Networked Genesis hardware

For hardware talk only (please avoid ROM dumper stuff)
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jtn0514
Interested
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:33 pm

Networked Genesis hardware

Post by jtn0514 » Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:16 pm

I currently have developed a prototype setup of hardware based on the arduino mega 2560 to allow for multiplayer sega genesis 2 player games over a serial connection. I wont get into too much specifics but it basically shares controller joystick data between both machines and uses a game genie on each side to hack out troubled areas to allow for a truly replicated game on both console.

Is anyone interested in helping with such hardware? I would really like to condense or shrink down the hardware and simplify this into a single circuit that is small and can plug into the controller ports of the genesis/megadrive and then hook in power and ethernet to the board. The ultimate goal is to allow these games to be played with someone else over the internet. I have working prototypes that prove this can be done over serial even with up to 100ms of random latency.

If you are interested in helping or designing a circuit that would shrink this down please let me know! Designing hardware is not really my strong point as i am more of a programmer.

bastien
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Location: Besançon,France
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Re: Networked Genesis hardware

Post by bastien » Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:17 pm

I Can help you to design à circuit.

jtn0514
Interested
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:33 pm

Re: Networked Genesis hardware

Post by jtn0514 » Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:19 pm

Great!

I will sent you a PM so we can discuss further.

notaz
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Location: Lithuania

Re: Networked Genesis hardware

Post by notaz » Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:20 pm

I don't think this can work, the machines will desync eventually because of oscillator variations and no game hacks will be able to compensate it. There is also a problem of not fully defined state the machines start in and you'll get a desync at the very start of the game.

jtn0514
Interested
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:33 pm

Re: Networked Genesis hardware

Post by jtn0514 » Wed Apr 06, 2016 8:45 pm

It has been done this way with xband and has been proven to work. There are other things at play here but this is only a prototype still. There are still hardware things that can be tapped into to synchronize and software that accounts for both sides having the controller data before actually writing it to the joystick ports.

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