CartDev Rev.B

**dj898** · 01-25-2005

right so can I just use dev Saturn without the dev box attached for normal playing?

AntiPasta · 01-25-2005

I think so, fiddle with the VCD switch if necessary. Also, if the drive ever breaks, you can play games from the HD :smt033

**retro** · 01-25-2005

Again, it is JUST a modified production saturn.

**crossbow** · 12-26-2006

Hi, dj898, or anybody who has full Cartdev B kit,

:pray:Can you post pics of the PCB board inside your modified Saturn from Cartdev B kit?
Specifically, I am interested how pins of the cable that sticks out of the front of the Saturn are connected to the PCB inside. I have Cartdev B box but not the modified Saturn and would like to try to modify a stock Saturn to make it work with the Cartdev box. I am sure such cable pinout information would be even worth to make it a sticky in case somebody comes across a lone Cross Cartdev B box in the future.

For my part I am going to post inside pics of the Cartdev B box as soon as I make them.

**retro** · 12-26-2006

If you only have the box, you won't be able to do it. You also need the power supply (custom), interface cart, SCSI card and software.

As for the NMI cable, you didn't HAVE to have it to use the CartDev. It is basically for debugging.

I'm assuming you bought one of those recently on eBay? I did try to tell the sellers that they were useless as-is... seems they decided not to pass on this information!

**ConsoleFun** · 12-26-2006

Crossbow, not much help, but if you havn't checked these out...

Hardware Installation Manual for the Saturn CartDev Rev. B system:
http://www.antime.org/sega/files/CART-08-030195.pdf.bz2

CartDev page with some poor quality photos:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...n/d_saturn.htm

CF

**Barc0de** · 12-27-2006

My Engrish is not that expert as to make sense of your link ConsoleFun xD

**crossbow** · 12-28-2006

Thanks, ConsoleFun, yes, I have seen those links. Cartdev B looks much better than those cellphone photos ;-)
What I am looking for is photos inside of that "modified" Saturn with NMI cable.
As for retro's remarks that Cartdev is mostly useless, here are my findings so far about Cartdev B:

1. Power supply is a normal 9 Volts wall wart (big enough to provide, say, 1 A of current)
2. SCSI connection is a normal SCSI-2 50-pin high-density connector.
3. PC software uses WinAspi32 API, therefore, any Windows95-supported SCSI card will work with CartDev.
3. Antime's site has a tool for downloading COFF files to Saturn via CartDev B, with API library and source code for it: http://www.antime.org/sega/files/HSITOOLS.zip
Screenshot is attached.
This makes CartDev B useful already as well as makes easy custom programming (writing your own debugger/hacking tool etc.)
4. The kit used CodeScape tools. These tools are general in nature for Hitachi SH-series of CPUs. Newest copy of CodeScape: http://www.codescape.com/download.htm
Why doesn't some happy owner of a (dongle-less) copy of CodeScape for Saturn comes forward and sends it to Antime for adding it to his website for everybody's benefit:clap: ?
5. "Modified" Saturn is not really that much modified, because NMI connector pads already exist on the motherboard of every Saturn and the NMI cable seems to go to those pads. The small 8-pin connector is not populated on the production Saturn. It is marked CN2 or CN10 on 2 boards I checked. It is located about half-inch to the left of the left gamepad connector. You need to remove metal shield from the motherboard to see it. I attached a crop of the blurry picture of the "modified" motherboard from gamerhistory.com that shows this connector present.

6. Cartdev B Saturn Control connector has 10 pins. However, from Hardware Installation Manual for the Saturn CartDev Rev. B system:
http://www.antime.org/sega/files/CART-08-030195.pdf.bz2
it seems that only 8 pins are really needed. This is consistent with the 8-pin unpopulated connector on the production Saturn.

So, we only need some proud owner of a "modified" Saturn to take up a multimeter, test the pinout of the NMI cable and share his/her findings.

Retro, you seem to be the proud owner of a million-dollar Sega dev. gear collection :thumbsup: . Do you, by any chance have a multimeter, time and desire to check it out and help those less fortunate to better enjoy their modest/incomplete toys:nod: ? Or, maybe, you have complete docs for CartDev kit? If not - your collection is incomplete, he, he :evil:

**ConsoleFun** · 12-28-2006

Thank you for that quality posting Crossbow. It will help me and everyone else the day we get a CartDev B system :-)

I will get you the information you need to do a NMI cable mod.

I don't have a CartDev system myself yet, but I do have a Cross Products compatible, HST-3210 based, development Saturn with the NMI cable. It's a two hour drive for me to the place I currently have it stored. I don't know exactly when I'll be able to go there. If I havn't posted the information in a week, then PM me.

CF

PS: Just located the holes for the 8-pin connector on my PAL retail MK-80020-50. Nice to know! Thx ;-)

**crossbow** · 12-28-2006

Here is complete contents of CartDev Rev.B kit.

http://www.goodcowfilms.com/farm/gam...escription.htm
This page seems to be formaldehyde-preserved copy from Sega Developer's Support website when it was alive. Just like Tasmanian Tiger in a glass jar ;-) What we are doing is rolling around to collect enough DNA to bring it back to life :katamari2
So, does anybody have the SNASM debugger software? Antime?

**retro** · 12-28-2006

It has been a while since I've seen a complete CartDev setup. Alas, whilst I have most of the Sophia gear and a Psy-Q, I don't have one. I stupidly passed on the opportunity of several bare units, and also a few NMI-modded Saturns, otherwise I'd be happy to help with your modding project. Still, if I remember correctly, it is 5v, and I thought it was at quite a high current, more than 1A, but I may be wrong on that. Yes, I believe it was a standard SCSI lead and Adaptec card - the setup was a little fussy over what interface you used.

Both SNASM and CodeScape were indeed custom written versions for Saturn, and IIRC the copies would indeed be "identifiable" in some way. What few copies remain with devvers are still protected by NDA and so chances of obtaining these are, alas, slim.

If the pads are for a connector, could you not just direct solder to the pads? Usually cables are straight through, so this should be simple!

Which revision of motherboard were you looking at? I'll see if I can find out what those pads are for in my old notes.

Incidentally, I have a backup of the original site somewhere archived, too! Oh, as does Antime, technically.... those files on his server are just grabbed from Sega's site!

Oh, and your most likely candidates to help with the look inside a modded machine would be DJ898 and Lawrence (of gamesx.com).

**ConsoleFun** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by retro

Still, if I remember correctly, it is 5v, and I thought it was at quite a high current, more than 1A, but I may be wrong on that.

I'm sure there is a LM7805 kind of thing inside, but according to the manual it runs on 9.2VDC 1.2A center negative :-)

Originally Posted by retro

Which revision of motherboard were you looking at? I'll see if I can find out what those pads are for in my old notes.

The motherboard in my MK-80020-50 is a 171-70698B. The gamepad connectors are on a separate PCB in this model, and the 8 pads/holes (CN12) are next to the flatflex cable that goes to the gamepad PCB.

CF

**dj898** · 01-07-2007

Originally Posted by retro

Oh, and your most likely candidates to help with the look inside a modded machine would be DJ898 and Lawrence (of gamesx.com).

sorry with family life and a kid doesn't leave much time nowadays...
hence I was pretty much absent from the board last year.
Hopefully I can participate more actively this year though my passion for video game has faded somewhat after year long absence forced by raising a child... ^__^

Yes I still do have the console but it's locked away with the rest of all my gears as missus hates to see those lying around. I can't say when I will be able to bring them over for the inspection. Sorry about that...

**retro** · 01-08-2007

Sorry to hear that, DJ!

You should sell me your proto Saturn, then ;)

**dj898** · 01-08-2007

Sure for the right offer I may consider - but to be honest I'm too tired at the monent to take stuff out for sales... ^__^
Was asked few times for other stuff but didn't have time to drop by to take stuff out with holiday and etc. while flying around few countries in APAC... (Ankor Watt(?) sure was memorable place to visit, heh)

Back to the topic I will see whether I can spare some time to crak(?) open that ex-Konami Cross Dev Saturn console for snap!

**retro** · 01-09-2007

Ooh, Konami - cool! Do you only have the Saturn part, or do you have the CartDev too?

Well, if you do decide to sell, I'd be interested ;)

**dj898** · 01-09-2007

It was saturn/dev box/cables/sys disc...
no idea where I got the 2nd Cross CartDev Rev.B boxset from though... ^__^

**retro** · 01-11-2007

Hehe! Lucky git! :-P

**ConsoleFun** · 01-27-2007

Originally Posted by crossbow

So, we only need some proud owner of a "modified" Saturn to take up a multimeter, test the pinout of the NMI cable and share his/her findings.

CN12 pin --> NMI cable pin
pin 1 --> pin 2
pin 2 --> pin 4
pin 3 --> pin 5
pin 4 --> pin 7
pin 5 --> pin 8
pin 6 --> pin 6
pin 7 --> pin 1 (red)
pin 8 --> pin 10

Cheers!

CF