You must "say" to the console to read the serial port, it's why the only way is to have a new bios.VirtuaShenmue wrote:Thanks for the answers!
It would be cool to have dreamsheel boot directly from the dongle.
Serial port speed read write benchmark
Forum rules
Please check the other forums in the Dreamcast section before posting here to see if your topic would fit better in those categories. Example: A new game/homebrew release would go in the New Releases/Homebrew/Emulation section: http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 or if you're having an issue with getting your Dreamcast to work or a game to boot it would go in the Support section: http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=42
Please check the other forums in the Dreamcast section before posting here to see if your topic would fit better in those categories. Example: A new game/homebrew release would go in the New Releases/Homebrew/Emulation section: http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 or if you're having an issue with getting your Dreamcast to work or a game to boot it would go in the Support section: http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=42
- fafadou
- Leonard Nimoy
- Posts: 1854
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
- VirtuaShenmue
- fire
- Posts: 84
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
I guess the community already tried, but so it isn't possible to force the startup from the serial port in some way?fafadou wrote:You must "say" to the console to read the serial port, it's why the only way is to have a new bios.VirtuaShenmue wrote:Thanks for the answers!
It would be cool to have dreamsheel boot directly from the dongle.
The Bios during the startup, doesn't check the serial port at all?
- Ian Micheal
- Developer
- Posts: 6277
- Location: USA
- Contact:
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
Tiny bin loaded on start up from the disk even works most times on half dead gdroms..Not like it's damaging anything..VirtuaShenmue wrote:I guess the community already tried, but so it isn't possible to force the startup from the serial port in some way?fafadou wrote:You must "say" to the console to read the serial port, it's why the only way is to have a new bios.VirtuaShenmue wrote:Thanks for the answers!
It would be cool to have dreamsheel boot directly from the dongle.
The Bios during the startup, doesn't check the serial port at all?
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- shadow
- Posts: 6
- Dreamcast Games you play Online: I haven't played anything on line for years, but would be interested in racing and puzzle games
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
I'm a lurker here, and this is an old thread, but I want to add my experience to the lot. I got the "V2" serial SD card adapter (available all over ebay), and I tried 8 different SD and microSD cards, none of which were able to be recognized by either Dreamshell or Retrodream (discs running from the GD-ROM). The cards were as small as 512MB and as large as 256GB. All formatted in FAT32. I could often get acknowledgement that an SD card was connected during Dreamshell booting, but it could never read from it. Retrodream would either just hang on startup, or if it booted it would not show an SD card connected. I think these serial card adapters are just too finicky to work with most cards.
I mostly wanted this for running homebrew and emulators. I don't really want some gigantic collection of every DC game made, so ODE isn't something I'm interested in. Fortunately, I have a nice CD-RW drive and my GD-ROM still works, so will keep on truckin' with CDs...
I mostly wanted this for running homebrew and emulators. I don't really want some gigantic collection of every DC game made, so ODE isn't something I'm interested in. Fortunately, I have a nice CD-RW drive and my GD-ROM still works, so will keep on truckin' with CDs...
- Dirge Of Ram
- Roadster
- Posts: 368
- Dreamcast Games you play Online: No GGPO Fightcade For Me.
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
Out off the eight you got, Need a Class 10 speed SD Card and make sure you full format with 64/32kb selected.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-SDS2- ... 109&sr=8-3
Best One.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-SDS2- ... 109&sr=8-3
Best One.
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- shadow
- Posts: 6
- Dreamcast Games you play Online: I haven't played anything on line for years, but would be interested in racing and puzzle games
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
Thanks for the suggestions. I don't have the cards in front of me to check Class 10 or not, but I found cheap Class 10 cards online (Sandisk and Transcend), so will give those a try when they arrive.
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- shadow
- Posts: 6
- Dreamcast Games you play Online: I haven't played anything on line for years, but would be interested in racing and puzzle games
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
Well, these are the cards I've tried so far (also some Sandisk MicroSD cards not shown). No luck at all. All cards formatted FAT32, 32K and 64K clusters tried. Even tried full format (not quick). I get one of three errors:
No acknowledgement that an SD card is present.
SD card cannot be read.
SD is present but MBR cannot be read.
At this point, I've concluded either there is something about my particular DC that it will not use this SD reader, or that it is so picky about SD cards I'll have to spend a hundred bucks and many hours to find a compatible one. I'm glad my optical drive is still OK, and I have a good CD burner!
No acknowledgement that an SD card is present.
SD card cannot be read.
SD is present but MBR cannot be read.
At this point, I've concluded either there is something about my particular DC that it will not use this SD reader, or that it is so picky about SD cards I'll have to spend a hundred bucks and many hours to find a compatible one. I'm glad my optical drive is still OK, and I have a good CD burner!
- Ian Micheal
- Developer
- Posts: 6277
- Location: USA
- Contact:
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
make sure the light flashes and it's connected many serial ports on dc have dust and grime and rust and when you push it in .. It never really connected..
Old cheap as walmart brand 32gb cards always work .. If the serial port is damaged due some mode someone did that is possibility.. Long as the card is proper full size sd card no micro to sd addapter thing then it will work. Dont have to spend 100's watch to see if it lights up when it tries to boot. Are you using the right version and the files are where they should be on the sd card.. Also dont use any sd card extender they dont work on this. why do all those look like they take micro sd cards those do not work..
also kingston cards works so does any proper sd card i always use under 32gb format it using a proper format program not windows..
Old cheap as walmart brand 32gb cards always work .. If the serial port is damaged due some mode someone did that is possibility.. Long as the card is proper full size sd card no micro to sd addapter thing then it will work. Dont have to spend 100's watch to see if it lights up when it tries to boot. Are you using the right version and the files are where they should be on the sd card.. Also dont use any sd card extender they dont work on this. why do all those look like they take micro sd cards those do not work..
also kingston cards works so does any proper sd card i always use under 32gb format it using a proper format program not windows..
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- Metallic
- Posts: 831
- Dreamcast Games you play Online: Quake 3 Arena
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
Need to remove the five capacitors from the serial port.grenert wrote:Well, these are the cards I've tried so far (also some Sandisk MicroSD cards not shown). No luck at all. All cards formatted FAT32, 32K and 64K clusters tried. Even tried full format (not quick). I get one of three errors:
No acknowledgement that an SD card is present.
SD card cannot be read.
SD is present but MBR cannot be read.
At this point, I've concluded either there is something about my particular DC that it will not use this SD reader, or that it is so picky about SD cards I'll have to spend a hundred bucks and many hours to find a compatible one. I'm glad my optical drive is still OK, and I have a good CD burner!

- MoeFoh
- 1300
- Posts: 1357
Re: Serial port speed read write benchmark
If your card reader is known to be good and if the serial port on the Dreamcast has been cleaned and if there have been no mods to the Dreamcast, then this rare issue could be the problem:grenert wrote:Well, these are the cards I've tried so far (also some Sandisk MicroSD cards not shown). No luck at all. All cards formatted FAT32, 32K and 64K clusters tried. Even tried full format (not quick). I get one of three errors:
No acknowledgement that an SD card is present.
SD card cannot be read.
SD is present but MBR cannot be read.
At this point, I've concluded either there is something about my particular DC that it will not use this SD reader, or that it is so picky about SD cards I'll have to spend a hundred bucks and many hours to find a compatible one. I'm glad my optical drive is still OK, and I have a good CD burner!
From sd card reader designer: jj1odm
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