Optical drive replacements: Difference between revisions

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An optical drive replacement is a device that replaces the Dreamcast's [[GD-ROM drive]] with an alternative storage method, typically SD cards or USB storage. These devices typically use an FPGA to simulate the GD-ROM drive hardware.
An optical drive replacement is a device that replaces the Dreamcast's [[GD-ROM drive]] with an alternative storage method, typically SD cards or USB storage. These devices typically use an FPGA to simulate the GD-ROM drive hardware.
Examples include:
* [[GDEMU]] (official version and clones)
* USB-GDROM
* iceGDROM (DIY, not a product)
* MODE - Multi Optical Drive Emulator [https://shop.terraonion.com/en/home/17-Terraonion_MODE_Dreamcast_Saturn_ODE.html Unreleased, preorder here]


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="20"|GD-ROM Optical Drive Features Comparison
!colspan="20"|GD-ROM Optical Drive Features Comparison
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#b6b6b6;" width="300" | Device:  
|style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" width="300" | Device:  
| width="400" | GDEMU
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" width="400" | [[GDEMU]]
| width="400" | USB-GDROM
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" width="400" | [[USB-GDROM]]
| width="400" | MODE
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" width="400" | [[MODE]]
| width="400" | iceGDROM
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" width="400" | [[iceGDROM]]
|-
|-
|console revisions supported || va1 only || va0 and va1 || ??? (no va2 support) || ??? (no va2 support)
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | price and availability || €130 euros, periodic sales done on [https://gdemu.wordpress.com/ creator's website], price includes shipping from Poland<br>$40-$80 USD unofficial China-based clones widely available worldwide || $180 to purchase as a Paypal gift<br>$220 to purchase with Paypal protection<br>additional $15 for shipping from Russia to worldwide<br>sales through [http://3do-renovation.ru/USB-GDROM_Controller.htm creator's website] || [https://shop.terraonion.com/en/home/17-Terraonion_MODE_Dreamcast_Saturn_ODE.html Unreleased, preorder here], ETA || DIY project
|-
|-
|media type || SD cards || USB 2.0 storage<br>compatible with SATA to USB 2.0 bridges || SD, USB 2.0<br>SATA through built-in USB 2.0 bridge || SD cards
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" width="300" | console revisions supported<br>(none support va2 models) || va1 only<br>(works in va0, but incorrect signal voltages may cause damage) || va0 and va1 || va0 and va1 || va1 only
|-
|-
|media capacity || officially, up to 32GB<br>large cards like 400GB and 512GB tested and widely used || up to 2TB || ??? || ???
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | media type || SD cards || USB 2.0 storage<br>compatible with SATA to USB 2.0 bridges || SD, USB 2.0<br>SATA through built-in USB 2.0 bridge || SD cards
|-
|-
|menu type || officially, no menu, controlled by hardware<br>GDMenu graphical menu is current de facto default menu || text-based menu || List view and advanced covert art views || no menu, controlled by hardware
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | media capacity || officially, up to 32GB<br>large cards like 400GB and 512GB tested and widely used || up to 2TB || ??? || ???
|-
|-
|media format || FAT32 with images specifically named and in numbered folders<br>community tools such as GDEmu SD card creator exist to assist in creating cards || FAT32, drag and drop || ?? || FAT32, requires conversion to custom image format, files must be specifically numbered
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | menu type || officially, no menu, controlled by hardware<br>GDMenu graphical menu is current de facto default menu || text-based menu || List view and advanced covert art views || no menu, controlled by hardware
|-
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | media format || FAT32 with images specifically named and in numbered folders<br>community tools such as GDEmu SD card creator exist to assist in creating cards || FAT32, drag and drop || ??? || FAT32, requires conversion to custom image format, files must be specifically numbered
|-  
|-  
|image format || TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, ISO for homebrew disc-swapping (e.g. for emulator ROM discs) || TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI || TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, Redump CUE+BIN/ISO
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | image format || TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, ISO for homebrew disc-swapping (e.g. for emulator ROM discs) || TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI || TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, Redump CUE+BIN/ISO
 
|-
|-  
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | disc swapping || Yes, swap to next disc by pressing physical button<br>Combined with DCDigital mod, allows swap to next disc in DCDigital menu || Yes, swap to any disc support in menu<br>Combined with DCDigital mod, allows swap to next disc in DCDigital menu || Yes || Yes, swap to next disc by ejecting and re-inserting SD card
|custom loader/bleemshell support || allows custom coded menus with direct control of console, can control of disc-swapping done through hidden API<br>Community menus exist including GDMenu, bleemshell, OpenMenu, etc. || none || none || none
|-
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | custom loader/bleemshell support || allows custom coded menus with direct control of console, can control of disc-swapping done through hidden API<br>Community menus exist including GDMenu, bleemshell, OpenMenu, etc. || none || none || none
|-
|-
|bleemcast! GT2/TK3/MGS version support  
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | bleemcast! GT2/TK3/MGS version support  
| style="background-color:#ff9995;" | no<br>(support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
|no<br>(support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
| style="background-color:#ff9995;" | no<br>(support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
|no<br>(support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
| ???
| ???
| style="background-color:#ff9995;" | no<br>(support requires either firmware improvement for image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
|no<br>(support requires either firmware improvement for image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
|-
|-
|availability || periodic sales done on creator's website, shipped from Poland<br>unofficial China-based clones widely available worldwide || sale's through creator's website, shipped from Russia || currently unreleased, ETA
|style="background-color:#d0d0d0;" | known bugs || Item duplication bug on Resident Evil Code Veronica (critical)<br>Freezing during Skies of Arcadia intro menu (non-critical)<br>D2 disc swapping bug || ??? || ??? || ???
|}
|}

Revision as of 22:39, 17 April 2020

An optical drive replacement is a device that replaces the Dreamcast's GD-ROM drive with an alternative storage method, typically SD cards or USB storage. These devices typically use an FPGA to simulate the GD-ROM drive hardware.

GD-ROM Optical Drive Features Comparison
Device: GDEMU USB-GDROM MODE iceGDROM
price and availability €130 euros, periodic sales done on creator's website, price includes shipping from Poland
$40-$80 USD unofficial China-based clones widely available worldwide		 $180 to purchase as a Paypal gift
$220 to purchase with Paypal protection
additional $15 for shipping from Russia to worldwide
sales through creator's website		 Unreleased, preorder here, ETA DIY project
console revisions supported
(none support va2 models)		 va1 only
(works in va0, but incorrect signal voltages may cause damage)		 va0 and va1 va0 and va1 va1 only
media type SD cards USB 2.0 storage
compatible with SATA to USB 2.0 bridges		 SD, USB 2.0
SATA through built-in USB 2.0 bridge		 SD cards
media capacity officially, up to 32GB
large cards like 400GB and 512GB tested and widely used		 up to 2TB ??? ???
menu type officially, no menu, controlled by hardware
GDMenu graphical menu is current de facto default menu		 text-based menu List view and advanced covert art views no menu, controlled by hardware
media format FAT32 with images specifically named and in numbered folders
community tools such as GDEmu SD card creator exist to assist in creating cards		 FAT32, drag and drop ??? FAT32, requires conversion to custom image format, files must be specifically numbered
image format TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, ISO for homebrew disc-swapping (e.g. for emulator ROM discs) TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, Redump CUE+BIN/ISO
disc swapping Yes, swap to next disc by pressing physical button
Combined with DCDigital mod, allows swap to next disc in DCDigital menu		 Yes, swap to any disc support in menu
Combined with DCDigital mod, allows swap to next disc in DCDigital menu		 Yes Yes, swap to next disc by ejecting and re-inserting SD card
custom loader/bleemshell support allows custom coded menus with direct control of console, can control of disc-swapping done through hidden API
Community menus exist including GDMenu, bleemshell, OpenMenu, etc.		 none none none
bleemcast! GT2/TK3/MGS version support no
(support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection) 		no
(support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection) 		??? no
(support requires either firmware improvement for image support, or community effort to further crack protection)
known bugs Item duplication bug on Resident Evil Code Veronica (critical)
Freezing during Skies of Arcadia intro menu (non-critical)
D2 disc swapping bug		 ??? ??? ???
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