Sega Megadrive (Genesis) Flashback Mini HD with an USB on internal mother board

[Yoshimashin]

Suddenly, I only get USB Device Malfunctioning notifications on Windows when I plug in the unit. It was mounting as an external drive up until now.

Possibly related, but the red wire on the top of the board leads to the bottom of the PCB, but it isn't connected to anything. Does this need to be soldered to something?

--EDIT--

I reworked the wire mod, I may have bridged pins 4 and 5. Pulled off the access solder and I seem to be back in business.

 

[WD_GASTER2]

careful. with that you can permanently damage the bus by crossing those pins.

 

[Yoshimashin]

It's all good. Reads the USB drive fine.

 

[Kleyon]

Hi everyone! First thanks to all of you for your work on this Megadrive Flashback HD!

I have modified the bootanimation, using the recent SEGA logo you posted here, ok this one work fine.

Then I saw post from @asper (if I remember correctly) announcing that he successfully added sound to bootanimation. So I tried this myself.

I downloaded on Youtube the recent SEGA logo with sound an just extract audio to be OGG (128kbps) and placed it to /system/media/audio. But that didn't worked. After some research, seems like it is needed to point to audio file under desc.txt from bootanimation.zip.... so I did it!

Now sound is playing but not on every boot and when sound is played, its start too early and so the voice tell SEGA before SEGA logo is displayed.

Now my questions:
- Why bootsound isn't playing at all boot?!
- What must be the correct sampling rate (128kbps is too much?)?
- Can we delay audio on desc.txt like images for bootanimation can be delayed?

Last quetion: @Hekel no way to have a hand on your RetroShield v1.0? Seriously this is the alternative launcher we are looking for (cause still have covers for games). I really hope you still working on it, we like it a lot!

PS: I have to add that I don't use symlink anymore for all-games.ini, just updating it directly on /system/atgames/. And to conclude, fun fact, Megadrive Flashback HD we have here was kind of secure against creating a Games folder on SD!!!! Everytime I tried to create a folder and named it Games it was automatically back to New Folder.... So I just created a Game folder!

 

[asper]

Hi everyone! First thanks to all of you for your work on this Megadrive Flashback HD!

I have modified the bootanimation, using the recent SEGA logo you posted here, ok this one work fine.

Then I saw post from @asper (if I remember correctly) announcing that he successfully added sound to bootanimation. So I tried this myself.

I downloaded on Youtube the recent SEGA logo with sound an just extract audio to be OGG (128kbps) and placed it to /system/media/audio. But that didn't worked. After some research, seems like it is needed to point to audio file under desc.txt from bootanimation.zip.... so I did it!

Now sound is playing but not on every boot and when sound is played, its start too early and so the voice tell SEGA before SEGA logo is displayed.

Now my questions:
- Why bootsound isn't playing at all boot?!
- What must be the correct sampling rate (128kbps is too much?)?
- Can we delay audio on desc.txt like images for bootanimation can be delayed?

Last quetion: @Hekel no way to have a hand on your RetroShield v1.0? Seriously this is the alternative launcher we are looking for (cause still have covers for games). I really hope you still working on it, we like it a lot!

PS: I have to add that I don't use symlink anymore for all-games.ini, just updating it directly on /system/atgames/. And to conclude, fun fact, Megadrive Flashback HD we have here was kind of secure against creating a Games folder on SD!!!! Everytime I tried to create a folder and named it Games it was automatically back to New Folder.... So I just created a Game folder!

The audio problem is probably dued to low memory, I was not able to fix it.

The folder problem is dued to the fact that you should NOT create SD:\Games folder using ADB shell because, for some reason, windows will not show it but the folder is there so if you try to re-create it it simply cannot use the same name for a folder. I suggest you to create SD folder under windows only and not using ADB; to solve the problem remove the Games folder form ADB and re-create it from windows.

 

[Kleyon]

So I suppose we can just forget about bootsound ^^ Anyway thanks for explanation.

Concerning Games folder I assume you're right, cause first time I connected Flashback to PC, I just followed a tutorial doing all ADB commands. Anyway now system has been restored, there's no symlink like I said, folder (Game) has been created under Windows and now it's only about path under all-games.ini. So Game or Games doesn't matter, but thanks again for your explanation.

 

[portaro]

Hello my first post here in the forum so thanks for receive me.

Recently I buy this same megadrive and today I start to try add games in it, but my operating system is Lubuntu Linux 14, there are a strange problem that I pass all my afternoon tried to solve →
When I plug the console on my pc it isnt recognize I pass lsusb command and first I dont obtain the id vendor in my case he appear in blanck after that I update my usbids via → sudo update-usbids.
Then the lsusb command identify the device on port →
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 2207:0011 Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Company SmartTab

Now the problem is the device isnt recognized by adb devices command and I already try move a section file to add the identification on /etc/udev/ with the vendor and the id product line like that →
SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="2207", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0011", MODE="0666" GROUP="androiddev", SYMLINK+="android%n"

But still dont recognize on adb devices command.

Any other user with the same experience on Linux systems?

The console model number is → FB 3680
Thanks a lot!

 

[portaro]

How excuse me I already found the solution →
We need take place to start connction on the path ~ ./android with code vendor without <>
- Like that 0x2207 , this is my error because I think that we need the <> on init and end of the code.
Now the console is identified by adb devices →
V5NQX36ZJH device

Maybe I can add some roms now, thanks for your help.

 

[portaro]

How excuse me I already found the solution →
We need take place to start connction on the path ~ ./android with code vendor without <>
- Like that 0x2207 , this is my error because I think that we need the <> on init and end of the code.
Now the console is identified by adb devices →
V5NQX36ZJH device

Maybe I can add some roms now, thanks for your help.

Step By step to custom games on the Genesis Flashback 2017 with a GNU/Linux system on iterface connection PC.

First of all follow the tutorial on Instructables tutorial to the custom process of add Roms and backup your system.

In GNU/Linux computers and if you any problem of detection you need take attention on - see if your console is detected in the adb tool. Find the vendor ID, finally edit your ~./android/adb_usb.ini file.

First see if your device is detected with the description of vendor →
$ lsusb
Bus 005 Device 003: ID 2207:0011 Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Company SmartTab

If in your case the result of command is →
Bus 005 Device 003: ID 2207:0011

You need to update your usbids with command →
$ update-usbids

Now you can try on terminal the command →
$ adb devices

If the command dont return any listed, you need to do the edition of path config on your ~./android/adb_usb.ini →
Oen this file or create one and put the information of the vendor with the value 0 before.
For example I see with lsusb that my devicee have the Vendor - 2207 and the Product - 0011, I only need the Vendor ID.
So my text on the file is →
0x2207

Now I need to stop the adb tool with kill service with command→
$ adb kill-server

Start once again →
$ adb start-server

And finally list device →
$ adb devices

After that my device is listed by →
V5NQX36ZJH device

Now You can start following the steps of the tutorial on top to add, edit gams to your device, is very important to take special attention on the file → all-games.ini - this is he real reason that you need connect the device via adb tools.

I hope that this help users that have the same problem that I have on Linux Kernel.

Thanks.

 

[Batdan81]

Exume me , when I took the second step (2 - INSTALL CUSTOM FIRMWARE - README) the console rebout , bat remain in download mode........ And i try to recovery the firmware but , i noticed i don't have RK3188lLoader.bin.......I check in your STOCK FIRMWARE but the is not.....and I noticed that when i try to recovery recovery user.bin freeze at 82% (both mine and your). Can you hel me?

 

[asper]

Exume me , when I took the second step (2 - INSTALL CUSTOM FIRMWARE - README) the console rebout , bat remain in download mode........ And i try to recovery the firmware but , i noticed i don't have RK3188lLoader.bin.......I check in your STOCK FIRMWARE but the is not.....and I noticed that when i try to recovery recovery user.bin freeze at 82% (both mine and your). Can you hel me?

Something went wrong during the flashing process and if re-flashing freezes at some point (and always the same point) I suspect a NAND failure, in that case you are one of the (rare) very unlucky guys who have a defective console NAND chip (so this is not a mod fault). I think there is no way to recover your console, I am sorry.

About the loader "missing" file: it cannot be dumped (read the 1st Readme file) but it can be found with google (as stated in the 1st Readme) anyway if the console boots in download mode it is not a loader problem.

Or Maybe You have a 2gb console and not a 4gb one...

 

[Jamieasy]

This thread is an absolute mess , trying to do hack on 2017 , the instructions are long and drawn out . nothing is formatted correctly , its like trying to read Mongolian , is there a better version of all the infomation stored here , thats easily readable?. or atleast more coherent , i dont even know how yall managed to do this and i am a computer major lol

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reading the whole thread did nothing but confuse me

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is there coherent youtube version of this or somthing that not sprawled out across 3 hard to reead text documents?!?! its a bit much

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im just going to assume this thread is dead , and yall gave up

 

[rrifonas]

Maybe you can explain what you are trying to do, and what did not work, as this thread have several topics.

This device does not have a '1-click solution' as the Nintendo Classic devices, most of the stuff here need some knowledge in Linux, Android and ADB (they are not 'user friendly), and the most important message is: BACKUP YOUR DEVICE BEFORE STARTING, as the device will become 'unusable' (soft-brick) if some of the changes are improperly done. The process to recover is documented and I think nobody will help you to recover if anything goes wrong.

Some items discussed in this thread:
1) If you want to only add games and keep the built-in emulators, you will need to figure out if your device is the 'obb' or the 'non-obb' model. As a computer major it should be easy for you to figure out which model is yours reading the instructions below:
a. non-obb version: https://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Games-to-Atgames-Genesis-Flashback-HD/ and there are several videos in youtube covering this process
b. obb version: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/266499-new-genesis-flashback/page-13#entry3895318
2) One-wire mod, and backup methods: They were available at mdfbrew.org but the site is down. The content is still available here, but you will need to accept the certificate error to continue
3) If you want to replace the built-in emulator, search in this forum for the Generations Launcher
4) There is a lot of discussion about RetroShield, but it was never released
5) RetroArch: the posts in the first 2 or 3 pages have a lot of useful information

 

[WD_GASTER2]

yes, as rrifonas said, it be much easier for you to specify what you are trying to achieve? replace games, get a custom dashboard with emulators running? or just plain retroarch? once you have decided that maybe you can be helped. nobody gave up. people more or less achieved all they wanted/could with the 2017 model.

 

[Zaphod77]

He wants "Hacking a Flashback HD 2017 for Dummies" guide.

 

[Batdan81]

yes, as rrifonas said, it be much easier for you to specify what you are trying to achieve? replace games, get a custom dashboard with emulators running? or just plain retroarch? once you have decided that maybe you can be helped. nobody gave up. people more or less achieved all they wanted/could with the 2017 model.

Excuse me, I did not receive the email notifications and I did not check ......
I will try to be as accurate as possible ...
have the console of 2017 with 4GB ..... First I had fun adding games with adb and it worked great......
then I installed the fantastic Sega Generation interface ...
Then seeing on youtube people who made us run even 32x games and MCD I convinced myself to try to install RetroArch,but when i try to install custom firmware with RetroArch ,the installation is freeze.And then when i try to recovery user.bin freeze at 82% that's all.........
Anyway after this experience I found that the best emulator is THE ORIGINAL HARWARE!

 

[rrifonas]

If I recall, this partition freezing to upload at a later point won't affect how the device works. The original partition is almost empty. Were you able to recover the device to a working state?

 

[portaro]

I have a question - there are any method to use 4 gamepads in this console?

 

[rrifonas]

I don't think so. Wireless and wired controllers have the same keymap, and the buttons are mapped as keyboard keys.

 

[portaro]

I don't think so. Wireless and wired controllers have the same keymap, and the buttons are mapped as keyboard keys.

Thanks for answer. Maybe its possible in future with some hack. Thanks.