Got A Coders Cable...Now What?

**Emrikol** · October 22nd, 2004, 16:41

Ok. I'm new to console programming...and I've been following the DC scene for a while...so I decided to try and start coding.

Well, I got all the cygwin tools built, nice and lovely, and my "Hello World" compiles with no errors.

Then, I buy a coder's cable--and hit a brick wall.

None of the sites I've found have any up to date tools or info. Well, I take that back. I found the site for dc-tool, with the iso for the serial uploader...burned the CD, started the DC...loaded cygwin...tried to upload an elf file, and all my Dreamcast does is say: "Receiving Data"

Am I doing something wrong? Does anyone have any tips or anything? I've found it to be a _major_ headache to try and get a good start in the dreamcast homebrew scene...there's not any real site out there that's got an "all-in-one" solution that's needed for people like me. Although, with the help of some 404's and Archive.org's wayback machine, I got everything but the coder's cable going.

anyways...thanks for your time and help!

**VampiricS** · October 22nd, 2004, 16:47

Well, youhave to keep in mind that with the coders cable, uploading stuff to the dc takes sometimes alot of time. How long did you let it go?

**GPF** · October 22nd, 2004, 16:57

check your serial port settings, which com port do you have it plugged into ?

$ ~/prj/dc-tool.exe

dc-tool 1.0.3 by <[email protected]>

-x <filename> Upload and execute <filename>
-u <filename> Upload <filename>
-d <filename> Download to <filename>
-a <address> *Set address to <address> (default: 0x8c010000)
-s <size> * * Set size to <size>
-t <device> * Use <device> to communicate with dc (default: COM1)
-b <baudrate> Use <baudrate> (default: 57600)
-e * * * * * *Try alternate 115200 (must also use -b 115200)
-n * * * * * *Do not attach console and fileserver
-p * * * * * *Use dumb terminal rather than console/fileserver
-q * * * * * *Do not clear screen before download
-c <path> * * Chroot to <path> (must be super-user)
-i <isofile> *Enable cdfs redirection using iso image <isofile>
-h * * * * * *Usage information (you're looking at it)

the commandline I usually use is
dc-tool -b 115200 -x test.elf

,since my coder cable is on com1.

Does your dcload screen change when submitting the elf file from

dcload 1.0.3
idle...

to something like

dcload 1.0.3
receving data...
(00000000/000ada2c)

with the first 00000000 incremented by 2 in hex?

here is my output from dc-tool

$ ~/prj/dc-tool.exe -b 115200 -x prj/1st_read.bin
Console enabled
Changing speed to 115200 bps... done
Upload <prj/1st_read.bin>
File format is raw binary, start address is 0x8c010000
send_data: CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
effective: 20980.323903 bytes / sec
Executing at <0x8c010000>
Sending execute command (0x8c010000, console=1)...executing

--
KallistiOS 1.2.0: Mon Jun 14 12:17:53 CDT 2004
*davistr@dfw-xp-davist:/usr/local/dc/kos1.2.0
thd: pre-emption enabled, HZ=100
maple: active drivers:
* *PuruPuru (Vibration) Pack: JumpPack
* *VMU Driver: Clock, LCD, MemoryCard
* *Mouse Driver: Mouse
* *Keyboard Driver: Keyboard
* *Controller Driver: Controller
*DMA Buffer at ac1da480
vid_set_mode: 640x480 NTSC
fs_romdisk: mounting image at 0x8c0ab394 at /rd
dc-load console support enabled
maple: attached devices:
*A0: Dreamcast Controller * * * * *(01000000: Controller)
*D0: Keyboard * * * * * * * * * * *(40000000: Keyboard)
vid_set_mode: 320x240 NTSC
not using software YUV overlay
/rd/HelloWorld.ngp is loading
line 146
line 110 /rd/HelloWorld.ngp
/rd/HelloWorld.ngp is 779 bytes

Good Luck

**Emrikol** · October 22nd, 2004, 17:11

I've waited in excess of half an hour for a 200K file. I know, even at 9600 baud, that it shouldn't take NEAR that long.

Also, this is what dc-tool's output is (mostly...I forget exactly, but I know where it ends...at the file format line):

Console enabled
Changing speed to 9600 bps... done
Upload <hello.elf>
File format is [ELF FILE STUFF] binary, start address is 0x8c010000

and that's it...this is what the DC says:
dcload 1.0.3
receving data...

That's all it does. It's on COM1. I have dc-tool set for com1, I have changed the baud in device manager to 9600. And...also, my CPU peaks at 100% until I manually kill (^C) dc-tool.

I'm out of ideas.