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Sega Channel BIOS (US)
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| Sega Channel |
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Developers: Sega,
Pacific Softscape,
Foley Hi-Tech
 This game has a prototype article |
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 | This game is defunct. Do note the game no longer works at all without modifications. This is most likely due to the game's servers being shut down. As a result, further official developments with the game are unlikely to happen. |
The Sega Channel was Sega's early attempt at a broadband media delivery service. It provided a continuously looping one-way stream of data on a hidden channel which the Sega Channel tuner would "catch" and then download to its internal memory for usage. New streams were provided monthly to the user at a cost of roughly $15 per month.
Although it caught on almost exclusively in the United States, it was instrumental in later broadband Internet deployment by encouraging participating cable operators to upgrade and maintain their systems for cleaner digital delivery.
This article covers both the Scientific Atlanta and General Instrument versions of the Sega Channel.
Contents
Sub-Page
| Prototype Info |
Hidden Text
Build Texts
A compilation date can be seen at 0x200 in both versions.
| Scientific Atlanta | General Instrument |
|---|---|
Apr 27 1995 AT 16:27:07 V0.25 |
Sep 12 1995 AT 15:01:51 V0.17 |
Compiler Message
Present at 0x12B99 in the Scientific Atlanta version and at 0x11D91 in the General Instrument version is a compiler error that somehow made it into the ROM.
Math library must precede standard C library on linker command line to access printf() that supports floating point
Credits
Starting at offset 0xCDDE (Scientific Atlanta) or 0xB707 (General Instrument) is a large chunk of credits, followed by an odd comment about fast-food catering, a fan club address (with the developers replacing vital information with X's), and a copyright notice.
| Scientific Atlanta | General Instrument |
|---|---|
RANI CARR IAN CROUCH RJ. GODIN KEVIN JONES PATRICE JONES SHELLEY KRUPP MICHAEL LOPEZ RAY MCFADDEN JOE NAPOLI JAMES 'VEHEMENCE' PARKER DREW PATANIA MICHAEL SHORROCK STAN THOMAS YUTAKA YAMAMOTO AND ALL THE FINE PEOPLE AT SEGA CHANNEL AND SEGA. IKE AJUDUA ROGER BARBOUR BRETT BLACK PAUL BORSETTI ROY BOWCUTT DAVID BURLESON GENE CANNELLA SCOTT CHEEK CALVIN CONREY ROBERT COWELL JIM ELSENBECK JOHN FILION DEAN FREDRIKSEN BILL GARCIA EDDIE GAUTHIER STEVE HOSKINS DON HUNTLEY MONA JAVAID LOAY KHALAF RAHEEL KHAN LARRY MCKINNEY DAN MCMAHILL JAY MCMULLAN JOSEPH MIGLIORE STEVE MOATS LEO MONTREUIL PAUL PAPPAFOTIS HIMANSHU PARIKH LISA PICKELSIMER CARL RAINEY GERALD ROBINSON DAVID SEDACCA RANDY SCHAUBS ALAN SCHLENZ MARK SCHUTTE SHARRONE SMITH TIM SPRADLIN STEVE STOWERS CARL TERRIER TOM WHITEHOUSE SPECIAL THANKS TO JOHN VOGEL GOOD JOB CARDS GO OUT TO: BRETT BLACK STEVE HOSKINS DAVE CASTELNUOVO IS THE ONLY ONE TO REALLY CREDIT EXCEPT FOR A SMALL CONTRIBUTION BY BRETT BLACK. CATERING BY YOUR FINER FAST FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS. PACIFIC SOFTSCAPE IS JEFF FORT RAY FRERICKS BRUCE STRALEY MICHAEL GATES DAVE CASTELNUOVO SEGA CHANNEL PROJECT MICHAEL GATES DAVE CASTELNUOVO JEFF FORT SEGA CHANNEL SPARK BY BRUCE STRALEY FOR PSS FAN CLUB AND MERCHANDISING INFO SEND SASE TO: XXXXX XXX XXXXXXX SUITE XXX XXXXXXX XXXXX, CA XXXXX DAVE WOULD LIKE TO MENTION CARLA CORACE WHOM HE FORGOT TO MENTION IN HIS LAST GAME I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION MY BEST BROS: NORBERT WIENERT GARY WIENERT ANTHONY WIENERT DAVE ALBERTI MARK MATUKA BEN BURNS CHRIS KULAK ALEX DJORDJEVICH YOSH ABE CAPM PETERSON DOUG SUMI SM/TM & ©1994 SEGA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED SM/TM & ©1994 SEGA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
RANI CARR IAN CROUCH RJ. GODIN KEVIN JONES PATRICE JONES SHELLEY KRUPP MICHAEL LOPEZ RAY MCFADDEN JOE NAPOLI JAMES 'VEHEMENCE' PARKER DREW PATANIA MICHAEL SHORROCK STAN THOMAS YUTAKA YAMAMOTO AND ALL THE FINE PEOPLE AT SEGA CHANNEL AND SEGA. BOB STEINBERG "CRACK THE WHIP" BILL HACKETT "THE COACH" FRANK DESANTIS "THE BIG SALAMI" MIKE MILLER "LATE NIGHT" VIJAY POLA "KING OF CAESAR'S PALACE" DOUG MCCOACH "GRUNT" HOWARD PRESSMAN "THE KVETCH" GEORGE BURPEE "PHANTOM" KEN SINCAVAGE "FSB" STEVE MOAZAMIAN "IT'S THE HARDWARE" STEVE CUPITT "SPORTS RADIO" CLYDE ROBBINS "MR. SATELLITE" BOB FRIEDMAN DORIS WITZMAN "WHERE ARE MY MEN?" FRANK MITTAL "NO PROBLEM" JOHN GRIFFIN "DOOOOH" PAT LEARY "RADAR" JEFF GILL "FREDRICK" HAROLD OSENBACH "HIRED HAND" TOM MARESCA "PEANUT OIL" PACIFIC SOFTSCAPE IS JEFF FORT RAY FRERICKS BRUCE STRALEY MICHAEL GATES DAVE CASTELNUOVO SEGA CHANNEL PROJECT MICHAEL GATES DAVE CASTELNUOVO JEFF FORT SEGA CHANNEL SPARK BY BRUCE STRALEY FOR PSS FAN CLUB AND MERCHANDISING INFO SEND SASE TO: XXXXX XXX XXXXXXX SUITE XXX XXXXXXX XXXXX, CA XXXXX NORBERT WIENERT GARY WIENERT ANTHONY WIENERT DAVE ALBERTI MARK MATUKA BEN BURNS CHRIS KULAK ALEX DJORDJEVICH YOSH ABE CAPM PETERSON DOUG SUMI SM/TM & ©1994 SEGA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED SM/TM & ©1994 SEGA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
Placeholder Text
Likely present to fill space before data was downloaded from the cable operator, or maybe just for testing. Curiously, ticker five line one includes an extra "WO" in its text. This can be found at 0x2C3A in the Scientific Atlanta version, while it's at 0x2C3E in the General Instrument version.
THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE ONE THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE TWO THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE THREE THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE FOUR THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE FIVE THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE SIX THIS IS TICKER ONE LINE SEVEN THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE ONE THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE TWO THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE THREE THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE FOUR THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE FIVE THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE SIX THIS IS TICKER TWO LINE SEVEN THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE ONE THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE TWO THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE THREE THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE FOUR THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE FIVE THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE SIX THIS IS TICKER THREE LINE SEVEN THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE ONE THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE TWO THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE THREE THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE FOUR THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE FIVE THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE SIX THIS IS TICKER FOUR LINE SEVEN THIS IS TICKER FIVE WO LINE ONE THIS IS TICKER FIVE LINE TWO THIS IS TICKER FIVE LINE THREE THIS IS TICKER FIVE LINE FOUR THIS IS TICKER FIVE LINE FIVE THIS IS TICKER FIVE LINE SIX THIS IS TICKER FIVE LINE SEVEN
Error Text
Generic error messages, possibly displayed in operation if a serious error occurred, or simply used during debugging. This text is at 0x32E1 in the Scientific Atlanta version before the diagnostic tools text, but at 0xEBC5 in the General Instrument version after the diagnostic tool text.
BUS ERROR: ADDRESS ERROR: OUT OF SAT ERROR: OUT OF VRAM ERROR: OUT OF OBJECTS ERROR: GENERIC ERROR: ERROR!
Remote Diagnostic Tools
Scientific Atlanta Version
Possibly meant for cable operators to provide remote support using equipment at the headend, pieces of a remote diagnostic tool are located starting at offset 0x34DF. What could be done remotely, if anything, is unclear, although some of the text indicates the existence of a downlink test that would fill RAM with dummy data, and a debug display that would list the contents of the 68000 registers and stack pointer.
SegaChannel Remote Diagnostic SCHAN Filling %lX from %08lX to %08lX Tuning %08lx FIXIT_STARTADDR: %04X FIXIT_WORKBOUND: %04X GAME_TIMEOUT: %04X GAME_ID: %04X PKT_MATCHADDR: %04X CURRENT_SPACKET: %04X GEN_STATUS: %04X GEN_CONTROL: %04X ERROR_COUNTER: %04X CRC_INPUT: %04X CRC_LOWOUT: %04X CRC_HIGHOUT: %04X Decompressing Took %u vblanks ASIC TUNE COMP PLL Config %mwd Tuner Type %t DONE FIRST TEST SECOND TEST DATA %mld ADDRESS %mld BLOCK %mld FILL DATA %mld DRAM TEST %mwd P0%mwd P1%mwd P2%mwd P3%mwd P4%mwd P5%mwd P6%mwd P7%mwd SP%mwd NU%mwd Current Logical Channel %mbd Current Channel %mbd $PASSED CRC TARGET CRC %mld ACTUAL CRC %mld FAILED CRC BLOCK %mld
Developer Diagnostics
This diagnostic tool appears to be for developers, as it gives out the internal registers within the Sega Channel cartridge and also returns the value of the game downloaded. It begins at 0xA32C in the ROM.
ADAPTER ADDRESS :%p INITIALIZED :%p AUTHORIZED :%p ART ALIVE : 06000029%p BFD VALUE :.%p PLL IC :%p TUNING WORD : %m MEMORY TEST : NOT INITIATED%p ADDR WRITE READ%p ASIC REG : %msd %p TCU BYTE :%p RESET CONDITION :%p GENERAL STAT REG :%p GENERAL CTRL REG :%p TCU STATUS REG :%p ERROR COUNT :%p /S%p! /10S%p GAME ID MATCH REG :%p PKTADDR MATCH REG :%p CURR PKTADDR REG :%p
There's also a small DRAM writing test at 0xAD24.
WRITING TO DRAM TESTING DRAM...%p INITIATED %p PASSED %p FAILED TEST STOPPED
General Instrument Version
Compared to the Scientific Atlanta version, the General Instrument version is significantly simpler.
Text for a diagnostic screen can be seen in the ROM at 0x4E90.
DIAGNOSTIC SCREEN%p SERIAL NUMBER:%p SOFTWARE VERSION:%p ERROR CODE:%p STATUS:%p FER:%p FORCE TUNE FREQUENCY: 000.0 MHZ%p CURRENT TUNE FREQ: 000.0 MHZ%p CHANNEL MAP:%p TO EXIT RESET THE ADAPTER
There's also text for a more succinct download diagnostic program at 0xEDC3.
GI SegaChannel Remote Diagnostic Sep 12 1995 SCHAN Filling %lX from %08lX to %08lX Command=%02X %02X No Rx Test start at %08lX Reading -- Press return to start Mem fail at %08lX - was %08lX SRAM Fail @ %08lX SRAM Fail @ %08lX SRAM Test finished! Checksum = %04X Copying game from ROM Game finally Copied Verifying game is in DRAM Game didnt make it! Game Verified Verifying game is in DRAM Game not quite there! Game Verified
- Pages missing developer references
- Games developed by Sega
- Games developed by Pacific Softscape
- Games developed by Foley Hi-Tech
- Pages missing publisher references
- Games published by Sega
- Genesis games
- Pages missing date references
- Games released in 1994
- Games released in December
- Games released on December 12
- Games with hidden developer credits
- Games with hidden development-related text
- Games with unused text
- Defunct games
- BIOS/Firmware ROMs
Cleanup > Pages missing date references
Cleanup > Pages missing developer references
Cleanup > Pages missing publisher references
Games > BIOS/Firmware ROMs
Games > Defunct games
Games > Games by content > Games with hidden developer credits
Games > Games by content > Games with hidden development-related text
Games > Games by content > Games with unused text
Games > Games by developer > Games developed by Foley Hi-Tech
Games > Games by developer > Games developed by Pacific Softscape
Games > Games by developer > Games developed by Sega
Games > Games by platform > Genesis games
Games > Games by publisher > Games published by Sega
Games > Games by release date > Games released in 1994
Games > Games by release date > Games released in December
Games > Games by release date > Games released in December > Games released on December 12
