Single Switch Region Mod

[Devil N]

And what you're experiencing with Streets of Rage 2 is also normal. The game uses a special high resolution mode in PAL, which causes the screen to roll when used in NTSC. Fortunately, SoR2 switches the resolution when going from the title screen to the menu, so that fixes the rolling. Alternatively, you can start up the game in Japanese mode, and switch to American while the game is running.

You can see this too in the demonstration movie I made of my first prototype single-switch mod:

[MEGADRIVE Jeroi]

Hah just upped my mod tutorial to youtube and embedded here on second post with streets of rage 2.

[MEGADRIVE Jeroi]

Well this is interesting. It seems that pin107 is hz pin, where pin46 is language. Atleast you can watch my vid and see when selected red with switch, it is actually in PAL mode. which means md2 has switched to 50hz. Where you select green, the md2 is in jap mode which means language gets gnd. This is weard, isin't md1 using jp1-2 for language and jp3-4 for hz? it seams that it is different story with md2 tho... Atleast pin 46 trace goes to jp3-4 in md2 but acts still language selector. Next time will have to change red cable to pin46 and green to pin107 to get PAL with green and JP with red.

[EreWeGo]

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but can someone confirm: For a MegaDrive 2, I just need to lift pins 107 and 46, (or isolate them), and wire them to the left and right of a DP3T switch, (On-OFF-ON switch), and a wire from ground point on board to middle? No more messing with the JP1, JP2 traces etc?

Also, rather than lift the pins, has anyone got a pic of how you could just "isolate" them instead? (I'm assuming you just cut the trace somewhere leading to the pin?)

Any help would be appreciated!

[TmEE]

Yes things go like that.

Never ever lift a pin, just cut a trace going to the pin sufficiently away from the chip, scrape solder mask off and tin it and solder a thin wire to the trace. You'll have much sturdier setup with muuuuch lower risk of fatal failure (broken pin).

[omp]

Yes 107 for language. For this I follow the trace down to near where it goes through the other side of the board. I cut near here and scrap the coating off the track (pin 107 side) and solder to this.

For frequency
I cut the track below C51 (which locks it in PAL frequency) and from JP3 to the other side of the switch.

Don't forget if you are using composite, s-video etc you need to add in a 4 pin oscillator for colour correction.

The switch I use is a 3 position, 4 pole on, on, on switch.

I do have a hand drawn schematic (read rough) of how it is wired up for MD2 (tested) and Genesis 2 (not sure but should be ok).

If you want I could take a pic of my MD2 that has the single switch? It ain't pretty, it was my first crack at doing it.

*edit...aw crap

[EreWeGo]

Thanks for the replys guys - I'll definitely try "isolating" the pins rather than lifting. Megadrive Jeroi makes it look easy in that vid, but they're so delicate.

@ omp: thanks for the answer, but I'm a little confused, is JP3 connected to pin 46? In the video, all I can see Megadrive Jeroi say to do is lift the two pins, connect them to the on-off-on switch, and connect ground to the middle of the switch, and done?
If you have a pic of your one that's be cool, (don't worry about how pretty it is, my mods usually look ugly, as long as they work!)

[omp]

Correct pin 46 goes to JP3

Overall


Point to cut to pin 46


JP3


Pin 107 cut near through point scrap off coating and solder


Colour correction diagram (told you it was messy) for MD2
1,2,3 = position of switch c= common of switch
poles 3 & 4 (on the switch I use) aren't used

Edit* Where I have scribbled out NTSC oscillator value I realised the wiring would be slightly different in a Genesis 2


4 pin oscillator and R61


Next time I would do this the wire's would be shorter and just overall done neater. This MD2 has a pretty poor case and was just a case of "let's do this".

To put this together (I ain't claiming genius here) I used mmmonkey's site (points to cut etc), Devil N's theory (single switch) and Damomonsters (oscillator).

Actually with the oscillator I see no reason why a 4.43(blah blah)Mhz 4 pin oscillator can't be used and hard wired straight into the video encoder to get PAL50/PAL60, just like how the MD1 mod is done.

[EreWeGo]

Thanks for the pics omp, appreciated mate. I probably won't bother with the colour-correction mod yet, I've got a MegaDrive to RGB scart cable, that outputs in NTSC mode fine to the TV I have setup in my "Retro" area.

Obviously your mod works for you, it's just that in Megadrive Jeroi's video all I could see he did is lift pins 107 and 46, then wire them to the left and right connections on an ON-OFF-ON switch, then solder a ground to the midle connection on the switch. I don't think he mentions soldering to JP3 in the video, so do both methods work the same essentially?
(Sorry for all the noob questions all, just gets confusing when there are differing instructions/methods)

[omp]

JP3 is connected to pin 46. If you have access to a multi-meter (even getting a cheap one can be handy, a chap I know bought one for under $10 and it does what he wants it to do) and select "continuity" (the "buzz" tester) and put one end of the probe on pin 46 and JP3, the multi-meter will buzz. Mine works just Jim-dandy.

Here have a look at this guy's series of video's http://www.damomonster.com/Mod_Pages...gaDriveM2.html He is actually a fellow NZ'er so you will be able to understand him (for others please note this is a "dig" from an Aussie to a NZ'er about the accent and no way to offend others).

So you have a SCART TV? Would that be fairly rare in NZ (I was born there, been in Australia since I was 3)? Scart TV's are rare in Australia, the last I remember seeing was at the Sony outlet shop. It had SCART as the highest rated socket (ie no component) and I thought it pretty weird at the time. Didn't get it as I wasn't really into the retro stuff at the time. I use a RGB scart cable to component converter for my "good" setups.

[EreWeGo]

Thanks again omp, I'll have a play around and see how I go. I have got a multi-meter, so will test as you suggested mate.

Also, thanks for the link to the videos, and yes, I can understand him as he obviously speaks correctly. hehehe. I always like how on American shows whenever you see an Australian talking, they add subtitles

As far as SCART, yes, very hard to find over here too. I managed to get a Sony Trinitron wide-screen, with RGB scart input from a workmate who bought it over from England when he moved here, and I got it for free too! I recently bought another old Sanyo TV with scart for $5, and will probably use that instead as it's not widescreen, and actually has a bigger screen size than the Sony, mainly because on the Sony widescreen if I change to 4:3 the total size is smaller than the Sanyo, (which isn't a widescreen).

So, do you still get proper RGB output using a RGB scart cable to component converter? If so, where did you get yours from? Would love to hook up my Amiga or MegaDrive to our main LCD TV.

The main reason I wanted a SCART TV was for my Amiga 1200, (great to finally play on a bigger screen than the standard Amiga monitor without losing quality), and retro-gaming in general, and it works brilliantly. Anyway, thanks again omp, appreciate your help and advice mate.

[lumclaw]

Not exactly. The result is a different format of comparable quality. Note that direct RGB scart to component converters go straight through. No scaling, filtering, or any other side benefits. Your TV must support the console's original resolution and display timing.

[omp]

*snip*

Not a problem, hope it works out for you. Funny you should mention widescreen Sony as that is the TV I was mentioning. It was in the region of 76cm or so (from memory it was a few years ago). The shop was an outlet store where they sell re-furbished/damaged box items. Bit OT have bought a few things from there mostly box damaged (by that I mean the box-yep the box your throw out-was scuffed) stuff and saved heaps.

Anyway today I picked up a few parcels. In one of those parcels was an ebay item I won, where 3 Genesis's were (apparently) faulty. 2 were model 1's, early high def and a VA7! Jolly interesting to see a VA7 as I don't believe that model made it to PAL land. I also got a VA2.3 model 2 (with CXA1645) that has a different board layout so I have to suss out the single switch mode on that.

When I bought these the comment was "no picture or fuzzy picture" I asked the question how they viewed it. The response was RF. "Yoink" I'll take that as from my experience (especially with SMS2's) is that the RF modulator is starting to fail but AV is still fine.

Anyway the HD model 1 worked straight off and I can single switch that easy enough
The VA7 needed the cart slot cleaned and it worked. I think I have the single switch mod sussed, but the JP1, JP2 and JP3, JP4 points are on opposite sides of the board. I will get onto that one.
The model 2 had been apart (loose screws) and needed the DC lug reflowed and the LED had been smashed, so I removed it. Also the AV port is broken (got a dead MD2 that I can pinch a good one from) but if you hold the AV plug in tight it works fine.

Has anyone single switch modded a VA2.3 before? I can find JP3/JP4 and have that sussed (I think) but not sure about the language side of things P107 I don't think goes anywhere and the chip is a different number (315-5685).

*Edit just found JP1/JP2 on the VA2.3 board, should be good to sort this one. Since it has the JP1/JP2 jumpers should make this one a breeze!

[MEGADRIVE Jeroi]

I do nowdays these mods with driller. Underside of the mobo where is 107 trace hole, I drill that hole a bit to get copper away from the hole area. Then I solder cable directly to the trace hole at upper side. This way I dont need to use hotclue anymore for the 107 cable because it is firmly connected to the hole anyways.

[EreWeGo]

Woohoo! Just tried the single-switch mod on my MegaDrive 2, and all looks good! Thanks omp, Jeroi and everyone for this thread and advice!
I used Jeroi's and omps advice/tutorials as my guide - basically just isolated pin 107 and by cutting the trace as in omps pics above, also did the same for pin 46, then just soldered from those points to the left and right of a 3-way ON-OFF-ON switch, solder the middle point to ground, and success! I didn't bother with the colour-fix mod, (don't have the components at present), and I have an RGB scart cable anyway.

Anyway, cheers guys, appreciate the help.