Xband Test Results
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:16 am
Ok, so in a prior topic I said I was looking for someone to help me test out something I thought might let two SNES Xbands connect and play Weaponlord. Well user BrAIZy contacted me and we were able to try out my theory, with mixed results. Here is what we were able to discover:
By going to the options screen and entering up, up, down, down, down, right, left, right, left, down, L, you can put the Xband in remote diagnostics screen. It will essentially wait there for a call.
If you call it with a regular phone, then it bring up a prompt telling you someone is calling your phone line and you can press any button to continue waiting for a game. This made me wonder what would happen if I made my Xband dial another one that was at this screen.
In order to do that, I would need to control what phone number the Xband dialed. I have scoured the memory viewer trying to find out where that number is stored, but I cannot find it. Unfortunately, the hex addresses in the memory viewer don’t match up with the hex address on copies of the sram or bios that I can view on my PC. However, I found a work around for the number.
Like most people these days, I don’t have a landline (nor did I want one), but I did get my hands on an old magicjack usb phone line. The service was long since expired, but with a program called GVjack, I was able to reuse it as a phone line. That program works by syncing the magicjack to Gmail account, as Google offers free phone calls in the US (they even give you a free phone number).
Once the Xband dials the server number, I would quickly input the number I wanted it to dial on my PC, and voila the Xband calls whatever number I want. I tested it first with my cell phone and was able to hear my voice in the TV.
BrAIZy reached out to me and procured an Xband and Weaponlord, and after some troubleshooting we got our test done.
When they connect, we can hear an audible handshake. My screen (the dialing xband) will display connecting. After a few moments however, the Xbands freeze up then disconnect. The receiving Xband will display an error message. The top light on the receiving Xband would light up.
While it is a bummer that this theory didn’t pan out, this test gives us this significant piece of information: if we can make a server, ANY Xband can call it without any modification.
By going to the options screen and entering up, up, down, down, down, right, left, right, left, down, L, you can put the Xband in remote diagnostics screen. It will essentially wait there for a call.
If you call it with a regular phone, then it bring up a prompt telling you someone is calling your phone line and you can press any button to continue waiting for a game. This made me wonder what would happen if I made my Xband dial another one that was at this screen.
In order to do that, I would need to control what phone number the Xband dialed. I have scoured the memory viewer trying to find out where that number is stored, but I cannot find it. Unfortunately, the hex addresses in the memory viewer don’t match up with the hex address on copies of the sram or bios that I can view on my PC. However, I found a work around for the number.
Like most people these days, I don’t have a landline (nor did I want one), but I did get my hands on an old magicjack usb phone line. The service was long since expired, but with a program called GVjack, I was able to reuse it as a phone line. That program works by syncing the magicjack to Gmail account, as Google offers free phone calls in the US (they even give you a free phone number).
Once the Xband dials the server number, I would quickly input the number I wanted it to dial on my PC, and voila the Xband calls whatever number I want. I tested it first with my cell phone and was able to hear my voice in the TV.
BrAIZy reached out to me and procured an Xband and Weaponlord, and after some troubleshooting we got our test done.
When they connect, we can hear an audible handshake. My screen (the dialing xband) will display connecting. After a few moments however, the Xbands freeze up then disconnect. The receiving Xband will display an error message. The top light on the receiving Xband would light up.
While it is a bummer that this theory didn’t pan out, this test gives us this significant piece of information: if we can make a server, ANY Xband can call it without any modification.