Viper GC

[gorgyrip]

I've also been messing with IPLBoot trying to get it to fit as a VGC, made some progress but ran into a problem I'm looking to resolve soon.

Hi. Have you managed to make it fit on a 128k viper?

[emu_kidid]

Not yet and not without cutting it down severely (removing video calls).

dolxz appears to require a change in order to make it work properly from a cold boot on ViperGC too so that's not an option either.

[gorgyrip]

By removing the video calls means no image until swiss boots? That would not be a problem. At least not in my case.
Removing slot A and B won't reduce the size, correct?

[webhdx]

If you ever go for it @emu_kidid then I can test sub 128kB versions for both Viper GC and Qoob SX.

[toxic9]

Why some dol's say can't run high mem dol files from flash memory?!

[emu_kidid]

Because the Cobra BIOS doesn't let you overwrite where its own code is running from (and it runs from 0x81700000). Swiss and other loaders relocate a stub and use ARAM to work around this.

If you use dollz or dolxz you can relocate the DOL and that might work.

[seeWood]

Hey guys, i was able to check the usb adapter from my Viper again and a friend of mine connected the usb adapter to a logic analyzer.

He found out the pin 1 have no voltage and no tx/rx signals on pin2/3 of the flat flex.

Now comes the important part! If i could get the configuration files/data from the fpga on the usb adapter i am able to reflash the fpga again. So if you have them, you are a viper gc dev or can organize them I would appreciate that. please contact me if you can help me out to get my USB adapter back on working. Feel free to contact me.

Thanks in advance

[RazorX2014]

for anyone who wants to make a jewel for this modchip i made this
the actual png to download below is 3660x3660 with a transparent background.

ViperGC Logo.png

(3.92 MiB) Not downloaded yet

[Vzolfo24]

If anyone is willing to sell me a spare Viper GC Extreme programmer and the ribbon cable for it, I would appreciate it.

[RazorX2014]

updated the link to my viper gc iso that contains the bios files, cheats, themes, manuals and software etc.
https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewt ... 251#p38251

the iso content can be read and used directly from the cobra bios menu

[kup11]

Hello all,
Recently got a viper GC and need some help.
The cobra bios was running v1.2 and i wanted to update it to 2.1 with ipl patch, so swiss could boot from SD.

Here a user called kiwoore gives details on how to do it with a download of the iso they used (google translate was needed)
https://www-elotrolado-net.translate.go ... _tr_pto=sc

So i downloaded the ISO and have just finally got a disc to boot from multiple burns on multiple writers.
There where 4 options in the menu -
cobra21.vgc
cobra21_drive20010608.vgc
cobra21_drive20020402.vgc
cobra21_drive20020823.vgc

And i used the bottom one which matched my drive date, the flash seems to have worked but...
note. After flashing the GameCube no longer reads the DVD I just used to flash the bios ?

Finally here's my question and where i need help, I was expecting to be able to boot swiss via SD after flashing,
so i renamed swisscompressed.dol to ipl.dol and copied it to my SD card but nothing happens and cobra doesn't do anything ?
Can anyone help, or explain what I have done wrong please.

[emu_kidid]

Those drive date versions of the Cobra BIOS are for alternative drive patches to be used within the Cobra BIOS, I don't think I've personally ever tried them. It's likely the reason why it's no longer reading DVD's sadly.

What you should do is remove the ViperGC at this point and put it aside. Look into getting picoboot installed instead.

What you were trying to do and get Swiss to boot via ipl.dol was install IPLBoot, but as far as I know, there's no IPLBoot version that fits on a regular ViperGC.

[webhdx]

ViperGC can be flashed with iplboot r5.2 but it doesn't support SD2SP2. There is r8 prerelease that supposedly is compatible with ViperGC and has SD2SP2 support but I haven't tested this revision. I'd personally keep ViperGC as a collector item or sell it (it has suprisingly high value) and just move to PicoBoot.

[kup11]

Thanks for the help guys,
Just to note, although I couldn't load the disc that was used to flash the bios originally , other discs which previously failed seemed to work ?
So it seems that flashing the bios with the new cobra 2.1 bios changed something on how it reads or supports disc media (or at least that's what i think happened).

So using a previously burned disc, I flashed the viper again this time with the top option " cobra21.vgc " (would have been really helpful if this was named IPL or something),
And now finally success - IPLBOOT (r5.2) is loading swiss from and SD card in mem card slot 2 (certain DISCS still work but the original one i used still does not).

But now I have more questions -
1, Is there a way back to viper bios ? because I would like to flash IPLBOOT (r8) so SD2SP2 can be used to boot swiss.
For instance is there a viper dol (any version i suppose) that can be booted from swiss then from the viper menu flash viper 2.1 from DVD ?
Or does anyone know of any other way to flash an updated version of IPLBOOT ? (I do not have the USB programmer).

And a couple of insignificant questions -
2, Can't seem to get back to the original bios without removing the SD card in slot 2 (tried holding D-PAD LEFT with no joy and tried holding reset also no joy) any ideas ?
3, Also when swiss is loading an option pops up saying hold B to disable DVD, is there any way to stop that from popping up ?

[webhdx]

1. I think the only option now is to use external programmer. I've tried to conver VGC bios to DOL but my attempts were unsuccessful.
2. It's not supported in r5.2, the only option is to remove adapter or SD card.
3. I think there was an option to do it but can't confirm at the moment.

[kup11]

Thanks for the info webhdx,

Well its a shame there's no other method to revert back to an original bios.
so for now I am happy, the GameCube works fine and boots to swiss (with the SD in slot 2).

I will keep looking around for a solution to flashing the bios, but damn i really wanted to test IPLBOOT r8 with SD2SP2.

[kup11]

So i have managed to get a programmer (which I didn't think I would find) although it is untested.

Only problem is it doesn't come with a FCC cable, so I need a little help on which one to buy ?

Could anyone share these details on the ribbon please -
1, how many pins
2, pitch (0.5mm or 1mm)
3, direction (forward or reverse)
4, approximate length

[Cornholio]

So i have managed to get a programmer (which I didn't think I would find) although it is untested.

Only problem is it doesn't come with a FCC cable, so I need a little help on which one to buy ?

Could anyone share these details on the ribbon please -
1, how many pins
2, pitch (0.5mm or 1mm)
3, direction (forward or reverse)
4, approximate length

1. 14
2. 0.5mm? (see picture)
3. Forward (same side)
4. exactly 220mm

[Papy.G]

Those are not 0.5mm pitch, unless the ruler isn't of the metric kind!

[Cornholio]

Those are not 0.5mm pitch, unless the ruler isn't of the metric kind!

Every mark on the ruler is 1mm
I was trying to be helpfull… I have no knowlegde of cables, that’s why I added the picture.
Maybe you can give the correct answer about the pitch?

[RazorX2014]

i have the full setup, i will replace the battery in my calipers tomorrow and measure the pitch

[RazorX2014]

it was quite tricky given the size but i'm getting 14pin 0.35mm pitch but it looks like 0.5mm would work and that's a standard pitch so i'd try that.
without opening the console i'd estimate the cable is about 25cm long.



for me in the uk, this seems like it would be a good replacement:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173080054798 ... 6oQAvD_BwE

[Antares]

Hi guys.


Ive a GAMECUBE with a viper extreme and cobra bios 2.1 in it but i dunno how to flash with success Swiss.
Ive tried to make a cobra vgc+swiss dol (the firmware was about 1mb) without success
seeing these steps:

(Open a DOS prompt. The syntax is “copy /b cobra21.vgc+plugin.cbp output.vgc”.
Make sure that cobra21.vgc is 81920 bytes long before the copy operation.)

The flashing seems ok, but when i turn on the gamecube, it loads the original bios.
Can someone help me,please?

[RazorX2014]

Hi guys.


Ive a GAMECUBE with a viper extreme and cobra bios 2.1 in it but i dunno how to flash with success Swiss.
Ive tried to make a cobra vgc+swiss dol (the firmware was about 1mb) without success
seeing these steps:

(Open a DOS prompt. The syntax is “copy /b cobra21.vgc+plugin.cbp output.vgc”.
Make sure that cobra21.vgc is 81920 bytes long before the copy operation.)

The flashing seems ok, but when i turn on the gamecube, it loads the original bios.
Can someone help me,please?

there is also software you can use, like this:


in the swiss zip you want to use the one under 'DOL\Viper', the latest verison is 'swiss_r1622-lz-viper.dol' but i highly recommend you just flash the viper extreme modchip with iplboot like i did and that will boot swiss directly from something like the sd2sp2 when named ipl.dol.
that way it's super easy to keep it upto date.

[Antares]

Hi guys.


Ive a GAMECUBE with a viper extreme and cobra bios 2.1 in it but i dunno how to flash with success Swiss.
Ive tried to make a cobra vgc+swiss dol (the firmware was about 1mb) without success
seeing these steps:

(Open a DOS prompt. The syntax is “copy /b cobra21.vgc+plugin.cbp output.vgc”.
Make sure that cobra21.vgc is 81920 bytes long before the copy operation.)

The flashing seems ok, but when i turn on the gamecube, it loads the original bios.
Can someone help me,please?

there is also software you can use, like this:


in the swiss zip you want to use the one under 'DOL\Viper', the latest verison is 'swiss_r1622-lz-viper.dol' but i highly recommend you just flash the viper extreme modchip with iplboot like i did and that will boot swiss directly from something like the sd2sp2 when named ipl.dol.
that way it's super easy to keep it upto date.

ive sd2sp2.
So i put "swiss_r1622-lz-viper.dol" naming as "ipl.dol".
But where do i find the right IPLBOOT for my EUR Gamecube 001?