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Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?
thephased - Jan 9, 2006
  thephased Jan 9, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?

I assume this has been covered in length before and I have done my best to search past threads and modchip faqs and such.

My original Saturn worked before I tried putting a modchip in. The modchip wouldnt easily fit in the connector..and after trying to file down the cd-rom connector on the motherboard my filer broke inside of it. So there's the end of that motherboard. I bought a Saturn on eBay. It was described as working, but had not been tested. ~i assumed the risk.

I tested the system before the mod. Most originals i tried couldnt get passed the sega logo. They would just go to a black screen and keep reading the cd-rom. NHL 97 would load the game info screen, but would freeze at that. When i tried putting the modchip in, I knew it worked because it would try to load cdr games, all of my games wouldnt get passed the sega logo except for virtual on, which froze after the start screen.

Things I checked:

-cdrom cable

-a/v cable

-power supply connection

I tried swapping powersupplies and cdroms with this new saturn. Nothing is making a difference.

Is there anything I can do? At least I know now that the mod is not at fault.

One interesting thing to note: I compared the motherboard of this new saturn I bought with my original one that i damaged and they were exactly the same down to the board revision, except the new one I have has small black wire soldered between two points on the back of the motherboard. I tried unsoldering this wire and booting the system up. The system continues to have the same problems as before.

I really dont want to buy another saturn, but if i have to I guess I will.

Any ideas on getting past the sega logo?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 Berty Jan 10, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?

you might need to adjust the pentometer on the cd drive, it may need re-focusing.

 thephased Jan 10, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?


  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by Berty@Tue, 2006-01-10 @ 04:44 PM



you might need to adjust the pentometer on the cd drive, it may need re-focusing.




[post=143383]Quoted post[/post]


Thanks for the reply. I tried adjusting the pot on both drives. It made no difference. The drive is loading the games fine it seems..the disc is first checked for the security on the outer layer, then it moves into the inner layer and loads, but after the sega logo the drive makes a faint clicking sound.

I have tried pressing buttons on the controller to hopefully trigger some kind of loading of the disc, but the sound of the drive does not change. After about 2 minutes at the black screen the drive stops spinning the disc, but the system remains at the black screen.

I've tried switching powersupplies again to no avail. I thought it might have something to do with the video/audio out..so I tried using my saturn RF out, but the same problem exists.

I have checked the cd cable numerous times, that doesnt seem to be the issue.

In the audio player I can play the game sounds fine and listen to all the tracks...oddly enough.

So I guess all that remains is the motherboard. And I still havent been able to figure out why there was a small black wire soldered at the bottom of the motherboard..it was soldered on two points on the back of the area around the card slot.

Any more ideas before I plop down another large chunk of change for a used saturn?

 orta Jan 12, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?

You must've bought a salvaged sega saturn, sometimes desperate people eventually sell their dead sega saturn just to make some money out of it

As I've tested before if the cd-rom doesn't match the mobo black screen symptom occurs. For example, if your cd-rom is 32 pin and the mobo's original cd-rom is 64 pin it really won't work and will give you the black screen symptom.

I really think that you've bought a salvaged dead sega saturn

 RitualOfTheTrout Jan 18, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?


  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by orta@Thu, 2006-01-12 @ 01:55 PM



As I've tested before if the cd-rom doesn't match the mobo black screen symptom occurs. For example, if your cd-rom is 32 pin and the mobo's original cd-rom is 64 pin it really won't work and will give you the black screen symptom.




[post=143417]Quoted post[/post]


Hmm Iv read reports here at SX of people swapping CD boards between 32 and 64 pin units and having success.

I would hafta agree though that you probably just bought a dead Saturn unit, sounds to me like your problem lies with the motherboard, perhaps someone failed at a region mod atempt or something of that nature.

Just some FYI, it is much safer to file down the connector on the modchip rather than trying to file the inside of the motherboard connector. Its gotten to the point now that I file down the chip connector a bit before I even attempt the mod, usually works right off the bat when I do that.

Your options now though would be to get a new saturn and test all the parts you have, see whats working and try to sell them individually and you could then mod the new saturn, might help you make back some of the cash you lost.

 orta Jan 18, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?


  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by RitualOfTheTrout@Wed, 2006-01-18 @ 08:22 AM



Hmm Iv read reports here at SX of people swapping CD boards between 32 and 64 pin units and having success.




[post=143559]Quoted post[/post]


No offense RitualOfTheTrout but you're correct some people here in segaxtreme suceeded because they might have swap a compatible cd-rom to the correct mobo

but!!

if you try combining a 32 pinchip cd-rom to a mobo that originally uses 64 pinchip cd-board the result will be black screen or you'll boot only up to the sega logo like the topic starter's problem

 mal Jan 18, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?

I'm pretty sure that I made a Frankensaturn using a "32 pin" cd board and a "64 pin" mainboard...

 orta Jan 19, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?


  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by mal@Wed, 2006-01-18 @ 10:43 PM



I'm pretty sure that I made a Frankensaturn using a "32 pin" cd board and a "64 pin" mainboard...




[post=143598]Quoted post[/post]


Hmmm... that's odd

I've tried to do that also but mine didn't work.

 thephased Jan 20, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?

Thanks for all the information guys. Someone was interested in buying my dead saturn. I think I am going to keep it for now as parts in case I need it. I would only get like $10 back anyways since I lose out on the shipping cost.

I have a third saturn in my hands today. Third time is the charm right..I had hoped anyways.

To my surprise this one was a Model2 (round buttons) 21pin/64bit IC/5pin power connector. The cd-rom connector on the motherboard faces away from the drive.

I first tried without the mod. Success, this is actually a working system.

Second, booting with the mod the system skips the saturn animation and goes straight to the saturn logo. The cd-rom drive does not even attempt to spin. Even weirder, in the audio menu when navigating through the sound of usual 'blup' sounds like a 'blooop'. The sound effect is slowed down quite a bit and sounds very delayed.

I tried swapping the 64pin IC CD-ROM board with one of my 32pin drives and the system produced the same problem. Except, the drive did pulse for a second, but that lead to nothing.

I donāt have my voltmeter here, it is at school, but I am assuming there is power going through the mod. I definitely have the mod going through the +5V.

Is there anything I can do to get the mod to work on this unit? I read a thread about 21pin mod for 20pin saturns..but this isnāt my situation. My saturn is 21pin...the motherboard is clearly labeled 21pin.

edit: RitualofTheTrout: I read your guide here...http://www.angelfire.com/pa/Raluminat/model264.htm...

It seems I am out of luck with this 64pin motherboard.

 ExCyber Jan 20, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?

Sounds like something might be screwing up the clock used for the CD and/or audio subsystem (I'm not clear on how the clocking is related but I assume there must be some shared timebase for realtime processing of CD audio). Maybe this is the reason that the mod doesn't work with some boards... there is a "standard" CD clock of 33.8688MHz but I guess there's no law that says they have to use that <_<

 orta Jan 21, 2006
Model 2 Saturn - Can't get past sega logo?


  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by thephased@Fri, 2006-01-20 @ 11:49 PM







booting with the mod the system skips the saturn animation and goes straight to the saturn logo. The cd-rom drive does not even attempt to spin. Even weirder, in the audio menu when navigating through the sound of usual 'blup' sounds like a 'blooop'. The sound effect is slowed down quite a bit and sounds very delayed.




[post=143656]Quoted post[/post]


maybe the modchip will work nice on the garbage can just kidding!! maybe your modchip is the culprit as I've heard before from my friend sometimes some modchip emits surges of voltage that damages the cd-rom drive and eventually kills the unit resulting to a dead sega saturn