Dumping PCE games - Does a device like the Retrode exist?

[Trenton_net]

Hi Everyone,

So, I'm interested in getting some kind of reader/dumper for the PCE. Ideally something like the Retrode where the mounted image could just be run directly in an emulator. Does such a thing exist? I'm thinking perhaps only old-school copiers are the only solution available these days. Any ideas?

[dcdan]

Is this what your looking for? http://www.retrocollect.com/News/fla...cartridge.html

[Kimura]

I think he means somthing like this but for PCE Cards.

[Trenton_net]

Right, I want to dump/read, not pirate games.

[_SD_]

If you go to the Plug-ins section of the Retrode site, there's the information to build your own PCE adapter if you're feeling adventurous.

[Matthias_H]

The reason why we see tons more flash carts than dumpers out there (and, maybe, why there are no other devices "like the Retrode" at all to my knowledge) is availability of connectors. Even for a Retrode plug-in, you'd have to salvage a broken TG16 or PCE.

[Trenton_net]

Ah, I guess I always assumed that since it was easy to make your own PCB's, that connectors would be just as simple.

[Calpis]

Despite so many hobbyists making PCBs now it's really not that easy (or cheap) to make your own PCBs, and it's extremely expensive to get a connector made. PCE is possibly the easiest console to dump ever, 99.9% of the library doesn't have a mapper or SRAM so it's only a matter of reading out the ROM using a couple counters. The address decoding is crazy simple too, so basically you can wire it up as a 1 MiB ROM and dump it with any method imaginable.

[Trenton_net]

@Calips: That make sense, but it sounds kind of strange. I mean for such a simple format (provided you take into account the different pinouts PCE and TG16 has for HuCards), I was under the impression that groups like GoodXXXX, TOSEC, Nointro, etc, databases weren't accurate at all. Partly due to the fact that anyone can make a submission and say it's verified good (without any procedure of securely hashing data to protect against bad submits - correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a while!). But probably contributed by the fact that they don't dump all of their games themselves and just use ROM's taken back in the day from people using copiers or making 'scene' releases. All this, for a system that should be one of the easiest to verify a full good set with?! (^_^);

[Calpis]

You don't even need to worry about TG-16's swapped pinout, the only pins swapped are data lines so they can be swapped back in software. Technically the PCE console has swapped data lines in the console and the HuCard mask ROMs are just programmed pre-swapped.

I believe most Euro-centric dumping groups do dump some of their own games to an extent, but there's little credibility (at least to me) from these groups due to their general lack of technical ability. Few people seem to be making their own hardware (apart from the floppy archivers which are on the right track [harhar]) and instead opt for consoles with easily accessible backup devices. Maybe that's changed with the Retrode, I don't know. I do know that the Retrode is bad at mapper games though so you still need to make your own hardware to do it right. The Japanese dumping scene on the other hand has a rich history of making your own strange equipment, but not cataloging the hashes unfortunately... It's true PCE should be redumped for integrity. Care to do it? :P

I'd put the stress on my hardware if I had access to the games, there are only 300 so it shouldn't be that bad. Just a little connector wear and insertion marks >_< I don't think anyone'd want to lend their games though, especially the not for sale ones.

[Trenton_net]

I guess I wouldn't mind dumping what I have, but I don't have anywhere close to a full set, let alone rare titles or not-for-sale ones (Though I am trying to grow it). Maybe I have access to about 50-60 games HuCard games? Another problem is that I have no Electronics skills, so I'd have to get someone to make a dumper for me. The easiest route would probably be to buy a Retrode, Super Gameboy, dead or beat up PCE and send the SGB and PCE out for modding (sack the cartridge connector and shove it into the super gameboy with the correct pinouts).

[Calpis]

It would probably be better to use another cart than SGB, I think everything in the SGB is surface mount so it could pose a little bit of a problem for wiring. If you sacrifice a RF/CoreGrafx PCE for the connector (which is connected by a ribbon) the ribbon can be soldered directly to SNES mask ROM through holes which is probably the most sturdy way to do it apart from a PCB. I'd use a LoROM game, and file a space for the ribbon (with connector) to hang out.

[Trenton_net]

Hrm... I see some Japanese user has already done the SGB method. I take it the PCB was changed out with another sack game. Seems like it works ok and it's visually pretty clean and neat.