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dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out!
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:18 pm
by Macabre
My search will never end for an official cable, but atleast I can get to work on a home made one for a cabinet...maybe.
A poster named Quad posted this link and text in another forum a year ago;
http://mc.pp.se/dc/serifc.html
Marcus Comstedt Dreamcast PC-Serial Adapter Guide is still the best guide to building a dev cable from scratch. Since you're just connecting two Dreamcasts together, you don't need to worry about voltage conversion. So, you can skip the entire MAX3222 business all together and solder to a DB9 or DB25. Then, walk to any Radio Shack and purchase a null modem connector and use that to tie your two cables together.
The connector on the Dreamcast is a Japanese ISDN plug. Sorry, but it's been so long that I've lost the part # on Black Box.
Long and short story, the DC serial is normal serial except CMOS voltage rather than TTL. Additionally, Virtual-On uses an odd (very fast) baud rate so make sure the cables are short (under a foot for each side).
I'm having a hard time seeing what parts of the coders cable need to be ignored and where this "null modem connector" goes. Who is good enough at this magical stuff to see it?
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:19 pm
by AdamKoralik
I doubt it'll help, but I made a video a while back on the third party link cable by "Dragoncast."
[youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yAmva5nkZo[/youtube]
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:34 pm
by Macabre
Yea i've been searching for one of those too. They have a high d.o.a. rate, but I still want one. Apparently most were purchased and scrapped for parts to make coders cables.
If you ever want to sell yours... pm me please
(or trade, if theres a particular item you want that I might be able to get / already have)
I'm building an arcade cabinet with 2 dreamcast & 2 saturns in it, with switch-out controllers (saturn arcade stick / wheel / twinsticks) facing eachother. I have the saturn link stuff down, extra cables + working on figuring out all the games.
But the dreamcast part will be just dead weight without a working cable.
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:43 pm
by AdamKoralik
I wish you good luck, but I have no desire to part with mine.
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:00 am
by Favrenation
Captain DC showed me a German store that sells them. They sell many odd things they. Like a DC kiosk for like 200 and a LAN adapter. Ask for the store,
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:05 am
by Macabre
I've had this in my book marks for a while;
http://www.2xmoinscher.com/product/deta ... 6#annonces
And know that it translates to about $56, but I don't speak french, nor do I have any way to pay for it (that i can tell that they accept). I'd pay for someone to buy that if they were near although, assuming it is still available.
I'd actually pay for a second if the first is found to be working.
But again, thats the 3rd party one that has a high fail rate, especially with VOOT, which is sort of the central part of my arcade cabinet, lol.
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:21 am
by Favrenation
The store that CDC uses excepts paypal.
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:26 am
by Bob Dobbs
I found this (link below), but you should check them out first.
http://www.consolesandgadgets.co.uk/cat ... p-125.html
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:13 pm
by Captain Dreamcast
Favrenation wrote:Captain DC showed me a German store that sells them. They sell many odd things they. Like a DC kiosk for like 200 and a LAN adapter. Ask for the store,
You must be talking about Wolfsoft
Here is the Dragoncast vs Cable:
http://www.wolfsoft.de/shop/product_inf ... cable.html
In case you're wondering: Wolf's stuff always comes with the original packaging, at least most of the times
Favrenation wrote:The store that CDC uses excepts paypal.
That's half true.
It's not a selectable option when ordering on their site, but I've asked them and they've said it's ok, as long as you pay +5% for some PayPal tax. I'm gonna PM you the account info if you're interested.
Re: dreamcast link cable (homemade), help me figure this out
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:23 pm
by Favrenation
Thanks for replying to the topic. That site is awesome.