Bandersnatch

I’m starting to feel as if this project is becoming my own personal Bandersnatch. The hardware that I’m also developing is definitely setting that kind of a bar. Understanding the G2 bus’ way of handling expansion devices as well as if the method I’m thinking of using will even work with the official broadband adapter is a concern. I haven’t touched the hardware side of things for a while and I really need to get back on it to not allow that skillset to dull.

Out of curiousity, I did decide to see if the Zip drive was at all referenced in the R11 SDK and found this interesting little thing:

sg_extchk.h

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/* Peripheral */
#define SYD_EXT_CHK_TYPE_MODEM              (1)
#define SYD_EXT_CHK_TYPE_MMBZIP             (2)
#define SYD_EXT_CHK_TYPE_MMBUSB             (3)
#define SYD_EXT_CHK_TYPE_LAN                (4)

sg_ExInt.h

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/* Define events for already allocated devices */
#define  SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_BRIDGE SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_DEV0
#define  SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_ZIP    SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_DEV1
#define  SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_USBPCI SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_DEV2
#define  SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_LANPCI SYD_EXTINT_EVENT_IML4_DEV5

shinobi.lib

_sygExtChkConnectLAN
_sygExtChkConnectMMBUSB
_sygExtChkConnectMMBZip
_sygExtChkConnectModem

I’m currently looking at a suitable file system for the external storage device that would be lightweight enough for the Dreamcast. Most that were available at the time are a little too heavy to be feasible.

I’ve still not connected a logic analyser to the dismantled modem I prepared about a year ago, either. There’s a lot still left to do on the hardware front.

It will be very satisfying in 30+ years, when I finally finish this project.