Gameboy SP cannot load games. Nintendo banner blank.

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (More info?)

This had me going for a couple of days! The SP could load the old style
original Gameboy cartridges (the big ones) but not GBA style slimline
ones. The Gameboy logo came up ok but the Nintendo(R) banner was blank
as if the cartridge was not inserted. I dismantled the unit and cleaned
all the contacts and even checked continuity with a meter and all
looked fine.

Then I noticed that when you examine the new style cartidges they have
a slight cut out next to the edge connector that the old ones don't
have. Careful examination of the unit revealed a tiny switch between
the unit's cartridge edge connector and a block labelled SW13 (a bit of
a clue there). On my unit the switch had stuck in the actuated position
(as if a large cartridge was inserted). Having cleaned the switch arm
with alcohol so it would swing back and forward the unit once again
started reading the new style carts again.

The switch arm is very tiny (a couple of mm at the most) and it's
easily missed. Might also explain why some people report that the fault
clears if the cart is removed and reinserted.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (More info?)

dbk wrote:
> Then I noticed that when you examine the new style cartidges they have
> a slight cut out next to the edge connector that the old ones don't
> have. Careful examination of the unit revealed a tiny switch between
> the unit's cartridge edge connector and a block labelled SW13 (a bit of
> a clue there). On my unit the switch had stuck in the actuated position
> (as if a large cartridge was inserted). Having cleaned the switch arm
> with alcohol so it would swing back and forward the unit once again
> started reading the new style carts again.
>
> The switch arm is very tiny (a couple of mm at the most) and it's
> easily missed. Might also explain why some people report that the fault
> clears if the cart is removed and reinserted.
>

Interesting, a hardware lever that switches the GBA into GBC mode. I had
thought that the GBA some low level software that looked for signature
in the cart data (something like a processor directive) that would
indicate a GBA or GBC cart.

--
Any one who considers arithmetical methods of producing random digits
is, of course, in a state of sin.
-John von Neumnn, 1951

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (More info?)

"extrarice" <extrarice@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3843bvF5jrnsdU1@individual.net...

> Interesting, a hardware lever that switches the GBA into GBC mode. I had
> thought that the GBA some low level software that looked for signature in
> the cart data (something like a processor directive) that would indicate a
> GBA or GBC cart.

Nope - it's a hardware switch that physically locks the GBA into GBC mode.
Unfortunately, the z80 processor that the GBC uses is invisible to the GBA
unless this switch is activated, which is a shame... And of course, when in
GBC mode, the GBA systems are rendered invisible also.

An extra processor would have been quite useful

D.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (More info?)

Dunny wrote:
> Nope - it's a hardware switch that physically locks the GBA into GBC mode.
> Unfortunately, the z80 processor that the GBC uses is invisible to the GBA
> unless this switch is activated, which is a shame... And of course, when in
> GBC mode, the GBA systems are rendered invisible also.
>
> An extra processor would have been quite useful
>
> D.

I'm always interested in finding out things like that. I just recently
stubled onto this page (http://shiggsy.gbadev.org/main.php) that has
photos of a bunch of dev kits for different Nintendo platforms.

--
Any one who considers arithmetical methods of producing random digits
is, of course, in a state of sin.
-John von Neumnn, 1951

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (More info?)

extrarice <extrarice@gmail.com> wrote in
news:384igeF5ghvpmU1@individual.net:

> Dunny wrote:
>> Nope - it's a hardware switch that physically locks the GBA into GBC
>> mode. Unfortunately, the z80 processor that the GBC uses is invisible
>> to the GBA unless this switch is activated, which is a shame... And
>> of course, when in GBC mode, the GBA systems are rendered invisible
>> also.
>>
>> An extra processor would have been quite useful
>>
>> D.
>
> I'm always interested in finding out things like that. I just recently
> stubled onto this page (http://shiggsy.gbadev.org/main.php) that has
> photos of a bunch of dev kits for different Nintendo platforms.
>

From what I understand a GBA (or SP) has seperate GBA and GBC hardware
inside that function independantly of one another based on whether that
flipper switch is in or out. The problem the OP encountered is a known
issue that was discussed a long while ago. I don't remember if it was
discussed on usenet or another site but a google search would probably
bring it up easily. the Nintendo DS is similar in it has a GBA under the
hood for that generation but lacks hardware to run GBC or OGB games. Info
on the DS and GBA insides was posted recently so I'm going on that info for
this post.

 

[Eric]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (More info?)

"extrarice" wrote in message

> Interesting, a hardware lever that switches the GBA into GBC mode. I had
> thought that the GBA some low level software that looked for signature
> in the cart data (something like a processor directive) that would
> indicate a GBA or GBC cart.

Yep, I had assumed the same thing as well. Assumed that the GBA went into
"GBC Mode" if a voltage was present on a specific pin and then either used a
dedicated processor for GBC or did some sort of emulation. In a recent
thread, someone pointed out the switch. Learned something new. :^)

Hold the switch down with a small screwdriver and power up. You'll be
greeted by the GBC logo.

Cheers,
-Eric