Some Sega Saturn Swap Trick Questions

[pakopako]

This is awesome: http://www.dforce3000.de/?p=news&t=sega

This dude hacked the BIOS and removed the region check, so you can boot any region without any mods or carts. He also removed the authenticity check for CDs, but CD-Rs still wont boot. We'll have to keep an eye on this, if some one can hack the BIOS to boot CD-Rs this will be amazing.

It uses the JPN BIOS.
I been doing install for member from several forums.
Everyone seem to love not having to use switches or carts to play imports.

Looking at the pictures, it seems as if installing the custom BIOS requires some hardware know-how.

[jinn]

you most have the correct tools to remove the old BIOS chip. For some reason Sega added glue under the chip and it makes a little harder to remove.
After it is removed it's rather easy to install the new chip.

[Niode]

This is awesome: http://www.dforce3000.de/?p=news&t=sega

This dude hacked the BIOS and removed the region check, so you can boot any region without any mods or carts. He also removed the authenticity check for CDs, but CD-Rs still wont boot. We'll have to keep an eye on this, if some one can hack the BIOS to boot CD-Rs this will be amazing.

It uses the JPN BIOS.
I been doing install for member from several forums.
Everyone seem to love not having to use switches or carts to play imports.

Looking at the pictures, it seems as if installing the custom BIOS requires some hardware know-how.

You'll need a ROM flasher. You can get them pretty cheap, there's tonnes of recommendations in Ziggy's SNES Repro thread. It's just a standard 27c4096 16bit eprom which most general purpose rom flashers can handle. If you got the chip there's a few people (myself included) that have the hardware to flash chips so you'd just be paying for postage and the chip.

[Ziggy]

Looks like he used a DIP EPROM for the new BIOS. There must be a compatible surface mounted E(E)PROM out there that we can use though. It would make installing the new BIOS a lot easier. I'm guessing the Saturn's BIOS chip is the SOP package, but it could be SOIC. Guess I'll have to take a lot at my Saturns. I'll keep an eye out for a more proper E(E)PROM to use for this. I'm not sure what would be harder for a novice solderer, desoldering and soldering surface mounted ICs or having to wire a DIP IC to surface mounted pads with wires.

This plus a modchip = awesome in my book. Now if he can get the hacked BIOS to let you boot CD-Rs, that would be fantastic. Boot any region, retail or CD-R, with no modchips, no PAR carts, no switches.

[jinn]

The chip you need is MX29F800TMC-90

the hacked BIOS has CD authentication taken out, however, it is believed that the CD Drive controls the actual verification of Saturn Games.

[Ziggy]

I just realized, the reason why the guy used a DIP EPROM is because he used a socket so that he can swap out different versions of the BIOS easily (without having to solder). If you look at the pin of the EPROM he soldered in, you can make out that it's in a socket.