51 replies to this topic

[killcrazy]

Hi guys,

With development of a new Epoch emulator well under way (updates coming soon I promise ), I was wondering if anyone would mind keeping an eye out for resources?

We have a great set of program ROMs available - so far I know of only 2 machines that are missing from the whole tech (Jolly Roger & Double Dragon - both by Extreme). If you know of any that are missing or incorrect, please post and I'll update the list. I'm not sure but some might actually be M1A/B or Eclipse (eg Great Escape, Ice Burger).

Unfortunately there's a bit of a gap in the sound ROMs that are available. This could be a problem for some machines as they might not be able to boot without the lookup tables contained on them. I've been trying to source old EPROM chips but I've not had a great deal of success. If anyone has the dumps, or access to EPROM chips for the ones we're missing then it'd be great if you could help out

From the artwork point of view - any photographs, videos or flyers that people can collect will prove very useful for layouts. I know we have a few flyers knocking around the repos - I'll try and add these to the list at some point. If we don't have a good flyer for a machine then artwork can be recreated from a photograph or video (I'm quite good at this, and I'm sure that a few others are too).

Again I stress that the emulator is still a way off (the target is late next year), but it'd be great to start building a decent pool of resources that we can use from the word go

The list of machines and the available resources is here: http://epochfme.webs.com/

[impact]

Sorry to sound thick here can we login with our normal Fruit-emu info or do we make a new account for this.

[killcrazy]

There's no need to sign in, the sites for posting media and updates going forwards...  All that's there at the moment is a table listing all the Epoch machines I know about and the resources we currently have for them

[impact]

ok fella no probs. I hope ive not chucked out the old cd back up of epoch and epoch bin files from maygays bbs years ago ahhhh. We now need them oh fook

[spa]

Eeek, used to own a double dragon

[Guitar]

I've not seen inside one personally, but I think there are some Gemini games on the Epoch tech. They did a rebuild of Big Ghoulies in the Epoch cab, just don't know whether it was on Epoch or Eclipse tech.

[impact]

Cant remember. Only it being gemini games and a yellow platium cabnet

[stanmarsh14]

I've not seen inside one personally, but I think there are some Gemini games on the Epoch tech. They did a rebuild of Big Ghoulies in the Epoch cab, just don't know whether it was on Epoch or Eclipse tech.

 

 

I've just acquired a Simpsons (First one that is not a colab with BWB), so could help here.

It's down with a battery leaked Epoch board, but already got a replacement on the way (Untested, but battery is removed, so will probs work), so can deffo help here.

 

Also Nick, been trying to contact you without any luck to try and help out (Not the first time this has happened)...... thought I have done something wrong?

[Mavroz]

Quite a few program roms i have tried in the Epoch test rig i built will NOT run without the sound roms.

 

All the roms that are on the mainboard are needed to boot the machine.

 

I have a Beanstreak machine, this will not boot without the soundrom (unless i use the V1.0 romset).

 

Will the Security chip and Boot chip be needed? Some of these are compatible with different romsest but technically each game has it's own unique boot and sec chip.

 

Ps i have 100's of decals and reelbands (not all from maygay epoch machines), i am sure when the time comes i could help out with these if needed. 

[stanmarsh14]

Talking of security chips, one of the new members at the Mecca, has just picked up a rig that is capable of reading these actually chips, and it's looking possible to even duplicate them, but things are at an early stage right now.

 

Quite a few program roms i have tried in the Epoch test rig i built will NOT run without the sound roms.

 

All the roms that are on the mainboard are needed to boot the machine.

 

I have a Beanstreak machine, this will not boot without the soundrom (unless i use the V1.0 romset).

 

Will the Security chip and Boot chip be needed? Some of these are compatible with different romsest but technically each game has it's own unique boot and sec chip.

 

Ps i have 100's of decals and reelbands (not all from maygay epoch machines), i am sure when the time comes i could help out with these if needed. 

[Guitar]

Also Nick, been trying to contact you without any luck to try and help out (Not the first time this has happened)...... thought I have done something wrong?

 

You haven't done anything wrong, when did you try and contact me? I missed emails from a few people, just never got them.

 

MrP sent me an email which I didn't get until Stuart relayed it to me @ the mecca.

 

 

[Guitar]

Quite a few program roms i have tried in the Epoch test rig i built will NOT run without the sound roms.

 

All the roms that are on the mainboard are needed to boot the machine.

 

I have a Beanstreak machine, this will not boot without the soundrom (unless i use the V1.0 romset).

 

Will the Security chip and Boot chip be needed? Some of these are compatible with different romsest but technically each game has it's own unique boot and sec chip.

 

Ps i have 100's of decals and reelbands (not all from maygay epoch machines), i am sure when the time comes i could help out with these if needed. 

 

The Sound chip on epoch (YMZ280B) is quite complex.

 

It can work in either of 2 ways iirc. Method 1 is a table of samples is stored in the sound ROM, the sound chip can then look up the start position and play it. Method 2 requires the program to set the start and end positions of each sample. It also supports custom looping of samples from a user selectable point.

 

With the older chips (OKI/NEC) the sound unit is pretty self contained, the machine just supplies a tune number, and tells it to start (or stop).

With the YMZ chip there is a lot more available program control as standard, so it probably won't be able to setup the sound chip without the sound ROMs. The program is probably waiting for the sound chip to say its ready, and it never happens.

 

As for security and boot chips. I would say its unlikely, from fiddling with EPEE, pretty much every ROM will boot ok and I believe (not sure tho) that there is only 1 boot pic setup in it.

 

Just because they *could* change the PIC from game to game, doesn't mean they did.

[Mavroz]

Makes me wonder why i have 4 or 5 versions ranging from V1.0,V3.0,V6.0 and a couple of others i think.

[Bencrest]

 I would say its unlikely, from fiddling with EPEE, pretty much every ROM will boot ok and I believe (not sure tho) that there is only 1 boot pic setup in it.

 

Well that sounds good! Not wanting to stir the pot but I didn't realise EPEE or the source code were in the public domain, I assume DT sent you over what he had? If so, that's good to see

[Guitar]

Makes me wonder why i have 4 or 5 versions ranging from V1.0,V3.0,V6.0 and a couple of others i think.

 

I would guess its a firmware update type thing. Like updating the bios on your PC, the old BIOS will boot the machine and the new BIOS will boot the machine, subtle differences and fixes.

[Guitar]

Well that sounds good! Not wanting to stir the pot but I didn't realise EPEE or the source code were in the public domain, I assume DT sent you over what he had? If so, that's good to see

 

Its not available to the public domain as far as I know. My copy came direct from DT. I have seen snippets of the source, when I have discussed various things with him, but I certainly don't have the full source.

 

EPEE works as far as games go, but there is absolutely no tools whatsoever, or components. Its a bit like the peripheral viewer in Project Amber, very basic, but its enough to know that it should be pretty easy to get a large proportion running without too much hassle. DT has helped me countless times with Amber, and no doubt will aid KillCrazy where needed. He just doesn't have the time to do much coding, and when he does he tends to work on his OSCA emulator, which is a fascinating little home brew project board emulator.

[stevedude2]

I have flyers for the vast majority of the games in that list above.  I might start scanning them just in case.  I take it the highest resolution possible is preferable?

[killcrazy]

Thanks guys, everything sounds great from the artwork/reel band point of view.  

 

Yea a high resolution scan is better to work with.  It will be a while before we need them but it'd be great if you could hold on to them all

 

I've managed to source a full set of EPROM chips for Jolly Roger, so at least that's one ticked off.  If anyone knows anyone who might be able to get hold of some of the missing ones please let me know   I don't mind contributing towards any that are for sale.

 

As I understand it, the security chip actually does very little other than provide a real time clock to the main processor.  I think it does have the ability to prevent a game booting if for example the checksum failed for a game's ROM.  This shouldn't affect the emulation.

 

The emulator...  does anyone know what makes/model numbers of alphas were used in Epoch machines?  I know there were at least 2 different ones with the older machines using the 16-character block style ones and the newer machines using the scrolling dot matrix ones.  The datasheet I've been working from is for the Samsung 16LF01UA4.  The character codes match for it but not the control bytes, so I don't think this one was used...

[stanmarsh14]

The emulator...  does anyone know what makes/model numbers of alphas were used in Epoch machines?  I know there were at least 2 different ones with the older machines using the 16-character block style ones and the newer machines using the scrolling dot matrix ones.  The datasheet I've been working from is for the Samsung 16LF01UA4.  The character codes match for it but not the control bytes, so I don't think this one was used...

 

Not off hand, but I can take a look at the Simpsons (One in the front opening older style cab that was more common for the M1 series tech) I have got, and report back?

[killcrazy]

 
Not off hand, but I can take a look at the Simpsons (One in the front opening older style cab that was more common for the M1 series tech) I have got, and report back?

Yea thanks that'd be great if it's easy to access, don't worry though if it's not

Edited by killcrazy, 17 December 2012 - 08:48 AM.