Sega Saturn modchip maker, who are they?

I send an email to my old supplier to check if they still carry Saturn chips. If everything works out, expect the chips to be around $6-$10

 

ray:

 

Hell, at that price you can count me in for a couple.

 

If only I didn't have two on the way:-(

I still might grab a couple depending on the type of installation. I hate soldering the Saturn itself and won't do it. With Rob's it isin't needed.

 

I will grab a couple for sure at that price.

 

At that price count me in for 5-6 LOL

 

Have you tried asking racketboy where he gets his? I have a feeling that the current ones out there are clones and are done by different independent companies with small runs.

 

I contacted a different supplier based from Hong Kong.
They usually take about 2-5 days to get back to me.

 

lol sorry didn't think about that, I just brought it up cause he is a member of the forum. If you do find out where they come from and get a batch made, put me down for 1 at least, it's always good to have a back up chip.

 

Sorry guys, but my old supplier stopped stocking them.

 

ROFL that is the same conclusion I came to a while ago when asking in the WTB section to see if anyone had any.

I've been eyeballing this:

http://www.crazynation.org/SEGA/Saturn/files/

It uses a Spartan II FPGA but clearly the chip makers of old didn't need something as large to do the job properly.

 

would be easier to replicate the mod chip?
I remember I used to have the one with 20/21pin combo sockets...

 

The FPGA also implements a CDROM emulator and interfaces properly in logic where the modchips are hacky and just shift out data using timers and interrupts.

 

If it works, it works. Can't say I'd be proud enough to put that on my engineering resume but to make some cash on the side, sure.

I'd also assume the FPGA implementation could lead to more than just a modchip.

 

I made an inquiry with an old contact of mine and he said it would be about $2k in total to supply the sources to both the palce and the mcu plus the gerbers for the pcb.

The only thing about getting the pcbs made (on the current mods as sold by racketboy) is the fact that they are produced on those ultra thin pcbs that not all the cheap fab houses deal with.

 

@Calpis: Wow, haven't talked about Xinga in ages now. They used to manufacture a lot more intresting stuff back then.

But ya, they were the ones making Saturn Mod chips. Didn't they make Game Stations as well? The last I remember they were saying parts were drying up which is why some products got discontinued.