Sega Saturn Region Free BIOS

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There's VA14 (2x SH2 CPU fused in a single chip) or VA15 I don't know but that was surely the final model of the Saturn motherboard. :shrug:

 

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Well you have to understand that I live in a NTSC region (even if Wikipedia says it's PAL-M, PAL-M is an 60hz video system so of PAL it only have the color carrier) so I know almost nothing about PAL machines ...

Now look my situation (regarding Dreamcast):

I decided to take a pile of broken/"working but retired"/scrapped Dreamcast motherboards and work into dumping their flashroms.

Each SEGA Dreamcast console has an unique ID number which can be tracked back to it's Serial number. I was able to make the co-relation of similar data on PlayStation 2 consoles (identify, decode and recover Serial numbers from PS2 EEPROM dumps and they matched with the sticker on the machine :thumbsup but I have this pile of motherboards and none has the original console casing for me to pair the S/N with ... That's a major letdown ...

I now know how an archaeologist feel when he can't make sense of an archaeological site ... :shrug:

The lesson I learned ? Try to keep the machines as original as you can. :nod:

 

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Anybody could hook me up with a pre-programmed 29f800? I lack the proper willem adapter for them and don't feel like sticking a huge 40 pin eprom in my saturn If anybody is able to program them and have an extra chip I would be happy to hear your price. Thanks

 

check the group purchase forum.

 

Will do, thanks

 

So I've been searching around looking for anyone who have had a problem with installing a modchip in a Saturn with a "white border" CD-drive. I couldn't find anything :shrug:

I got the modchip (the one in link no. 3) back from my Dad's Saturn and installed it in mine. I had to change the jumper on the chip to match the CD-drive in my console, and it has been working perfectly since.
A few days ago I installed a CS8406 inside to Saturn and added a toslink transmitter for digital sound. It sounds great, and my Saturn has been playing music CD's for about for about 4 hours, with no problems whatsoever.

So far it doesn't seem this chip has caused any problems.

 

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Well if the system does these checks at random then wouldn't it increase the loading times? It doesn't appear to load any slower than my old VA0.5 Saturn.

And you're thinking that when it moves the laser to read the security rings, it could break the game?! If that's how it works surely the VA13 Saturn should have a bad reputation of breaking discs, with or without modchips?

My modchip needs to have either a "0014" or "0019" jumper connected. In case of the white line drives the "0019" should be soldered together. I take it that could mean that this chip is coded properly to work with these drives?
http://www.robwebb1.plus.com/saturn/saturnchipguide_2.htm

 

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Okay I'll be sure to write in this thread if I experience any problems

 

So I'm going to read the full nine pages later today, but in short.


1. We can't swap a 'white-border' CD-ROM drive on a Saturn that uses a Sanyo drive?

2. Can Sanyo drives be indiscriminately swapped with another Saturn that had a Sanyo board installed? Is there more than one version of them floating around that make them incompatible with the motherboards?

I can't buy the replacement drive since it won't work for the Sanyo...

 

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If you can test, that would be GREAT!

 

EPROM 29F800BB or 29F800TMC is good?

 

Mildly related:

http://www.consolepassion.co.uk/pro...sega-saturn-mark-one-switchless-console-boxed

Granted he isn't using this BIOS for these Saturns but I swear I saw him list one that read like it was. What gets me is his promoting these Saturns as having some unique modification that he invented himself. El oh El.

 

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BIOS is working! :thumbsup: