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Roger Braunstein edited this page May 26, 2024 · 48 revisions

Unlike many flash carts, the Floopy Drive doesn't have an SD card or a menu that runs on the Loopy itself. You'll use your computer to flash games to it. This will show you how!

Getting Started

You'll need:

  • Your Floopy Drive
  • A computer with a free USB port
  • A USB-C cable
  • A web browser that supports WebUSB: Chrome, Chromium, Edge, and Opera, on MacOS, Windows, and Linux are verified

Plug the Floopy Drive into a free port on your computer. If Chrome or Edge is running, you should get a notification that says "Floopy Drive detected."


Tapping this will navigate you to the web interface at f.loopy.land.

Tap the "Connect" button on the page. You'll get a browser dialog letting you choose which device to pair to:

Select the "Floopy Drive" and tap "Connect." Your Floopy Drive is now paired and ready to go!

💁‍♂️ TIPS
The browser will remember your pairing, so next time, all you have to do is plug in the Floopy Drive and tap the "Floopy Drive detected" notification!
When the flasher tells you it's done and safe to remove your Floopy Drive, it's perfectly safe to yank out the USB cable. You don't have to press disconnect or close the window, but you certainly can.

Troubleshooting

On Linux, if you get an "access denied" message...

You may need to setup a udev rule to allow user-level access to the USB device.

  1. Ensure you're a member of the plugdev group: it should appear in the output of groups.
  2. Create a rule in /etc/udev/rules.d/ named 99-floopy.rules, or you can modify this number to change its priority. You will likely need superuser/root permissions to add this rule.
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="239a", ATTR{idProduct}=="f100", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="239a", ATTR{idProduct}=="f10d", GROUP="plugdev"
  1. Ensure the rules are reloaded with udevadm control --reload
  2. Relaunch your browser, and re-plug the Floopy drive

If you're not a member of plugdev you can substitute another group you're a member of, presuming your user account is used to launch the browser.

Don't make me use Chrome...

A browser with WebUSB support is needed. Chrome, Chromium, Edge, and Opera, on MacOS, Windows, and Linux are all tested and verified by myself and users. There are good alternatives based on WebKit that don't include garbage from Google, for example Ungoogled Chromium. If you don't want a system-wide install, and there are portable versions that won't pollute your system like chrlauncher and others.

Other things to check...
  • If you run into any problems, first try unplugging the Floopy Drive from USB, closing f.loopy.land, and then plugging it back in.
  • You must remove the Floopy Drive from the Loopy to flash it. When it's inserted, it goes into serial (developer) mode.
  • Ensure WebUSB permissions are granted: in Site Settings (usually an icon to the left of the URL that combines security and permissions) make sure "USB Devices" is set to "Ask".
  • If you're still experiencing problems, please reach out via the Help Forum here, or find me @partlyhuman.

Using the Floopy Drive

On the Floopy Drive page, just drag a Loopy ROM into the indicated area and it'll flash the game.

Saves are automatically backed up whenever you change games. When you switch back to a game you were playing before, your old save will be there waiting for you.

💁‍♂️ TIP
You can also click and select a file if you prefer that to drag-n-drop!

ROMS

The Floopy Drive is built around, thoroughly tested on, and verified to work with the ROM set "CASIO LOOPY ROMS COMPLETE SET [verified 2023]" uploaded to archive.org. All ROMs in this complete set work with the Floopy Drive, though the Magical Shop ROM is meant to run on the specialized Magical Shop hardware, and Wanwan has a custom expansion audio chip that the Floopy Drive won't reproduce (you won't hear the dog barking).

⚠️ NOTE
ROMs in big-endian byte order are expected by the Floopy Drive, however, if you use a little-endian ROM, we will try to detect this and swap the bytes for you transparently. That said, ROM sets other than the verified one above may be incomplete or have bad dumps (we've seen this with Little Romance).
The MAME Software List for Loopy is in little-endian and sometimes split into multiple dumps, so it can be reassembled to work with Floopy Drive, but it's generally easier to use a known working set.
You can legally use your own games (and saves!) by dumping them using the Open Source Cartridge Reader and a Loopy Adapter.

Saves

You can use the Advanced mode of f.loopy.land to import and export saves to your Floopy Drive. Saves are tested to be compatible with Loopy My Seal Emulator and MAME (uses .nv extension instead of .sav, but same data, just rename it).

Replacing the Battery

The Floopy Drive uses battery backup for your saves. Eventually (hopefully after several years) the battery will require replacing. To replace the save battery, you'll need a common CR2032 coin cell. Open the Floopy Drive by removing the four screws. Locate the battery bracket on the back. Carefully push out the spent battery. Don't use a sharp implement, and slide the battery out towards the top of the bracket without subjecting the bracket to any perpendicular, prying force.

Slide the new battery in, + side facing out as indicated on the battery bracket, using the same precautions above.

Now connect to the Floopy Drive, and use the Advanced menu to "SRAM > Restore". This will restore the most recent backup of your save on the Floopy Drive's onboard storage, if one exists.

Updating Firmware

f.loopy.land will alert you if a newer version of firmware is available. If you don't see a "New firmware available!" message, you're on the latest, there's no need to do the below!

To upgrade:

  • Grab the latest firmware by tapping the link (pico.ino.uf2)

  • With the Floopy Drive unplugged, insert a pin/paperclip into the hole in the rear of the cart. You should feel a tactile button depress with a click.

  • Plug the Floopy Drive in while continuing to hold this button down.

  • If done properly, a USB drive called "RPI-RP2" will appear.

  • Copy the downloaded pico.ino.uf2 file to the drive.

  • That's all! The Floopy Drive will automatically reboot and reconnect.

Troubleshooting

  • If you can't find the button: try a longer pin, or open the Floopy Drive and use the BOOT button manually.
  • You need to be holding down the button at the moment of plugging in the Floopy Drive. Then you can release it.
  • This requires some manual dexterity and two hands. For an alternative that requires no tool (other than screwdriver) and one hand: open the Floopy Drive, plug it in normally, hold down the BOOT button while pressing the neighbouring RESET button.
  • If you don't see the "RPI-RP2" drive appear, unplug your drive and try again.

Care for your Floopy Drive

If you purchased a Floopy Drive, keep these care notes in mind!

  • Do not use soap, alcohol, or kind of solvent or cleaner, or even water on the label! It's printed, and it will smear. Wipe with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.
  • Sustained bright light may cause the label to fade, and intense heat can cause the shell to deform. Please keep it out of direct sunlight if possible.

Help

If you have any questions or need help, I suggest using the Help Forum here, or find me @partlyhuman.

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