Hello all,
I only have money enough for one of those... Which one should I choose?
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Hello all,
I only have money enough for one of those... Which one should I choose?
I have next interfaces (still waiting for new revision of MMC/SD interface by Leonardo Padial):
- MegaSCSI with ZIP drive
- MMC by Sharksym first version (using BIOS & Utils by Ramones)
- IDE+RS232 with CF interface + DVDRom (I replaced the HDD with the CF
)
- IDECF
As you talk about CF or MMCs, I will say my PROs/Contras for MMC/SD interface:
+ SD cards are cheaper
+ Loading DSKs in MMC with MMCEP.COM is great
- First revision by Sharksym is slower (I don't know about new version)
- First revision by Sharksym can only use 1 SD slot (I don't know about new version)
[I talk about new version as the one by a korean guy, I did not check this yet. I know that Padial's new version is great for speed and second slot also works]
Right now I would use IDE because I can read DVDs but I would prefer the MMC one because of price of cards and compatibility with DSKs. So if I were in your case I would go for the MMC (as I've said I don't know much about that "new version", but seems cool!).
"new version" is v2.2 and supports higher speeds then 1.0.
V2.1 is as quick as v2.2 but only supports 1 SD slot. v2.2 supports 2 SD slots.
difference between v1.0 and v2.x in speed is about 100 Kb/s
If you are using mmc interface for playing dsk images only why would you need 2 slots? and why would you need 140Kb/s as not all games like that speed (see comments in sharksyms readme file)
Copying games to SD card is done by PC so quick anyway.
Thanks for your information, that gives me a quick view of new version.
I knew about speed (difference of 100KB) because Ramones built his BIOS using my 1.0 card and then moved to the v2.x. So I knew about how changed from one version to the other one. Of course, I don't remember if v2.x used by Padial is the same as v2.x by sharksym... I am in doubts now. 
Just to clarify me... what changes from v2.1 to v2.2, just 2 SD slots?
Speed is needed. I use a MSX turboR and of course I do not expect to use the card just for loading DSKs. And yes, version 1.x is too slow for me, that prevents me to use it more than loading games (anyway I can load DSKs with OCM and this is faster
). And I like to copy files from DVDs of IDE to MMC by using both interfaces at the same time.
If you don't mind having a desktop-PC or notebook standing next to the MSX, then the upcoming NoWind is at least worth considering..
Well, that's the problem. I don't want to.
My goal is to have EVERYTHING on a cartridge.
1st case) Sunrise CF ATA IDE
To play konami games without removing my beloved original cartridges from their "Sarcofagus" I could use the .ROM games along with execrom and a Megaram. BUT, the problem is: No SCC (Actually I have a SCC card, but no more slots available and I don't have enough space for a slot expander).
Most DSK games can be "ported" to normal OS files right? The ones that cannot...
2nd case) Erikie MMC Drive Interface
He told me that:
1- Using a PC one time, I can load several .DSKs inside the card. By doing a key combination or something like that I can choose which dsk will be active and MSX will interpret that as a regular floppy disk.
2- He also told me that there's another operation mode that allows the MMC drive interface to act as a "Mega Flash" Cartridge. So, there's probably a way to save a ROM file on it and to play it as a regular cartridge.
3- He can include an SCC chip inside it.
4- To play, for example, space manbow using SCC I would only need to set the operation mode to read ROMs and reset the MSX.
5- One slot operation for pretty much everything.
Conclusion:
MMC Drive Interface is better?
Question:
p1) Can I load a bunch of DSKs and ROMS inside the MMC and never ever connect it to a PC again? Using just MSX operation?
Best Regards,
Muffie
Erikie, the difference between yours and the Korean is just speed?
2) Can I fill the SD card with roms and dsks and then NEVER EVER again connect it to a PC?
You can check this post too (I don't know the differences and if it is compatible with Erikie's one):
www.msx.org/LPE-MMC-V6-and-DRSDMMC-driver.newspost4604.html
By the way, the URLs don't work, but I think that Leonardo's email does.
At least you can check all the options and what that card can do.
To make a fair difference between cf-ide and sd/mmc interface is hard to tell.
Simply because I believe that it isnot the hardware but the used software that makes the difference.
Is the software of the mmc/sd interface to download
Be aware that you cannot flash the mmc drive from an SD card from itself.
As you need the flash bios to use the SD card, if you flash it with a rom from SD card you are screwed 
My config is like this:
Sunrise CF flash for storage of roms
MMC for playing dsk files
2 flash roms (ese-scc and megaflashrom scc)
I flash the flash roms from sunrise CF as I did not yet manage to flash it from the MMC 
One thing I am looking into is now building an mmc from 1 cpld and 3 ttl chips. That will then be a v1.0 speed but it should be relatively easy to create and much cheaper then having pcbs created. Hardware necessary for that costs about 15-20 euros and an konami scc.
Next step will then be replacing the scc chip with the schematic from Jipe with the ls670 chips.
But that will require (a small) custom made pcb. Could be something konami size.
Muffie: to answer your question about never ever using a pc I need to test on my other msx if I really cannot flash seperate flashrom from mmc v1.0 interface. It could be the test machine I am using as it acts a bit weird on other things too 
I modified a bit to much
So I repeat the question is the flashbios of MMC/sd iNTERFACE available, to try the opposit of this
flash the flash roms from sunrise CF as I did not yet manage to flash it from the MMC
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