Sega Saturn Region Free BIOS

**Druid II** · 12-19-2011

Most model 2 saturns are VA7 or VA9. I've seen maybe two VA13 machines mentioned ever.

The chips by Trenton work in VA9 machines, with both normal JVC and the Sanyo drives.

**l_oliveira** · 12-19-2011

There's VA14 (2x SH2 CPU fused in a single chip) or VA15 I don't know but that was surely the final model of the Saturn motherboard. :shrug:

**Druid II** · 12-19-2011

Originally Posted by l_oliveira

There's VA14 (2x SH2 CPU fused in a single chip) or VA15 I don't know but that was surely the final model of the Saturn motherboard. :shrug:

Those are NTSC models. VA14 was skipped along with VA12 - no such boards exist in the wild, or they are so damn rare that we've never spotted one yet (and believe me I was looking). VA15 is indeed the model with the single chip SH2, and the only such board.

But PAL models skipped a few generations. I've only seen VA7, 9 and 13 PAL boards, and never seen anything else mentioned either.

**l_oliveira** · 12-19-2011

Well you have to understand that I live in a NTSC region (even if Wikipedia says it's PAL-M, PAL-M is an 60hz video system so of PAL it only have the color carrier) so I know almost nothing about PAL machines ...

Now look my situation (regarding Dreamcast):

I decided to take a pile of broken/"working but retired"/scrapped Dreamcast motherboards and work into dumping their flashroms.

Each SEGA Dreamcast console has an unique ID number which can be tracked back to it's Serial number. I was able to make the co-relation of similar data on PlayStation 2 consoles (identify, decode and recover Serial numbers from PS2 EEPROM dumps and they matched with the sticker on the machine :thumbsup:) but I have this pile of motherboards and none has the original console casing for me to pair the S/N with ... That's a major letdown ...

I now know how an archaeologist feel when he can't make sense of an archaeological site ... :shrug:

The lesson I learned ? Try to keep the machines as original as you can. :nod:

**Druid II** · 12-19-2011

I already learned that when I modded my VA0 PAL Saturn to hell. Haven't seen any other machine like it ever since. Still pissed about that.

**SkinnyV** · 12-20-2011

Anybody could hook me up with a pre-programmed 29f800? I lack the proper willem adapter for them and don't feel like sticking a huge 40 pin eprom in my saturn:) If anybody is able to program them and have an extra chip I would be happy to hear your price. Thanks

**Bad_Ad84** · 12-21-2011

check the group purchase forum.

**SkinnyV** · 12-24-2011

Will do, thanks

**Bearking** · 12-25-2011

Originally Posted by l_oliveira

The last drive type was almost exactly same thing as the previous model, but the border of the board is white. It's notorious for taking revenge against chips installed in it. :lol:

Sometimes it gets damaged so badly it doesn't even work for games anymore...

Originally Posted by Bearking

You are right. I swapped the drives and it didn't work.

But there are several guides that show how to install modchips on models with the white line. These two links both appear to be for the same kind of chip:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega-...p-installation
http://www.segastyle.com/saturnmod.html

And then there is this kind (which is the kind I have):
http://www.robwebb1.plus.com/saturn/...hipguide_2.htm

It seems that the last kind needs a jumper connected to work with the white line drives. Doesn't that mean that there is a good chance that it fixes the problem with the drives dyeing? I doesn't seem anyone in the comment section on Racketboy have had any problems either?

My chip (the second version) is currently installed in a Saturn I gave my dad about a year ago, but as he only has original games he won't mind if I take it ;) His Saturn is model 2 PAL, but I don't remember if it had the white stribe or not.

So I've been searching around looking for anyone who have had a problem with installing a modchip in a Saturn with a "white border" CD-drive. I couldn't find anything :shrug:

I got the modchip (the one in link no. 3) back from my Dad's Saturn and installed it in mine. I had to change the jumper on the chip to match the CD-drive in my console, and it has been working perfectly since.
A few days ago I installed a CS8406 inside to Saturn and added a toslink transmitter for digital sound. It sounds great, and my Saturn has been playing music CD's for about for about 4 hours, with no problems whatsoever.

So far it doesn't seem this chip has caused any problems.

**Druid II** · 12-25-2011

From what I understand from his description, those white stripe drives have different controller code (either on the disc or in the SH1 ASIC) in that they re-read the security rings more aggressively, to make disc swapping impossible.

To do that, the drive would need to re-read the ring whenever it loses sight of the data it is reading, since there is no other indication that the disc was swapped (unless it can monitor the disc motor speed).

If it indeed re-reads the ring whenever it loses the data, then technically it would re-read the ring any time a read command results in "data needs to be re-read for some reason".

I can imagine how that breaks legit game discs. But not audio cds. And modchips just have to be coded so they return the ring value any time the ring is asked for, and not just on the first game boot.

But I have no such Saturn to test this theory with. If anyone in Europe can sell such a machine for me cheap, I could test it myself.

**Bearking** · 12-26-2011

Well if the system does these checks at random then wouldn't it increase the loading times? It doesn't appear to load any slower than my old VA0.5 Saturn.

And you're thinking that when it moves the laser to read the security rings, it could break the game?! If that's how it works surely the VA13 Saturn should have a bad reputation of breaking discs, with or without modchips?

I can imagine how that breaks legit game discs. But not audio cds. And modchips just have to be coded so they return the ring value any time the ring is asked for, and not just on the first game boot.

My modchip needs to have either a "0014" or "0019" jumper connected. In case of the white line drives the "0019" should be soldered together. I take it that could mean that this chip is coded properly to work with these drives?
http://www.robwebb1.plus.com/saturn/...hipguide_2.htm

**Druid II** · 12-26-2011

I don't mean random security checks. Just that it does so when disc reading fails catastrophically - implying that the disc was removed. That on its own could be triggered by scratched/dirty discs too.

Anyway, it's all theoretical for now.

**Bearking** · 12-26-2011

Okay :) I'll be sure to write in this thread if I experience any problems :)

**Piratero** · 12-28-2011

So I'm going to read the full nine pages later today, but in short.

1. We can't swap a 'white-border' CD-ROM drive on a Saturn that uses a Sanyo drive?

2. Can Sanyo drives be indiscriminately swapped with another Saturn that had a Sanyo board installed? Is there more than one version of them floating around that make them incompatible with the motherboards?

I can't buy the replacement drive since it won't work for the Sanyo...

**Druid II** · 12-28-2011

I've actually yet to try swapping out drives. I should go and try that...

I imagine that sanyo and non-white-border 32pin drives are swappable, but don't quote me on this until I've actually tested it.

**Piratero** · 12-28-2011

Originally Posted by Druid II

I've actually yet to try swapping out drives. I should go and try that...

I imagine that sanyo and non-white-border 32pin drives are swappable, but don't quote me on this until I've actually tested it.

If you can test, that would be GREAT!

**shinzuka** · 01-29-2012

EPROM 29F800BB or 29F800TMC is good?

**APE** · 01-30-2012

Mildly related:

http://www.consolepassion.co.uk/prod...-console-boxed

You cannot buy these anywhere else in the world - they are exclusive to Console Passion! Everything can be changed by holding the reset switch - 50hz/60Hz setting and Jap/US/UK settings.

Granted he isn't using this BIOS for these Saturns but I swear I saw him list one that read like it was. What gets me is his promoting these Saturns as having some unique modification that he invented himself. El oh El.