32x & mega cd mods?

[Fix_Metal]

I'm interested in these mods.
I know that there is a multi-bios mod or somethin for the mega cd...and I read the manual. Did anybody already try that?
And what about 32x?Is there something that can be done?
thx

[atom]

The multi bios is basically a fancy mod chip. Only get it if you have lots of imports. It seems tricky to me and I dont know if it works with later model gennies. The Sega CD games can be copied and modified for different regions.

Other then that, there is overclocking, but it has only been performed on model 1 gennies.

[Fix_Metal]

yes the mega cd multibios is surely hell-tricky. well i'll try scdconv for my games
and what about 32x?can I use a NTSC 32x on a PAL mega drive?I think all I need is the mega drive mod (50/60hz + ntsc/pal)...

[dj898]

think D-Lite is selling what you have in mind...

[Fix_Metal]

think D-Lite is selling what you have in mind...

what's this? :blink:  

[D-Lite]

think D-Lite is selling what you have in mind...

what's this? :blink:

Yep, this mod has been done and works on both Model 1 and Model 2 Sega CD systems.

And yes, it's VERY tricky.  Specifically swapping out the bios on model 2 CD systems.  I've got a model 2 all done and I'm wrapping up a model 1 right now....

[Fix_Metal]

it doesn't seem that tricky.... just give me a link

[Guest_Chris]

and what about 32x?can I use a NTSC 32x on a PAL mega drive?I think all I need is the mega drive mod (50/60hz + ntsc/pal)...

32X PAL/NTSC mod: http://www.segakore.net/articles/switch_32x.php (it's in french)

[D-Lite]

it doesn't seem that tricky.... just give me a link

OK, if you think so....

http://arakon.hn.org/

Just so you know, it is tricky and here's why.

It's a bios swap.  Yes, you can solder the new bios on top of the old one, but that only works well at all for the original Sega CD model 1 (stacking type) since you cannot solder the backside of a model 2 due to it's placement.  If it looks like it's just a couple switches in my picture, it's not.  I had to remove the original bios CAREFULLY since the traces are microscopic and easily screwed up, and then solder in a socket.  

I know what I'm doing and I screwed up 2 and a half Sega CD units doing this mod.  Yes, "half" since I was able to partially recover one of them.  And one of the ones I did is currently giving me fits of unreliability (though I think the fix is simple, just need to open'er up and try it out).

You can get a feel for how difficult the mod is by reading the web page above by the guy who designed it, a very good modder.  He also fouled up a couple of these systems doing this mod.

[Fix_Metal]

I'm back here. I'd like to try the mod but atm the site is totally unavailable....
has somebody got the old zip archive?
I would be pleased =)
thx

[Guest]

archive.org is one of the best things ever to happen to the internet... it wasn't allowed to cache the actual site but it at least shows that the dead url above used to redirect to.....
http://arakon.dyndns.org/tutorial/bios.html
which is alive and kicking

[hippy dave]

(^that was me)

[Fix_Metal]

thank you a lot

[Fix_Metal]

mh i can't get this...
the eeprom arakon was selling, is just an eeprom with the 2 bios switchable through switches (i suppose 1 is on bank0 and the other 1 on bank1 or something similar....i don't know eeprom programming...)

[Fix_Metal]

i've just used an IDE cable to wire up the future eprom elsewhere....other then the top-bios position.
atm I'd need to know how to program the eprom ^^
thx in advance, bye

[Fix_Metal]

i'm playing road avenger. it works even with all those 40 wires.
here it goes, the tricky mod it's no more of a trick ...
just need to know how to burn the eprom. (guess i'll use an e2prom)

[Paper]

and what about 32x?can I use a NTSC 32x on a PAL mega drive?I think all I need is the mega drive mod (50/60hz + ntsc/pal)...

32X PAL/NTSC mod: http://www.segakore.net/articles/switch_32x.php (it's in french)

Has anyone tried this?

Are there complications because of the difference in frequency (53.n) between PAL and NTSC consoles since the check (synchro) the 32x does is based on this (according to the article)? Or is the difference too small to matter and is only the 50/60hz of importance?

[Fix_Metal]

mh....well I don't know french. Anyway surfing and surfing the web, I've learned to understand it ( :lol: ).
As I read it's only a 50/60hz importance as you said...anyway I could be wrong

[Fix_Metal]

i'm trying to figure out how to delete the region check on the mega cd bios.
I've found a document that describes what the bios do to check the country.
I'm trying to disable the check instead of making an eprom switching through the bioses...

[kendrick]

Doesn't work like that. For most other disc-based systems, the region data is just a flag. In the case of the Sega CD and Mega CD units, the region data is a great big long hash that may also contain code to tell the console how to boot. That's why it's necessary to have the whole BIOS present for whatever region game you want to play. That's also why utilities like SCDConv aren't 100 percent effective, since the region data isn't always in the same place on the disc, isn't always the same length and doesn't always contain the same data.

Not to rain on your parade or anything. A BIOS swap is already the simplest solution, unfortunately.

-KKC

[DMEnduro]

How does one identify if the 32X they have is an NTSC or a PAL model? If I push down the cartridge flaps and look at the visible part of the PCB, it says NTSC. Would this be correct?
It doesn't make sense to me, as I have it plugged into a PAL MD2 - AND IT WORKS FINE! I have done the 50/60/region mod switch to the MD2, and it seems to function in any mode.

[Endymion]

Heh. It may seem like you have a super discovery on your hands, but it looks like the 32X has no regional hardware sets at all. It relies on the unit that it is paired with to handle this. So if you set a switch to your Megadrive you will be switching the 32X games, additionally if you set a language switch then you can get some different stuff with a few 32X titles. Zaxxon Motherbase 2000 has a different title screen, Cosmic Carnage has a different name I can't recall and some slightly different graphics, and so on. At least it makes it easier to get ahold of a 32X unit for use with whatever regional system you happen to own.

[DMEnduro]

Nice! I thought that might be the case. Sadly, I only have 2 32X games    
These are Metal Head and Kolibri. IIRC Metal Head doesn't play in NTSC mode.
I'll do some more checking into this though.

[Fix_Metal]

Doesn't work like that. For most other disc-based systems, the region data is just a flag. In the case of the Sega CD and Mega CD units, the region data is a great big long hash that may also contain code to tell the console how to boot. That's why it's necessary to have the whole BIOS present for whatever region game you want to play. That's also why utilities like SCDConv aren't 100 percent effective, since the region data isn't always in the same place on the disc, isn't always the same length and doesn't always contain the same data.

Not to rain on your parade or anything. A BIOS swap is already the simplest solution, unfortunately.

-KKC

atm I modified an european bios on the emu...i'm trying some things and it seems to boot up...
i'll make you know asap...

[Endymion]

Nice! I thought that might be the case. Sadly, I only have 2 32X games    
These are Metal Head and Kolibri. IIRC Metal Head doesn't play in NTSC mode.
I'll do some more checking into this though.

The games I was referring to were 32X titles. I have the USA version of Metal Head and it plays fine in NTSC mode but I haven't had to deal with switching the Hz. To my knowledge there is no lockout for the language (i.e. Japanese/English) for any 32X game, a few of them just have different bits like those mentioned above.

[DMEnduro]

I guess it would make sense for the USA version of Metal Head to play fine in NTSC mode....  Anyway, neither of my 2 32X games work outside of PAL 50hz mode unfortunately.

But, something cool that people might be interested in, I can run standard Mega Drive games at 60hz in full colour on my modified PAL MD2, no crystal replacement, just a mode switch, when using the (NTSC) 32X.

[Guest]

I guess it would make sense for the USA version of Metal Head to play fine in NTSC mode....  Anyway, neither of my 2 32X games work outside of PAL 50hz mode unfortunately.

But, something cool that people might be interested in, I can run standard Mega Drive games at 60hz in full colour on my modified PAL MD2, no crystal replacement, just a mode switch, when using the (NTSC) 32X.

the 50/60hz switch is an old mod  :lol:  

[Fix_Metal]

D-lite can you tell me which eprom did you use to mod The Thing? :lol:
thx