Homebrew HDD adapter for Gamecube

YouTube · Post by **emu_kidid** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:52 am

A fellow Gamecube enthusiast has created a DIY HDD (IDE only) adapter for the EXI bus on the Nintendo Gamecube!

It's a simple device, but something the GC could definitely use .. I know I'd love to see some GC-Linux support for this thing

Best part of all is that once he gets around to it, instructions on how everyone can build one from a few parts easily found (even certain old PS2 modchips can be modified to do the job - it's that easy) will be released.

Click here to see pictures!

It's been tested so far with a unofficial modified SD-Boot 0.3, and the speed is quite good in games. I haven't built one nor know how to yet, but I'd say it probably reads at about 1mb/s from the HDD, which is not bad considering the code isn't very optimized. Regardless, I'll add in support for the adapter in the next version of SD-Boot (working title) which is coming up nicely.

Note, the HDD adapter is not a DVD replacement, and as such, cannot be used to play backups. The author has simply modified an older version of SD-Boot to add in support, so the compatibility with backups would only be as good as the software (0.3 wasn't too great).

yamaharacer · Post by **yamaharacer** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:14 am

cool where is the diagram i want to build one and test it.

by the way when is the release of the dvd-emulator. its very quiet about this project at the moment.

WiiPower · Post by **WiiPower** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:39 pm

Not a drive replacement...
So it doesn't support audio streaming as well.

Off toic: What modification or software is able to play audio streams?

I know that the following don't do it:
WODE
SD/USB-Boot
GC Backup Launcher on Wii
GCOS(i assume it doesn't, please correct me if i'm wrong)

Most important is there anything that does not use discs that plays audio streams? If not, that would be something worth to be developed in my eyes.

Ok, i know that matter is VERY complicated, but since this device needs to be build yourself anyways. Is there any possibility to solder those 3 wires required for audio steaming to it and add the necessary code for it to SD-Boot?

deku_scrub · Post by **deku_scrub** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:46 pm

Craazy!

emu_kidid, and what about the ˜DVD-Emulator˜?

Thks!

slashpts · Post by **slashpts** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 2:55 am

Man it's so cool!!!

I have two HDD IDE with 20/40 gb...
This is the way!

Well, I'm kidding... but is cooool!!

kevstah2004 · Post by **kevstah2004** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:52 pm

EXI bus you say which port?, i'm guessing the memory card slots with a hdd adapter since you mentioned sd-boot are the serial ports any faster? was serial port 2 ever used for anything? is the Game Boy Player Hi Speed Port faster than serial 1 or 2?
I'm suprised no one has tried anything like this before or butching a sdcard to usb hdd adapter given that people have made ide to sata adapters for the ps2, what ever happened to that sd adapter for the dreamcast? I saw a pic of one for the master system or mega drive too at some homebrew scence meeting, it was during a bbc interview for Click with Clive Sinclair a few weeks back http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t1c1x

ayadsign · Post by **ayadsign** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:07 am

Hi everyone!

Where can we find the web with the directions for use?
Is it easy like you are talking about?
Its great having news in our gamecubes. thanks

darkzero · Post by **darkzero** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 3:59 pm

Diagrams? Author site? Fake? DVD Emulator?

kevstah2004 · Post by **kevstah2004** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:23 am

From what i've know of emu_kidid he isn't one to lie you can pretty much take what he says in any case as gospel.

YouTube · Post by **emu_kidid** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:02 am

kevstah2004 wrote: 1. EXI bus you say which port?, i'm guessing the memory card slots with a hdd adapter since you mentioned sd-boot are the serial ports any faster? was serial port 2 ever used for anything? is the Game Boy Player Hi Speed Port faster than serial 1 or 2?
2. I'm suprised no one has tried anything like this before or butching a sdcard to usb hdd adapter given that people have made ide to sata adapters for the ps2,
3. What ever happened to that sd adapter for the dreamcast? I saw a pic of one for the master system or mega drive too at some homebrew scence meeting, it was during a bbc interview for Click with Clive Sinclair a few weeks back http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t1c1x

1. It will go where the BBA goes, but it should work from any port depending on how you build it, and where the software looks for it. (It can be Memory Card Slot 1, 2, or Serial Port 1 or 2). Serial Port 2 was never used for anything and was later removed on the last generation (Platinum) DOL-001's and all DOL-101's. The Gameboy Player Hi-Speed Port is much faster than the EXI bus as it's an extension of ARAM (81Mhz) vs EXI(27MHz). Using the Hi-Speed port is an undocumented and difficult process, this is why no one has used it before (for Homebrew).

2. It would be quite difficult and expensive to make a SD to USB HDD adapter.

3. The Dreamcast SD adapter was made, and so was software to play backups from it: http://www.dc-swat.net.ru/news/16/

It loads homebrew isos and now with this update it loads "backups", it still doesn't support cdda but the game will just run fine it has some minor lags when loading but nothing important.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2xwoW6Z8Cg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21l8upQ5CLI

Regarding the Sega MegaDrive/Genesis and Master System SD adapter, I've purchased one, it's called "EverDrive" and is available from here: http://www.krikzz.com/index.html

^^ hope these answered your questions

YouTube · Post by **emu_kidid** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:51 am

darkzero wrote:Diagrams? Author site? Fake? DVD Emulator?

Diagrams will be released soon, 4 units have been built without any issues so far

The author doesn't have his own site, but his alias online is "Dampro" (Damián) and he's from Cuba. His english isn't too great, he's decided to publish his work on this site "because it's the only place devoted to GC homebrew after tehskeen died".

ayadsign · Post by **ayadsign** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:11 pm

OK. Thx Emu_kidid. It will be a great new.
I hope it will be easy to be made.

tglaria · Post by **tglaria** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:14 pm

emu_kidid wrote:
darkzero wrote:Diagrams? Author site? Fake? DVD Emulator?
Diagrams will be released soon, 4 units have been built without any issues so far

I hope this "soon" doesn't take too long.

emu_kidid wrote:The author doesn't have his own site, but his alias online is "Dampro" (Damián) and he's from Cuba. His english isn't too great, he's decided to publish his work on this site "because it's the only place devoted to GC homebrew after tehskeen died".

Why not let him post in spanish and let other people translate for him (I know I can

)

kevstah2004 · Post by **kevstah2004** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:22 am

emu_kidid wrote: 1. It will go where the BBA goes, but it should work from any port depending on how you build it, and where the software looks for it. (It can be Memory Card Slot 1, 2, or Serial Port 1 or 2). Serial Port 2 was never used for anything and was later removed on the last generation (Platinum) DOL-001's and all DOL-101's. The Gameboy Player Hi-Speed Port is much faster than the EXI bus as it's an extension of ARAM (81Mhz) vs EXI(27MHz). Using the Hi-Speed port is an undocumented and difficult process, this is why no one has used it before (for Homebrew).

Thanks! how does this tally up against the dvd drive emulator? which provides the quickest.

darkzero · Post by **darkzero** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:54 pm

tglaria wrote:
emu_kidid wrote:
darkzero wrote:Diagrams? Author site? Fake? DVD Emulator?
Diagrams will be released soon, 4 units have been built without any issues so far
I hope this "soon" doesn't take too long.

emu_kidid wrote:The author doesn't have his own site, but his alias online is "Dampro" (Damián) and he's from Cuba. His english isn't too great, he's decided to publish his work on this site "because it's the only place devoted to GC homebrew after tehskeen died".
Why not let him post in spanish and let other people translate for him (I know I can )

Thanks for the quick heads up, its been a while since good hardware mods hit the good cube, i had big hopes for the dvd emulator but i dont think its ever gonna be real.

Sorry if i was a little rash with my comments, im also come from the tehskeen gen and theres almost no good homebrew specific site outhere (at least not without the commercial games topics).

Im pretty sure we all looking forward to this mod, thanks for all the hard work you guys put into it, Im promise to test it as soon as possible and give feedback to you guys.

Oh and since Im from Panamá, please tell to Damián:

Hermano como le hizo pa meter un Gamecube en Cuba? no existian antes de la revolucion, de todos modos gracias por su trabajo, barbara su inteligencia pana.

darkzero

tglaria · Post by **tglaria** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:16 pm

darkzero wrote:Oh and since Im from Panamá, please tell to Damián:

Hermano como le hizo pa meter un Gamecube en Cuba? no existian antes de la revolucion, de todos modos gracias por su trabajo, barbara su inteligencia pana.

darkzero

jajajaja

I LOLed

michael903 · Post by **michael903** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:40 am

Any news on this (iI have just got a gamecube for £12.00 just to play twin snakes on) my ps2 fat runs off a harddrive would love gamecube to do the same my son loves mario games on ds and wii (wii runs off harddrive) I do buy games not download them but running off hard drive you do not get scratched disks!! My son is 4 so disks do not last long!!!

YouTube · Post by **emu_kidid** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:27 am

Yes there should be some update about this after the weekend, and possibly installation pictures and diagrams.

DarkZero/tglaria perhaps he also invented a time machine to prove it existed before? :p

sm4rty · Post by **sm4rty** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:09 pm

it would be damn cool if the diagrams and the software are looking for the adapter in memory slot B because you can use this adapter on wii when its connected to slot B
and this would be awesome

yamaharacer · Post by **yamaharacer** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 1:18 pm

it will be connected to the seriel port, I think.

YouTube · Post by **emu_kidid** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 1:45 pm

Slot A/B are also possible.

yamaharacer · Post by **yamaharacer** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:04 pm

ok thats good but in my opinion seriel port is better because you can also use sd gecko at the same time (I hope)

sm4rty · Post by **sm4rty** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 4:08 pm

best would be if you can chose the port where the ide-adapter is connected in sd-boot. then you can use this IDE adapter with your wii and your gamecube

yamaharacer · Post by **yamaharacer** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:07 pm

are there any news about the diagrams? I hope that it will be released after that weekend and not gets many delays like the dvd emulator.

yamaharacer · Post by **yamaharacer** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 4:24 am

emu_kidid wrote:Yes there should be some update about this after the weekend, and possibly installation pictures and diagrams.

I already thought that tis couldnt be true. Which weekend did you mean? This one or the last in December?