Wii DVD/Wiikey Fusion/WODE + GC Portable Discussion

[Ashen]

First off, Hello Emukidid and GC scene

In need of your help!




This is a project I started some time ago inspired by my followings of the infamous ben heck ( http://benheck.com for those who dont know him ). Anyway the conundrum I'm in is that the gamecube DVD drive is just stupidy HUGE as most people here probably already know. As i'm shooting for something that in the end will be reminiscent of these internet mock-up images:




Cramming the whole DVD drive and assembly into this thing is just not a viable option for me. So for over a year or so now my project has been put on hold as I have been waiting for and/or trying to find a way to totally eliminate the need for this stupidly huge drive. The closest thing I have found is SDBoot. But the way I understand it is that in its current form it still needs at least for some games that the DVD drive still be present.

Sooo... my question to all of you (and please don't think I haven't done my research as I have scoured the net): Is there any way that I'm missing to totally eliminate the DVD drive for a reliable mostly compatibe way of hdd/sd loading games. If there is not, is it feasible to replace the gamecube DVD drive with a slimline PC dvd rom drive (I will have a modchip installed: viper extreme most likely). If not... and I hate to ask this because I know some devs truely hate it so please don't flame. But what is the ETA on SDBoot 1.0? I noticed that the features list has DVD'less loading. I realize we all have lives and other things to do. But if there are no other viable options for me I am kinda stuck where I am with this project as I cannot design and build a case for my portable until I know exactly what I'm going to be cramming inside it.

At any rate I would really like to make my project become a reality sooner or later. I dont know where you are at as far as SDBoot goes but if incentive to work on polishing it is needed I would gladly build a 2nd unit for you Emukidid once I get the first prototype done. Anyway I appreciate any help anyone can give me. Thx

portable-gamecube.jpg

(21.04 KiB) Not downloaded yet

DSCN0421.jpg

(166.63 KiB) Not downloaded yet

[liquitt]

check the news thread - there's a hddloader homebrew or diy tutorial. (which will be produced in the future, but you seem to be into electronics, so...)

it has an ide connection for harddisks. okay a harddisk is a bad idea for portable devices that you're actually moving around all the time. what about a SSD -> IDE adapter?

[Ashen]

Liquitt, thx for the reply

Actually ide hard drives have almost the same pinouts or exactly the same pinouts as the compact flash format so this is a very viable option for me. Is there software available for this configuration that allows loading of games? If so whats the compatibility like? Im at work at the moment on my phone, so ill check it out in a bit. Thx!

[emu_kidid]

Ashen, that's a viable option but i'm yet to implement any code that will allow it to work without a DVD drive present, and it would also require that you have a first generation modchip of some kind present. You might want to consider getting something like the WODE/SunDriver SATA and try wiring that up to the GC or perhaps wait for the true DVD replacement that I'm also working on for GC.


Also, you might want to use a DOL-101 gamecube (if you'll just be using composite out) since the smaller power board is integrated into the GC mainboard itself.

[doktor_krotch]

Do you really think it's possible to wire up a WODE or Sundriver to a GC? I mean they're intended for Wii... But then I don't really know that much about them. How similar are the dvd interfaces on the Wii and GC anyway?

[emu_kidid]

I've got a sundriver SATA at home in pieces ready to wire up.. once done I'll make a guide

they were $20 from divineo!

[doktor_krotch]

Wicked. Now that's something I'd like to try.

[Ashen]

Thx for the quick reply's

After I figure out how to go about this I may look into using a DOL-101 mainboard (thx for the tip). I had hoped to run component outs to the PSone screen I will be using but I will also have to consider space inside my case as the premium concern when I cross that bridge.

The suggestion of a wode/sundriver hacked to work with the gamecube is intriguing and would be awesome for my application if they would work (would they? they are made for the wii). I'm no super technical engineering guru and I have no coding skills whatsoever so writing custom software to get these things working on the cube is out of the question for me.

If you are working on a true DVD drive replacement I don't mind playing the waiting game. The reason I was looking to get back into this project is partly because i'm tired of seeing the parts laying around ;P and mostly because in the very near future i'm going to have a good bit of free time on my hands that I could work on it.

Thx for all the help, I will be watching all of your projects for sure

[Ashen]

I've been looking a bit more into the sundriver and wode and how they work with the Wii. It looks to me like both chips on boot auto inject a GCOS based loader into the disc channel. In the sundrivers case it appears to be a GC sized .iso file that is written to the chip/hard drive? and in the Wode is a linux based loader. Both seem to be GCOS based. This makes me hopeful that if wired to a GC correctly we could eliminate that damn HUGE DVD drive and the GC would just autoboot what it thinks is a GC game (the bootloader). What concerns me is that after the boot channels are loaded and you select which game you want from the hard drive the chips auto reboot the Wii at which point I assume the .iso images are mounted and injected into the disc channel. How would this be handled by the gamecube? I'm thinking that whatever request the chip sends to auto reboot the Wii if sent to the GC would just confuse it and possibly make it implode or create a black hole leading to the destruction of the world as we know it come 2012

Seriously though... thoughts?

[emu_kidid]

Should be fine, remember that the "GC Channel" that the chips make available is just a standard gamecube ISO. These will work fine on a gamecube and when they "reboot", they'll take the same effect, but in this case, rebooting your gamecube.

[doktor_krotch]

I'm guessing that solution won't support streaming audio though, will it? I imagine it would be pretty hard to solder cause both products use a flat flexible cable to connect to the Wii mainboard. Not trying to be a wowser here, but I think you'll need mad soldering skills to do it. Better than mine anyway XD

[emu_kidid]

yeah, there's quite a few cpld chip legs that need soldering in a row.. it's going to be a bit crazy

[Ashen]

I'm guessing (and hoping) that audiostreaming would work correctly IF this works. I've never used a sundriver but I'm assuming that gamecube games work correctly (including audio streaming) on the Wii while using the sun.

As far as soldering goes my hands are pretty steady to solder very tiny things... Also things like this help alot http://www.proto-advantage.com/store/pr ... id=3400005

Are there pinouts for the DVD controller boards for the Wii and GC somewhere Emukidid? If so could you kindly point me in the right direction? I'm going to order a Sun and Wode and muck about a bit I think.

Thx again for the help and suggestions if I/You/We get this working you will be my new personal hero (Not to mention more than just a few over at the benheck.com forums I'm sure).

Edit: I cant find much info from users of the sundriver. But apparently the Wode has GC AS issues: http://www.wodejukebox.com/forum/viewto ... c&start=20 (good informative posts Emu). I'm going to order 2 Sundrivers for now from divineo (still only 20$!) and see what we can make out of that. Truthfully, emulation of anything is hardly ever 100% compatible. but if this works it'll be enough to keep me happy for my project as it seems the best option for the time being.

[emu_kidid]

I have the pin outs but they don't exactly match. I'll post them here tonight when I get some time hopefully. Remember, the gamecube has a lid on the dvd drive where as the wii has a disc sensor.. here's hoping we can get away with the same pins there.

Also, I'm not sure any device perhaps only the wiikey fusion supports gamecube audio streaming via a emulated disc drive. We'll find out soon enough. I know for sure the WODE doesn't.

[liquitt]

i wouldn't mind the lid. just soldering it together tricks the gamecube into thinking the lid was closed, so that shouldn't be a problem

[gtmtnbiker]

I'm going to order 2 Sundrivers for now from divineo (still only 20$!) and see what we can make out of that.

Wow, that's a good price. They were going for $60+ at one time.

[gtmtnbiker]

@emu_kidid, pretty impressive stuff you're doing. What is your background? What do you do for work?

Personally, I have an electrical engineering & computer engineering degrees but I've been doing software development (C/C++/Java/Perl) my whole life.

[emu_kidid]

gtmtnbiker, just in my first year of employment as a computer programmer after finishing a computer science degree. The work is easy but long in hours.

[liquitt]

tshhhh, code monkeys

network, that's where it is guys!

[doktor_krotch]

ot, has anyone seen that video with the penguins on the wiikey website? lmao when I first saw it.

EDIT - Just had a look at a yt video of the wiikey fusion booting. It seems to use a GC loader as well. Maybe not as quick to respond as the WODE or Sundriver though. From a few forum posts I've seen I don't think streaming audio works properly though

EDIT 2 - Confirmed

** Audiostreaming games can be played in silence.

EDIT 3 - You should be able to get around the lid sensor on the GC if you have a Viper modchip cause you can set the lid switch to always closed. How many pins are on the Wii dvd ribbon cable? (never actually pulled apart a wii, lol) cause I have some ffc sockets from when I did a mod on an LCD years ago. If you went with a ffc socket -> GC dvd drive plug -> GC mobo it would make it much easier, IMO. Or just solder straight to the GC mobo. Though, I dunno if you'll need to do any mods on the Sundriver/WODE to get that to work.

[Ashen]

Edit 2: nvm ... I am tired and my brain is fried after a long day at work ;P

[liquitt]

just saw that crazynation still have their usb/ata interface tutorial up on their website. might be a little help too

http://www.crazynation.org/GC/GC_DD_INT ... erface.htm

[emu_kidid]

yes Ashen, that pinout is correct, I have the one for the 32 pin connector for Wii, but could you please have a look around for the other two connectors (power?) on the Wii drive

[Ashen]

I will post anything helpful concerning the drive interfaces here which I can find. Unfortunately my trusty friend google is coming up a bit short as far as the Wii is concerned. The other connectors you are referring to I believe are for the drive motor/positioning control and disc sensing. The 32 pin connectors on the Wii and the GC I believe are for laser control only (If it is handy would you mind posting the one for the Wii). This is the most helpful thing I have been able to find so far concerning the various Wii Mainboard connectors. http://wiire.org/Wii/console/motherboard http://wiire.org/Wii/console/disc_drive no pinouts though

[emu_kidid]

Yeah you're right, one would be extra power for the motor/laser driver and the other would be power for the disc sensor and disc insert/eject motor.

The only question is if the Sundriver SATA draws extra power from these connectors.. I'll need to pull apart a Wii to test this.

The Wii pinout I have at home.. i'm writing a note to myself so I don't forget to put it up tonight :p