Xplorer carts

[Squaresoft74]

Thank you very much for the dumps, i'll check them when i get free time.

2. There are user-added cheats found in the last 128KB section, too.

I'm not entirely sure about this.
Since original .fcd only cover the first 384Kb area for the rom program/cheat db, isn't the last 128Kb chunk reserved for compressed virtual memory card data only ?

[SONIC3D]

Thank you very much for the dumps, i'll check them when i get free time.

2. There are user-added cheats found in the last 128KB section, too.

I'm not entirely sure about this.
Since original .fcd only cover the first 384Kb area for the rom program/cheat db, isn't the last 128Kb chunk reserved for compressed virtual memory card data only ?

Maybe it's for vmc only like you said, I have not tested add additional cheats and compare which section would be changed. I just stated that for letting the potential ROM file user know that there is additional data there(not clean). As I dumped the ROM as is.

[Squaresoft74]

I checked your dumps and could get 2.006 and 4.55 roms to work just fine with my devices.

On the other hand, 3.18 hangs on a black screen past the Blaze logo.
My Xplorer FX Pro and X-Terminator Pro DX have a Winbond W29C040P-90 512K eeprom.
So i tried flashing my own 3.18 dump to and the same happened.
I'm not sure which eeprom the cart i dumped it from had since i gave a few carts to nocash a few years ago and maybe it was one of them.

Next i tried flashing my dump and yours to a Xplorer FX that has an ATMEL AT29C040A-12PC 512K eeprom and it worked fine there.
Can you check which kind of eeprom the device you dumped it from has ?

I remember the Xploder FX (Germany) r4.50 PRO 1999-10-25 rom won't work properly on Atmel based FX cartridges.
It would crash when attempting to write the eeprom when adding/editing/removing cheats.

Maybe it something similar here with Winbond eeprom ?

I'm attaching my dump if you want to /can check your side.

[SONIC3D]

...
Next i tried flashing my dump and yours to a Xplorer FX that has an ATMEL AT29C040A-12PC 512K eeprom and it worked fine there.
Can you check which kind of eeprom the device you dumped it from has ?
...

It dumped it from an X-T Pro DX with an ATMEL AT29C040A-12PC ROM. In DIP package. And the date code line shows 9930, so it should be 1999, 30th week.
The RAM is Hitachi HM628128ALFP-10.
PCB model is PXT-6(with no alternative PLD and RAM soldering footprints).

I will update the image later, charging my iPhone.

Currently I have no other Winbond W29C040P model in hand. The v4.55 X-T Pro DX is dumped from that model of ROM, but it has been returned to the donator. So I cannot confirm if it will reproduce your problem on that.

I guess the problem may be caused by the flash command difference. If any one can reverse the ROM, and locate the flash accessing code, we can identify that. I can do Saturn SH-2 code reversing but have no experience in MIPS so I cannot help much on that. Maybe it's better to mark it as AT29C040(A) only in Unirom 8 flasher?

*Update*
Full PCB and shell images:

[Squaresoft74]

Ah thanks for confirming it came from an Atmel based device !

You won't need to ask the donator who provided the Winbond based device you dumped the 4.55 from.
Since i already verified the issue with such carts, i guess that validates it's a similar issue like with the German r4.50 PRO 1999-10-25 rom.

I don't really know if it's down to a missing or broken flash command.
I couldn't help either with reversing the rom, my MIPS knowledge is pretty limited.
(Just enough to perform PSF rips).
Maybe Sickle or some assembly guru could give a hand here ?

Maybe it's better to mark it as AT29C040(A) only in Unirom 8 flasher?

I'll write that down in my romset notes.
Not sure if Sickle could add something about it on screen.
Filenames are quite long already and a few currently don't fully show up.

I have a dual banked SST FX somewhere, i'll check what it gives with this one.

You may want to join the Discord server at some point, where it may be more convenient to discuss what you asked here.

*EDIT*

I tried both dumps with my dual banked SST FX.
While it boots and reaches main menu unlike with the Winbond one, it partially hangs when loading the cheat list.
Once open, trying to add/edit/remove a cheat isn't saved at all, and the used space indicator is stuck to 0% while it should report 6%.

I guess it's down to the bank switching not working.

This rom definitely targets Atmel device only.
Which somehow makes sense, as this is an early FX/DX rom and afaik, first gen FX/DX devices came with Atmel eeproms.

I've also extracted the codelist from both dumps using X-Killer and they match 100%.
For some reason, my dump contains some extra data not found in yours.
I guess those are just leftover from a previously flashed version.
I'll discard my dump and replace it with yours when i'll update Unirom's X_ROMS.DAT file.

Since you mentioned your cart was brand new, should i label it as:
"X-Terminator PRO DX (Japan) r3.18 PRO 1999-06-24 [!]" ?
I've reseted the user parameters area so it should be as close as what the original .fcd used to flash the cart was.

[SONIC3D]

PCB and shell images updated for the 3.18 X-T Pro DX in previous post.

You may want to join the Discord server at some point, where it may be more convenient to discuss what you asked here.

Thanks, I just joined there. But a little busy these days. I will ask related questions there when I'm in spare time.

I tried both dumps with my dual banked SST FX.
While it boots and reaches main menu unlike with the Winbond one, it partially hangs when loading the cheat list.
Once open, trying to add/edit/remove a cheat isn't saved at all, and the used space indicator is stuck to 0% while it should report 6%.

I guess it's down to the bank switching not working.

hmm... I initially think the multi-chip is only different in /CE control logic compare to single-chip version(At least in reading mode). When program accessing the address range of 0x1F040000-0x1F05FFFF the /CE of the specific Flash ROM would be active. In that case the cheat DB reading should not be failed as 0%. So maybe I'm totally wrong in guessing of that control logic.

I've also extracted the codelist from both dumps using X-Killer and they match 100%.
For some reason, my dump contains some extra data not found in yours.
I guess those are just leftover from a previously flashed version.
I'll discard my dump and replace it with yours when i'll update Unirom's X_ROMS.DAT file.

Since you mentioned your cart was brand new, should i label it as:
"X-Terminator PRO DX (Japan) r3.18 PRO 1999-06-24 [!]" ?
I've reseted the user parameters area so it should be as close as what the original .fcd used to flash the cart was.

I have no idea about naming the ROM. I'm not professional in that(managing data). Better leave for you to decide. I just keep preserving the data jobs only. Or maybe, add [!] when we found another dump since not many people would worry about if the ROM is clean, considering the count of existing Xploder/Xplorer/X-Terminator users.

And do you know the exact data structure/algorithm info of the cheat DB storage of X-T Pro DX and X-T 2? Especially there can be Japanese Kanji in X-T cheat DB. The X-T 2 seems to use Shift-JIS directly to store cheat DB data but I have no idea if there are full Shift-JIS Kanji characters implemented in ROM. And X-T Pro ROM seems to use additional encryption or compression. If you have info related, I would be really interested in that. I have not used X-Killer, is that tool support Japanese Kanji characters? Is this tool open-sourced?

[Squaresoft74]

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply.
X-killer is an old close source tool from 1999, see attached files.
I don't really have any technical knowledge regarding the cheat DB management/encryption.
Maybe you could try reversing X-killer itself if that could bring some answer ?

In the meantime, i could get and dump a Spanish V2 Xplorer, rom is attached below.

[SONIC3D]

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply.
X-killer is an old close source tool from 1999, see attached files.
I don't really have any technical knowledge regarding the cheat DB management/encryption.
Maybe you could try reversing X-killer itself if that could bring some answer ?

...

Thanks. I may search for some reverse engineering notes on PS1 expansion ROM when I have time. And directly check the code of the cheat DB parsing logic.

And today I tried to fix a broken X-T Pro DX(Japanese Ver.) which is caused by a broken ROM chip. The original chip is AT29C040A. And I tried to install an SST 28SF040A with pre-programmed v4.55 ROM. It boots ok but halts on saving new game cheat entry. I think it is caused by the special write command and the page size of 28SF040.

So for anyone who wants to replace the Flash ROM of X-T Pro(single chip revision). Please consider using AT29C040 and W29C040P only.

[Squaresoft74]

New dump from a recently acquired cartridge: Xplorer V1 (Italy) r1.095BP 1998-08-29.

[shilongzop]

I know this has been asked before many times but why do cheat carts in general use 5v chips? I always thought the PSX parallel port used 3.5v logic

[danhans42]

Cheaper, easy to get

[Nextria]

Hello,
i know this is a old topic, but i recently modded my PS1 with a Xstation and Retrogem,
Making me dive into the PS1 again, and ofcource my Xplorers.

I have a Xplorer professional with the x-assist, inputing the codes manually it a bit if a work.
My question is, is there a easier way?

can i dump the cart, extract the cheat list, modify it and flash the cart again ?
i have PSxMemcard gen 2, so i could dump the ROM to the memory card i think.

[szalay_1]

Do you wanna manage xplorer cheats ?
Tools that need to manage them :
Xlink95 or X-killer for Xplorer/Xploder cheat cartdridge.
like this could manage/edit more cheats, download & upload.
Also need old PC system with pralell connctor & Win98/Me to run a poragram recomended.
Also the Xlink95 modified for WinXP to run a program and use it.
In forum could search and can be found tutorials etc and download
for above tools..

[Nextria]

Do you wanna manage xplorer cheats ?
Tools that need to manage them :
Xlink95 or X-killer for Xplorer/Xploder cheat cartdridge.
like this could manage/edit more cheats, download & upload.
Also need old PC system with pralell connctor & Win98/Me to run a poragram recomended.
Also the Xlink95 modified for WinXP to run a program and use it.
In forum could search and can be found tutorials etc and download
for above tools..

Hey, thanks for the replay. I dusted off my win98 machine.
Had to reinstall windows and fix all the problem that came with it.

I dumped the cartridge with x-killer, and I can extract the cheat list from the dump,
But i don’t see a option to upload the cheat list or to add it to the rom.

So I tried xlink95. I could also extract the cheatfile, and edit it, but when save it
I get a error on win98 about loosing the text format, if I accept it an try to flash the
Cheat list the xlink will crash.

So I copied the file over to my windows 10, used notepad++, and copied it back to the win98 machine.

Now it flashes it without crashing !

Really happy.


Maybe I make a YouTube video and showing the setup and all.

[szalay_1]

I forget tell you, you just use XcheatED GUI
It will manage all cheat device format
like Xplorer cheats format to ARV1 format or ARv3 format to Xplorer
or simple .text format convert to any cheat device forma of PSX
(BTW the Notepad 2 or +++ work for my on Win8x like a charm..

[Nextria]

I forget tell you, you just use XcheatED GUI
It will manage all cheat device format
like Xplorer cheats format to ARV1 format or ARv3 format to Xplorer
or simple .text format convert to any cheta device forma of PSX
(BTW the Notepad 2 or +++ work for my on Win8x like a charm..

My windows 98 setup isnt the best at the moment, its easier for me to just copy the file to my windows 10 system.
i am looking for the Xcheat ED GUI but cant find it, do you have a link to it?

I will also upload my dump of the Xplorer Professional, i think its not on here.

[szalay_1]

Here XcheatED v2.05
cheers.

[Nextria]

Here XcheatED v2.05
cheers.

Thank you !

Still having problem with cheatcodes not working:(
I am trying silent hill, some codes work and some codes will not work.

But on pc with duckstation they do work.

Not sure if it’s a Xplorer/code problem or the xstation/Xplorer combination

[szalay_1]

Strange. should be works them if versions and game ID match,
you could check in Xlink 95 on live memory editor menu all ram addresses (its fun) !
But i never seen "seriously"on youtube someone upload an video,
Xstation and Cheat cardridge work together, you can do it ?

[Nextria]

Strange. should be works them if versions and game ID match,
you could check in Xlink 95 on live memory editor menu all ram addresses (its fun) !
But i never seen "seriously"on youtube someone upload an video,
Xstation and Cheat cardridge work together, you can do it ?

Yeah its strange, i think its because most of the codes i find are for the Gameshark ?
i would love the make a video explaining the setup and how you can extract cheat list.
hope i have the time to do it.

Yes you can use xstation and a cheat cardridge for silent hill, one of the working one is save anyware.