OMG MY BATTERY WENT DRY!!!!

[Shadow666]

Yea I'm not freaking out like others on here I went and bought a replacement

[pomstazlesa]

and now whatever save file you had in sram is lost forever

[Shadow666]

and now whatever save file you had in sram is lost forever

I didn't care as it was bokti the sun is in your hand as I was adjusting the time/date

[Richardragon87]

Haven't used the RTC battery since the day I got it 5 years ago, still going strong...

[Localhorst86]

Haven't used the RTC battery since the day I got it 5 years ago, still going strong...

I am almost certain you did. First of all, the battery not only powers the RTC but also the SRAM. Second, the RTC circuit is probably powered despite you not "using" it in any game.

[Richardragon87]

Haven't used the RTC battery since the day I got it 5 years ago, still going strong...

I am almost certain you did. First of all, the battery not only powers the RTC but also the SRAM. Second, the RTC circuit is probably powered despite you not "using" it in any game.

I've never used the SRAM since the day I got it, it's mostly been running SNES games which don't generate that nor do I use the RTC for any game, I rarely have even checked if any GBA roms work on the device as I have been using it more for other formats while the Flash EZ was used for GBA.

[SlippyToadLives]

Haven't used the RTC battery since the day I got it 5 years ago, still going strong...

I am almost certain you did. First of all, the battery not only powers the RTC but also the SRAM. Second, the RTC circuit is probably powered despite you not "using" it in any game.

I've never used the SRAM since the day I got it, i

of course you have. SRAM is what is used for game saves. it temporarily saves to SRAM, the battery holds onto it when you power it off, and only when you launch another game does it dump the game save to your SD card + clear SRAM. rinse repeat

you have to have a functioning battery to save games

[Richardragon87]

Haven't used the RTC battery since the day I got it 5 years ago, still going strong...

I am almost certain you did. First of all, the battery not only powers the RTC but also the SRAM. Second, the RTC circuit is probably powered despite you not "using" it in any game.

I've never used the SRAM since the day I got it, i

of course you have. SRAM is what is used for game saves. it temporarily saves to SRAM, the battery holds onto it when you power it off, and only when you launch another game does it dump the game save to your SD card + clear SRAM. rinse repeat

you have to have a functioning battery to save games

I don't think I have ever save a game in my life of using it though, be it save states or auto saves in actual games. I presume its due to the fact I mostly added hacks to all the roms I use so their was no need to ever save stuff in them, I just progress through them without the need for it to eat up data. I presume the SRAM can still be used when it remembers the last game you play but according to reports it never used that even though I used to say it did... so yeah that's what I noticed.

[nuu]

Save states? Recent games lists? That's not what the SRAM is used for! The SRAM is used by games that has extra RAM (specifically a "Static RAM" chip or SRAM for short) in the cartridge. Just starting a game that's using SRAM may be enough for it to be accessed. You can't choose not to use it. Technically a game can include a SRAM chip without battery, just for the sake of the extra work RAM without the ability to save. I don't know if this is common on the GBA though. It is common on NES and Gameboy since those systems only has 2kB and 4kB internal RAM respectively.
I don't know if you can have SRAM in addition to EEPROM or FLASH in a GBA cartridge either.


Besides, accessing the SRAM has no significant effect on the battery life. The battery is always discharging no matter what you do.

[dav3yb]

It would be nice if there was a menu option for manually dumping the save file.  Or like the EDGBx7, adjust the RTC right from the menu. 

Anyone know of a particular reason those options aren't a thing?

[Shadow666]

It would be nice if there was a menu option for manually dumping the save file.  Or like the EDGBx7, adjust the RTC right from the menu. 

Anyone know of a particular reason those options aren't a thing?

the honest truth?