Sega Saturn Modchip help

[Wolfpacleader1986]

I installed a modchip in my model 2 Saturn. The power wire is soldered in correctly and the modchip is in. I used the A-B method for the solder. The disc is spinning but it goes to the audio CD section and just plays the tracks. Original or not, the result is the same. I bought a soldering iron just for this project, along with the Saturn and the modchip. Why won't it play the game instead of just playing the music off the CD....

[Hobie-wan]

Saturn modchip thread number 537.

Are you trying from a warm boot or cold boot? Put the disc in before turning the Saturn on and try.

[Wolfpacleader1986]

That's what I do. I don't put a disc in while the unit's on.

[17DaysOlderThanNES]

I take it you're talking about the Racketboy chip?

I have consolegoods.co.uk flavor, so sadly I can't help too much. However, I was pulling my hair out with my own install because I initially soldered to the power supply (and checked the voltage for a perfect 5V) only to find my particular Saturn (for whatever reason) would only work properly with the modchip if I instead put the wire in the CD connector. Worth a try.

use this guide, you'll see where you need to put the wire in the first picture:

http://www.robwebb1.plus.com/saturn/sat ... uide_2.htm

[Wolfpacleader1986]

Here's what I know:

-When the modchip's removed and the regular lens cable's plugged in, my originals work

-When the modchip's plugged into the lens cable slot with the lens cable and the power(red) wire is soldered in, the disc reads, but not as a game, even the originals. So, the chip is getting power

-When the modchip's plugged into the lens cable slot with the lens cable and the power(red) wire is NOT soldered in, the disc won't spin and it stays on checking disc format.

It will read the discs as an audio CD, but why won't the modchip boot to the Sega logo? The A-B method's SUPPOSED to work. Do I have a faulty modchip? I'm using a solder bridge for A-B.

Yes, I'm using the Racketboy chip...

[MentalMan]

Did you see this thread?

Click

I pretty much had the problems you did. Perhaps you should read it, I had to position the chip properly with a bit of pressure applied.

After you have tryed this, you should try to see if your system plays originals and cd-r's. If it only plays originals, but no cd-r's, you might need to change the jumper setting on the chip.

But before you try this, keep in mind that you perhaps need to give it more then one try till the saturn picks up the backup.

Good luck, im sure you'll get it working somehow.

Edit: oh yeah I forgot, the A+B thing is not a 100% chance. You might want to consider wiring to the IC directly to troubleshoot this completly. I personally wired to the 8th pin of my 64pin IC.

[17DaysOlderThanNES]

Here's what I know:

-When the modchip's removed and the regular lens cable's plugged in, my originals work

-When the modchip's plugged into the lens cable slot with the lens cable and the power(red) wire is soldered in, the disc reads, but not as a game, even the originals. So, the chip is getting power

-When the modchip's plugged into the lens cable slot with the lens cable and the power(red) wire is NOT soldered in, the disc won't spin and it stays on checking disc format.

It will read the discs as an audio CD, but why won't the modchip boot to the Sega logo? The A-B method's SUPPOSED to work. Do I have a faulty modchip? I'm using a solder bridge for A-B.

Yes, I'm using the Racketboy chip...

Again, I can't speak for certain because I used the consolegoods chip, but my Saturn did the exact same thing. Desolder the power wire from the power supply, strip it, and put it in the green connector as pictured in the link in my last post. I think it has something to do with not if the chip is getting power but rather when since it stands to reason the CD connector would have fluctuations in power whereas the power supply would always output the same. Try it, I didn't want to believe it either, but when nothing else works, it's worth a try. I think it might be a slight revision to the hardware and that's why some saturns work fine soldered to the power supply and others only work with the connector. For the record, most people place it in the connector rather than soldering to the power supply. I wanted to solder it because I felt it was "more correct", but when it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

[Wolfpacleader1986]

Here are some pics:













As you can see, the power IS soldered correctly. Or else the disc won't spin. The chip is in as when I rock it back and forth, it won't move. I don't want to force it in more because it's fragile and I don't want it to break.

[17DaysOlderThanNES]

As you can see, the power IS soldered correctly. Or else the disc won't spin. The chip is in as when I rock it back and forth, it won't move. I don't want to force it in more because it's fragile and I don't want it to break.

MINE DID THAT TOO WHEN SOLDERED TO THE POWER SUPPLY! I could load discs as audio and I could even play commercial games if I first turned on the system with the lid open and then closed it, but it wouldn't play games from a hard boot nor play CD-Rs. The ONLY change I made was removing the wire from the power supply, stripping it, and putting it in that connector. You can either listen to someone that was in your shoes before or enjoy your non-working Saturn, it's your call. What's it gonna hurt to try? have to resolder the wire if it doesn't work? Apparently the chip needs some sort of intermittent power it only gets from that CD connector in some models of Saturn. I'm a Mechanical Engineer with 9 months of video game console repair experience and I made this:



to say I have experience with the matter is a very heavy understatement.


And if you're wondering what is in that picture, that's a capacitance-based two phase flow void fraction measurement utility for the graphical analysis of fluid flows.

[Wolfpacleader1986]

I put that post there BEFORE I saw yours, so I apologize if you were offended. I tried your method, with no success. Now, my wire can't even reach the power supply now. Can I use just standard copper wire, or MUST it be with the insulation? I ask this because I don't have wire strippers. BTW, mine has a white line so I'm guessing that mine's the version 0019.