4-player Adapter on Yahoo Auctions

[massimiliano]

Oh, and the 4 player test screen does come up in the bios settings.

I have spent the last hour and traced through the bios code and I can now confirm that all standard bios have code to control 4 sticks. The situation is that it is not always active. The cheats in kizuna to enable 1up to control 3 up and 2up to control 4up actually enable four joystick support in the bios. Because there is nothing normally to switch between joysticks is the reason why the same stick controls the other player.

I'm a little sick with myself because I have gone though this process and documented it before but totally forgot about it, now when I have gone through it again I find the notes in my unibios source

Ohh well we live and learn.

This rasises a cople of questions, the first being is the 4player code different in the special bios than the code in the normal bios (seems the code in normal bios is aimed at jotstick ports and not JAMMA)..... Simply need to hook up the daughter board, enable all four cheats (the two to enable 4player mode, 1up to up and 2up to4up) and see if it workds... ???

so everything makes sense now, the 4P test screen has always been in there (along with the 4P code)

Great job everybody!

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

Just an update. Things seem to be 100% on this. Tonight/tomorrow I will be making the adapter that MKL designed for non MV1B systems to support this thing. I'll test that on a few 1 slots I have. I'm sure there's a way to make these work on 1C systems, but it will require soldering directly to.. I dont recall the SNK IC right now...

Now that we know the design is solid now, I'll move on to working out a replacement CRE401. I tried putting 330ohm resistors without pull-ups or caps as a replacement, but that didnt work at all. I really want to make this as cost effective as possible and not have to use original CREs. I had thought about putting the cre circuit on the board but that adds a lot of extra junk to the board. I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.

 

[rcantor77]

You are talking complete garbage to me, but it sounds like you making great progress with this.

Keep up the great work mate, everyone is really appreciating what you (and others) are doing...

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

I'm unable to get this to work on non 1B/C systems. Tried this circuit provided by MKL and no dice. Also, only pins 6 and 8 connect to the 8pin connector.

Any ideas?

 

[Supernaut_]

amazing thread, you learn something new about the Neo everyday. I have a 4 slot Big Red will it work on that? I have Kizuna but it is on my Chinese rom cart, will the game use that to play?

I found a video online that has this setup working. Seems to be TAG battle, woulda been cool if it was 4 player simultaneous.

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

Ok, I think I'm ready to be done with this one. The final size is 4.45" x 3.90". Going to get some made up this week to test this version of the design. These do not include the RGB splitter or audio amp, purely the controller board with jamma through. Will work fine on supergun setups with 1B/1C systems.

 

[Xian Xi]

Will the jamma harnesses just slide onto the board?

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

Will the jamma harnesses just slide onto the board?

Yep, thats the idea

 

[JMKurtz]

Very nice...

 

[massimiliano]

I understand the need to keep it cheap/simple as possible, but how about reserve some pin in order to hook a sort of external harness, for full VS setup (Rgb/ampli/commands)?

Like a tournament option..it would be a shame to miss such event!

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

I understand the need to keep it cheap/simple as possible, but how about reserve some pin in order to hook a sort of external harness, for full VS setup (Rgb/ampli/commands)?

Like a tournament option..it would be a shame to miss such event!

SLAVE DRIVER!!!!

But you're right. Let me modify it a bit to add for a daughterboard with a second jamma connection including the RGB splitter and audio amp. I have a rgb splitter circuit, I'll work on an audio one.

Edit... well I may not include any rgb splitter/audio amp afterall. People have tons of different setups I will include headers for people and they can use what amp they prefer. I dont want to include something that I cant be 100% sure will look/sound the same on everyones setup. Soooooooooooo, headers it is.

 

[Xian Xi]

Forgot to ask but how does it split between two cabs using the same mobo like the original or is this strictly for a single cab then just use the RGB headers and joystick ports for P3 and P4?

 

[massimiliano]

SLAVE DRIVER!!!!

hahahahah!

You 'da man!

Seriously, no need for complete AMP/RGB just please add a header for A/V *and* controls somewhere...something like this would be uber-cool IMO!

 

[ne7]

great work guys! out of interest, what is the story with neo bomberman and 4p mode? Is the code to play 4 player actually on the cart, or was it dropped last minute? (looks like it really was built as a 4 player game...)

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

hahahahah!

You 'da man!

Seriously, no need for complete AMP/RGB just please add a header for A/V *and* controls somewhere...something like this would be uber-cool IMO!

I will name it "massi's port" on the screen layer.

 

[Xian Xi]

I will name it "massi's port" on the screen layer.

LOL

 

[massimiliano]

I will name it "massi's port" on the screen layer.

then I'll buy 2 of them!!!

 

[NeoTurfMasta]

Getting order numbers together in this thread. Going to start getting them etched soon.

http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showthread.php?235151-Reproduction-MV-IC-Mahjong-and-Kizuna-4-player-boards.

Edit:
Final test order placed, they should be 100% but need to make sure. Should arrive late July.

Just want to say thanks again to ack for lending me the board. Without him, I would have given up with frustration.
Massi for all the pics and testing.
MKL and Flavor for schematic help.