FXPak Pro glitches (This time on 1-Chip)

[foyde]

Good morning everyone.

First of all I hope you have had a good start to the year and are safe.

I finally have my Fxpak Pro, being already my sixth Everdrive from Krikkz (very happy with their products). The thing is that I have many problems related to graphic glitches with my Super Famicom 1chip and the mod to change region with the reset button. 9 times out of 10 the console starts the fixed green led and it is impossible to change it with the reset button, causing flickering in the menu and in the game. With SuperCiC options on and off the result is the same. Similarly, I have tried the Fw for Diagnostics but the screen stays green and I can't start the tests. I have tested with 3 diferent SD Cards and clean both the contacts on the catridge and on the console itself with 98%alcohol solution, same result.

Attached are screenshots of the console and the cartridge, the "System Information" from the menu and the result of turning on the console with those graphic failures:

https://wetransfer.com/downloads/3f4aecfc3612fd35fe44bf2d980b3aeb20210109174805/f09643be8c2b325931dabdc67436f1bd20210109174827/a58e04



Many thanks to all of U.

[foyde]

Output of FW Diagnostics:

===log opened===
flash check:   1d62b458-b82d6850-c2-11-0 
SD test... please insert card
=============================
crc1 = 8a0b9767 crc2 = 8a0b9767   PASSED


RTC Test
========
setting clock to 2019-02-23 00:00:00
2019-02-23 00:00:00
waiting 2 seconds
new time: 2019-02-23 00:00:02
PASSED


FPGA test
=========
configuring fpga...
basic communication test...PASSED


RAM connection test
===================

Testing RAM0.1 (U501)...

Testing RAM0.2 (U502)...

Testing RAM1 (U511)...
PASSED

SD DMA test
===========
clearing RAM - loading test file - verifying -PASSED


Loading SNES test ROM
=====================



sysclk test
===========
measuring SNES clock...
21479555 Hz
21479556 Hz diff = 1  max = 1
21479555 Hz diff = 1  max = 1
21479555 Hz diff = 0  max = 1
   CPUCLK: 3368018
  READCLK: 3047255
 WRITECLK: 160381
  PARDCLK: 160382
  PAWRCLK: 160381
  REFRCLK: 78740
ROMSELCLK: 481145
   CICCLK: 3579926
PASSED


SNES test status: IRQ: 00   PA: 00   MEM: 00/00
SNES test status: IRQ: 00   PA: 5a   MEM: 00/00
SNES test status: IRQ: 5a   PA: 5a   MEM: 5a/00



TEST SUMMARY
============

flash check:   1d62b458-b82d6850-c2-11-0 
Test      Result
----------------
SD        Passed
USB       not implemented
RTC       Passed
CIC       no run
FPGA      Passed
RAM       Passed
SD DMA    Passed
CLK       Passed
DAC       not implemented
SNES IRQ  Passed
SNES RAM  Passed
SNES PA   Passed

[foyde]

*Update*

Ikari_01 tell me this Via Twitter:

When that mode is disabled in the menu it should behave like a normal cartridge is inserted (switch modes by holding reset, etc) however this mode is of limited use for a cartridge that can in itself switch between games of different regions. 2/n
It would seem that in your case the detection is somehow thrown off; your SuperCIC always (or 9/10 times) thinks it's enabled when it really isn't. It might be an issue with your SuperCIC install, e.g. wrong clock fuse etc 3/n
As normal cartridges don't rely on successful CIC communication they would still work as normal. Any original SA-1 game would probably not boot though.

So,it seems that this cartridge have some problems with Snes with SuperCIC mod. Considering that my console was modded last year (2020):

Is there any tool to test and obtain the version of the Firmware of the SuperCiC?
Is there any info of thread to know what are those version with compatibilty issues with the FXpak Pro?
Is there any custom build FW (non oficial) that can match this issue in some way?

Thanks to all of you

[nuu]

1. If it the PIC wasn't locked, you could dump it using a PIC programmer. Otherwise you have to program a new PIC with the Super CIC code and install it.

2. Version of Super CIC? No the Super CIC was designed by ikari_01 for the SD2SNES/FXPack. It should be compatible.

3. You mean custom FXPack Pro OS? Not that I know. Besides your problem seems to be of a faulty Super CIC installation, so no OS update can fix that. You have to fix the Super CIC mod.

[foyde]

Thank you for your reply

I honestly have doubts that the SuperCiC instantiation is incorrect, the person has made more than 50 times this kind of modifications.

What I wanted to emphasize in point 2 is that according to Ikari, FXPAK Pro could make some mismatches with the FW installed in the SuperCIC of my console (SuperCIC enhanced, but disabled on System information of the FXPAK Pro). My question is, which of these versions installed in the SuperCIC PIC of my console is the FX PAK Pro incompatible with? Is there any way to know if my console has one of those FW versions installed that are incompatible and present that glitches with the FXPAK Pro?

Greetings!

[nuu]

I'm not aware of any incompatibility issues, but googling turned up this:

According to ikari_01, there is a timing issue in the very old version of the SuperCIC firmware that prevents pairing of the two chips. A remedy is to either update the SuperCIC of the console (lock) or the SuperCIC of the cartridge (key).

So you might be right. Both your Super CICs might be too old and this mismatch bug occurs.
I don't get why this only happens on the FXPak Pro though. It might just be a certain combination of key and lock versions that doesn't work together.


Do you have any SA-1 cartridges? If it doesn't work in your SNES (and you have tried cleaning the cartridge pins) it probably means that there is a problem with the Super CIC mod.

Here is a list of games using SA-1 or other enhancement chips:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_NES_enhancement_chips#List_of_Super_NES_games_that_use_enhancement_chips
Only SA-1 games relies on the CIC working correctly.

[foyde]

Hello.

Unfortunately I don't have any game with SA-1. When you say that Only SA-1 games relies on the CIC working correctly, you mean that if I try one of them I can confirm if there is a problem with the mod?

About the link you mentioned I read and it said at the beginning: "Right now, it seems to have a bug when used in combination with a SuperCIC. As soon as the SuperCIC is enabled in the configuration, there is no picture and sync is lost (also, weird readings on the OSSC display). Upon switching the frequency, the LED of the console turns red and is stuck in that status".  in my case the problem is similar whether the SuperCIC option is enabled or not on the FXPAK Pro menu, so I understand that it does not apply to me.

What I have noticed now is that those glitches appear when I select the reset option to the menu with the reset button itself.

However, although these glitches disappear, the first time that power on the console in "cold" (been power off at least 6-8 hours) it loses the video and audio synchrony completly (black screen with no audio), making necessary two or three power off/power on the console until it synchronizes. Then the gitches disappear, the video/audio sincros works well and I can use the change of region with the reset button.

Greetings

[nuu]

Yes or that if you did have a SA-1 cartridge and it worked on your SNES, that would confirm that the Super CIC mod works correctly.

It sounds like you got it working now though? Was it just the wrong region? What region is your TV and console anyway?

[foyde]

That's right, it's working. But it is a bit annoying that the first time you play the console after leaving it "cold" (after 6 or 8 hours off) it has that initial sync failure problem and you have to wait a few seconds and turn it off/on again.

I will try what you said about the SA-1 to see if everything goes well. My console is a Super Famicom NTSC JAP 1chip (S25035189)

Thanks again

[nuu]

Ok, that's weird. The last used region is supposed to be saved inside the Super CIC. I can only guess that it's a bug in one or both the Super CICs, or an incorrectly installed Super CIC like Ikari thought.