Stumped on a Cartridge Repair

[Martin_Head]

explain the Q-emuLator device drives being constantly lit but the game working ok?

I've seen this in Qemulator when trying to break copy protections. Don't know why, but it seems to be connected with microdrive direct sector access, where the motors have to be started by writing the microdrive control register.

If you've still got my email address, send me a copy of West that works in Qemulator, and I will see if I can work out and bypass the copy protection.
PM me if you don't have my email address.

Hi Martin, thanks for the offer but I already have an unprotected version. What I’m trying to do is restore West onto original carts with the copy protection intact & working

Many thanks
Tony

If I can figure out how the copy protection works, Then I may be able to figure out how to created a copy protected version.

[XorA]

I've seen this in Qemulator when trying to break copy protections. Don't know why, but it seems to be connected with microdrive direct sector access, where the motors have to be started by writing the microdrive control register.

If you've still got my email address, send me a copy of West that works in Qemulator, and I will see if I can work out and bypass the copy protection.
PM me if you don't have my email address.

Hi Martin, thanks for the offer but I already have an unprotected version. What I’m trying to do is restore West onto original carts with the copy protection intact & working

Many thanks
Tony

If I can figure out how the copy protection works, Then I may be able to figure out how to created a copy protected version.

I would love that info to work out why sqlay3 cannot play a copy protected MDV!

[XorA]

Code: Select all

19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select 3
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 2
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select 7
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 3
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select f
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 4
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select 1f
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 5
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select 3f
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 6
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select 7f
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 7
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:19 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select ff
19:07:22 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 8

It looks like after the Copyright scroller Zkul turns on all the MDVs at the same time!

[tofro]

Code: Select all

19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:478: MDV Select 3
19:07:16 DEBUG /src/qlay_io.c:519: MDV MOTOR ON 2

It looks like after the Copyright scroller Zkul turns on all the MDVs at the same time!

Must have been a heavy concert when someone really happened to have 8 drives

[XorA]

So finding that it was being weird on the MDV select was the key, my "protected" image is now working.

So it does seem to be only based on the RAND!

[t0nyt]

With some PM discussions I’m having it does seem to be the case that it’s just a magic number and for some reason the magic number is getting changed when I try to image a cart

But I’ve just bent an expansion port pin so can’t continue the tests until I’ve fixed that. Hope I haven’t binned a 3rd QL!

[t0nyt]

Have straightened the pin and fitted SGC back in

I won’t be using this QL for any more testing (e.g. Mdump/mcopy/etc don’t work with SGC fitted for me) as don’t want to risk bending/breaking pins

Will fit a spare vMap in spare QL and finish the test on that instead

[t0nyt]

My problem with re-creating a protected West cartridge is now resolved

Many thanks to the forum member who gave me a crash course in magic numbers over PM

Also, many thanks to everyone else who has been helping

All greatly appreciated

The one thing that clinched it in the end was to remove vMap from my QL, no idea why

Many thanks

[t0nyt]

Just to be clear, once I’ve sorted out my last few recoveries I’ll be putting vMap back in as it’s one of my favourite pieces of QL equipment

[XorA]

Someone needs to write a toolkit with format_rand command that takes a random from arguments