure when I can do this anyway... I'm having vision problems.   

[Malenko]

website link? My wife is fluent in Mandarin.

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah some translation would be appreciated.... google fu isn't working this time. 

Link to the adapter:

https://world.taobao.com/item/45784299888.htm?fromSite=main&spm=a312a.7700824.w4004-717747455.8.pDfIcQ

From what I gather from the other link in the description, they are suggesting that you also buy this pre-burned BIOS chip

https://world.taobao.com/item/45885888557.htm?fromSite=main&spm=a312a.7728556.0.0.D79hRM

What's odd is every BIOS install I've seen has the new chip piggy-backed on top of the old with various resistors and clipped pins.  With this one you replace the chip??

[Malenko]

she said she cant translate simplified Chinese :/ Sorry bro

[Howard_Casto]

Eh I appreciate the effort anyway. 

I'll figure it out eventually.... I ran across another site this morning that seemed to feature a bios mod with far less connections, but again the English documentation was virtually non-existant.

[adder]

have u tried visiting the page using google chrome
if u try that, chrome should ask you if u want the page translated, and then translate as much as it can (i just tried it and it did manage to translate parts of it ok)

note: i also tried google translate like u did, but that didnt work (but the first way using chrome browser did ok)

[Howard_Casto]

Well it helps to a point.  I managed to feed google translate a sentence at a time instead of the whole website and got some more info, but the install instructions for the bios, for example.... the text is on an image, so I can't feed it in. 

This is just going to take some more research BUT, if I can manage to pull it off I'll document it and the 20 dollar price tag is a lot better than $100+ for the usb solutions. 

[Howard_Casto]

I think I have enough info, but this seems like too much of a project for me right now.  There isn't any way around piggy-backing the bios, which seems like some very fiddly soldering.  I'm going to do it in the future though. 

[Locke141]

I would email them and ask. Some one there may know English.

[danny_galaga]

Extremely good chance someone will know english. Many tech guys go to uni in english speaking countries to improve their language skills.

[johnm]

Discussion about it over at Assembler games
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/xckdiy-dreamcast-ide-board-inexpensive-gd-rom-hdd-replacement.60458/

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah that's where I got most of my info.  You'll note that nobody had actually tried it though.  There is a (I believe) Brazilian youtube channel that regularly shows off the mod, but they are people trying to sell modded dreamcasts, so my guess is their videos are a bit biased.   

[Locke141]

There seems to be a similar product with a mostly english site.

https://gametrackssite.wordpress.com

https://gametrackssite.wordpress.com/buy/
 
Bight the bulletin let us know what you think in the CD replacement thread.

[Howard_Casto]

And that would be the Brazilian site I mentioned.  Their kit has a solder pad pcb, which is completely pointless and you have to cut a hole in the side of the case to make it fit. 

I don't see the point, especially considering in one of their earlier vids it showed the Chinese adapter which doesn't require soldering or cutting to install.  You still have to solder on the bios chip, but that applies to any of these mods. 

I can't work on this stuff atm.  My surgery is Monday and I'm getting anything done around the house that requires... well... sight... to do.   

[thomas_surles]

I'd it just one eye or are you going full blind until recovery?

[Howard_Casto]

Well I'm going by what my father in law had to go through as it's the same operation (although mine isn't nearly as severe).  Recovery can last up to two weeks or more and until your eye gets to a certain stage, you aren't supposed to do anything that requires tight focus or moving around your eyes.  Even if it's one eye (which is the case for me) you still have to limit activities because eyes move as a pair.  In severe cases you aren't even supposed to move your head. 

Then again some people are back to work in just a couple of days.  I guess it all depends upon what they find when they go inside. 

I can see fine atm, but my vision is really distorted.  I wanted to finish all the woodworking on my racing cab today and I really screwed up a hole for a button.  While I was drilling it looked centered, but after I turned my head I realized that I drilled it about 1/4 of an inch to the left. 

[thomas_surles]

That sucks. Just in time for new seasons of everything on TV. Good luck with the surgery. And the racing cab.

[Locke141]

And that would be the Brazilian site I mentioned.  Their kit has a solder pad pcb, which is completely pointless and you have to cut a hole in the side of the case to make it fit. 

I don't see the point, especially considering in one of their earlier vids it showed the Chinese adapter which doesn't require soldering or cutting to install.  You still have to solder on the bios chip, but that applies to any of these mods. 

I can't work on this stuff atm.  My surgery is Monday and I'm getting anything done around the house that requires... well... sight... to do.

I emailed them and you only need the mod chip if the CD drive is dead. Otherwise Putting in a Dream shell CD in the drive works. It was cheep So I'm giving it a try.

I will send to you a cd with Dreamshell recorded. Just put in your dc, turn it on. If your gd rom is not working, you should to solder an MX29LV160 - TMC 90 above MPR Sega´s Chip, according this tutorial: http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/sega-dreamcast-region-free-bios/

Dreamshell files you can download here: http://www.dc-swat.ru/page/dreamshell/
Download Dreamshell RC4 + Boot Loader. Format your hdd in Fat 32 and put DS files in root of hdd.

Buy an Startech Adapter, tested here with one and works like a charm! Better controller chip (same as PS3 family chip).
If you cant find it, use some ide2sata converter that have master/slave jumper, and a JM20360 controller.
I believe you will can put until 2TB drive, FAT32 hdd support it.

works with VA1 and VA0 models.