Need help to identify mod chip.

[voldo83]

Hi guys.

I have some sort of a mod chip in one of my two Dreamcasts.
It´s basically a japanese Dreamcast with this mod chip to play games from the US too.

I want to know what chip this is and if there is a chance to modify it so the Dreamcast can play games from all three regions without swapping or anything like that.

I know the picture isn´t the best, but my camera can´t take better close-up pictures.

[Anthony817]

With a bios mod you can install Dreamshell directly into the bios making it boot into the new operating system without a disc in the drive. If I were you, and knew how to, I would make a SD adapter or buy one like I did to use the full potential of the little white box.

Think of it like a mini PC.

I want to get a bios mod in the future, I seen one with only 4 solder points, and that is so easy even I could do that myself.

[voldo83]

yeah, I´m thinking of making a SD-adapter. How does BIOS mod works? Can I play all my original games from DreamShell without worry about region?

Can you please drop some links or just say where to find info (yeah, I know about google, but anyway), about SD-adapter (what components), and little how BIOS mod works and how to do it?

One more thing. Whats the maximum storage of a SD-card that Dreamcast can handle?

Thank you for your answer and help.

[Anthony817]

Ok, I'll try my best, but as I don't have my SD adaptor in the mail yet, I can't be 100% sure about everything.

With the bios mods, you usualy install it, and there is a switch you flip to select the region, so it acts like a US or Jap DC by default. You should be able to play all your original games from any region just fine.

The maximum storage in theory should be 32GB, but I am going to be the first to test this out, so I hope it works. SWAT just said it's not tested yet, but Dreamshell should see the SD card up to 32GB max.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh6SxdUk_Xk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-b1JfRo5Zo[/youtube]

Here are the materials you need for the mod, and links of the schematics.

Code: Select all

1x Electrolytic capacitor 47uF 25V (Maplin part #VH32K)
1x Decoupling ceramic disc capacitor 0.1uF 50V (Maplin part #BX03D)
1x Metal film resistor 470ohm 0.6W (Maplin part #M470R)
1x 3mm LED (Any should do – for example part #N20FN)
1x Stripboard (Maplin part #JP46)
1x SD card interface 

Original schematic by jj1odm
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz19 ... ardif2.gif

Stripboard Layout designed using jj1odm’s schematic
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz19 ... layout.jpg
(might not be the most efficient layout but works fine)

Dreamshell developer’s site and downloads
http://www.dc-swat.net.ru/news/13/
(right click “Save link as” on the Dreamshell download links)

Edit: Sorry man, I forgot your modchip links!
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/sega/dc-mod-chip.htm

or simple(Sans mod chip)
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/sega/dc-region.htm

[Dingo]

Great info! I had no idea making an SD card reader was so freaking simple.

I'm planning some mods for one of my dreamcasts, and an SD card slot just made the list after reading this info.

Other mods I was planning are the internal VGA and the digital coax (or optical) audio out.



Do you know if dreamshell can flash itself onto a piggybacked bios ROM while installed in the dreamcast? Or would it need to be done via a typical chip programmer? The former would be freaking awesome. I don't have a chip programmer, but I have no issues with the soldering.

[Anthony817]

Piggybacking is how you install Dreamshell into the bios mod to boot up instead of the default Dreamcast bios. Think of this like a custom firmware for your Dreamcast, and you get the idea. That is what I want to do next to mine.

http://anonym.to/?http://www.mmmonkey.c ... d-chip.htm

If my 32GB SDHC card works with Dreamshell, you guys can make a 32GB internal SD mod and have an internal "Solid State Hard drive" in your Dreamcast.

I can't be bothered to build one, and I don't have the paitence for the most part, so I just bought my SDLoader from China for just over $10 USD, and can't wait for it to get here.

Again, for those that don't want to make one, you can buy one following my instructions in this link here.

http://www.dc-swat.ru/forum/thread-1461.html

[voldo83]

Big thanks for the info Anthony. $10 USD isn´t much, the problem is that I have screwed up the serial-port. I thought I could make my own link cable for Dreamcast, so i changed the serial-port to a d-sub, but everything went shit, so i think the best thing is if i make my own SD-adapter and try to rescue what I have left.

See if I can find the materials for the SD-adapter on ELFA here in Sweden, or if I need to order it somewhere else.

I will let you know more tomorrow. It´s time to sleep now.

Goodnight.

[Anthony817]

You are welcome and goodnight to you too. Best of luck.

[voldo83]

I have looked around between different swedish electronic sites now in the morning and didnt´t found everything that I need to the SD-adapter, and that I find was much more expensive than $10 usd. So my next step is to wait ´till you, Anthony, got yours, to see everything went ok. How long have you been waiting for the adapter?

And if everything went ok, I will order one too and do some modification on it, to build the adapter inside the Dreamcast.

So later today I will concentrait to do the bios mode, so I will use the chip I have and the wires.

That´s for now.

[Anthony817]

I ordered mine on the 18th, so, I think it will come in the next 2-4 weeks. If not, then by the end of febuary.