ROM Info.txt Request

[majorpbx]

First, this Cart Reader is awesome! Second, I'm wondering if it's possible to have the Cart Reader write an Info.txt file with the details of the rom and initially found hash values? Say something like below saved to the ROM destination folder.

`

GAMENAME - SYSTEM

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
ID: XXXX
Size: XXXXX
Save: XXXXXXXXXXX
Version: X.X
Saved To: N64/ROM/ROMNAME/XXX
File Type: ByteSwapped
CRC: XXXXXXXX
Checksum match/not match
Done (XXXs)
`

If No-Intro DAT's could be implemented you could also add a few other things like below.

`

DAT File Used: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.dat
Matched Game: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Did Not Match!
Verified: No (#PLEASESUBMITTONOINTRO)
CRC: XXXXXXXX
MD5: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SHA-1: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
`

Thanks

[sanni]

Seems like a great first project for you to try. You could write it something like this:

// Open file on sd card
if (!myFile.open("info.txt", O_RDWR | O_CREAT)) {
  print_Error(F("SD Error"), true);
}

//Write the info
myFile.print(F("Name: "));
myFile.println(romName);

myFile.print(F("ID: "));
myFile.println(cartID);

myFile.print(F("Size: "));
myFile.print(cartSize);

myFile.println(F("MB"));
myFile.print(F("Save: "));

switch (saveType) {
  case 1:
    myFile.println(F("Sram"));
    break;
  case 4:
    myFile.println(F("Flashram"));
    break;
  case 5:
    myFile.println(F("4K Eeprom"));
    break;
  case 6:
    myFile.println(F("16K Eeprom"));
    break;
  default:
   myFile.println(F("unknown"));
    break;
 }

myFile.print(F("Version: 1."));
myFile.println(romVersion);

myFile.print(F("Saved To: "));
myFile.println(filePath);
myFile.print(F("CRC: "));
myFile.println(crcStr);

// Close the file:
myFile.close();

And put it there:

[majorpbx]

From what I understand you'd probably know if not for the various shell items that can tell you the cart is not original. Another thing you might find you have to dump it with forced settings or repro settings. Point is you should probably already know but that's just me.

[mauruco]

Sometimes I buy games in bad conditions, where only the inside is original and the rest has been replaced. I'll always open it to check, but it would be nice to have a second level of checking.
A check for the lazy.
I'll give you an example, I don't know if that's how it works. Let's say the cartridge is a reproduction "AM29F032", if the software already knows it is or can detect it, it would be nice to have a warning.
I'm from a developing country, there are many reproductions here, any warning is better.

[mauruco]

A second example would be.
I go to a store to buy a game, the seller tells me it's an original cartridge, the seller put a seal over the screw so I can't open it, because he won't get the cartridge back if I break the seal.
In this situation, I pull my Sanni Cartridge Reader into the store and am able to test whether or not it is genuine. :)

[majorpbx]

I get what your saying and totally understand. I would be suprised to see a store owner let you plug it in to a foreign device without making you buy it afterwards! After all how do they know your not wiping it to be mean? By all means I'm not saying you would do that just seems to me store owners I know would never let me willing do that without making me buy it with a no buy back option.

So for your example, if lets say you were able to connect it up. If you choose the "Game Cartridge" option and it dumps successfully without issue (by that I mean you don't have to tell the Cart Reader the ROM size, etc...) I'd say you have at least a legit cart board inside the shell.

[mauruco]

You're right. Furthermore, even if it is possible for one party, there will always be others that manual inspection will be inevitable.

[mariomadproductions]

If this text file could be created for all systems, and included sanni version info (hardware + firmware) and the current date, that would be really helpful for no-intro submissions, as it means we don't have to ask the dumper to provide that info themselves. It'd probably be best if each ROM file had an equivalent log file. So you'd have whatever.rom and then whatever.rom.dumpinfo.txt, so its easy to copy it when the ROM is copied.

[mariomadproductions]

Looks good. I guess if the RTC is not installed, the dump date can just say [Not available] or something like that.

[mariomadproductions]

I think another feature that would be useful would be to print out what cart type was detected so that the user can make sure that if a cart uses a certain PCB configuration/mapper, it is detected and dumped appropriately for that configuration.

[majorpbx]

I am totally onboard with an update that encompasses that feature and have been thinking about it for a while now. However, the reality of the situation is that each cart that this supports has different read methods, power requirements, clock settings, etc... While I'd love nothing more to see this feature implemented at this time it's simply not feasible for more than just the cart requirements. It would take a complete overhaul of the code, probably 32/64bit logic board, more RAM, etc...

I'm not saying it can't be done, just as you can imagine it will take a considerable amount of work. That and this project was created on the bases of community added updates. That fact alone means that there would be very few people able to have the skills required to keep up with coding of that nature.

[mariomadproductions]

I think maybe you misunderstood what I said, I was just suggesting that for instance the NES dumper would print the mapper its dumping the cart as to the log. What were you thinking of, I'm curious?

[majorpbx]

Ah gotcha, yep misread that's on me. I was and have been thinking to have the reader identify the type of cart once inserted. 😅

However, your instance would be fine once and if logging is setup for all carts.

[sanni]

I added a global log file option that just duplicates everything it shows on screen(minus the menu/file explorer output) to a text file on the SD.

Not quite what you have asked for but I it was a quick solution since it only needed a few lines of code added.

Also added tamanegi_taro's PCE database and ROM renaming function to the Gameboy code, just for fun.

[mariomadproductions]

Thanks, that looks good.

[majorpbx]

Nice!

[sanni]

Added hardware and software version to the log and removed the "Press Button..." and "Select File" spam and also added the selected menu choices.

[mariomadproductions]

Thanks. If possible, could you put the logs for each cart in their own txt file beside the dump? And also add the date and time the dump was made?

[sanni]

Another update. Now part of the OSCR_LOG.txt gets copied to the dump directory after reading a ROM.