The "n" below the rhomb bootlogo should disappear. The ROM starts when the download is complete (PC software says "done"). However, since it starts with the bootloader again, the screen will look exactly the same, except for the "n". If the n remains or the screen goes blank, there is a problem. After the n disappeared, pressing START starts nanoloop and the version no. is visible for a second. It should be 1.6.1.
322 Jan 2, 2012 6:00 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
Nanoloop one does not come with the adaptor. I'm sorry if the shop page was not clear about that and have changed the product description accordingly.
The adaptor is not required to run nanoloop, allthough it very useful. Some people buy multiple carts or have the adaptor already because they have nanoloop 2.5. Therefore nanoloop one and the adaptor are available separately.
323 Jan 2, 2012 2:50 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
ant1 wrote:
got emailed to say that the software on the cart is no good and i must use the usb adaptor to update the software when the cart arrives
is this true or just a way to sell more usb adaptors?????
I will send out a USB-adaptor for free to those who had ordered 1.6 but no adaptor.
Nanoloop is sold as standalone product and if it does not work properly (like the initial 1.6 version, the bug is really serious), the update is of course free. Since that's faster and cheaper than calling the carts back, I decided to send the adaptors.
Btw, the profit I make with the adaptors is minimal if not negative.
324 Dec 16, 2011 9:01 am
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
nitro2k01 wrote:
I wouldn't call it MISuse, as Sysex was made specifically for things like these. Also, you might want to include a mode that allows you to load code into RAM and execute it. That would allow for extra fun, and maybe even upgrades, assuming the ROM flash chip has /wr connected straight to the /wr of the GB bus. If you need any help, say asm code, I'm there.
Thank you. Yes, I'll probably need some help when implementing the save functions. The flash is indeed connected to /WR directly. There is a PIC for bank switching, however, it does not work like an MBC but switches complete 32k banks which means that any code that changes banks and/or accesses the flash has to be in RAM, otherwise it would lock itself out. This makes things a little tricky compared to straightforward SRAM access.
The bootloader in the protected sector already can download code (that's how you'd get mGB in there in the first place and of course also updates): On startup, you press SELECT plus A or B to start the loader. It then waits for 32k of ROM data on the link port and writes them to the selected sector. Now when you start the Game Boy, you can start the ROM with A or B (start is reserved for nanoloop updates). Wether the data come from the regular USB-adaptor or the MIDI-version would not make any diference. This process is relatively slow though, it takes a few minutes to load a ROM.
325 Dec 15, 2011 9:36 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
Great, then it should work out of the box. Only the save function would need to be rewritten.
326 Dec 15, 2011 8:32 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
Interesting idea, to misuse MIDI as the generic simple data transfer protocol that USB is missing. I should have started with that, would probably have saved me a lot of work.
327 Dec 15, 2011 5:25 pm
Re: Why do we settle for EMS? (38 replies, posted in General Discussion)
Nanoloop and lsdj were more or less developed in parallel (with nanoloop starting 1-2 years earlier). In the beginning, we both simply bought flash carts in bulk, put our software on them and sold these carts as nanoloop/lsdj carts. However, flahs carts were expensive and manufactorers were sued by Nintendo so that they more and more disappeared. Johan kept selling flash carts and probably at some point decided to distribute the software only and leave the cart business to others. For nanoloop, I decided go "mass" production with ROM carts (like commercial games but from the same shady Hong Kong based companies as the flash carts). This went well for a few years, but it was difficult because production was very slow and often suddenly cancelled alltogether. I therefore wanted to design my own PCB with flash and just get the plastic shell from China (nanoloop 1.3). At that point I asked Johan wether we should join forces and develop a cart that would suit both, lsdj and nanoloop. He said he would "come back to me" - which he never did. So the nanoloop cart became a nanoloop-only cart.
I think there is no EEPROM or flash in the standard cart model because at the time when the Game Boy was released (1989), such parts were too expensive or didn't even exist. Flash is also much slower compared to SRAM which can be used real-time, like and extended RAM (and unfortunately it can also be wiped just as fast). However, today, flash is cheap and fast enough, allthough it is still tricky to handle.
It would probably be difficult to make an lsdj-version that runs on a nanoloop-like flash-only cart.
328 Dec 15, 2011 5:15 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
I am still working on the MIDI version. My plan is to write a simple (USB-)MIDI-to-SPI parser and provide a modified version of pushpin (or mGB, don't know about this one) that simply receives the MIDI-bytes via SPI (instead of its crazy software-MIDI) and hence would work on all GB models. For now I'm stuck with the Microhip PIC USB MIDI example behaving strange, but I definitely want to release such a product. Those with a nanoloop one could then download the PushPin ROM and order the USB-MIDI-adaptor (which will cost the same as the normal USB-adaptor). Since shipping is free, there is no reason to wait for the MIDI-version.
329 Dec 15, 2011 4:42 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
I'm sorry for all the delay.
330 Nov 17, 2011 7:27 pm
Re: Nanoloop file conversion stuff (5 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
With the USB-adaptor, you can back up banks from/to nanoloop 2.5 and 1.6 and save them as files on the PC. They are not SAVs because nanoloop's memory has a different structure than the ususal SRAM (flash with some rudimentary sector management). Currently there are no plans for any further file management / conversion tools.
To get a WAV, you need to record from the device. Since nanoloop 2.x is a pure softsynth, it would be relatively easy to write a WAV converter for nanoloop 2.5 files, I may integrate one into the USB PC software one day. For 1.6 files, a converter would have to emulate the Game Boy sound chip. I certainly won't write an emulator.
Due to a bug in the PC software, you currently can't send back 2.5 banks to the cart (it forgets to send the checksum, nanoloop can receive the file but will refuse to save it). This will be corrected soon.
331 Oct 27, 2011 5:10 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
There are a few 100s in stock, I'm now waiting for the USB adaptors and the 1.6 software is not quite finished yet, too. I think sales can start within next week.
332 Oct 27, 2011 1:36 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
Yes. The cart can be updated with the USB adaptor, so the cart and the software version got different names. The 1.x series are the versions for DMG, it would be logic to name the cart "nanoloop 1". However, people may think that a version 1 would mean a re-release of the original 1.0 cart, therefore I decided to name it "nanoloop one".
333 Oct 27, 2011 9:26 am
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
nitro2k01 wrote:
Looking at the picture again, I realize the edge extends a little bit longer on the side where the switch is.
The cart is symmetric, what may look like a longer edge on the left side is the cut edge which appears blue due to some illumination effect. When you look close, you can see the curve that marks the shape of the edge within the blue. The whole cart may look a little strange on the picture because of the isometric perspective (very long telephoto lens, almost no perspectivic distortion) and my amateurish GIMPing.
In reality, the cart is a little darker and a little greener, almost "dark teal". The color depends a lot on the lighting conditions, in daylight it looks more like on the picture while under a light bulb it appears in a very dark, almost black green. Haven't seen it under flourescent light yet.
I had experimented a little with different edge lengths and this one seems save. There is a tolerance of a few millimeters, it would still push the switch and work in a GBA if the edges were cut a millimeter longer than the pins (now they're about 1 mm less than the pin length).
334 Oct 26, 2011 11:55 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
I'll make a video tomorrow.
335 Oct 26, 2011 11:51 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
The edge pushes the switch, it boots in GB mode.
336 Oct 26, 2011 11:45 pm
Re: Nanoloop 1.6 announced (209 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)
Glad to know you find the new design sexy to look at. It also
- is even more exotic than a big hole with a black epoxy blob.
- is a PCB with all parts completely embedded, nothing is sticking out (the back side is the same dark blue plastic as the front).
- is very robust, it's a 2 mm thick piece of FR4 (PCB material, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FR-4). Actually much more robust than a standard cartridge.
- works with GBA.
- fits well into the cart slot of all GB models, it's just thick enough to stick in there firmly while it's still easy to remove.
It has rather sharp edges, but you can easily round them off a little with some sandpaper if desired.