EDN8 OS v20-BETA. Large update incoming

[Atse]

On the Hi Def NES, short and long reset does not work anymore as intended.

Reset to game=ON resets the game only for long and short reset.
Reset to game=OFF resets to N8 menu for long and short reset.

Worked fine before. I kept it to rest to game ON, and wit a long reset it went back to the menu.

[Sarge]

Definitely catching instruments being off-key in FDS games.  I haven't extensively tested the MMC5 games, but seeing them boot is absolutely awesome.

Is there any way to make the ED more resistant to card fragmentation?  I just end up removing and recopying my data on a firmware update, but I don't have these problems on the SD2SNES.  Not sure about the Mega EverDrive X7, but I don't think it's a problem there, either.

Regardless, I'm super-stoked to see this update, the N8 is getting closer to the perfect flash cart!

[brianvgplayer]

SDF seems to be missing sound effects.

[EmperorOfTigers]

Great update so far. I did have a few issues though.
For some reason the EverDrive N8 now randomly crashes while in the menu.
Also Nintendo World Championships loads but does nothing once it is loaded.

[KRIKzz]

Not sure what reference you guys use to compare with everdrive FDS sound, but this time sound working as it should be. I did not tested all games yet, but those which tested working 100% identically to real fds. This time for comparing i used real fds sound from fds ram cart. I modified ram cart a bit, now it only play sound but not conflicts with everdrive on databus, so, i can turn it on simultaneously with everdrive and test any games. I soldered 3.5mm headphones jack, one channel wired to fds sound output and another to everdrive sound output, i run games from everdrive and can hear sound from both devices in same time and compare. I listening only fds channels, before they mixed with internal nes channels and they match.
As may be some of us know, final sound results highly depends from mixing circuit and internal sound levels, and this parameters very different in various consoles revisions. Basically there is no some true reference fds sound, by the fact, because , real fds will sounds differently on various revisions of famicom as well.
I tested fds sound with Zelda no Densetsu, Metroid, Bio Miracle, Dracula II
This is why fds audio may sounds not like you expects.

As for disk swap from joypad: It can not be implemented, because i can intercept controllers state only if game constatntly reads controllers port, but only few games doing this, almost all other games stops controllers reading when they waiting for disk side changing.

Pease, if you reporting some bug, don't forget to describe:
1. cart version (fami or nes) and cpld ver
2. console version
3. any console mods, if they installed

Is there any way to make the ED more resistant to card fragmentation?  I just end up removing and recopying my data on a firmware update, but I don't have these problems on the SD2SNES.  Not sure about the Mega EverDrive X7, but I don't think it's a problem there, either.

N8 can handle rom fragmentation, but can't handle fpga code fragmentation (mappers code) because during fpga initialization whole onboard ram is not available, and i can run only small piece of code from internal console ram.


This is how my sound testiong setup looks. Thank to AVS for dual slot

[Jdurg]

That stinks about the disk-swap not being mappable to a controller.  So it looks like it'll be impossible to see the full introductions to games like Zelda, Doki Doki Panic, etc.

Would it be possible to keep the auto disk swap in, but not have it happen until start is pressed?  With these games, the introductions would play indefinitely until one pressed the start button.  Since the game would need to be checking for inputs, could we have it not do the automatic disk swap until start has been pressed?  Just curious.

Thanks again for all this krikzz.  I love all of my flash carts.

[KRIKzz]

That stinks about the disk-swap not being mappable to a controller.  So it looks like it'll be impossible to see the full introductions to games like Zelda, Doki Doki Panic, etc.

Would it be possible to keep the auto disk swap in, but not have it happen until start is pressed?  With these games, the introductions would play indefinitely until one pressed the start button.  Since the game would need to be checking for inputs, could we have it not do the automatic disk swap until start has been pressed?  Just curious.

Thanks again for all this krikzz.  I love all of my flash carts.

For zelda reads controllers during intro, so it will work for zelda, but i not sure if game will read controllers next when it will request to swap disk next time in-game. You may just stuck on forever if auto-swap will be turned off.

[Jdurg]

Well, I will admit that I only know enough about programming to get me in serious trouble.  Heh.  So I was just wondering if the auto-swap could remain on, but it wouldn't be enacted until start is pressed for the first time after the FDS ROM is loaded?  E.g. the flash cart loads up the ROM, has auto-swap ready to enable, but it doesn't get flagged as "enabled" until the player presses start.

I'm not sure if there are any FDS games that require a disk swap before start is ever pressed.

[KRIKzz]

Well, I will admit that I only know enough about programming to get me in serious trouble.  Heh.  So I was just wondering if the auto-swap could remain on, but it wouldn't be enacted until start is pressed for the first time after the FDS ROM is loaded?  E.g. the flash cart loads up the ROM, has auto-swap ready to enable, but it doesn't get flagged as "enabled" until the player presses start.

I'm not sure if there are any FDS games that require a disk swap before start is ever pressed.

Hm, nice idea. I will think about this.

[CLChambers00]

Thank you for the update! It is really cool to be able to utilize save states for Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. It is very temperamental but I will be able to make it work. I can also do save states now on the J version of Castlevania 3.

I use unmodded front loader for this test and these are some results.

1) CV3 U version is not working at all, the rom does not start. Another has reported that it works for them.
2) press and hold reset no longer resets to menu.
3) Final Fantasy still cannot be used for Speed running since the everdrive somehow changes RNG values used for encounters.
4) another known issue is that you cannot have save states on when you play startropics. The game will start but it will not allow you to play it. The only way for the game to save progress and actually allow you to play the game is if you have the safe State functionality turned off.

[brianvgplayer]

My model of the Everdrive N8 is the red FC version from the Krikzz Everdrive Store. I use it on AVS and an unmodded Famicom AV. I can also test it on an official unmodded top loading NES using a FC to NES adapter that I bought from Stone Age Gamer (though, of course, expansion sound games will be missing channels).

[Sarge]

James-F posted a video that shows things pretty well.  The main instrument in the melody in Ai Senshi Nicol gets off pitch, and it seems to do so proportional to how high the note is.  The plinkier portion of the melody later in the song also seems to hold tone for a lot longer than it does on the FDS; the notes should be decaying faster than that, giving it a bit of a poppier, punchier sound.

It's better than it was for sure, but it's definitely not right either.  I'm not complaining, though, I appreciate all the work!  Just trying to be helpful given that it's a beta! 

Also, thanks for the clarification with the mappers/fragmentation.  I had a feeling it was something technical, but good to hear it from the main man.

EDIT:  I can hear the wrong pitch in Metroid as well.  The instrument that comes in at 45 seconds in this version sounds very much off-key on the EDN8, especially the sustained note at 54-55 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfj67J527Lk

EDIT 2:  Kid Icarus is also way off.  Am I just missing something?  Did an older FDS core slip in somehow?  This video is apparently recorded straight from a Twin Famicom with original disk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMsHeEOAIGk

[Chelney]

This update is amazing.  Just from some quick testing I tried there are a few sprite corruptions on loading a state on mapper 119.  (not 100% of the time)   Still a fantastic change to having no save states though   Thanks bud! 

Should clarify this happens with: 
  1) Everdrive N8 (US version)
  2) NES-001
  3) Practice Rom for Mega Man 4 by Myria (The rom works with no sprite corruption on PowerPak so I'd guess its something with the Vram on this new update?)

[CLChambers00]

I have also noticed corruption when doing save states on Paperboy and Jaws.

[KRIKzz]

The main instrument in the melody in Ai Senshi Nicol gets off pitch, and it seems to do so proportional to how high the note is. 

I just make record from real fds and everdrive. Try it in headphones. Right channel outputs from everdrive and left from real fds: http://krikzz.com/pub/support/var/fds-sound-cmp.zip
Only FDS audio channel  on record to make it clear.
I make little fix in fds core right after beta1 release, so may be it fixed all. Will release it with beta2 soon

http://krikzz.com/pub/support/var/snesos-v5-dsp.zip

I have also noticed corruption when doing save states on Paperboy and Jaws.

Please do not report about save states glitches. On all everdrives this function working as is. On some systems it works better on some other it works not so good, but it never been 100% stable. On real hardware no way to make fully stable save states like on emulators.