[DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

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Bob Dobbs
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#21 » Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:57 pm

True, Quake 3 is the most bandwidth demanding game to play online. This would be great to have.
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Bob Dobbs

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Nico0020
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#22 » Sun Oct 11, 2020 8:36 am

Bob Dobbs wrote:True, Quake 3 is the most bandwidth demanding game to play online. This would be great to have.
And if we ever see unreal tournament or out trigger back online one day, those games would benefit a lot from more users having access to native broadband on the console.

The dreampi works for FPS, but there are a lot less hickups when played on a bba.

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Anthony817
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#23 » Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:27 pm

Yeah, there were quite a few Japanese games that used it too, that would be amazing to have patched perhaps with English translations and maybe that Japanese telephone system they used for a network could be emulated eventually? I mean, checking all 3 pages of the DreamcastLive site shows a LOT more games that do support it than I think most realize.

These are ALL the retail games/homebrew apps that I am aware of that support the BBA online functions.

Retail Games;

Aero Dancing iSD
Bomberman Online
Guru Guru Onsen 2
Guru Guru Onsen 3
Guru Guru Onsen BB
Outtrigger
Phantasy Star Online
POD SpeedZone
Propeller Arena
Quake III Arena
Sakura Taisen Online: Paris no Nagai Hibi
Sakura Taisen Online: Teito no Yuugana Hibi
Speed Devils Online
Toy Racer
Unreal Tournament

Homebrew;

DC Doom
DCPlaya(Streaming internet music)
QuakeWorld

So 17 games total, and 1 homebrew music player app support it, not bad. Obviously not all of those retail games above are online yet, but just showing what all has the ability to support the device in the future. So this is worth doing a hell of a lot more than a lot of people realize. Shit, I would even argue it is worth having a spare DC connected to BBA at all times just to be able to switch back and forth instead of having to reconfig every time the internal flash memory settings to play Modem and BBA games.
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RetroAMS
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#24 » Wed Oct 14, 2020 2:41 pm

Any tips for removing the proprietary connector from the modem? Looking at it I'm thinking:

Cover as much of the PCB as possible with Kapton tape, particularly the plastic parts, chips and of course the connector itself (including the hole at the top to the inside of the connector). Plenty of flux across the legs where the connector is soldered to the board and then have at it with the hot air rework station trying not to melt the thing into oblivion in the process...

This is a spare modem bought for this purpose but wrecking it and having to drop another £12 on a replacement is something I'd like to avoid.

I'm still waiting on the sammy communication cartridge and suspect I will be for some time (let alone hopefully a kit to do the job) so I'm in no rush here at all, feel free if anybody wants to be the pioneer here so that I can learn from your mistakes rather than my own ;)

Doesn't lool like the larger bits at each end are soldered down but I can't be sure...
modem PCB.jpg

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ToastyBunBun
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#25 » Wed Oct 14, 2020 5:45 pm

What are all the supplies needed to make this? Very interested in giving this a shot, please provide some more details :D

mrneo240
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#26 » Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:44 pm

Dc g2 connector, sammy lan pcb, xriders kit

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Nico0020
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#27 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 1:32 am

Anthony817 wrote:Homebrew;
DC Doom
DCPlaya(Streaming internet music)
QuakeWorld


Has anyone actually every played a working game online with DC Doom here or in the community? The only person I think I read had done it was Shuouma before he started on QuakeWorld, and I think that was on a dialup connection right.

QuakeWorld dev has been silent for a good year or so too right?

RetroAMS
undertow
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#28 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 11:55 am

I was at a loose end this afternoon so decided to attempt to get the connector off the donor modem.

1. added a bit of fresh leaded solder to each connector leg, to make removal easier
2. covered PCB and plastic parts as much as possible with kapton tape, including connector hole
3. added flux gel across the legs
4. used hot air rework station to heat the connector legs, gently lifted connector from the board with tweezers
5. tidied up the connector legs afterwards with a bit of solder wick
6. clean up with isopropyl alcohol and old toothbrush

Worked ok as per the pictures and managed to not melt/destroy the connector in the process. to answer my own question no the bits at each end are not soldered down, only being held by the connector legs.

Looking forward to ordering a kit when available
conn1.jpg
conn2.jpg
conn3.jpg
conn4.jpg

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Anthony817
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#29 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 5:41 pm

Nico0020 wrote:
Anthony817 wrote:Homebrew;
DC Doom
DCPlaya(Streaming internet music)
QuakeWorld


Has anyone actually every played a working game online with DC Doom here or in the community? The only person I think I read had done it was Shuouma before he started on QuakeWorld, and I think that was on a dialup connection right.

QuakeWorld dev has been silent for a good year or so too right?


From what all I can remember yes. Also, I did grab that copy of Quake World that Dan leaked so I did back it up, however never tested it out and will not make available to the community out of respect to Shu. No updates to it for a while that I can remember.
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RetroAMS
undertow
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Re: [DEV] Dreamcast BBA Converter!

Post#30 » Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:42 pm

Xrider has posted a link to an install video over on the obscure gamers thread:

https://youtu.be/UGDJAU8xpm4

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