PSX GameShark Pro...Info and Tools

[Mezmorize]

Sorry for double posting.

Edited the first post with info on how to update a GS Pro (to play backups or not).
Reflash a corrupted firmware, or insert downloaded saves into the v-mem.

Info:
512 KB Firmware file Divided by 4 parts equals:
128 KB SECTION 1 = GS PART 1
128 KB SECTION 2 = GS PART 2
128 KB SECTION 3 = GS PART 3
128 KB SECTION 4 = Virtual Memory Card (pSX Emulator Format)

Firmware Pro's & Con's
v3.0 - Boots backups & can use V-mem.

v3.1 - ? Don't have this to test out, v3.2 firmware shows 3.1 in a Hex Editor, bet it was a quick bug fix to make backups not boot (like they can in v3.0).

v3.2 - Don't boot backups but is faster, more than likely more codes also, didn't pay attention

v3.2 AR3stop Version - Boots backups, at the cost of v-mem support.

[Lazy Bastard]

I suppose we should put together a solid guide for this process (or we could prepare and add yours to the Library, if you like).

Nice avatar, by the way.

[Mezmorize]

I suppose we should put together a solid guide for this process (or we could prepare and add yours to the Library, if you like).

Nice avatar, by the way.

Thanks for the comment, made it with the model viewer posted on this very site.

I can clean it up and better prepare it for the tutorial section, but can't really explain the other method of updating.

I still can't connect my PC to those programs to flash the encoded format of the firmware files. I wanted to grab snapshots also, but cannot do this without an emulator.

[kh2k4]

Will this work on Action Replay CDX v3.3 the version that comes a memory card instead of the parallel port device? my cable uses the psx serial port instead and has a female DE-9 pin connector although in the tutorial vhs it says you can use a serial to parallel adapter and use it on the parallel port on your pc instead.

I flashed mine a few years ago but it corrupted something I can no longer change between the selectable backgrounds it's like the images are missing cos all I have now is a black background.

Is the V-mem on pro an actual part of the software on the disc cos CDX V3.3 doesn't have that feature on any of the menus.

[helder]

pretty sure you cant, the firmware updates were for the devices that connect in the back of the PSX.

[kh2k4]

I'm like your Thundercats avatar Schnarf, snarf!

[Mezmorize]

I successfully used the GSP to dump my bios.
I'll write up a guide on that also.

Doing it my way you:

1. Don't need a mod-chiped PSX.
2. Don't have to flash the GSP to to Caetla (or however it's spelled).
3. Don't have to own a memory card or a DexDrive.

P.S. A PS2 able to run uLaunchELF can fully replace a DexDrive (if you own a USB stick/PSP.)


How to dump PSX bios using a GSP/AR3.

Required Hardware:
PSX GameShark Pro
Parallel Cable

Optional Hardware:
PS1 Memory Card

Required Software:
GameShark Reflash Tool (Complete).zip
BiosDump.psx
MemcardRex v0.8.zip

Important:
Have an empty memory card in, or if you don't own a memory card, make every V-Mem slot empty.

1. Boot the burnt CD 'ar3flash.bin' with the GameShark disabled. (As described in post 1.)

If the GS menu pops up when you press the button on the side, you didn't boot the disc correctly.


If you see this screen after pressing the GameShark button, you have successfully booted the CD with the GameShark disabled.


2. Open the command line application named 'AR3EXEC.EXE' (this file in the same package as the ar3flash.bin CD).

3. Use the command line app to run the PSX-EXE file named 'BiosDump.psx'.



Here's what a typical .bat/.cmd file might look like, if you have the command line app and the .psx file in the same folder:

@ECHO OFF
CMD /c
ar3exec.exe BiosDump.psx
EXIT

4. Now it's time to extract the memory card you just filled up with bios code. There are a few way's to do this.
A. Use a DexDrive, or the homemade version.
B. If you have a PS2 that can run 'uLaunchELF', use it to copy the PSX memory card to a USB stick, then you can transfer to a PC.
C. Boot the burnt CD 'ar3flash.bin' with the GameShark disabled.
Use the command line tool 'AR3BKUP.EXE' to extract your firmware.
And then use the PC application 'HJ Split' to extract the memory card.

Firmware Info:

512 KB raw firmware file divided by 4 parts equals:
128 KB Section 1 = GS Firmware Part 1 of 3
128 KB Section 2 = GS Firmware Part 2 of 3
128 KB Section 3 = GS Firmware Part 3 of 3
128 KB Section 4 = Virtual Memory Card (pSX Emulator Format).

Why pSX format?
Because "The goal for pSX is to make an accurate emulator that reproduces the gaming experience from the real PlayStation".

To be continued......................................... .....................

[Mezmorize]

If anyone is interested, I fixed the problem of ar3stop and v-mem.

Normally, if you click on v-mem, it would erase the ar3stop patch, no more of that...

I currently have v3.2 GSP with a full 15 slots on v-mem with the ar3stop patch also.

Edit:

I Put the patch on all 8 virtual memory cards, in total there are 110 blocks able to be saved/loaded upon.

V-Mem Total
15x8=120 Blocks
AR3stop
8x1=8 Blocks used out of 120
Useable Blocks
14x7+12=110 Useable Memory Card Blocks

Off to bed.

[ugetab]

I just now successfully found a power cord for an off-site PSX, and have since downloaded the codes off of my device.

Some items of interest, if you're looking to do this yourself:

Windows XP Changes needed to communicate with PSX Gameshark Pro:

1. Get into your BIOS setup screen, and look for the Parallel or LPT port settings. This will likely be set to Bi-directional. Change it to ECC(preferably) or ECP. This is because Bi-directional supposedly doesn't work.
2. Go into your Device Manager window, and under 'Ports', select 'Printer Port (LPT1)'. Go to the 'Port Settings' tab, and set it to 'Use any interrupt assigned to the port'. I also chose to enable the 'Enable legacy Plug and Play detection' checkbox.

After this, I just plugged all the cables into their obvious spots, turned on the PSX, let it boot to the menu(didn't have anything but the power cord and GS Pro in it), and it was detecting it from the GSCC File->Configuration menu instantaneously.

Hope this helps someone who's interested in this stuff.

---
Also of note is that I have a 16x memory card, and I had to take it out of Slot 1 for communication to start working for some reason. One it was working, I switched it to Slot 2, and grabbed every single save off of it with only a few instances of <s and >s in the names to gum up the works.

[Lazy Bastard]

Nice; we shall have to add these insights to the Library. But, alas, I'm much too tired to do anything else productive today. Perhaps tomorrow I'll do so.