sega saturn lenses

[ORTA]

Sometimes people salvages parts from dead saturn unit  just to revive their unit, I've done this before and I tried to swap a good working sega saturn lens to another sega saturn, but it doesn't work it only boots up to the saturn menu and doesn't reads the cd, the sega saturn where the good working lens came from is a white JAP 21-64 model2 and the recepient saturn is a black US 21-32 model2

On another site, I've posted this as my experience because someone is asking if it is possible to use another cd-rom to another saturn I said no but then someone said that he succesfully done it.

my question:

1) Does the region affects the cd-rom?

2) I'm very sure that the recepient saturn's mobo is in good condition also because it can play music cds and is chipped, does the modchip destroyed the cd-rom?

(forgive me Lawrence for this) A friend told me some time ago that modchip can kill sega saturn cd-roms because sometimes they emit surge of millivolts is this true?

[NFG]

The region has no effect on the CD ROM.  The modchip cannot destroy the boot ROM.  Or, at least, if it CAN, it's a wickedly remote possibility.  

I'd be more suspicious of other parts.  Check the power supply, replace it if necessary.  Bad power would have an effect on the drive.

[ORTA]

I've checked all the parts before I did the swapping/salvaging of the cd-rom, and everything is in good condition except the cd-rom of the recepient saturn which is in fact dead.

Any ideas why it didn't worked for me?  :blink:

Maybe revisions of the cd-rom is the culprit because I've found a saturn that has a different looking cd-rom and the manufacturer is sanyo it has no 64 nor 32 pinchip and it has a jump board.

[kendrick]

Did you bring over the mod chip from the donor Saturn? If so, try omitting the chip and connecting the ribbon cable from the CD drive mechanism directly to the appropriate spot on the motherboard. It's possible (though unlikely) that the code on the chip isn't compatible with your particular Saturn. Sega did attempt to fight the mod chip manufacturers briefly, so there are a few revisions of the motherboard floating around that might have some tacked-on components for this purpose.

Oh, and before I forget, you should count the conductors on that ribbon cable and make sure that it is actually a compatible drive. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but we're looking at 20 pin and 21 pin variants, right?

-KKC, goofing off at work.

[ORTA]

Did you bring over the mod chip from the donor Saturn? If so, try omitting the chip and connecting the ribbon cable from the CD drive mechanism directly to the appropriate spot on the motherboard. It's possible (though unlikely) that the code on the chip isn't compatible with your particular Saturn. Sega did attempt to fight the mod chip manufacturers briefly, so there are a few revisions of the motherboard floating around that might have some tacked-on components for this purpose.

Oh, and before I forget, you should count the conductors on that ribbon cable and make sure that it is actually a compatible drive. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but we're looking at 20 pin and 21 pin variants, right?

No offense Kendrick but, no! we are not looking at a 20-21pin ribbon wire I've clearly stated that both of the units are 21-pin saturn, the only difference is the cd-rom chip the donor has 64pin and the recepient has 32pin.

We're not talking about the modchip here, what I mean about the "chip" is the chip on the saturn's cd-rom which has a variant of 64 pin and a 32 pin. I'm not planning on using the modchip because I suspect that it is the culprit why my 64pin saturn's lens died

The ribbon isn't the issue because both unit has 21 pin ribbon wire

[kendrick]

Well, crud. Obviously what you're talking about is outside my direct experience then. After re-reading above, I realized that I've never seen the 64-pin chip you're describing, and that all the Saturn CD mechanisms I've touched are the 32-pin variety.

How about some pictures? I have this strange hunch that the ribbon cable connectors on the two CD drives are backwards from each other, but I have no information to base that hunch on.

-KKC, who's been spending more time playing games and less time doing modding lately. That's probably the way it's supposed to be. :)

[ORTA]

How about some pictures? I have this strange hunch that the ribbon cable connectors on the two CD drives are backwards from each other, but I have no information to base that hunch on.

The ribbons are not in backward position as you say because the ribbons are not folded. It is directly connected without any fold so it wouldn't be in backwards.

I don't have time taking pictures of it because I've already thrown it out on the garbage bin I'm just curious if a 64pinchip cd-rom will work on a32pinchip mobo thanks for the help anyway Lawrence