Can someone recreate and 3D print the 10 Pin mini-DIN used on the Sega Saturn?

Hello, this is somewhat a continuation of a discussion on the GCVideo thread and it is also a plea for help with many console Audio/Video mods. Will someone be willing to recreate and 3D print replacement Sega Saturn 10 pin mini-DIN connectors? These connectors are extremely rare but are perfect for many A/V mods. While the male cable connector plug seems to be more common, the female PCB mounted version used on the Saturn is extremely rare.

Because it supports Composite video, S-Video, and RGBS, is perfect for Sega Game Gear TV output mods as all available connections are present in a simple jack. It would also make a great replacement A/V port for the Master System/Genesis (Mega Drive)/32X/CDX (Multi Mega) since modders can add S-Video to their consoles without drilling a separate S-Video connector.

If someone is willing to recreate the PCB mount version, please post in this thread. If there is another way to reproduce these connectors without 3D printing, please post in this thread. Any help would be highly appreciated!

 

Designing the connector is actually not very difficult for someone who is familiar with CAD. A one-to-one replica can be easily designed as long as dimensions can be taken. The difficult part is the execution. 3D printing currently has certain limitations that make such a project very difficult to pull off. For example, the resolution and minimum wall thickness constraint. Also, the metal pins has to be source off from other off-the self components as current metal printing process is not ideal (metal type and cost). Sometime such a project can be done but it require some creative thinking and alteration to original design to create a compatible solution.

 

Wait, so you just want to use it in mods? Why not choose another, more easily sourced connector with a high enough pin count instead? I could see the point if it was for repairs...

 

Well, sometime people want to keep their system consistent with certain format and also not wanting to mod something that is irreversible. These systems are getting older every year and are getting harder to find in nice condition. I too like to keep my systems running with current technology but not at the cost of butchering them to save few cents.

 

I'm not saying you should break out the dremel and hack a vga connector in there. But if, for example, you know you'll only ever use RGB you might leave out luma/chroma pins and go with mini-din8. Stock look and no hassle finding the parts. Or maybe there's 10-pin mini din out there (I couldn't find any on short notice, ymmv), just with a different layout.

 

Sadly, that's what some would elect to do. Most searches on the web will yield those results. If it's a beat up system to begin with then maybe it's not that bad, but on a nice condition system it's just sad. Admittingly, some people could pull off those mod better (cleanly) than other.

I do agree with your approach though. That's a more sensible approach.

 

The 10 pin is produced currently in china. I have pulled some used din from russia but that source is now out. Fox con has the source but they dont reply even when i asked for 10k pcs

If your state side look up directv genie min it uses the same 10pin with a alt output. (the dtv cable will not work but the component cable will suply one audio and one video stock)

 

The reason I asked if this connector could be recreated is because of mostly Game Gear TV output mods. Current boards offer Composite Video, S-Video, and RGBS. There isn't much room in a GG for the Nintendo Multi-Out and seeing that it is a Sega handheld, I figured a Saturn port would be great because not only would it fit perfectly on top of the GG, it would also let you use your Saturn Composite cables, S-Video cables, and RGB cables without making custom cables/custom connectors and without having a 9 pin mini-DIN used on the Genesis (Mega Drive)and an S-Video Jack mounted. These connectors would be useful for repairs as well as mods.

We need both a female PCB mount style and a female panel mount style. From what I have researched, those are the rarest and are the ones that are needed the most.

 

Personally, for a GG I'd probably just go with one of those four pin audio jacks. Might even be possible to put in where the stock one is and not need an extra hole (unlikely though). RGB would be out of the question, true, but I probably wouldn't bring up the patience to hunt down extremely rare plugs tbh, at least for non-repair things (also I don't mind customizing cables). But if you do, more power to you, and best of luck.

 

I would also love to have a source of 10 pin jacks so I could do modded PCE/TG-16 with a single port. The cable already exists in many form so there's no need to recreate new cable just to fit new port.

Using a different port would work but one would have to fashion a new cable and it would be somewhat hard to sell those because it would require everyone to agree to a new connector design and new pinout standard.

 

I have designed one that outputs Composite Video, S-Video, and RGBS over 9 pin DB-9 PC serial cables but it lacks audio pins.

If we were to make a new standard, then it would need a cool name, be small enough to fit on the top/bottom of a Game Gear and fit in the smallest of game consoles, and have enough pins for Composite Video, Luma, Chroma, Red, Green, Blue, C-Sync, Stereo Audio, Multiple Grounds (preferably between each signal), and a voltage pin used for switching to RGB mode in SCART/JP-21 cables. We could also allow YPbPr/YCbCr component video to run over the RGB lines if necessary and maybe an optional pin for mono audio.

Basically, it needs to be a SCART cable designed specifically for Audio/Video and not Audio/Video/Data, but unlike SCART, it needs to have dedicated pins for S-Video. Maybe it could also have pins for Digital Video and Digital Audio that is compatible with the DVI-D standard and Digital Coax/TOSLINK. That would benefit users of GCVideo DVI and, when those mods are done, it could be used with Dreamcasts that have digital A/V out and the Wii with digital A/V out.

An existing connector would be nice (DVI-I could be a good option if it has the extra pins), but if a new connector needs to be designed, then once it is designed, I'll make a pinout diagram for it. I guess we could call it "UniOut".

 

I prefer to stick with existing standard and Saturn has the smallest multi-out video port.

 

You can come up with the best connector design ever conceived but you're not getting it made at any reasonable price. You need something already being mass produced.
If you want something cheap and easy to source and work with try pin connectors. They come in all sorts of layouts and are easy to rework into new layouts if you can't find exactly you want. A 4x4 block easily fits in the 9 pin Genesis 2 hole. You can make one in a few minutes at home with simple tools.

 

Some DIRECTV receivers have them. Same with the male. http://www.ebay.com/cln/haddacom/10-pin-cable/109708551014

 

Thanks but I was asking about the female panel mount versions. The male connectors are easy to find but the panel mount female connectors are impossible to find.

 

You could always pull the female connector off of the DirecTV box. With the cost of manufacturing a low quantity of this part, it may still be cheaper to buy a DirecTV box and yank the connector than to create/make/buy a truly new replacement.

I wonder if the internal pin footprint is the same on the H25 receiver as the Saturn...

 

Ripping the part off requires me to have DirecTV though. It would actually cost more because I would have to get DirecTV again. Also those are pcb mount and not panel mount, which is what I originally meant in the first post. I forgot to edit it when I wrote it.

OzOnE is making a universal HDMI mod that works in the game gear so this isn't really needed anymore. A 9 pin dsub would probably work better than the 10 pin miniDIN. Audio can just be tapped from the headphone jack.