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Need help with 32X add-on

Denis - Mar 5, 2002

		Denis	Mar 5, 2002
		Hello! Just have possiblility to buy old used Eur 32X add-on. But i need to know some things about it: 1) does 32X add-on work only with the same region megadrive/genesis? I.e. Eur 32X will work only with PAL MegaDrive and not with Jap MD and US Genesis? 2) The guy who want to sell it to me said something about "missed" AC adapter - i.e. does 32X require it's own adapter?? If yes - how i can replace missed one (i.e. which one is suitable)? 3) Here is impossible to find any 32X cart. But i have a possiblity to FLASH megadrive cart (about 2 years ago i did such thing with CDX cart from Eidolon's page - which, btw, didn work, becasue as i understand CDX cart itself have some custom hardware addition). I heard, that Arakon have some experience with FLASHing 32X carts - is it possible to flash 32x rom into megadrive cart? Thank you all for reading it.

IceDigger

Mar 5, 2002

Quote: from Denis on 3:57 am on Mar. 5, 2002

Hello!

Just have possiblility to buy old used Eur 32X add-on.

But i need to know some things about it:

1) does 32X add-on work only with the same region megadrive/genesis? I.e. Eur 32X will work only with PAL MegaDrive and not with Jap MD and US Genesis?

many 32X games have a country lockout too. the 32x checks the genesis' setting, so you can avoid that with a switchable genesis.. however, a pal 32x will freeze on a 60 hz genesis and a ntsc 32x on a 50 hz genesis cause of timing problems.

2) The guy who want to sell it to me said something about "missed" AC adapter - i.e. does 32X require it's own adapter?? If yes - how i can replace missed one (i.e. which one is suitable)?

yes, it does. you can use a MD/Genesis 2 power supply.

3) Here is impossible to find any 32X cart. But i have a possiblity to FLASH megadrive cart (about 2 years ago i did such thing with CDX cart from Eidolon's page - which, btw, didn work, becasue as i understand CDX cart itself have some custom hardware addition). I heard, that Arakon have some experience with FLASHing 32X carts - is it possible to flash 32x rom into megadrive cart?

define flashing it? if you have an actual rewritable cart, you can just program it with a 32x game instead of a genesis game, and it will work. the carts are the same, the 32x checks if it's a 32x game and activates itself if it is.

what kind of flash cart do you have? is it a selfbuilt one?

a backup unit itself will not work, it has to be a standalone cart (i.e. selfbuilt or MGD2 cart).

		Denis	Mar 5, 2002
		Thank you Arakon! will buy this 32x anyway (i mean, even that my cart is useless). About cart: there was (about 2 years ago, now i can't find it) little firm which did test programms for repairing TVs based on NES and Megadrive (i.e. it sells carts for NES and Megadrive for tune/test TVs). I just went to this firm and ask them to make megadrive cart with my own ROM dump (it was CDX rom). So, now i have this useless cart with two ST eproms aboard... (btw, it's very simple - on the board only one resister and two eproms, that's all).

		Denis	Mar 5, 2002
		Oh! About "Is there a possibility to dump Genesis games?" topic. Seems that it is all i need ) Please, Arakon, did you have any instruction in a form of text/htm file? ) (i mean how to replace roms by flash or eproms in the factory/bootleg carts)?

		IceDigger	Mar 5, 2002
		you can't really replace them in original carts, you'd have to rewire nearly everything cause the pinout is totally different. if you want to stick to the original size, simply replacing all eproms with a socket will do the trick.. if you want to go higher, some additional wiring needs to be done. keep in mind this is NOT entirely my work, Ex-cyber figured out much of it and helped me alot with the wiring.

		Denis	Mar 6, 2002
		Thanks! Will try to ask ExCyber for info

		megametal2	Apr 1, 2003
		did you seriously think you could pretend to be arakon ice? granted i wasnt the one to notice, but thats mainly because since you messed with the board ive hardly ever tried to login again, and when i did it wont let me (youve messed up the password retrieval, and im not sure what it was set to) so, how long before you claim the posts of bugula, rev and the other folk who have left the site?

		IceDigger	Apr 1, 2003
		Actually I didnt do that. Just looked at arakons account and it seems like its ok. Might be a board error. I'll ask zero9 about it.

Whitesnake

Apr 16, 2003

Originally posted by 65-1018905651@Mar 5, 2002 @ 12:24 PM

2) The guy who want to sell it to me said something about "missed" AC adapter - i.e. does 32X require it's own adapter?? If yes - how i can replace missed one (i.e. which one is suitable)?

actually the first generation mega drives with ext port dont require the 32x to be powered by an adapter the 32x runs on power through the mega drive cart slot.

Nadius

Apr 16, 2003

Originally posted by whitesnake+Apr 16, 2003 @ 02:14 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(whitesnake @ Apr 16, 2003 @ 02:14 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-65-1018905651@Mar 5, 2002 @ 12:24 PM

2) The guy who want to sell it to me said something about "missed" AC adapter - i.e. does 32X require it's own adapter?? If yes - how i can replace missed one (i.e. which one is suitable)?

actually the first generation mega drives with ext port dont require the 32x to be powered by an adapter the 32x runs on power through the mega drive cart slot.

[/b][/quote]

You're kidding me right?

Why wasn't that in the manual? That's probably the best news I've ever heard in days.

edit: btw, is that safe to do?

		Whitesnake	Apr 17, 2003
		yes its very safe infact its known that with the power adpator in it can interfere with the video signal on the loop cable, also the power adaptor can cause your 32x to heat up quick. resulting in the 32x video layer to become shakey and irractic

		Tindo@heart	Apr 17, 2003
		wow, I have a split my adapter so it has two plugs. This way I only have to plug in 1 adapter for my segacd/genesis. It works great and saves outlet space. It would be great if I had a 32X addition, because I have a model 1 genesis. I wonder if the little power adapter could handle powering all 3!

Nadius

Apr 18, 2003

Originally posted by whitesnake@Apr 17, 2003 @ 11:19 AM

yes its very safe infact its known that with the power adpator in it can interfere with the video signal on the loop cable, also the power adaptor can cause your 32x to heat up quick.

resulting in the 32x video layer to become shakey and irractic

Eh... my bubble has been burst, it didn't work for me without the 32x adaptor.

		Arakon	Apr 22, 2003
		that's bullshit. the genesis power supply was NOT made to power two devices. what happens is this: the 32x draws additional power, more than the PSU is really able to supply, through the entire power circuit of the genesis, resulting in much higher temperatures and slow damage to the components. the PSU and/or genesis will burn out from that after a while. the genesis is meant to run on 1-1.2 A, the 32x on 800 ma. that means the PSU has to supply almost 2/3rd more power and runs way out of spec.

		ExCyber	Apr 25, 2003
		:agree If your 32X is heating up enough to cause problems, you've either got a defective/incorrect transformer plugged into it or a defective 32X. As for running it from the cart power pins, I'd have to open up my 32X to get a better idea of whether or not it's feasible, but it's not something I'd generally recommend. The cart pins should be able to carry the 800mA needed to power it, but 1) there's no guarantee of getting a good enough connection to provide a stable supply (32X being as heavy and unbalanced as it is); 2) the 32X is probably not actually designed to draw power from the cart pins; and 3) the Genesis might not have enough decoupling to cope with having the 32X draw that much power from it (this could be fixed with decoupling caps in the 32X, but see #2). If you decide to try it though, get a transformer rated for at least 2A (2000mA) unless you want to let the smoke out.

BooBoo02

Apr 26, 2003

Originally posted by Arakon@Apr 22, 2003 @ 05:31 AM

the 32x draws additional power, more than the PSU is really able to supply, through the entire power circuit of the genesis, resulting in much higher temperatures and slow damage to the components. the PSU and/or genesis will burn out from that after a while.

This is very true I had it happen to a console other than Sega's (Amiga CD32). The power supply that came standard with the CD32's did not have enough balls to power my SX-1 addon once i started adding a Hard drive, extra ram, floppy and keyboard to it. I was warned about blowing my PSU and that i should get a larger PSU (A500 PSU with modified connections which i now own) for it , but no as long as it ran i thought it would be ok, till the day the PSU fried.

Whitesnake

Apr 27, 2003

Originally posted by Arakon@Apr 22, 2003 @ 10:31 AM

that's bullshit.

the genesis power supply was NOT made to power two devices.

what happens is this:

the 32x draws additional power, more than the PSU is really able to supply, through the entire power circuit of the genesis, resulting in much higher temperatures and slow damage to the components. the PSU and/or genesis will burn out from that after a while.

the genesis is meant to run on 1-1.2 A, the 32x on 800 ma.

that means the PSU has to supply almost 2/3rd more power and runs way out of spec.

i swear on my mothers life it functions without a power supply.

and i know many others that do the same also,

seems your knowledge is backdated in 32x models :/

		Curtis	Apr 27, 2003
		32x runs without a power supply? Mine certainly doesn't - the MD doesn't even start if you have the 32x plugged in without the PS...

ExCyber

Apr 27, 2003

My 32X+Genesis will sort of run Genesis games without a dedicated supply, but has enough glitches that no game with a checksum routine will run (they redscreen).

seems your knowledge is backdated in 32x models :/

Yeah Arakon, didn't you hear that the later ones are solar-powered?

		mal	Apr 27, 2003
		I thought they ran on gravity waves.