2022-06-19 12:51:16 +02:00
|
|
|
# Unicorntail
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unicorntail is a hook library to run the DDR games on a hybrid type of hardware referred to as a
|
|
|
|
|
"Chimera" or "Unicorn". Compared to a "Dragon", which refers to the official stock hardware by
|
|
|
|
|
Konami, a Chimera mixes the P3IO board from a PCB used with GF&DM V4-V8, Jubeat, Jubeat Ripples or
|
|
|
|
|
Jubeat Knit with the motherboard from a GF&DM XG, XG2 or XG3 PCB, or a Reflec Beat PCB.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actual build instructions for such hardware are out of scope here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Context
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dragon PCBs are hard to come by compared to finding the parts for a Chimera PCB.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Chimera PCB however is different in many aspects to the Dragon PCB and requires the use of the
|
|
|
|
|
`unicorntail.dll` hook library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Dragon's P3IO has two serial ports that the regular P3IOs do not, and one of these serial ports
|
|
|
|
|
is used to communicate with the card readers. Note that these are actual serial ports driven
|
|
|
|
|
directly by the P3IO microcontroller, these are NOT just passed through to the motherboard like the
|
2023-04-10 23:55:48 +02:00
|
|
|
proprietary COM1 and COM2 connectors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unicorn Tail intercepts serial port IO commands being sent to the P3IO and redirects them to a
|
|
|
|
|
COM4 in Windows instead, where two readers can be connected via the motherboard's RS232 port or
|
|
|
|
|
a usb RS232 adapter.
|
2022-06-19 12:51:16 +02:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Drivers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need the P3IO driver installed on your target system. These can be acquired from an actual stock
|
|
|
|
|
HDD or grabbed from
|
|
|
|
|
[bemanitools-supplements](https://dev.s-ul.net/djhackers/bemanitools-supplement/-/blob/master/gfdm/p3io/README.md).
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023-04-10 23:55:48 +02:00
|
|
|
## COM Port Setup
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Using Device Manager in Windows, ensure the following COM ports are connected and setup.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COM1: EXTIO
|
|
|
|
|
COM4: Two readers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Windows is often poor about saving the COM port number, so ewf commit (if applicable) and
|
|
|
|
|
reboot after saving this setting to ensure it sticks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2022-06-19 12:51:16 +02:00
|
|
|
## Setup and run
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edit the `gamestart.bat` file that you are using and append `unicorntail.dll` to the list of hooks,
|
|
|
|
|
e.g.:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```shell
|
|
|
|
|
launcher.exe -H 33554432 -K unicorntail.dll arkmdxp3.dll %*
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you want to use any ddrhook library in addition, you have to have the hooks in the right order
|
|
|
|
|
to make everything work correctly, e.g.:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```shell
|
|
|
|
|
launcher.exe -H 33554432 -K unicorntail.dll -K ddrhook2.dll arkmdxp3.dll %*
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
