Post by bpopilek on Jan 17, 2022 21:23:41 GMT
So this is my first post here and I’m hoping someone smarter than I am can help me out! I have been slowly going through my game systems and trying to make at least one master console to keep and use. Basically, this means I am tearing the entire system apart to clean it, recap the entire thing, and then install any mods or upgrades that I want to use on it.
So, this past week I decided to start working on my Sega Saturn. Initially, I purchased an aftermarket translucent orange shell and installed a fully functional model 2 into it. I put it through its paces to make sure there were no issues before I started messing with it any further.
The first step was to add in a Phantom mod chip, and unsurprisingly that worked perfectly. I then replaced all of the capacitors on the CD-ROM drive and retested it to confirm it still worked properly. After replacing the power supply capacitors and testing it, I was finally ready to tackle the motherboard. I started by swapping the SRAM out with an FRAM. A quick test afterwards showed the system was working properly, and I was able to erase the system memory and it reported the correct amount of free space. Next, I replaced all of the through hole capacitors on this board. I did this by swapping only 1-2 caps at a time, that way I could verify that each capacitor had the proper values and polarity. I probably should have done this in stages as well, testing as I went, but I ended up just replacing all of the capacitors before doing my final power up. That brings us to my current situation…
After recapping the motherboard, I again reassembled the system and powered it up. Initially, I was very pleased because the system turned on and booted up to the main screen. I did notice that the animation did not play though. Once on the main screen, it kept informing me that the drive door was open. It did not matter if I manually pushed the switch closed or left it open, the error still remained. I did try some contact cleaner on the switch and also verified with a continuity meter that the switch was still working. But to be safe, I even tried jumping across the switch on the bottom of the board to ensure it was fully closed. The console still reports that the drive door is open when powered up. I did notice that if the CD-ROM drive is not attached, and if memory serves, I then get a message about no disc being found.
I have went back through and checked the soldering on every connection to make sure there were no cold or improperly soldered joints. To which I found none. So, I am looking for help on what my next steps to troubleshoot should be. With the exception of a single capacitor that fell apart during the swap, I still have all of the original ones that came out of it that I can use for testing. I’m just hoping somebody may have an idea of where/what I can check for without going that route. Besides the CD drive, what else helps to control the drive open versus closed status? Are there any capacitors on the main board I should check specifically? Any help or advice you’re willing to offer me on this journey is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!
P.S. Once I get it working again, I still have a 50/60 mod and region feee BIOS to install. Any other ideas for upgrades/repairs are also welcome.
So, this past week I decided to start working on my Sega Saturn. Initially, I purchased an aftermarket translucent orange shell and installed a fully functional model 2 into it. I put it through its paces to make sure there were no issues before I started messing with it any further.
The first step was to add in a Phantom mod chip, and unsurprisingly that worked perfectly. I then replaced all of the capacitors on the CD-ROM drive and retested it to confirm it still worked properly. After replacing the power supply capacitors and testing it, I was finally ready to tackle the motherboard. I started by swapping the SRAM out with an FRAM. A quick test afterwards showed the system was working properly, and I was able to erase the system memory and it reported the correct amount of free space. Next, I replaced all of the through hole capacitors on this board. I did this by swapping only 1-2 caps at a time, that way I could verify that each capacitor had the proper values and polarity. I probably should have done this in stages as well, testing as I went, but I ended up just replacing all of the capacitors before doing my final power up. That brings us to my current situation…
After recapping the motherboard, I again reassembled the system and powered it up. Initially, I was very pleased because the system turned on and booted up to the main screen. I did notice that the animation did not play though. Once on the main screen, it kept informing me that the drive door was open. It did not matter if I manually pushed the switch closed or left it open, the error still remained. I did try some contact cleaner on the switch and also verified with a continuity meter that the switch was still working. But to be safe, I even tried jumping across the switch on the bottom of the board to ensure it was fully closed. The console still reports that the drive door is open when powered up. I did notice that if the CD-ROM drive is not attached, and if memory serves, I then get a message about no disc being found.
I have went back through and checked the soldering on every connection to make sure there were no cold or improperly soldered joints. To which I found none. So, I am looking for help on what my next steps to troubleshoot should be. With the exception of a single capacitor that fell apart during the swap, I still have all of the original ones that came out of it that I can use for testing. I’m just hoping somebody may have an idea of where/what I can check for without going that route. Besides the CD drive, what else helps to control the drive open versus closed status? Are there any capacitors on the main board I should check specifically? Any help or advice you’re willing to offer me on this journey is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!
P.S. Once I get it working again, I still have a 50/60 mod and region feee BIOS to install. Any other ideas for upgrades/repairs are also welcome.
