by Vladimir Vega 👾
:: This fix requires a basic understanding of hardware ::
◆ Has it ever happened to you that one of your beloved or expensive cartridges suddenly stops working, you try to clean it thoroughly, put it back in the console countless times, you’re desperate and even try prayer and “blowing” on it, but the game just won’t start? If that’s the case, it might be useful to read this and learn one of the ways you can bring your Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games back to life. The principle is very similar for other retro consoles, like the SNES, NES, Sega Master System, etc.
As is commonly known, the main ROM chip of a game very rarely fails on its own. A bad PCB <Printed Circuit Board> is usually one of the main reasons why your cartridge doesn’t work. Genesis and Mega Drive PCBs commonly come in sizes of 512KB, 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, and even 5MB. For this “fix” method to be successful, you need to get a suitable so-called donor board. The donor cartridge is one that must match the size of the ROM you want to fix. For example, if your game is 512kb, the donor must also be the same size.
One of the things to pay attention to is whether your game has a save feature and if it uses a battery backup. You also need to check the number of pins on the chip, 512KB games typically have 40 pins, while larger ones use 42. The repair method requires moving the chip from your faulty board to the donor board. This procedure demands meticulous work, along with the inevitable use of a soldering iron and a solder sucker.
If you are interested in learning more on this topic, check out this very useful video
A good resource that can help with finding the right donor PCB
An excellent site related to the Genesis/Mega Drive where you can find tons of information, including the size of a particular game’s ROM.
One response to “TIPS & TRICKS : Sega Mega Drive Cartridges Repair <ARCHIVE>”
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