Action Replay rom Patch

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by esel

to test the ar2 boot screen i need dumps of the original roms as i only have the ar3.

Test requires real AR2 hardware, reset detection is hardware feature.

[esel]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Test requires real AR2 hardware, reset detection is hardware feature.

isnt hardware of 2 and 3 the same ?
i herad that you can update ar2 to ar3 just by replacing the roms.

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by esel

isnt hardware of 2 and 3 the same ?
i herad that you can update ar2 to ar3 just by replacing the roms.

Different reset handling won't have any effect on rom compatibility. Only difference I can see in emulation tests is title screen (does not appear on cold start, only after first keyboard reset)

Another easy test: does title screen appear after power up when using AR3 ROM + AR2 hardware?

My first post - I probably found a workaround to use AR MK3 with KS 2 and 3 (with WINUAE).
What I did was the following:
I started WINUAE with KS 2.04 (37.175) and AR 3 ROM v. 3.17.
This always gave me the splash screen of AR 3 and next a green screen (and constanly reboots).
Then I pressed F12 and changed the KS ROM from 2.04 to 2.05 (rev. 37.299), 3.0 (rev. 39.106) or 3.1 (rev. 40.63). For the versions 3.0 and 3.1 I also changed the processor (68.000 to 68.030) and the Full ECS chipset to AGA.
Then I pressed 'Reset' and then I'm always getting the editor menu of the AR3 (without splash screen).
You can exit the editor with 'x' and then you get the startup KS-screen.
Pressing PgUP brings you back to the editor screen.
I tested it with Overkill and KS 3.1 with Aga chipset and 68.030 and the trainer worked.
(Found extra lives at 0228cb and 0229c5).

[demolition]

I have an AR2 and a 37.300 ROM from an A600 - would that make sense to test together in the A500?

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by guido

My first post - I probably found a workaround to use AR MK3 with KS 2 and 3 (with WINUAE).

Interesting hack (that can break any time) but I think the point was to find a way to use AR on KS3.x real Amigas

I have an AR2 and a 37.300 ROM from an A600 - would that make sense to test together in the A500?

If you want but I am quite sure it won't work.

--

Attached is cpu reset test based on Double Dragon II protection.
(68000-only. Any real fast ram must be disabled)

Run it, if it worked, screen will show changing colors. (Reset is executed first, then colors change in infinite loop)

When colors change, does Action Replay 2 and 3 (remember to mention exact version) freeze button and x-command still work normally?

[clenched]

I had negative results with both 1.3 and 2.04 roms. AR3 3.17

1.3 - No visible effect. Hitting freeze button shows Amiga stuck in a loop at $FC5A6C. Hitting x caused disk motor to start running non-stop. RESET instruction was at $1AD26

2.04 - Guru 8000 0003 Task 117E0

[clenched]

This is for DD2 ECS 4.16 which is one I could successfully copy with mfmwarp program. It was made using SPS_2635.

WinUAE 2.4.1 A500 1M Chip ECS 1.3 ROM NTSC - extended ADF load is interrupted on its own and cartridge blue screen entered. 'x' then load continues OK. Cartridge freeze and exit works at will thereafter.

A500 (same setup) - Exact same mfmwarp dump to real floppy. Loads uninterrupted to the DD2 picture and scrolling credits. Freeze button enters cartridge. 'x' then screen goes totally dark. A little residual sound from speaker (not music).

At this point the freeze button works only one more time. When it is pressed the drive motor will spin a little. Key press blinks the LED as though inside AR3 but screen is still totally dark. Typing 'x' blind has no effect. reset command nothing. burst command nothing.

Sorry but no luck at all trying to copy DD2 3.84 version.

[esel]

finally i found a way to use the action replay under kick 3.1

i installed a kickswitch in my amiga with kick 3.1 and 1.3
i boot up with kick 1.3 so ar3 works then i switch to kick 3.1 and make a reset the ar3 editor menu will show and i can use it !

everything works exept when i reset the amiga the ar editor menu will start ( without pressing the freezer button )

[esel]

i saw its possible to use a 3.1 rom an ar 3 in Winuae.

Will this work on a real amiga too ?

if so wath do i need to change in my ar3 binary ? ( v3.17 )

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by esel

finally i found a way to use the action replay under kick 3.1

i installed a kickswitch in my amiga with kick 3.1 and 1.3
i boot up with kick 1.3 so ar3 works then i switch to kick 3.1 and make a reset the ar3 editor menu will show and i can use it !

everything works exept when i reset the amiga the ar editor menu will start ( without pressing the freezer button )

i am playing with the 3.1 KS on a Rev6 A500 with AR3 and have just tried this and first testing shows it works...

i have dual boot 1.3 and 3.1KS...
boot up with KS 1.3...
press freeze button on AR3...
type reset in AR window... (do not press enter)
flip switch/jumper to KS 3.1...
press enter...
computer boots to KS 3.1 splash screen
press freeze button...
and voila, you are in AR3 screen. I have no idea why/how it works, just that it does!

further testing needed

[kipper2k]

k, playing some more, i am able to get my a508ide recognized on the a500 with the AR3.
so far i am able to enable 4mb fastmem ($600000 - $9fffff) in either KS1.3 or 3.1 so pretty happy with progress. Fastmem is visible when i go looking through memory chunks.
i will play more later

[luigi75]

Originally Posted by esel

I just tried it with my 2.04 Rom and it works ! I get a message about a Resident programm as you can see in the picture.

I’m asking here because I really don’t know where else to ask.
Got a real AR3 today, installed in my A500+, it seems to work but I got
ROM-test failure.
http://www.dropbox.com/s/ln7y9rtd98x..._1060.jpg?dl=0

Should I send it back as faulty?
Rom’s firmware is ver. 3.17

[Monkey]

I know this is a really old thread, but did anyone actualy work out if it's possible to modify a real AR3 cartridge to work with KS3.1, or is Kippers KS ROM switch trick the only hack?

Support for all CPU's and extra RAM would be awesome.

[Toni Wilen]

It is possible, ACA500plus has Action Replay II/III support without KS or CPU limits (except some debugging options that are not worth the trouble to fix). I did the patch and I can publish relevant parts. (Biggest parts are ACA500plus specific anyway)

But it won't help much because real cartridge has OTP EPROMs that can't be erased or updated.

Other RAM support is not trivial fix..

[esel]

Please publish it ! After almost 7 i still want to try to burn new Roms...

[Monkey]

I wouldn't have a problem taking a soldering iron to an AR3 to replace the ROM. I doubt there's room for a socket and still keep the case on though..


But an AR3 that works with KS3.1 and won't barf with the SSL A5000 would be great... extra RAM I could live without... I have to ALLOC it anyway.

[Toni Wilen]

Unfortunately it isn't that simple, I forgot some important details..

Normally Action Replay II and III does this at boot:
- hardware generates NMI (=internal button press) when KS ROM does first chip ram access. This is point where KS ROM is setting exception vectors.
- AR takes control, checks F3 page settings (memory size). Now comes the big hack: AR code returns back to KS ROM, _after_ KS ROM chip ram and slow ram detection code with registers set so that KS ROM think it run those tests normally with possibly faked results. Obviously this is very KS version specific (KS 1.2 and 1.3 are compatible because they are almost identical, v3.17 AR3 added KS 2.04 support which is not compatible with any other KS 2 or 3 versions.).

I didn't bother to support different KS versions, it would be almost impossible task and because it is mainly useful under KS 1.x: ACA500plus does not simulate internal button press but simply sets registers to match KS 1.3 (even if actual KS is >=2.0) and jumps directly to AR entry point and when it returns, it jumps to KS start entry point. Result is functionally same as real hardware except AR always thinks it is running under KS 1.3 and F3 memory size settings only work if KS is actually 1.2 or 1.3.

Making this hack work without extra "hidden" ROM (standalone AR) is not easy task.

Normal real AR 3 boot sequence:
- KS ROM executes from entry point
- AR runs when KS ROM does chip ram write
- AR returns back to KS ROM. (Absolute jump!)

ACA500plus AR 3 boot sequence:
- ACA500plus boot code runs
- AR code is patched, for example multiple absolute jumps to KS ROM are replaced with jump to ACA500plus "emulates" the original behavior.
- AR code is executed.
- ACA500plus gets control again (because of patched jump)
- Finally execution jumps to KS ROM entry point and normal startup begins.

"AR code" also shows AR title screen.

[oguzog]

Some nice thread here. Anyone continued to test more?