SNES firmware 2.6 released

[mic_]

This is the new 2.6 core for the SNES Myth cart. The current menu (0.55) doesn't yet make use of any features in the 2.6 core.  ....or at least it wasn't supposed to
I realized after I had released the 0.55 menu that I had forgot to remove some code, so VGZ playback will currently only work if you have the new core. I'll fix that in the next menu. Nothing else should be affected.

What's new in 2.6

The short story:
It allows for slightly better Inflate (unzip) performance, which can be used for improving loading times of zipped ROMs and VGZ files.

The long story:
Writing 8-bit data to the Myth's PSRAM doesn't work the same as for the SNES's own WorkRAM. Instead, when you write to an even address the core buffers the data, which is not actually written to PSRAM until you write to an odd address. At that point the buffered data is combined with what you wrote to the odd address and the full 16 bits of data is written to PSRAM. If you write to PSRAM sequentially this isn't much of a problem, except for the fact that the core overwrites the buffer if you write to ANY even address, meaning that if you write something to WorkRAM in between two writes to PSRAM you risk messing up the buffer. This new core fixes this problem, so that 8-bit writes to PSRAM and WorkRAM can be mixed freely, which allows the inflate routine to be written in a more efficient way.

[Sektor]

I accidentally hit flash right after it finished, so I flashed it twice with same firmware. Not really a problem and this way might be better for flashing Myths in batches but most programs would disable the button when it's finished. It also clears the 100% message and doesn't say done anywhere on screen, so if you weren't watching it, you might miss it.

Time to flash the menu now. Thanks for the updates.

[mic_]

Ah ok, I'm not involved in developing the core (other than making feature suggestions and testing them). I think they've been using the same "installer" for all core upgrades for all Myth carts. Dunno who made it originally.

[Nodoyuna]

Hi

I have the SNES Myth and I just received the Nero Dual Programmer to upgrade the firmware, and the Neo2 Pro, for use the Myth with SD...

I thought the upgrade proccess should be easier, and maybe it is, but right now I don't know exactly what I need to do...

So please, somebody could tell me the exact steps to upgrade the firmware?

Also, do I need to do something "special" to use the SD with the Myth?

Thanks a lot in advance....

[mic_]

You take a screw driver and open your SNES Myth. There are 2 screws on the back, and 2 on the front (hidden under the label).

Then you take your Nero Dual Programmer and one of the flat cables that came with it. You should've received 2 cables; one with 8 pins and one with lots of pins (20 or 34 or whatever the number is). IIRC the one with 8 pins is for the N64 Myth, while the one with more pins is for the SNES/MD Myth.
So you plug one end of the cable into the Nero. There are two slots on it; you should use the "upper" slot, the one on the same side as the logo. And the text on the cable should also be facing up. Pull the plastic "plug" covering the slot out a bit when inserting the cable, the push it back in to secure the cable.

Then plug the other end into the Myth, plug the Nero into your computer, run the updater program and press the button it, and wait. If the update fails, check the cable connections and try again.

[Sektor]

Poking a screwdriver through the label into the screw holes will probably do less damage to the label than trying to peel it back.

[Nodoyuna]

Thanks a lot for the quick reply

Now I've updated the firmware. I think I've done it right as the SNES Myth works the same as before 

Now, to use the Neo2 Pro with SD, what should I do? I've tried to have the menu on the SD card, but all I have is a black screen... Do I need to do something before?

Thanks in advance

[mic_]

You write the menu to the cart as before. When the menu has started you press R on the controller to switch to SD mode.

[Nodoyuna]

Hi

I think I'm doing something wrong, as all I get is a blank screen...

What do I need to use, the USB Slimloader? I've tried with 3.04 software, and it does not give me errors, but anyway, all I got is a blank screen...

Please, tell me step by step instructions to do it right... Also, there's anything to do to the SD card itself?

I'm a little bit confused...

[mic_]

The SNES Myth has a built-in slimloader, so you don't need to use an external one. Simply plug the Neo2 Pro into your SNES Myth and connect the Myth to your PC using the USB cable.

Get the latest SNES menu (0.55) from here: http://code.google.com/p/neo-myth-menu/downloads/list
Extract the NEOSNES.BIN file from the zip into the Neo Pro Manager directory on your PC. Now start the Manager, format the cart for SNES if you haven't already, and write a SNES game to the cart (this will also write the menu to the cart).

Now take a FAT16 or FAT32 formatted SD card and create a directory at the root of the card named SNES. Inside the SNES directory you create a directory named ROMS. You can put games anywhere you want on the SD card, /SNES/ROMS is just the initial directory when you switch to SD mode.

Now try it on your SNES. When the menu first starts it will list the games stored on the Neo2 Pro. To list the SD card contents, press R on the controller.

[Nodoyuna]

I'd doing something wrong... Blank screen again...

If I use the Neo Myth (the one that originally came with the SNES Myth), it works fine...

But when I put the Neo2 Pro, all I have is a blank screen with no menu...

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

[ChillyWilly]

You did format the Neo2 Pro, right? The menu is on the GBA cart, not the Myth. The only Myth with flash in the Myth itself is the N64 Myth. If you formatted the Myth with the original cart, that format was to that cart, not the Myth. When you then swap the cart with the Neo2 Pro, the Myth no longer has a menu unless you have also formatted the Myth with the Neo2 Pro in place.

[Nodoyuna]

Hi
Yes, the Neo2 Pro is formatted, and there is a game in it... I can see the game if I plug the SNES Myth to the PC...

I don't know what to do...

[Nodoyuna]

I've made a test, with strange results:

1) The original GBA cart that came with the SNES Myth was updated to menu 0.26, and was working OK
2) I've tried the menu 0.55 (the last one) with the Neo2 Pro with no luck (blank screen)

..

3) I've updated the original GBA cart to menu 0.55, having a blank screen too!! ... Back to menu 0.26 and working again
4) So, I've burned menu 0.26 to Neo2 Pro... AND IT WORKS!!!

Is there some problem with newer menus, something to be done?

I think it's strange...

[Nodoyuna]

Tried to update Neo2 Pro to menu 0.50 and I have a blank screen too...

Back to menu 0.26 and it displays the menu and the game, but no SD option

I'm using firmare 2.6...

I don't undestand this behaviour...

Any ideas to try?

Thanks in advance

PS: I've installed Neo2 Pro Manager 1.11, which I think it's the latest version of the program to format and burn the Neo2 Pro. It says that the Neo2 Pro has "Invalid/OLD FAT, please take a format" (or something similar) Maybe that's the problem... Now I'm formatting the Neo2 Pro

Crossing Fingers