Saturn modchip--what type is it?

My friend sent this to me in the mail today . I have never modded a saturn before and was wondering if someone could tell me what type this is? Also any installation guide's I could use.

I did some googling and it looks like it should work on both v1 and v2 saturns..

Thank's in advance for any help..

 

Looks like an EMSIC 3 or 4. It only has 20pin contacts so it'll only work on VA0 and VA1 saturns. You simply have to connect the ribbons and solder a power cable to the position marked as +5v to set it up.

 

Perfect..thank you..easy enough..now to find the right saturn to install it in.

 

Model 2

 

It's a 20pin chip. Model 2s are right out.

 

I'm pretty sure you will find that is a 21 pin board - I have never seen one of them that had provision for both sets of sockets and only had the 20 pin ones installed.

Note that counting the holes on the side of the board that doesn't have the sockets installed is not a reliable indication - lots of them used the same 21 pin footprint for both ends.

 

Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean none exist. Look up some pictures of EMSIC3 or 4 boards. They have the 21pin connector at the bottom with the contacts on the inner sides, and the 20pin connectors at the top with the contacts on opposing sides. That, and they have 20PIN and 21PIN written next to the connectors quite clearly (the image is too bad for this to be readable, but it's there).

 

You're quite right - I just had a look in my box of bits and found an EMSIC3, which appears identical to that board, and the end the connectors are installed is the 20 pin one. Strange that it seems to have been supplied with a 21 pin FPC.

 

I've got a handful of them in that exact configuration but damned if I can figure out how to get it installed and working in a model 1.

 

Looking at that photo closer, it's got 21-pin sockets installed on the 20-pin end - couple that with the fact that it's got a 21-pin FPC it makes me wonder if it was assembled wrong.

I was also told by one of the guys that did the original Saturn modchip design that a lot of the later boards had modified firmware that supported the later CD-ROM drives, but were not being tested with the 20-pin drives any more, so they might well not work.

And no, he doesn't have the source code anymore - I did ask.

 

I count 21 pins on the bottom. Both sides have 21 pin's it looks like. I know absolutely nothing about these modchip's though..Ill take some more pics to show the front and back better. This is a emsic v0.

http://john2kx.blogspot.com/

Edit..the side with socket's does say 20 pin and the other side without socket's says 21 pin on the side. So this ribbon cable is 21 pins. Will it work with a 20 pin socket or can I desolder the socket's and put them on the other side of the chip?

 

It should work, If the chip itself is functional to begin with. Good luck desoldering the ribbon cable, though.

 

http://www.nerdcave.de/stuff/modchip-howto.html

Found this..looks like it will work on a 20 pin type model saturn after all. The ribbon cable is 21 pins but i will be only using 20 of those pins..the pin closest to the 5v is not used. This is for a Saturn Model 1

However if i did solder the connectors to the 21 pin side it may or should work on a model 2. But I will see if i can get a model 1 saturn first which i heard is very hard to find.

http://www.segastyle.com/saturnmod.html

 

Got the saturn today. It was really rusty. The access light was blinking which i learned is normal. However the laser assembly would not move. I took it apart and soaked it in wd-40 and was able to take the slide bar out. It was rusty on both sides so i sanded the rust off, regreased the slide bar on both sides. Happy to say it works and read a cd. I have no saturn games yet to test though.

Now the modchip is a 20 pin modchip on one side and 21 pin on the other. The 20 pin side has the slots for the 21 pin connector cable. The connection on the saturn is 20 pin. I need some help here to make this 21 pin connection cable work for a 20 pin.

This is my first saturn modchip install so any help is appreciated. You can pm me too if that makes it easier to discuss..

 

I believe you need to make the ribbon align to the left side (when the power wire is on the right). That is, connect it in a way so there is an empty pin between the ribbon and the power wire.
The ribbon marked as IN connects to the cd drive and the one marked OUT goes to the Saturn.

 

K thanks...I have it set up as you mentioned. But the access light just blinks red and the game doesnt spin at all.

I soldered the 5v to the bottom 5v spot on the chip and soldered the other in the 5v connector on the power supply(4th hole up).

If i disconnect the chip it works normally again.

I tried this many times..

The drive says enr-007 on it if that helps...ill take pics tomorrow to show you how I installed it

 

I've got some 21 pin slots here somewhere that can and do fit nicely.

 

Sounds like a plan..ill take them and get a v2 saturn...Id like to buy a working saturn chip for a model 2 from you as well..just in case this chip is just bad.

 

Do you hear the laser moving around when you insert a disc?

You may have connected the ribbons wrong. Make sure the contacts on the ribbon line up with the contacts on the chip (and the motherboard too).

 

No it doesnt move..well tries for a brief second sometimes..with modchip installed

I think the ribbon cable going into the motherboard isnt in enough..I cant get it to go in anymore..i just read i may need to file the edges so it goes in more

I will mess with it more tomorrow and report back. I believe I aligned the ribbon cables correct. Is there alt. 5v I can use instead of the power supply one? Maybe its the chip not getting power properly.

Ill start over tomorrow and see what happens..

It still works fine without the modchip though.