Sega Saturn FRAM Permanent Save Mod
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- This is my first attempt modding my personal Sega Saturn for the replacement FRAM save chip to enable permanent saves on the system instead of depending on the internal CR2032. Hopefully I'll soon figure out how to make youtube videos and be able to deliver higher quality and more close ups. Thanks for watching!
$20 FM1808B-SG FRAM chip from digikey u.nu/1808
Amazon Affiliate Links to tools I actually use:
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Music: www.bensound.com
The FRAM mod was giving me a lot of trouble because my board looks nothing like the boards in ALL the FRAM mod video and guide I've seen. On top of that my chip is epoxied/glued on. So I ended up having to figure out where to find my SRAM chip, how to get the epoxied chip off, where to find the 5V source for pin 28 and where to find GND point for pin 22.
My board is close to this board. The SRAM and bios chip are on the bottom EXCEPT it's totally isolated, you have another chip next to the SRAM chip but I have nothing there. In fact on my bottom there were no other IC smaller than the SRAM chip so those 3 small chips you see on your board...doesn't exist on my board. iFixRetro was working on the same board in this video, however he was lucky to not have to deal with epoxy glue. LOL
So I want to give some advices on those running into the similar issue I've ran into.
- On finding the SRAM chip: Sega used many difference sources for their SRAM chips and had many board revision so using a specific SRAM chip model and a specific location isn't the best advice imo. Here's what I did: look on the board for a 28 pin chip (14 on both side) and look for the marking "IC8" on the board next to this chip. THAT's the SRAM chip. Presumably you already have the FRAM chip at this point, compare that chip to your SRAM chip...they are similar in size and has the same pin layout.
- For the first time, I've clipped the legs off to remove a IC chip off a circuit board BECAUSE: 1. I don't want to risk ripping any contact pad off; 2. The SRAM chip is useless to me anyways and even if I fail I wasn't planning to reuse this chip. I'm glad because this is where I quickly realize the chip is glued to the board. I like how most video of FRAM chip mods don't have to deal with this. Key is to cut the point on the pin closest to the body of the chip.
NOTE: I don't know what's the best way to remove the chip with epoxy underneath but this is how I did it:
- Now that we found out the chip is glued on, If you weren't originally planning to cut the chip off because you don't want to destroy it (I get it, I also have a habit of trying my best not to destroy components I remove from the board.)...my advice at this point is to just cut it off...it's not worth saving and risk damaging the board.
- When I realized there's epoxy on the SRAM chip, first thing I did is to clear the broken pin and solder off the traces. Since I'm gonna use force to remove the chip, I don't want to risk any chances of ripping the traces off the pad. That's why it's important to cut the pin close to the body of the chip...less chance of the chip still connected to the solder pads on the board. So the standard flux, wick and removing with soldering iron. There was a leg or two stuck on the chip but the important part is that they're not on the pads. Once the pads are clear of any dangling legs, I busted out a heat gun. I know a hot air rework station might be easier with the controlled temperature but I think it's still good for me to share my experience for people either not comfortable or doesn't have a hot air rework station.
- I used kapton tape to cover the area around the SRAM chip. There are bunch of tiny SMD components next to the chips so I just don't want to risk accidentally knocking one of the them off. A fact that came into play to the decision for me to cut the chip off. There are just so many small pieces around the chip, I don't want to risk accidentally knocking it off while removing the SRAM chip.
- I used a heat gun on low heat setting and introduce heat around that area and use a metal spudger tool (it's stronger and doesn't melt under heat) to poke from the bottom of the chip every like 10 second or so. I was planning to increase temp if necessary. So it's introduce heat, 10 sec, move heat gun away, poke the bottom with a metal spudger, see if it moves, move heat gun back and repeat. I did not use flux since I know I'm not working with solder here (I removed them earlier). I did add some isopropyl alcohol to see if it does anything but honestly HEAT is the main source to help me remove the chip. It took me less than a minute or a minute (I didn't time myself) and I was on lower setting of my heat gun the entire time. Be patient, I know you could be a little on the edge at this point but don't do anything risky. When people realize they couldn't remove component in seconds, a minute feels like forever and this is when they start using more forces. I used the same amount of force entire time, poke it hard enough to see if it move, if it doesn't add more heat. Once you remove the chip, you can try to remove a bit of the epoxy if you think there's too much BUT I don't recommend trying too hard to remove it completely because those leftover epoxy are super hard, don't get in the way of you installing your FRAM chip, and won't be seen after you install the FRAM chip...so why risk it if you don't have to.
- To find the 5V and ground point - the easiest way is just reference what other used. I didn't try because everyone's board is different than mine. So my REAL advice is to use a multimeter (it necessary tool for most board work, get one if you don't have it) to probe for your own sources. It's extremely simple, all you need is to know how to use "continuity" mode on your multimeter. The key is finding a know reference points so let me tell you known reference point for 5V and ground.
- For ground source, the edge of the board are grounded because that's where the metal shield touches. So you can use those dot scatter across the edges of the board as a reference grounding point. Now probe around the FRAM chip to see which grounding point makes the most sense for you to solder a wire to and connect it to pin 22. I decided to keep it short and picked the closest source to me, a ground point of an SMD component. I notice both you and iFixRetro solder pin 22 to the edges and I did think about it and ultimately decided not to. Here's why, that edge is where the metal shield goes on. I'm just not comfortable solder onto a point where the metal shield constantly pressed onto it. On my board, there was a small SMD component in between pin 22 and the ground edge...and thats where I solder onto. It's closer to pin 22 and away from the edges.
- As of the 5V source, the IC8 chip (RAM chip) are usually next to the IC7 (bios chip), one of the corner pin of the bios chip is VCC and that's pulling 5V. See 8:45, IC7 is the bottom right chip -- from this orientation with the half circle cutout on the left side of the chip, the VCC pin is the upper right pin of the bios chip. The point where you ultimately solder pin 28 to in this video is where ConsoleUnleashed suggested it but again my board doesn't have that chip. I used a multimeter and probe for a point closer to pin 28 of the FRAM chip using VCC of IC7 as a reference point. I actually did not use the closest point here, I found a point that's a clear spot meant of an SMD component but wasn't populated. It was a totally open location and there wasn't any components around it so it's comfortable point for me to solder my wire to.
These are my advices to anyone else doing the FRAM chip. Hope this save the time of anyone planning, attempting, or having trouble with the FRAM mod.
Super detailed and super long and USEFUL comment, thank you.
I approve of the music choices
I did the Fram mod. Now it seems my GameShark codes no longer work. As it uses save ram to work.
Where did you wire pin28?
Thank for the video and carry on the good work.
All the best
Thanks! You couldn't tell from my extremely detailed and close up shot?? Haha jk here's an image that shows where I pulled 5v from a nearby chip www.retrorgb.com/saturn-fram-mod-revisited.html thanks to RetroRGB an Amazing resource btw.
MaybeFix it was too much of a close up. Next time back up a little will you? XD
Thanks for the reply. It was where I ended up soldering. With this kind of thing you just eyeball it and hope for the best right??? Ahahah
Cheers buddy
Yea people don’t tell you how to find the 5V point to connect pin 28 to.
My SRAM chip is also on the bottom of the board. The biggest difference is I don’t have that small chip next to the RAM chip in this video. However I do have the big region bios chip next to the RAM chip (IC7). The pin on the region chip closest to the edge of the board AND on the RAM chip side is VCC and it’s pulling 5V (well-documented).
I used a multimeter and using that bios chip VCC point as a reference, I probed that board for continuity to any point closer to pin 28 of the FRAM chip. And that’s where I solder my wire to.
I have a V4 board that looks near identical, I lifted the ground pad and now my Saturn won't even boot, can I divert it?
You can try to find another solder point in the ground and bridge it to another ground point?
Do you have to use hot air or is this doable without
I'm no expert, hot air seems the easiest option though and I didn't spend much on my hot air station as you can see in the description.
I performed this last week with just a soldering iron and solder wick. Took about 25 mins to perform. Though I lucked out big time , no epoxy.
@@JasonMeeks79 thanks mate
Is FRAM necessary?
If you use a save cart all the time. You're fine. This mod you don't have to worry about a dead cell battery