help with a region mod on an oddball va1 board?

For hardware talk only (please avoid ROM dumper stuff)
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H2obuffalo
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Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:11 am

help with a region mod on an oddball va1 board?

Post by H2obuffalo » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:15 am

Hi everybody,

This is the second fan site that I have posted this, New Member here, Long time Genny Fan. I recently got back into playing with my old stuff and decided to mod one up for a regional switch between Japan/USA and possibly an S-video and sound output mod If this one goes well.
I used the guide on Instructables.com as It seemed when I peeked through the cartridge port and examined the board lines and points that this was the appropriate board. Well I was a bit off after I lifted the 107 leg off the correct chip, the second point to solder (on the instructions) is labelled JP1. Well... I don't see a JP1 in that spot on my board. The little hole is there and all the other circuits seem to match.
I saw an ID stamp on the board..HMM..IT says:
PC BD MD2 VA1 USA (I think that makes it a Variant 1)

The back nameplate says:
FCC ID:FJ8MD2SEGA

Also on another sticker it says" MODEL NO:MK-1631"
It is a full sized board not the 3/4 size
So, I put the solder there took a ground from one of the outer ground spots. Attached a wire to the plucked and lifted leg, wired up the switch just as the instructables guide showed and fired it up.

Well It boots and plays just fine, but I have no Japanese games to test it on. Is there a way to see if the mod is a success without one? If Anybody has done the mod to this exact model please tell me what I need to do.

Thanks for any and all input.
H20 Buffalo
Hmm... having trouble attaching photos I can e-mail them on request.

TmEE co.(TM)
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Location: Estonia, Rapla City
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Post by TmEE co.(TM) » Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:07 am

First of all, never lift any pins. Cut the trace that the pin connects to and solder a wire on it that will be connected to either GND or VCC, depending on your switch position. Lifted pins float to VCC and that means English/Overseas regionality.
Mida sa loed ? Nagunii aru ei saa ;)
http://www.tmeeco.eu
Files of all broken links and images of mine are found here : http://www.tmeeco.eu/FileDen

H2obuffalo
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:11 am

regional mod help

Post by H2obuffalo » Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:21 pm

Thanks for the reply.
Yes I know now not to lift any pins. This is my fist mod to a Sega pcb, and I used the first set of instructions I found that seemed correct for my project.
All of my other moddding experience has been with changing LEDs making computer game cases from discarded furniture, toys, appliances, re wiring arcade controls, electro-mechanical work etc. I need help identifying the correct input for the switch I have the ground I have the leg up. There's no way I can put it back in now. Ha ha,
So if you know where on this PCB to solder a lead to correctly complete the circuit for region switching please let me know. What does VCC stand for?
I appreciate your intetest.

H2obuffalo

TmEE co.(TM)
Very interested
Posts: 2440
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:37 pm
Location: Estonia, Rapla City
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Post by TmEE co.(TM) » Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:14 pm

VCC is the positive rail of the power supply.
Mida sa loed ? Nagunii aru ei saa ;)
http://www.tmeeco.eu
Files of all broken links and images of mine are found here : http://www.tmeeco.eu/FileDen

H2obuffalo
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:11 am

Help with a region mod on an oddball Genesis 2 va1 board.

Post by H2obuffalo » Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:25 pm

Thanks for your help. If you could tell me where is a good spot to pull the voltage from on the PCB that would be terrific.

H2obuffalo
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TmEE co.(TM)
Very interested
Posts: 2440
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:37 pm
Location: Estonia, Rapla City
Contact:

Post by TmEE co.(TM) » Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:35 pm

VCC and GND are everywhere. The pin originally connected to VCC.
Mida sa loed ? Nagunii aru ei saa ;)
http://www.tmeeco.eu
Files of all broken links and images of mine are found here : http://www.tmeeco.eu/FileDen

H2obuffalo
Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:11 am

Hooray!

Post by H2obuffalo » Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:46 am

Yep that did the trick.
Thank you for your help. It now shows the warning screen when switched to a Japan region with a USA cart. Now for s-video!

CHEERS!

H2obuffalo

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