Kumokoyda
Offline
Space - The Final Frontier

I have the intention of getting one of those cards and put LSDJ on it so I can experiment with the sound a bit while on the go.
However, I did some research to see if this card would even work for me and I came to quite contratictory results which made this whole stuff even more confusing for me -.-"
So long story short, I've got a few quetions to ask....

1. I read somewhere that you neen somekind of "GB Transfer cable"(?) to transfer roms and saves from the computer to the card (and vice versa) - is this true? Or can you just use an odinary USB cable? Would I have to buy some extra stuff?
2. Is the software for transfering ROMs and saves compatible with Windows 7 64bit or only with 32bit models?
3. Apparently someone named Mottzilla released a software that improves the software that comes with the Smart Card - does this work with Windows 7 64bit?  MottZilla's Website
4. Does the card work with both GBC and GBA SP? (Yes, pretty stupid question I know, but I want to be absolutely sure I'm buying the right thing...)

Thank you for your patience smile

Dire Hit
Offline
Seattle, WA

1: These cables are not hard to find and are used for many things. If you buy your cartridge from nonfinite there's an option to have your cable included in your order.
2: Windows 7 is very particular about device drivers, and it can take some effort to get these cartridges to function properly with it. It's not impossible, but you'd probably have to spend a frustrating day figuring it out.
3: Never heard if this, someone else should answer that.
4: This does function with the original gameboy, gameboy pocket, gameboy color, gameboy advance, and gameboy advance sp. I've heard there are some save battery issues with using these cartridges with sps though, try asking auxcide. He has terrible taste in gameboys (uses sps wink )

Dadibom
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Cable is cheap and common, i use mottzillas menu on windows 8 64-bit, works on both gb and gbc

mightymrdogg
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Santa Cruz, CA
Dadibom wrote:

Cable is cheap and common, i use mottzillas menu on windows 8 64-bit, works on both gb and gbc

How do you get it to run on win 8? When I try to run it, win 8 complains that the program might put my computer at risk..

Dadibom
Offline

There is a guide on the driver cd! You gotta "sign" the drivers with a program and restart the computer into the "dont require signing" mode. Don't remember the exact steps but look at the video and restart between each step!

Dadibom
Offline

How to install drivers for Gameboy GB USB smart c…: http://youtu.be/1Pwjey8ICXQ

materiaxmedica
Offline
L―c―o

Getting it working on Ubuntu is even more of a pain.  As for the cable, if you happen to have a PS3, the cable that charges your controllers will work; it's what I use.

The software/driver stuff is finicky, but the cartridge itself is a good buy.  I've used it for DMG, pocket, colour, and in advance/SP.  Works best with DMG, pocket and colour whereas I prefer other things for advance/SP.  If you get frustrated, just take a break and keep in mind that when you DO get it working, you've got a very nice little piece, particularly if it's used primarily for LSDJ like mine is.  I imagine they're also very nice for flashing other things onto, but I'm not far enough along in my education in software to tool around with such things just yet.

As was noted above, nonfinite offers to include the cable along with it.  That's where I got mine and I had them send me an extra cable along with it (though I have several already from my PS3 and a couple of digital cameras, which also often come with them as a means of file transfer.)  If you prefer buy your cables separately, try the part of your chosen shop where they deal in digital cameras and you should find them.  I notice that they tend to retail for under $10 USD but that, of course, may be different for you depending on which shop you like and where you live.

Good luck and have fun, friend. ♡

Last edited by materiaxmedica (May 21, 2014 6:20 pm)

rygD
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materiaxmedica wrote:

Getting it working on Ubuntu is even more of a pain.

http://lacklustre.net/projects/ems-flasher/

Kumokoyda
Offline
Space - The Final Frontier

Ok, thanks for your replies smile
Even if it takes some time to get it working on my computer, just the fact that it will work is great!
I'll definitly buy the card, will be fun to toy aroud with it (and it's a nice excuse for digging up my old GBC) big_smile

materiaxmedica
Offline
L―c―o
rygD wrote:
materiaxmedica wrote:

Getting it working on Ubuntu is even more of a pain.

http://lacklustre.net/projects/ems-flasher/

I don't trust unfinished software.  Also, having tested it myself, it's a mess even for alpha code.

stargazer
Offline
SLC, UT
materiaxmedica wrote:
rygD wrote:

http://lacklustre.net/projects/ems-flasher/

I don't trust unfinished software.  Also, having tested it myself, it's a mess even for alpha code.

Are you kidding me? This 'alpha' code is lightyears beyond the windows mess EMS ships. I've used it both in Ubuntu and OSX and it's never failed, been more reliable, and overall easier to use than that abomination of a windows driver.

MaxDolensky
Offline
Alabama

Poking my head in here to say the Motzilla flasher is pretty awesome for games.

SurfaceDragon
Offline
USA

I have an old laptop that I only use for GB stuff and transfering roms/sav files to/from my EMS 64m carts.

Last edited by SurfaceDragon (May 21, 2014 10:57 pm)

rvan
Offline
Kumokoyda wrote:

1. I read somewhere that you neen somekind of "GB Transfer cable"(?) to transfer roms and saves from the computer to the card (and vice versa) - is this true? Or can you just use an odinary USB cable? Would I have to buy some extra stuff?

The EMS 64 USB Carts do indeed use a standard Mini-USB cable.  You might have been reading about the older non-USB carts, which plugged into a flasher which connected to the parallel port instead.

Dire Hit wrote:

4: This does function with the original gameboy, gameboy pocket, gameboy color, gameboy advance, and gameboy advance sp.

It's worth adding that while the cart will work on later Game Boys, it is still a Game Boy (not GBA) cartridge, so you won't be able to use GBA games/software.

stargazer wrote:
materiaxmedica wrote:

I don't trust unfinished software.  Also, having tested it myself, it's a mess even for alpha code.

Are you kidding me? This 'alpha' code is lightyears beyond the windows mess EMS ships. I've used it both in Ubuntu and OSX and it's never failed, been more reliable, and overall easier to use than that abomination of a windows driver.

I just want to step in to second this.  Calling Lacklustre's ems-flasher "a mess" hardly does it justice.  I don't know what issues materiaxmedica had, but I have used ems-flasher on Linux for a while with no issues.  (Note that it must be installed setuid root; I'm not sure if the documentation mentions this explicitly.)

killedatschool
Offline
Baton Rouge, LA

Ok so I just got a new computer running windows 8.1. I know that the EMS cart is finicky with this OS. I downloaded Mottzillas menu and it still shows the device isn't connected.

I'm missing some steps I believe. I can haz halp?

Greenfields
Offline

Hi,

I'm new in the chip tune world and I'm hitting a wall at the moment
My setup: gameboy pocket, ems smart card 64M (received today), lsdj
I'm trying to lash lsdj onto the smartcard from ubuntu...
I've followed the instructions on  Lacklustre's ems-flasher page * it looks like it's working*

sudo ./ems-flasher --write --rom --bank 1 --verbose lsdj.gb
trying to find EMS cart
claimed EMS cart
base address is 0x0
Writing ROM file lsdj.gb
Successfully wrote 1048576 from lsdj.gb

I didn't write any sav files as I don't have any, I've even tried writing into bank2 although it shoudn't be necessary?
When I put the cart inthe gameboy, small startup sound, black line flashes on the screen, the power led is on but then dims, then nothing...
The gameboy is working with a game cartridge, any idea what's missing?

Thanks for your help!  I'm hoping to get this runnng before tuesday as it's for a birthday present