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Ok I'm starting to work out how to wind down this project while keeping chipping away at it. I think it'll just be something like I work on this one day a week, and slowly build up a collection of patched ROMs that are publicly available. I'm going to try using google drive for this: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SbF_3mxL50yvEKJ_19_gSLzC146YuwIP?usp=sharing So this will contain a live collection of ROMs that I've patched. As I've found there are various signatures etc... and I don't want to have Arcade Sim project on hold for much longer - I've managed to manually patch other ROMs I couldn't before, with different chr/checksum disabling techniques... Ultimately the program will be mature enough to also release, however it'll be a while to get it to that state, and I simply don't have the luxury of time to work on it! I've also set up a shared google sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UgSIzNq6-Rpg7Iugt50RE0CikWIzOw792lRXCAjPWnY/edit?usp=sharing So this will be updated, as people with real machines hopefully try these out and let me know whether it worked correctly (including lamp mapping). Sorry it can't be faster, but Arcade Sim has to take priority - it's been something like 35 years without the ability to patch the Chr protection out of the ROMS including the lamps... what's another year or two for me to slowly roll out the project as I get time If you have a machine that you really need a ROM for, hit me up, and I'll add you to the 'requests' tab on the sheet above... and look to get those done earlier, though it's more about me implementing more patching strategies into CPR that will drive what machines are available. I believe BwB machines will need more work, so I'm ignoring those for now! And just focussing on the many Barcrests that need these new patches to run without the Chr. I've stuck an initial one (Action Bank) in there, so ROM hackers can have a look to see how I did the lamp remapping. It's a routine, that can be more size-optimised, I will have it down to less bytes in future - it was just a test I knocked up late one night!

Hopefully it'll not piss anyone off, though I guess it might depress the value of spare MPU4 Chr chips for machines than can now be patched, so apologies if anyone was stockpiling those! Hopefully two are going to be tested in real machines for the first time over the weekend (that are missing working Chr chips); Super Hyper Viper, and Classic Adders & Ladders. Let's hope it all actually works lol Though I'm pretty confident they should (famous last words)...

What it does is patches to stop the protection part of the Chr check running, also stops the Rom checksum being ran, and then reroutes lamp code that would talk to the Chr chip to my (portable) routine, that based on the challenge in the register, puts the correct responce for the lamp column ref'd by the challenge in the register, then returns. Pad a few NOPs over the remaining Chr lamp code and Bob's your uncle

Thanks to everyone involved All i read is good news in this thread

🤩Awesome🤩

I have no doubt you will find a balance John, from 3D renderer to AS to CPR........ what next..... cracking sec on mabs or frying eggs on me laptop?? It hasn't even been a year since you started, it is quite funny that on 4th October last year I said " I'm just wondering what you will come up with next, great stuff and keep it up" on your Development Updates thread over in LaLa Land, quite ironic and had absolutely no clue what your main move was going to be (AS), then CPR which I know will make a fair few happy, don't piss anyone off though

Probably got one lying around ronnie .I'll take a look

Would it be this one, JPM brought out some very good games in this cabinet. It will be great to see it back in working order again.

That's right, if this ROM is burnt and installed in a real Andy's Full House it would no longer need the Chr chip installed If there were a Chr chip left in there, it wouldn't cause problems, as the patched ROM now never gets to interact with it.

Still a fair bit of work to do on all this, but here's a demo of doing a patch. MFME won't be needed (for real machine users who don't use emulators), as that dropdown list will grow as I build something to scrape in the 8x 'magic' numbers per game (used for the lamp mapping). So they select their MPU4 ROM file, select the name of the game from the list, then click 'Patch' button. I use MFME here to show what's going on with the Rom it is using, and then to show the patched ROM working with a completely zero'd Chr chip (same as when machine has no chip installed) at the end

I've brought in a machine which I've been borrowing bits from, on account of the cabinet being shot. I wasn't intending to put it back into use, but I've grown to like these JPM types, and I've seen the gameplay on YouTube. It's called 'Wild Reels', and there's plenty of features to keep it interesting. I'm about to take the back off...

We already have this rom set I believe and they don't work on the £3 sets, this is the upgrade from £2 version. The empty bug was fixed. J

Hi guys n girls ive hopefully managed to get my hands on a rare rom set for super line up after quite a long search for them anyway massive thanks to Mr p as he promised, he delivered the goods, only for me then to open my rom card up to discover I may have already had a set I believe the l on mine is low percentage. Anyway here's both sets hope there useful cheers Tony. line up.zip

Don't worry - very much planning to wind the time spent on this side project down to a manageable level, that allows AS to get progressing again. They're both cool projects to be fair But I think I can strike a balance

Ignoring BWBs, one of your mates ain't gonna be happy🤣 Anyway chop chop AS takes priority😁

Had a quick reread through this thread, saw your comment - if you check my post above - you can download Action Bank as an initial demo patch, and using a Hex compare program you'll be able to see how it does the lamps

Yeah too right, i have cleaned it off and there is some track damage will try and get a repair quote but considering you can get working ones reasonably cheap i wont worry too much. Thanks again for all your help

Don't worry John I have not missed them lol, handy to have spares but no rush Cheers Ronnie

The red one should not flash, board is stuck in reset, try plugging the game card in the other slot if it only has one card?

Good info guys, like I said I never knew this trick (a first for me lol). Anyone tried it out yet? I will later when I'm on emulator.

lol I changed it to CPR already, and made a logo/icon of a chip with a heartbeat! Bonus video of another Barcrest MPU4 running without a Chr chip, with all lamps correct

Hi Ronnie, We already have a DX for this now, courtesy of Tommy C