Extra edge connector in InterAct cart

[Tripredacus]

NOTE: I deleted most of this thread since I fixed the battery issue. So this is just about the edge connector.

My first step was to take a look at the memory cart to check for either a battery or bad cap. After opening it, there doesn't seem to be a problem with that. I am going to use some contact cleaner to clean up the connections... BUT here is something strange? Inside the memory cart there is an unused/hidden edge connector at the top of the board!


Memory Card Plus opened by Tripredacus, on Flickr

The words printed on the PCB itself say DATEL REF 1110.

Any idea what this edge connector could be used for? In the picture you can see a plastic piece on the right that came out during disassembly. This was NOT broken off in the process. It fits in the hole you can see in the cart casing. I always wondered what that little tab was for, but so far the mystery has not been solved yet.

[mick_aka]

If the board itself was manufactured by Datel its probably an unused PC interface socket, as on their action replay carts.

[prabmire]

Hmmn mick reckon the later AR carts could have a serial port added with relative ease then?

Prab

[zyrobs]

Sept 20, 2012 14:10:11 GMT prabmire said:

Hmmn mick reckon the later AR carts could have a serial port added with relative ease then?

Prab

No, only the earlier ones. The later ones had a different PCB without connectors.

[Tripredacus]

I just did a bunch of testing. I got the cart to work by cleaning up the contacts. BUT the Saturn boots to it instead of to the CD player menu as is "supposed" to happen. Also, it doesn't show up in the Memory Manager BUT does actually save games. At least it did save the data from when I played Daytona USA with it yesterday (which I accidently deleted).

However, it doesn't let me play JP imports as it is proclaimed to be. Maybe its because this one is behaving different than all other ones I can find on Youtube or text descriptions. Since it only acts as memory AND has the reputation for damaging the cart slot, I decided not to use it, but still keep it. And maybe some day I'll get a good cart to play imports.

[Tripredacus]

Sept 20, 2012 22:24:56 GMT @saturnhst said:

Some of them do have the region-bypass function, some don't.

It's pretty strange that the region-bypass function isn't even mentioned on the packaging or instruction manual. Maybe the distributors didn't even know about it.

Is there a timeline for what order they were released? I'm thinking that the standard memory cart came first, then the one with the region bypass, then InterAct's later carts that do advertise that functionality. But I didn't research that idea at all, just a guess.