Original Firmware tricks and tips

[DoomJedi]

Hi guys,

As I wrote in the other thread, I tried to install custom firmware on my RS-97 retrogame, and failed so far.

If I won't be able to ever get the custom firmware to load on it - how I can make my experience with original firmware better?
For instance, how I can get more games to work on it? Most of my arcade/MAME games don't work on it, even some neogeo and CPS ones that should theoretically be supported by the oriinal emulators.
Maybe special MAME roms version that would make games load?
Any bios files I can add to make it work?

I noticed some fba/neogeo roms have zip ending and some fba one...maybe renaming roms endings might help, or find roms in different formats? What is the special thing about fba rom ending?

Some mame roms load with half screen...any possible fix for that?

What are other tricks to add things to original firmware and/or make it better, make more roms playable etc?

Any way to properly sort internal roms by name? Any way to mount internal roms?

What are the names of the emulators original OS uses? Is there another system those can load?

 

[Dave C]

See https://www.droidboxforums.com/threads/rs-97-pro-custom-firmware-install-guide.14748/ for how to install custom firmware, you should have no issues providing you choose the correct revision of hardware.

RE: .fba and .zip. These are two archive formats, the most common is .zip and can be used in a variety of ways. .fba (I am guessing a .zip renamed to .fba) is for the Final Burn Alpha emulator. I have not looked into it but I would guess it loads a specific emulator based on the filename extension.

The other questions can be answered simply by installing the custom firmware.

 

[DoomJedi]

Trying to install the custom firmware.

What are the folder names for roms I should use and internal/external microSD card (for each system)?
Is there a list of folder names somewhere?

What Sega Megadrive formats it reads? .bin, .md, .smd or all?

Should I put any bios files for arcade?

Does arcade one loads only final burn or also I can use mame2003 roms?

 

[Dave C]

Trying to install the custom firmware.

What are the folder names for roms I should use and internal/external microSD card (for each system)?
Is there a list of folder names somewhere?

What Sega Megadrive formats it reads? .bin, .md, .smd or all?

Should I put any bios files for arcade?

Does arcade one loads only final burn or also I can use mame2003 roms?

You can use any folder names, I would suggest using the names for the system so SNES for Super Nintendo, GB for GameBoy, even Super Nintendo and GameBoy would work fine.

Custom firmware emulators will probably support any format of the ROM so bin, md, smd should all work.

BIOS files should be put in the same folder as the games

Refer to Final Burn Alpha homepage at https://www.fbalpha.com/ for what is supported and what MAME version they should be in.

 

[DoomJedi]

Ok, played with this new firmware much more.
Very impressive. Like the quality of image and video viewers as well.

My main issue is that fba emulator - gets stuck in alot of roms that doesn't...fit it. And then no button helps, I need to reinsert the battery each time to reboot. Till I got fba set that works, needed to hard-reboot this way dozens of times, many dozens.
Any trick I'm missing to hard-reboot the Rs97 without battery removal? I'm now scared to play arcade roms in general...

Another issue is that original firmware SD card had alot of fitting neogeo/fba roms I'd like to transfer to my cards, but when I plug in into my comp - it says the card needs to be formatted, and refuses to browse it. Any tricks to get my hand on the oriignal firmware roms?

 

[Dave C]

There is a reset hole on the bottom right of the device next to the headphone socket. Use a pin or similar to press it and it will reset.

Due to the memory on the device it does have issues with larger ROMs. The device was never designed for this so there is not a great deal that can be done to improve what has already been done to get some of them running.

You can use software like DiskInternals Linux Reader to read the SD card and copy the contents to your PC.

 

[DoomJedi]

Thanks, I see the reset hole now, thank you much!

 

[DoomJedi]

Downloading the linux reader.

"Due to the memory on the device it does have issues with larger ROMs."
Not only size, old arcade roms doesn't run as well, galaxian, pacman etc.... It's just limited by time of arcade machine emulated, too new or too old mame roms don't run.

Mame4all emulator doesn't see any valid arcade roms, this is weird. What format of roms I need to supply it? I hope such emulator can run older roms, mentioned above.

What about cholocate emulators (and outrun one) - what do I need to make them run? And can I point to wad/rom on external SD card? Opening the Rs97 each such time would be hell.

Is there book reader on this firmware? I see only text editor to write stuff.