My EPROM programmer did not have a driver for this type ( Macronix MX29F800TMC-90), so I chose the driver for the newer, pin-compatible variant MX29F800CTMI-90. It was assumed that it failed because the content wasn’t byte-swapped. There is an excellent tutorial by mmmonkey that also takes care of the video mode.īut, before attempting to swap the BIOS chips again, I had a thorough look at the content of the remaining flash memory chips that I had ordered years ago. The region-free BIOS has the region lockout removed and allows you to play (original) games from all regions. One last, successful test with an original Japanese game before I started with the new modifications. I even soldered the original green LED back in. All jumpers and cut traces (yellow circles) were changed back to the factory configuration (except the one next to the reset button). Let’s see how the fake Kapton tape that I have since started using instead looks and feels in 10 years.)Īfter removing all modifications and cleaning up the goo, the mainboard looks like this. However, the ingredients dissolve over the years the tape has dried out and the goo is stuck to all components and cables. (I really like this kind of insulation tape because it sticks where it is supposed to stick. Here are some impressions of the VA15 mainboard with the various modifications: It’s getting nasty underneath the metal case. Saturn Type C EU power supply, CD-ROM drive and modchip Also on the pictures: The JVC CD-ROM drive with 21-pin connector. There’s nothing too suspicious under the lid: A Type C EU power supply with the 9 V wire to the A/V port on the left and the modchip with the +5 V wire that goes to some place inside on the right. Starting overįor a clean start, I did a physical inventory and changed almost everything back to factory state. I also wanted to replace the battery-backed SRAM with an FRAM and simplify the 50/60 Hz switching. This year, I wanted to finally finish what I had started back then. The Saturn has worked fine for the past nine years, by the way. The region-free BIOS, however, gave me plenty of trouble and I had to put the original BIOS back in.
EU Type-C PSU to supply 9V for the A/V out mod.The ultimate Sega Saturn Switchless Mod.Back then, I was modifying my “This is COOL” skeleton SegaSaturn (HST-0021/HST-3220) like crazy, stuffing everything inside that I could find: Everybody who supports me on Youtube, SEGASaturno,, , gamopat-forum, article is about implementing the following Sega Saturn modifications: Region-free BIOS, FRAM, and switchless 50/60 Hz.īut first, we’ll need to go back in time a decade or so.The Rockin'-B, for is job and tutorials.That's why I decide to create a simple game engine so that everyone can develop on the Sega Saturn. This is why there are only very few homebrew and most emulators wasn't stable for a long time. In fact, Sega Saturn console is a difficult to understand (see documentation).
The Sega Saturn is above all to me full of memories with my friends in middle School. This is also my favorite console even if its marketing was a failure. I think it's the intrinsic atmosphere of some games like Panzer Dragoon Saga which seduced me. This is one of the reasons I wanted to develop on that console deemed to be one of the most complicated platforms of all time with the PS3. I'm Johannes Fetz, I live in France and I work at Eureka-Technology. I'm also a teacher in Etna (C language, Windows, Unix, MacOS, POO). Jo_sprite_add_tga("TEX", "A.TGA", JO_COLOR_Transparent) Loading sprite in TGA, 15 bits image or raw from the CDĮxample : Draw a sprite loaded from the CD.games run on emulator and also on the original system ! It allows to develop game easily without extensive knowledge in embedded development.Īnd. Jo Engine is an open source 2D and 3D game engine for the Sega Saturn written in C under MIT license.