Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Discuss modifications you have done or plan to do to your Dreamcast or any other hardware, or discuss devices you want to build. If your console does not work or is acting up, ask about fixing it in here.
Post Reply
Theuaredead`
DCEmu Newbie
DCEmu Newbie
Posts: 6
https://www.artistsworkshop.eu/meble-kuchenne-na-wymiar-warszawa-gdzie-zamowic/
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by Theuaredead` »

Hey I was wondering if anyone here knew what exactly is going awry with my configuration.

So, I followed the Coder's Port installation found here on a few Dreamcasts so they could be used as development Dreamcasts. However, going through DreamSDK and setting up DC-Tool doesn't yield much results. My system is able to detect the Dreamcast and can communicate to it, however it is unable to send and receive any data. I am unable to send any .elf files to the Dreamcast, it will start the "Receiving Data" process but will never load the binary. Same goes with trying to dump the BIOS via DC-Tool GUI 2.0, the Dreamcast via DC-Load is able to start the prompt to send data to my PC, but nothing is ever sent.

I have not yet tried it on a Linux-based operating system (frankly, I haven't made the switch yet, I'm a Windows 7 holdout.)

I am wondering what could be the cause of this error? Does the serial adapter in question not work with Windows? Is there a certain configuration that I'm not seeing? Any pointers would be useful.
User avatar
SiZiOUS
DC Developer
DC Developer
Posts: 404
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2004 2:22 pm
Location: France
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 19 times
Contact:

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by SiZiOUS »

Hello,

Hm... Last time I tried using my old serial cable it was working. Which version of dcload-serial are you using?
Are you sure that you are using the correct COM port?
Theuaredead`
DCEmu Newbie
DCEmu Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by Theuaredead` »

SiZiOUS wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 3:16 pm Hello,

Hm... Last time I tried using my old serial cable it was working. Which version of dcload-serial are you using?
Are you sure that you are using the correct COM port?
Using DCTool-Serial 1.0.5 and I believe I'm using the right COM port as the Dreamcast is able to communicate with my computer, just not send any data over. The Serial device is connected over COM3 on my PC and I am able to get the system to respond back with the general receiving data prompts, however nothing occurs afterwards it just sits on that screen.
User avatar
SiZiOUS
DC Developer
DC Developer
Posts: 404
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2004 2:22 pm
Location: France
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 19 times
Contact:

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by SiZiOUS »

Is the dcload-serial and dc-tool versions matches? I mean, both dc-tool (PC side) and dcload-serial (DC side) are in 1.0.5?
If you want, you can try the unofficial 1.0.6 version, it should be stable but need to have some testing. If this is not working, I'll test that with my Coders Cable next week to see, it's been a long time because since I own a Broadband Adapter, my Coders Cable is not so much used now...
Theuaredead`
DCEmu Newbie
DCEmu Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by Theuaredead` »

SiZiOUS wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 9:38 am Is the dcload-serial and dc-tool versions matches? I mean, both dc-tool (PC side) and dcload-serial (DC side) are in 1.0.5?
If you want, you can try the unofficial 1.0.6 version, it should be stable but need to have some testing. If this is not working, I'll test that with my Coders Cable next week to see, it's been a long time because since I own a Broadband Adapter, my Coders Cable is not so much used now...
When I did the test on Windows, yes it was both 1.0.5 on Dreamcast and my Windows machine. When testing it on Linux, we had 1.0.6 on the host machine but 1.0.5 on the Dreamcast, which would not communicate at all (which I'm glad to know that my theory about the versions being incompatible was correct.)

I can try to get 1.0.6 compiled on my machine, but I am currently running Linux on my laptop and I am away from where my typical desktop is.
Theuaredead`
DCEmu Newbie
DCEmu Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by Theuaredead` »

Back to where my desktop is at.

Compiled DCLoad-Serial 1.0.6 with DreamSDK, still yielding the same result. Terminal via DCTool starts sending the file and the Dreamcast via DCLoad-Serial starts receiving the data but nothing ever executes, just hangs on "receiving data..."

I sent my CDI along to get it tested with Linux on the other systems that were built. He was unable to get DCLoad-Serial 1.0.6 to build but got DCTool 1.0.6 to build.
User avatar
SiZiOUS
DC Developer
DC Developer
Posts: 404
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2004 2:22 pm
Location: France
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 19 times
Contact:

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by SiZiOUS »

Hm.. strange.

By the way, dcload 1.0.6 should compile fine on all systems, including Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS. I will test myself this week-end.

Thanks for reporting!
Theuaredead`
DCEmu Newbie
DCEmu Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by Theuaredead` »

SiZiOUS wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:22 pm Hm.. strange.

By the way, dcload 1.0.6 should compile fine on all systems, including Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS. I will test myself this week-end.

Thanks for reporting!
I think the issue he was having was that KOS needed certain libraries that weren't available on openSUSE, therefore he couldn't build the CDI part for DCLoad-Serial. From what I understand, he is moving back to Slackware which I think he said had what KOS needed to build (he also mentioned potentially setting up a secondary machine with Arch to build KOS + DCLoad, from what I recall.) Don't quote me on that though, it is second-hand information.

Though, DCLoad 1.0.6 doesn't compile out of the box on DreamSDK, which was noted by you in an issue from last year. That being the only issue I had ran into with compiling it. I'm mostly just having issues getting the Dreamcast to successfully receive data from DCTool; which could be hardware related for all I know.
Theuaredead`
DCEmu Newbie
DCEmu Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:22 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by Theuaredead` »

I have fixed the issue. It was hardware related.

For those who may run into this issue down the line, let me provide some information for you all so you won't be frustrated with just a vague "I figured it out" conclusion.

In the Coder's Port tutorial, it doesn't quite highlight a very important detail til the very end and doesn't quite go into depth about it. RTS and CTS also need to be swapped on the USB to Serial board much like RXD and TXD had as well.

So...

DC-RXD -> Serial-TXD
DC-TXD -> Serial-RXD
DC-RTS -> Serial-CTS
DC-CTS -> Serial-RTS

Another thing to note that isn't stated at all (but is shown in a photo,) is that the USB to Serial board had its jumper changed from the default 5V to the 3V setting. Unknown to if this effects anything with communication, but I thought it was worth bringing up to anyone else who attempts this mod and runs into a similar issue.

Tested with 1.0.6 and works, I have not tested 1.0.5 as it would require me to reinstall DreamSDK.
These users thanked the author Theuaredead` for the post:
SiZiOUS
User avatar
SiZiOUS
DC Developer
DC Developer
Posts: 404
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2004 2:22 pm
Location: France
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 19 times
Contact:

Re: Coder's Port and DC-Tool not working.

Post by SiZiOUS »

Hello,
And thank you very much for your feedback! I think we should add this to the Read Me file. And thank you for testing in priority my unofficial 1.0.6 version, which means everything is working correctly!
If you faced any issue with that 1.0.6 version don’t hesitate to update this thread. Thanks!
These users thanked the author SiZiOUS for the post:
Theuaredead`
Post Reply