I stumbled on an old saturn and tried to have a look on it's mother board and I was surprised to see that JP6, JP11, JP9 and JP13 are closed and soddered originally. This saturn has a modchip installed to play burned games but it only reads the audio tracks on both original and burned. I take off the modchip hoping to play original games but when I did this, the lens doesn't move at all. So I decided to desodder JP9 and JP13 leaving JP6 & JP11 on jap mode and then it worked fine reading originals and no more burned games.
My question is this:
1) Why is it that when i take off the mod the lens suddenly didn't work & gone totally dead but when I reconnected it, it works again on reading the audio tracks? does the junction points has something to do with this?
2) What region or mode is JP6, JP9, JP11 & JP13?
Did the manufacturer (SEGA) did ti on purpose so this typical model will only
work if there is an installed modchip?
Well, I know when the motor doesn't jostle about, then it means there isn't a good link between the mainboard and CD drive (often caused by a loose or disconnected ribbon cable, or disconnected power).
I note the modboard still didn't work. That sounds like the dreaded music CD error. It's usually the result of spontaneous failure of the board, though it will still connect enough of the data to access parts of the disc's data. Most likely, it's toast, if it is indeed a modboard.
As for the jumper configuration, it appears to be set for Japanese games, as according to Lawrence's chart (http://www.gamesx.com/importmod/saturncon.htm).
Also, what model of Saturn is this? Is it an American model, or perhaps a Sanyo? I believe the latter has an extra board inline of the CD ribbon cable, but isn't a modchip. Maybe that's the culprit?
It's a JAP model, what do you mean about "the extra board in line of the CD ribbon cable" anyway. How do we/you decode Lawrence's chart? Thanks for the help!! :)