Tennokoe Bank + Duo-R - possible?

[FM-77]

I finally got a Tennokoe Bank today, I've been wanting one of these for as long as I can remember. I thought it worked like a standard memory card - turns out it doesn't.

I have a Duo-R and it seems that I cannot use the Tennokoe Bank with it. When I try to save the console's SRAM to the card, it denies it. When I try to view the console's SRAM, it denies it. Can the Tennokoe Bank even do this, or can it only read the save thing for the original PC Engine?

I also wonder, can it be used as a memory card? I E save CD based savegames directly to the card, rather than on the console SRAM? It seems like I can't, because whenever the card is inserted, it is impossible to play a game. Is that true? Can I insert the card after the console has booted, or will this damage things?

Also: can I delete files from the 'Bank? I can view the data on it, but can't seem to delete individual files, or even format the entire thing. Is it possible? If not - what do I do when the card's full? Overwrite files? Is that possible?

[shubibiman]

The Tennokoe Bank is quite a pain in the *** to use. You can not use it while playing a CD game. You must first save your datas on the sram. When the sram is full and you don't want to delete any of your datas, turn your duo off, insert the tennokoe bank. Here is a picture of the menu :



The option on the left allows you to transfer datas from the tennokoe bank to your duo's sram.
The option in the middle allows you to transfer the whole of your back up ram datas to the tennokoe bank (you can not transfer datas one by one, you can only transfer the whole of the content of the sram).
The option on the right allows you to exchange the content of a chosen box to the duo and vice versa.

As you can see on the following pic, the tennokoe bank contains 4 "boxes", each one being the equivalent of the duo's sram.



When transfering datas from the duo to the tennokoe bank, you must choose which box you want to send it in. Same thing the other way round.

When everything's done, turn your duo off, put the card out, and then turn the duo on again.

[Necromancer]

I think you have the first two options backwards shubibiman.  The far left option is for transferring data from system ram to the card, and the middle option is for transferring data from the card to the system.  To help prevent data loss, it is also recommended that you reset the system (select + run) before shutting the system off.  This is especially important with a converter.

[FM-77]

Thanks! But... this was a little confusing.

The one to the left is the one I can't use. It just gives me an error noise whenever I try to use it.

The one in the middle works, but I am afraid to use it because I suspect it will overwrite the Duo's SRAM with the data in the Tennokoe bank. Is this true?

[grahf]

I only ever use the far right option. I have certain saves bundled together, and just switched them up as needed.

[Necromancer]

If there is anything in the bank - it will overwrite the system ram, but I don't know what will happen if the card's slot is empty.  It might just give another error.  Do you get an error when you attempt to select the first option on shubibiman's first pic, or does it give an error when you select which bank to save to (shubibiman's second pic)?  Fire up an emulator and test drive the menus where no data can be lost.  If everything works properly for you in an emulator, then you'll know that you're not the problem and that your card is toast.

[FM-77]

The first option doesn't work at all. It just makes an error noise. The second option works, and gives me two choices, possibly yes or no. The third one doesn't work either. Same error noise.

There's data in all the banks on the card, so I am afraid to use the middle option since I suspect it'll overwrite my Duo's SRAM with some save files from the Bank.

I'll try the emulator thing if I can find a ROM image of it. Thanks again.

[nat]

I only ever use the far right option. I have certain saves bundled together, and just switched them up as needed.

grahf has the right idea.

I have two "sets" of data.

The first set, which is loaded on my TurboGrafx 98% of the time is the "master" set that contains mainly high score lists and a few save states for some smaller games. Because these types of "files" are so small, you can save a million of 'em even in the TG/PCE's limited RAM. The second set, which is stored away on my Tennokoe Bank 98% of the time contains large save files for RPGs I currently have in progress.

The 'Bank really isn't a pain in the ass at all to use once you get the hang of using it efficiently.

When I want to play one of said RPG's, I will quickly boot the Tennokoe, use the option on the far right (swaps the files in the system's RAM with the ones stored on the card), turn the TG off, then boot my game. When I'm done playing said RPG, I will again boot the Tennokoe to swap back to "normal" operating mode and be done with it.

The amount of time the Tennokoe Bank stays in the card slot in any given day is less than 15-20 seconds.

You can't use the 'Bank for actual file manipulation, however. If you want to delete files off the card, swap those files into your system's RAM, then use your System Card to delete any files you don't want, and swap the remaining files back onto the 'Bank when you're done.

The first option doesn't work at all. It just makes an error noise. The second option works, and gives me two choices, possibly yes or no. The third one doesn't work either. Same error noise.

There's data in all the banks on the card, so I am afraid to use the middle option since I suspect it'll overwrite my Duo's SRAM with some save files from the Bank.

I'll try the emulator thing if I can find a ROM image of it. Thanks again.

Press "SELECT" from that main menu on the 'Bank.

You should get another screen where you can select either your system, or one of the boxes on the cart. This is the "File Viewer".

Select your system and press I. Do you still get an error sound, or does it show the files saved on your system's RAM?

[FM-77]

When I select the system in the file viewer, I get the same error noise (and a message, which disappears within a second) as when trying to use the left or rightmost options on the main menu.

The only things I can do are to view the data on the four banks, as well as choose the middle option on the main menu (I don't know if it actually works to use this though, as I haven't tried it).

[GUTS]

I have a Duo R and it works fine on mine, that's weird.  I hate the stupid thing though, whoever designed it was a f*cking moron.

[termis]

That's strange.  The first option should work, considering that it gets whatever that's in your Duo RAM and overwrites whatever that's in your tennokoe card slot.  The only time that this shouldn't work is if your system RAM is completely empty.

Try the third option, which is swapping whatever that's in one of the card banks to what's in your system RAM.  Then if that works, you can swap it again.

And considering that tennokoe cards run of lithium batteries, they should have a long, but still finite, amount of shelf life.  I dunno if that might have anything to do with the problems you're experiencing.

If all that doesn't work, I can only assume that either your card is bunk, or parts of your system ram is corrupt somehow and needs to be reformatted.

[FM-77]

None of the things you said are working, so I am guessing it's my SRAM that's corrupt. I've had to format it a couple of times before (every time I've opened the console up, the SRAM has gone corrupt).

[Necromancer]

Ooooooo, that sucks - hopefully you didn't have anything too special saved on there.  Format that bastard, save something fresh, and try to transfer it over to the card.  I must know if the tennokoe is working!

[termis]

It would really suck if you had to format the system (with important saves, no less) and find out that the tennokoe card was the source of the problem...

[Kitsunexus]

They were going to call it the Tanuki Bank, but they didn't have the balls...