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Modding question re:21 pin models

yojimbo - Jan 22, 2005

		yojimbo		Jan 22, 2005
			Just purchased 2 modchips (the blue one w/white connector shown in some threads here), for two August 96 model 2 Saturns. The first mod worked perfectly, so I moved on to the second player. The second mod turned this Saturn into a CD player. It no longer recognizes Saturn discs. I'm hoping someone will recognize the situation from my description and have some possible solutions. a) There is a noticeable quality difference in the assembly of the two modchips. One looks like a well-made board while the other looks like a grade schooler's first-time with the soldering iron. Is it possible I have a bad modchip and just need to seek a replacement? b) Here's more detail on the installs in case it helps. I've spent some time rechecking connections and such, and verifying the parts in each machine... the first machine recognizes discs and loads the applications (whether CD backup or original Saturn disc) just fine--but the second machine identifies *everything* as an audio CD and will only try to play the tracks it finds there. c) I've seen references here on the board to 0014 and 0019 bridges. What are these? UPDATE: I found them, and have tried both bridge positions, but there was no difference in the result. d) I have a "spare parts" 64-pin model Saturn sitting in the closet (Jun or Jul 96 model 2). Is it worth attempting the mod there... or is it unlikely to work on that one? Looks like the ribbon cable faces a different direction, and it has the 64 pin chip.... worth trying? Would it allow me to verify this mod chip is bad? Sorry for the 20 questions... but thanks for any answers or advice on what to try next! yojimbo

		sardiax		Jan 22, 2005
			i have a model 2 that seems to be suffering from the same problem. i'm considering ordering a new modchip as your description fits my chip. thin blue board, white ribbon connector(i remember reading that might be a way to distinguish, some have black connectors) sodder job looks likes a three year old did it. i have a crappy iron and suck at soddering and i believe i could do better in my sleep.

		RitualOfTheTrout		Jan 25, 2005
			If you really wanted to get to the bottom of it I would just switch the two chips. ie uninstall the working chip and replace it with the one you think is defective, and try the known working chip in the other saturn. That would give you a good idea if its the system, or the chip. Of course it is alot of extra work.. As far as I can tell most people have had very little luck moding the 64 pin IC saturns, so if it failed I dont think that would justify the mod chip as bad.

		yojimbo		Jan 25, 2005
			Yah, I'm gonna hafta try it. Racketboy says he'll swap me the bad chip, but I agree I need to identify the real problem first. I wouldn't want to swap if it's not the chip that's the real problem. racketboy's been an excellent seller (and supporter as I've worked on this). First, the two Aug 96 machines will hafta swap chips to see if the problem stays with the machine, or goes with the chip. It'll be a week before I can do it, given my time crunch... If the problem is the machine... then I still need advice regarding modding the 64-pin job. Can it be done? Seems like every post where it's indicated as possible/done ends with some problem. I have the idea 64-pin is not gonna happen. Has aonyone had a successful64-pin mod take?

		yojimbo		Feb 25, 2005
			Sorry for the delay... didn't mean to let this thread go stale! I and my kids caught the respiratory crud that's been making the rounds and it kinda of wiped out the family, each of us about a week apart... coupled with out of town trips and such, it's been really hard getting back to the computer and the saturn. And it's been hard to recover fully from this one... I feel wiped out half the time. I swapped the chips between the two Saturns and determined for certain that there was one good modchip and one bad one. In each case, the good chip would work fine, and the other would not. I never attempted working on the "other" Saturn, with the 64-pins. Didn't seem like a worthwhile effort. Racketboy was *very* accommodating about it and will take care of exchanging the bad one. I really, really appreciate his help and patience and figuring this one out. I'll be buying more stuff from him in the future ;-) Anyway, just wanted to let y'all know how it went, and that it turns out good. Thanks for all your help, too! yojimbo