Has anyone had any luck writing the Pulsar rom to the cart with a kazzo? I can't figure this out for the life of me...I keep getting errors...
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
OK what you need to do:
1. Read and follow the readme text with the DL. 99% of what I can say in from the Readme.
2. Make sure you have installed the PC software and USB driver.
3. You need the INL firmware installed on the Kazzo. Once you have unzipped the DL package, you will see two batch files. You need to have the Kazzo connected to the PC, then slid the switch to BL, then run the batch file "click to load retro programmer.bat" A Command Prompt will open and should run through re flashing the Kazzo firmware. When it finishes click any key to close the CLI. Slid the switch back to "Run"
4. Lunch the "INL retro-prog v1.1 beta.exe" file, the GUI will open. Plug in Cart. Click "Test"; should get "Test OK" if not recheck you last steps.
5. Top left drop down, choose 'Header"; top right 'Load", nav to 'ROMS' folder in your Kazzo folder, choose the "ERASE_PRG.bin" for the SXROM cart. Click "Write", should get "Verify OK". Red LED should go out.
6. Now back to top left, select your PRG ROM size you have on your cart. Click "Load", nav to your Pulsar PRG bin file, IT MUST MATCH THE SIZE OF YOUR ROM CHIP. It should be split and doubled or whatever for your case. I use http://www.kevinselwyn.com/ReadNES/ It's easy to use, but you could use uconn64 from your Command Prompt also.
Click write, you should get "verify OK"
6. That should be IT. Put cart in case and plug her in; turn on NES and enjoy 
That's the highlights, just make sure you get 'verify OK' at each step, if not go back to the begining.
Yogi
Offline
Arizona
When I click on "click to load retro programmer" it says "Error opening HIDBOOT device:The specifed device was not found"
I've installed the drivers correctly as far as I can tell...the led would turn on but now its not when I'm moving the switch from run to bl...
EDIT: Disregard this, I think I made it past this issue.
Last edited by Limitbreak (Jan 17, 2014 5:14 am)
Offline
Arizona
When I click on Test it says TEST OK but when I write the ERASE rom it gives me an error...
MY GOD.
EDIT: I'm trying to write while the cart is in the case...is it possible the pins aren't making contact?
Last edited by Limitbreak (Jan 17, 2014 5:18 am)
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
So do you still have the "HIDBoot device" error? If so you need to follow the dirver in stall instructions. What OS are you running? I use XP so don't know the details for Win 7 or what not.
Well the cart being in the case is OK, I've done it that way. Double check the slide switch, it needs to be in BL to flash the firmware and Run to upload to the cart. Make sure you set it to "Header" and Load the ERASE_PRG.bin. If you are getting an error here, you could try adjusting the cart in the connector, mine fits very tight but will shift a fraction left or right. Till you get a 'Verify OK" here, you can't do the next step.
If that doesn't work, you could try reloading the firmware but don't know if that is the problem.
Whenever you get an error hit the push button on the Kazzo to reset it. If I get an error during a write, I reset and start again: erasing and uploading. The first times I got an error I tried to redo the step I was doing but this just got me 'Error 116' which I think means the firmware is 'confused' So Yea, reset and start from the beginning step.
Yogi
Offline
Arizona
That sounds like the same issue I'm having. When I look in my control panel my computer recognizes the kazzo as "Retro INL" but I get the Error 116 when I try and write it. I'll start from scratch when I get home from work.
I don't know much about doubling up ROMs. If I can get the Erase ROM to write that will be the next step.
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
Drivers seems OK, if your OS recognizes 'Retro INL'. In run mode you should see the Red LED lit till you erase the chip as well as the "Verify OK" message. The test GUI button verifies the communication between the firmware and the PC, so I click it a lot.
Just a thought, are you using a Laptop? The Kazzo is powered from the USB and some laptops may have limited 5V. If this is the case you may need a powered hub or try using a desktop PC
.In general I avoid using a hub for this kind of stuff because you never know if it is causing a problem or not; at least till I know everything works without the hub.
A .nes file is setup for emulators, it includes a Header, to tell the emu what type of mapping, as well as the bin images for the PRG and the CHR roms. You need to split the Pulsar.nes file: to remove the Header bytes and separate the PRG bin from the CHR bin (there isn't one because SXROM uses CHR ram). I guess you could remove the Header bytes by hand with a hex editor but I would just use a tool.
The Pulsar PRG bin is 128K, if you have a 128K ROM chip you wouldn't need to do anything beyond the split.. In my case I have a 512K Flash chip board, so to load the 128K bin, I do a x4 so that the 128K file is copied 4 times to form a 512K bin file. With the ReadNES web based tool, you can select the configuration and it takes care of the operation, outputting a PRG file of the right size.
Yogi
Offline
Arizona
yogi wrote:
Drivers seems OK, if your OS recognizes 'Retro INL'. In run mode you should see the Red LED lit till you erase the chip as well as the "Verify OK" message. The test GUI button verifies the communication between the firmware and the PC, so I click it a lot.
Just a thought, are you using a Laptop? The Kazzo is powered from the USB and some laptops may have limited 5V. If this is the case you may need a powered hub or try using a desktop PC
.In general I avoid using a hub for this kind of stuff because you never know if it is causing a problem or not; at least till I know everything works without the hub.A .nes file is setup for emulators, it includes a Header, to tell the emu what type of mapping, as well as the bin images for the PRG and the CHR roms. You need to split the Pulsar.nes file: to remove the Header bytes and separate the PRG bin from the CHR bin (there isn't one because SXROM uses CHR ram). I guess you could remove the Header bytes by hand with a hex editor but I would just use a tool.
The Pulsar PRG bin is 128K, if you have a 128K ROM chip you wouldn't need to do anything beyond the split.. In my case I have a 512K Flash chip board, so to load the 128K bin, I do a x4 so that the 128K file is copied 4 times to form a 512K bin file. With the ReadNES web based tool, you can select the configuration and it takes care of the operation, outputting a PRG file of the right size.
Yogi
You know that very well could be the issue. I'm using an HP mini laptop. It works fine for flashing EMS carts but I'm sure this kazzo takes a little more voltage...
Offline
Arizona
I ran home on my lunch hour and messed with it for a bit. I got it to write the Erase ROM. When I get home tonight I'm going to try the doubled Pulsar ROM.
I'd also like to nominate myself for a Golden Gameboy Award.
I was putting the flashcart in backwards.
Offline
SLC, UT
hahahaha dude don't you love those problems? In your defense there's not a clear way to do it. But it's super relieving to know that you're the idiot in the equation. I love being the dumbest guy in the room, then you can count on everything else that's being said!
Offline
Arizona
stargazer wrote:
hahahaha dude don't you love those problems? In your defense there's not a clear way to do it. But it's super relieving to know that you're the idiot in the equation. I love being the dumbest guy in the room, then you can count on everything else that's being said!
I'm so much happier knowing that I was just being a dumb ass and I didn't get a faulty kazzo, cart or had an incompatible computer.
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
Limitbreak wrote:
I ran home on my lunch hour and messed with it for a bit. I got it to write the Erase ROM. When I get home tonight I'm going to try the doubled Pulsar ROM.
I'd also like to nominate myself for a Golden Gameboy Award.
I was putting the flashcart in backwards.
Sounds like you are getting things worked out! GREAT
INL tests the carts before he ships so 9 out 10 times it's operator error, that includes myself. hahaha.
Let us know how you make out
Yogi
Offline
Arizona
Its alive! Thanks for the help guys! Now to learn PULSAR!
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
So Glad!!! When/if you want to try up/downloading your WRAM save states I put together a how-to sort of post, it's linked to on the first post here, any questions feel free to shout. Yogi
Offline
Arizona
I look forward to using it! I've already made some effective pulse kicks, hihats and snares in Pulsar. This is a great program. I wish it mimicked LSDJ's navigation/cloning/etc style a little more but thats just me being unfamiliar with it...
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
Cool. I've never gotten into LSDJ, maybe soon, just never ran across a gameboy yet. I've been going through the manual @ Neil's site trying to figure it out. Much fun! Nestopia sounds good but the NES sounds better, very glad to run it on HW.
Good to hear you got it going, once you get the hang of flashing it's a snap. You can also run PR8 on the SXROM board but be warned: you'll want another board so you can switch back an forth 
Got NTRQ setup on a modded SNROM cart but it would be a snap with one of INL's boards. Also got cajoNES running on a cart, code modded to run on a SNROM cart.
Looking forward to hearing some of your jams
Yogi