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Rebuilt from Sega's own PAL service manual No.013-1 (hosted) plus Sega Retro. CORRECTIONS: the Saturn is mains AC 220-240V 50/60Hz approx 20W with a detachable lead, not an internal 'linear PSU' with a 9V orange wire; CPU is 28.4 MHz per Sega's spec table, not 28.6; memory given in Sega's own Mbit figures; model is MK-80200-50 (PAL) / MK-80001 (NA) / HST-3200-3210 (JP), not 'HST-3200 (JP), MK-80000 (NA/EU)'; backup cell is CR2032. Removed unsourced 'custom DSPs', 'S-Video', '1.54 MB VRAM', '6...
 
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{{Infobox computer
{{Infobox computer
| name        = Sega Saturn (Model 1)
| name        = Sega Saturn (Model 1)
| image        = [[File:Sega-Saturn-Console-Set-Mk1.png|250px]]
| image        = [[File:Sega Saturn VA0 PAL main board parts location.png|260px]]
| caption      = Sega Saturn Model 1 (Japanese launch version)
| caption      = Sega's circuit board diagram for the VA0 PAL main board
| manufacturer = Sega
| manufacturer = Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
| type        = Home video game console
| type        = Home video game console
| release date = JP: 22 November 1994<br>NA: 11 May 1995<br>EU: 8 July 1995
| release date = 22 November 1994 (Japan)<br />11 May 1995 (North America)<br />8 July 1995 (Europe)<ref name="srsat">[https://segaretro.org/Sega_Saturn Sega Saturn], Sega Retro. '''Secondary source.''' Release dates, recommended retail prices and Sega model codes, each footnoted on that page to a contemporary source: Japan 22 November 1994 at ¥44,800 (HST-0001), North America 11 May 1995 at US$399.99 (MK-80001), Western Europe 8 July 1995, United Kingdom 8 July 1995 at £399.99 (MK-80208-05), Germany, Spain and France 7 July 1995. Also the source for the two case designs — the HST-3200, later revised as the HST-3210, sold from the Japanese launch until early 1996 with blue oval buttons and both Power and Access LEDs, and the HST-3220 announced at Sega Saturn Power Up Meeting '96 Spring and released on 22 March 1996, whose only functional change is the omission of the Access LED — and for the statement that overseas machines are physically identical to the Japanese ones save for region encoding and black plastic.</ref>
| discontinued = 1998 (JP), 1998 (NA), 1998 (EU)
| discontinued = 1998 (Europe and North America)<ref name="srsat" />
| price        = JP: ¥44,800<br>NA: US$399<br>EU: £399.99
| price        = ¥44,800 (Japan) • US$399.99 • £399.99<ref name="srsat" />
| cpu          = Dual Hitachi SH-2 32-bit RISC @ 28.6 MHz
| cpu          = Two 32-bit RISC SH2, 28.4&nbsp;MHz, 25&nbsp;MIPS each; 68EC000 at 11.3&nbsp;MHz for sound<ref name="satman">Sega Enterprises, Ltd., ''Service Manual — Sega Saturn (PAL), No. 013-1'', June 1995 — hosted on this wiki as [[:File:Sega service manual - sega saturn pal - no. 013-1 june 1995.pdf]] (see [[Sega Service Manual - Sega Saturn Pal - 1 June 1995]]). Section 1 gives the ratings and specification (model MK-80200-50, AC 220–240 V 50/60 Hz, approximately 20 W, 5–35 °C and 10–80% RH non-condensing, 260 × 230 × 83 mm, master and slave 32-bit RISC SH2 at 28.4 MHz and 25 MIPS, 68EC000 at 11.3 MHz for sound, work RAM 16 Mbit, video RAM 12 Mbit, sound RAM 4 Mbit, CD buffer RAM 4 Mbit, IPL ROM 4 Mbit, backup RAM 256 kbit, 320 × 224 dot, 1024/2048 colours from 16,770,000, five screens maximum, 32 sound channels with PCM and FM and a 16-bit 44.1 kHz maximum sampling rate, and an intelligent double-speed CD drive); section 3 the accessories (lithium battery CR2032, RGB cable, and AC cables for the UK, SOE and Australia); section 4 the board identifications; section 5 the disassembly; section 6 the CD drive maintenance and adjustment figures; section 7 the block diagram with the power supply rails; section 9 the circuit board diagrams and section 11-3 the electrical parts list for the VA0 main board.</ref>
| memory      = 2 MB RAM, 1.54 MB VRAM, 512 KB sound RAM, 4 MB CD buffer RAM
| memory      = Work RAM 16&nbsp;Mbit • video RAM 12&nbsp;Mbit • sound RAM 4&nbsp;Mbit • CD buffer 4&nbsp;Mbit • IPL ROM 4&nbsp;Mbit • backup RAM 256&nbsp;kbit<ref name="satman" />
| storage      = CD-ROM (2× speed), optional backup RAM cartridge
| storage      = Intelligent double-speed CD-ROM drive; backup RAM, expandable by cartridge<ref name="satman" />
| display      = 320×224 to 704×480 pixels, 16.77 million colours (24-bit, 16-bit output)
| display      = 320 × 224 dot and other modes; 1024/2048 colours from 16,770,000<ref name="satman" />
| sound        = Yamaha YMF292-F (SCSP): 32 channels, 16-bit PCM, 8 FM channels
| sound        = 32 channels, PCM and FM, 16-bit sampling at up to 44.1&nbsp;kHz, audio DSP<ref name="satman" />
| dimensions  = 260 mm × 230 mm × 83 mm
| dimensions  = 260 × 230 × 83&nbsp;mm<ref name="satman" />
| weight      = 2.0 kg
| os          = IPL ROM, 4&nbsp;Mbit (EPR-17933 / MPR-17933 on PAL machines)<ref name="satman" />
| os          = Proprietary Sega Saturn OS (in ROM)
| predecessor  = [[Sega Mega Drive / Genesis (Model 2)]]
| predecessor  = [[Sega Mega Drive / Genesis]]
| successor    = [[Sega Saturn (Model 2)]]
| successor    = [[Dreamcast]]
| model        = MK-80200-50 (PAL) • MK-80001 (North America) • MK-80208-05 (UK) • HST-3200 / HST-3210 (Japan)<ref name="satman" /><ref name="srsat" />
| codename    = "Saturn"
| model        = HST-3200 (JP), MK-80000 (NA/EU)
| logo        = [[File:SEGA Saturn logo.png|250px]]
| logo        = [[File:SEGA Saturn logo.png|250px]]
}}
}}
<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" />


The '''Sega Saturn''' (Model 1) is a 32-bit fifth-generation home video game console developed by Sega and released in Japan in November 1994, followed by North America and Europe in 1995. Renowned for its complex dual-CPU architecture and advanced 2D/3D graphics capabilities, the Saturn was Sega's answer to the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
The '''Sega Saturn''' is Sega's CD-based successor to the Mega Drive, released in Japan in November 1994 and in the West the following summer. "Model 1" on this wiki means the first case design — the '''HST-3200''', later revised as the HST-3210, with blue oval buttons and both Power and Access indicators, sold until the white HST-3220 arrived in March 1996.<ref name="srsat" />


== 🧠 Architecture and Processor ==
'''The Saturn is mains-powered.''' The PAL machine is model MK-80200-50, rated AC 220–240 V at 50/60 Hz, drawing approximately 20 W, and it takes a detachable mains lead — Sega's accessories list gives three, for the UK, for SOE territories and for Australia.<ref name="satman" /> There is no DC adaptor, no barrel jack and no external power brick. Any guide that tells you to check for 9 or 10 V at a power input is not describing this console.
At the heart of the Saturn is a sophisticated multi-processor design:
* '''Main CPU''': Dual '''Hitachi SH-2''' 32-bit RISC processors, each running at 28.6 MHz, connected via a custom bus.
* '''Video Display Processors''': Two custom VDPs:
** '''VDP1''' – Handles sprites, polygons, and texture mapping for 2D/3D graphics.
** '''VDP2''' – Manages backgrounds, scrolling, and advanced effects.
* '''Sub-CPUs and Co-processors''':
** '''Hitachi SH-1''' (CD-ROM controller)
** '''Motorola 68EC000''' (sound CPU)
** '''Custom DSPs''' for geometry and audio processing.


This parallel architecture enabled advanced graphical effects but presented programming challenges, impacting third-party development.
== Specification ==


== 💾 Memory and Storage ==
Sega's own ratings and specification tables.<ref name="satman" />
The Saturn's memory subsystem includes:
* '''2 MB main RAM'''
* '''1.54 MB video RAM''' (VDP1: 512 KB, VDP2: 1 MB)
* '''512 KB sound RAM'''
* '''4 MB CD-ROM buffer RAM'''
* '''32 KB backup RAM''' (internal, battery-backed; expandable via external cartridge)


'''Storage''' is provided by a double-speed (2×) CD-ROM drive, supporting up to 640 MB per disc. Save data is stored in internal backup RAM or optional external RAM cartridges.
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:88%;"
! Item !! Figure
|-
| Model (PAL) || MK-80200-50
|-
| Power supply || AC 220–240 V, 50/60 Hz
|-
| Power consumption || Approximately 20 W
|-
| Operating environment || 5 to 35 °C, 10% to 80% RH, non-condensing
|-
| Dimensions || 260 (W) × 230 (L) × 83 (H) mm
|-
| CPU, master and slave || 32-bit RISC SH2, 28.4 MHz, 25 MIPS each
|-
| CPU, sound || 68EC000, 11.3 MHz
|-
| Work RAM || 16 Mbit
|-
| Video RAM || 12 Mbit
|-
| Sound RAM || 4 Mbit
|-
| CD buffer RAM || 4 Mbit
|-
| IPL ROM || 4 Mbit
|-
| Backup RAM || 256 kbit
|-
| Resolution || 320 × 224 dot and others
|-
| Colours || 1024/2048, from 16,770,000
|-
| Scroll screens || Five maximum; four XY scroll, two rotation, two enlargement/reduction, two windows, vertical cell scroll and lateral line scroll
|-
| 3D || Dedicated polygon hardware, wire frame, flat shading, Gouraud shading
|-
| Sound || 32 channels, PCM and FM, 16-bit sampling, 44.1 kHz maximum, audio DSP
|-
| Optical drive || Intelligent double-speed CD drive
|}
 
The service manual's block diagram gives a master clock of 28.6 MHz and a 14.318 MHz reference into the PLL, against the 28.4 MHz quoted in the specification table; the two figures are for the same part and the difference is a rounding convention rather than two different machines.<ref name="satman" /><ref name="satva13">''Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual (PAL)'' — hosted on this wiki as [[:File:Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual PAL.pdf]] (see [[Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual (PAL)]]). A partial scan, redrawn and watermarked by a third party: an overall block diagram giving the 28.6 MHz 32-bit clock and the 14.318 MHz PLL reference, eleven main-board schematic sheets and power supply and CD unit sheets. It carries no parts list. Sheet 1/11 shows IC1 and IC2 as the two Hitachi SH-2 devices (IC2 marked 315-0998) with IC3 and IC4 as 4 Mbit SDRAMs on a separate LVCC supply; sheet 2/11 shows IC5 as a Yamaha 315-5966, a different part from the VA0 board's IC5.</ref>


== 🖥️ Display and Graphics ==
== Rails ==
The Saturn excels at 2D graphics and supports 3D rendering:
* '''Resolution''': Ranges from 320×224 up to 704×480 pixels (interlaced and non-interlaced modes)
* '''Colour''': Up to 16.77 million colours (24-bit palette), with 16-bit output per pixel
* '''Sprites''': Hardware support for scaling, rotation, and transparency
* '''Backgrounds''': Multiple scrolling backgrounds, line scrolling, and colour effects via VDP2
* '''3D Graphics''': Flat and texture-mapped polygons, Gouraud shading, and mesh effects


The Saturn's architecture was optimised for 2D arcade-style games but could deliver impressive 3D visuals when fully utilised.
From Sega's block diagram, measured at the main board's power connector.<ref name="satman" />


== 🔊 Sound Capabilities ==
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:70%;"
Audio on the Saturn is handled by the '''Yamaha YMF292-F (SCSP)''' sound processor:
! Rail !! Feeds
* '''32 sound channels''' (16-bit PCM or 8 FM synthesis)
|-
* '''44.1 kHz sampling rate'''
| +9 V || CD drive, and the PLL
* '''DSP effects''': reverb, chorus, and modulation
|-
* '''Sound RAM''': 512 KB dedicated
| +5 V || All chips other than the SDRAM
* '''CD-DA playback''' and Red Book audio support
|-
| +3.3 V || SDRAM
|}


The system's sound hardware enabled rich, multi-layered music and effects, rivaling dedicated audio workstations of the era.
'''There is no +12 V rail on a Saturn''', and no negative rail. The supply is a bought-in switching module mounted inside the case, and its manufacturer varies by machine and market.<ref name="satman" /><ref name="c5sat">console5 TechWiki, ''Saturn'', https://wiki.console5.com/wiki/Sega_Saturn . Secondary source — per-revision capacitor lists read off real boards, covering VA0 through VA15, the power supply units by manufacturer and model, and the CD-ROM PCBs. Its VA0 PAL list (837-11491 / 837-11493) agrees position for position with the parts list in Sega's own PAL service manual, including the values at CE30 and CE54 that are specific to PAL boards.</ref>


== 🎮 Input/Output and Expansion ==
On VA0 PAL boards the position silkscreened '''FUSE''' is filled with a jumper wire, Sega part 600-6458, "JUMPER WIRE L=10MM".<ref name="satman" /> There is nothing to test there.
The Saturn provides a range of connectivity and expansion options:
* '''Controller ports''': 2 standard 9-pin Sega controller ports (supporting multitap for up to 6 players)
* '''AV output''': Composite video, S-Video, and RGB SCART (PAL/JP models)
* '''Stereo audio output'''
* '''Backup RAM cartridge slot''' (for save data expansion)
* '''Communication connector''' (for link cable and network peripherals in some regions)
* '''Cartridge slot''' (for memory expansion, cheat devices, and region adapters)
* '''Serial port''' (for modem and link cable, Japan only)
* '''Power supply''': Internal


== 🔍 PCB Schematics & Service Manual ==
== Boards ==
<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" />
 
Sega's manual identifies the boards as the '''main board''', the '''CD drive unit''', the '''power board''', the '''power indicator board''', the '''P.SW board''' and the '''R.SW board''', with the SH-1 board above the main board.<ref name="satman" />
 
The bare PAL main board numbers for the earliest machines are 837-11491 and 837-11493.<ref name="c5sat" />
 
== IC map, VA0 main board ==
 
From Sega's electrical parts list.<ref name="satman" />


{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:80%; text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:88%;"
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;"| Saturn Model 1 Mainboard
! Designator !! Device !! Function
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;"| Mainboard Schematic
|-
| IC1, IC2 || HD6417095F28 || The two SH-2 CPUs
|-
| IC3, IC4, IC11 || 4 Mbit SDRAM || Work RAM
|-
| IC5 || 315-5688 || SCU, system control unit
|-
| IC6 || 315-5778 || DCC
|-
| IC7 || EPR-17933 / MPR-17933 || IPL ROM — the PAL part; NTSC machines carry a different ROM
|-
| IC9 || 315-5744 || SMPC, system manager and peripheral controller. The controller ports run through it
|-
| IC10 || 315-5689 / 315-5883 || VDP1 — sprites and polygons
|-
| IC12, IC13, IC15, IC16 || 2 Mbit SDRAM || Video RAM
|-
| IC14 || 315-5690 / 315-5890 || VDP2 — backgrounds and scrolling
|-
| IC17 || 315-5687 || SCSP, sound processor
|-
| IC18 || MC68EC000FN12 || Sound CPU
|-
| IC19 || 4 Mbit DRAM || Sound RAM
|-
| IC20 || 315-5746 || PLL, fed from the 14.318 MHz reference
|-
| IC21 || CXA1645M || RGB encoder — this, not a VDP, drives the AV connector
|-
| IC22 || TDA1386T or PCM1717E || Audio DAC<ref name="c5sat" />
|-
|-
| [[File:Sega-Saturn-Motherboard.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Sega Saturn Model 1 Mainboard]]
| IC25 || S-80741AL || Voltage detector
| [[File:SegaSaturn-Model1-Schematic.png|thumb|center|300px|Sega Saturn Model 1 Mainboard Schematic]]
|-
| IC31, IC32 || 4 Mbit DRAM || CD buffer RAM
|}
|}


The official Sega Saturn Service Manual and schematics are available via [[Sega Saturn Service Manual (PDF)]] and [[Sega Saturn Technical Reference]].
== Connections ==
 
Sega's identifying-parts drawing gives the console's external connections as the '''power jack''' (the mains inlet for the detachable lead), the '''AV OUT jack''', two '''control ports''', the '''cartridge slot''', the '''OPEN''' button, the '''ACCESS''' light and the '''Master Reset''' switch.<ref name="satman" />
 
There is no S-video output and no dedicated composite socket: everything leaves on the single multi-AV connector, and what you get depends on the lead. PAL machines shipped with an RGB cable.<ref name="satman" />
 
== Backup battery ==
 
Saves and the clock are held up by a '''CR2032''' cell; Sega's accessories list gives it as "Lithium Battery (CR2032)" with the note "Positive Side B".<ref name="satman" /> A machine that forgets its saves and its clock wants a cell, not a board repair.
 
== CD drive ==
 
Several different CD-ROM boards were fitted across the range — JVC EXL-P604, EXL-P605 and ENR-007 B/D, Hitachi JA00292 and Sanyo CDK94V5SGC — so a drive from one Saturn is not necessarily the same assembly as the drive in another.<ref name="c5sat" />


== 📷 Gallery ==
Sega's maintenance figures, and its warning about the one adjustment people reach for first, are on [[Sega Saturn (Model 1) Maintenance Guide]].
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Sega-Saturn-Console-Set-Mk1.png|Sega Saturn Model 1 (Japanese launch)
File:Sega-Saturn-Controller-Mk-I-NA-FL.jpg|Sega Saturn Model 1 controller
File:Sega-Saturn-Motherboard.jpg|Saturn Model 1 mainboard (top view)
File:Sega-Saturn-Laser-Assembly-V1-a.jpg|Saturn CD-ROM Laser assembly
File:Sega-Saturn-Backup.jpg|Official Backup RAM Cartridge
</gallery>


== 🧪 Related Pages ==
== Documentation ==
* [[Sega Saturn General Maintenance]]
* [[Sega Saturn Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[Sega Saturn Controller Repair Guide]]
* [[Sega Saturn Capacitor Replacement Guide]]


[[Category:Sega Consoles]]
* [[Sega Service Manual - Sega Saturn Pal - 1 June 1995]] — No. 013-1, June 1995, the PAL service manual with the VA0 parts list.
[[Category:1990s Video Game Consoles]]
* [[Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual (PAL)]] — a partial scan of the later VA13 board's schematics, with no parts list.
* [[Sega Saturn VA0.5 Schematics]].


<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" />
== Related pages ==
 
* [[Sega Saturn (Model 1) Maintenance Guide]]
* [[Sega Saturn (Model 1) Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[Sega Saturn (Model 1) Capacitor Replacement Guide]]
* [[Sega Saturn (Model 2)]]
* [[Sega Dreamcast]]
 
== References ==
<references />
 
[[Category:Sega Systems]]

Latest revision as of 04:50, 23 September 2026

Sega Saturn (Model 1)
Sega's circuit board diagram for the VA0 PAL main board
Specifications
ManufacturerSega Enterprises, Ltd.
TypeHome video game console
Released22 November 1994 (Japan)
11 May 1995 (North America)
8 July 1995 (Europe)[1]
Discontinued1998 (Europe and North America)[1]
Intro price¥44,800 (Japan) • US$399.99 • £399.99[1]
CPUTwo 32-bit RISC SH2, 28.4 MHz, 25 MIPS each; 68EC000 at 11.3 MHz for sound[2]
MemoryWork RAM 16 Mbit • video RAM 12 Mbit • sound RAM 4 Mbit • CD buffer 4 Mbit • IPL ROM 4 Mbit • backup RAM 256 kbit[2]
StorageIntelligent double-speed CD-ROM drive; backup RAM, expandable by cartridge[2]
Display320 × 224 dot and other modes; 1024/2048 colours from 16,770,000[2]
Sound32 channels, PCM and FM, 16-bit sampling at up to 44.1 kHz, audio DSP[2]
Dimensions260 × 230 × 83 mm[2]
OS / FirmwareIPL ROM, 4 Mbit (EPR-17933 / MPR-17933 on PAL machines)[2]
PredecessorSega Mega Drive / Genesis (Model 2)
SuccessorSega Saturn (Model 2)
Model no.MK-80200-50 (PAL) • MK-80001 (North America) • MK-80208-05 (UK) • HST-3200 / HST-3210 (Japan)[2][1]

The Sega Saturn is Sega's CD-based successor to the Mega Drive, released in Japan in November 1994 and in the West the following summer. "Model 1" on this wiki means the first case design — the HST-3200, later revised as the HST-3210, with blue oval buttons and both Power and Access indicators, sold until the white HST-3220 arrived in March 1996.[1]

The Saturn is mains-powered. The PAL machine is model MK-80200-50, rated AC 220–240 V at 50/60 Hz, drawing approximately 20 W, and it takes a detachable mains lead — Sega's accessories list gives three, for the UK, for SOE territories and for Australia.[2] There is no DC adaptor, no barrel jack and no external power brick. Any guide that tells you to check for 9 or 10 V at a power input is not describing this console.

Specification

[edit | edit source]

Sega's own ratings and specification tables.[2]

Item Figure
Model (PAL) MK-80200-50
Power supply AC 220–240 V, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption Approximately 20 W
Operating environment 5 to 35 °C, 10% to 80% RH, non-condensing
Dimensions 260 (W) × 230 (L) × 83 (H) mm
CPU, master and slave 32-bit RISC SH2, 28.4 MHz, 25 MIPS each
CPU, sound 68EC000, 11.3 MHz
Work RAM 16 Mbit
Video RAM 12 Mbit
Sound RAM 4 Mbit
CD buffer RAM 4 Mbit
IPL ROM 4 Mbit
Backup RAM 256 kbit
Resolution 320 × 224 dot and others
Colours 1024/2048, from 16,770,000
Scroll screens Five maximum; four XY scroll, two rotation, two enlargement/reduction, two windows, vertical cell scroll and lateral line scroll
3D Dedicated polygon hardware, wire frame, flat shading, Gouraud shading
Sound 32 channels, PCM and FM, 16-bit sampling, 44.1 kHz maximum, audio DSP
Optical drive Intelligent double-speed CD drive

The service manual's block diagram gives a master clock of 28.6 MHz and a 14.318 MHz reference into the PLL, against the 28.4 MHz quoted in the specification table; the two figures are for the same part and the difference is a rounding convention rather than two different machines.[2][3]

Rails

[edit | edit source]

From Sega's block diagram, measured at the main board's power connector.[2]

Rail Feeds
+9 V CD drive, and the PLL
+5 V All chips other than the SDRAM
+3.3 V SDRAM

There is no +12 V rail on a Saturn, and no negative rail. The supply is a bought-in switching module mounted inside the case, and its manufacturer varies by machine and market.[2][4]

On VA0 PAL boards the position silkscreened FUSE is filled with a jumper wire, Sega part 600-6458, "JUMPER WIRE L=10MM".[2] There is nothing to test there.

Boards

[edit | edit source]

Sega's manual identifies the boards as the main board, the CD drive unit, the power board, the power indicator board, the P.SW board and the R.SW board, with the SH-1 board above the main board.[2]

The bare PAL main board numbers for the earliest machines are 837-11491 and 837-11493.[4]

IC map, VA0 main board

[edit | edit source]

From Sega's electrical parts list.[2]

Designator Device Function
IC1, IC2 HD6417095F28 The two SH-2 CPUs
IC3, IC4, IC11 4 Mbit SDRAM Work RAM
IC5 315-5688 SCU, system control unit
IC6 315-5778 DCC
IC7 EPR-17933 / MPR-17933 IPL ROM — the PAL part; NTSC machines carry a different ROM
IC9 315-5744 SMPC, system manager and peripheral controller. The controller ports run through it
IC10 315-5689 / 315-5883 VDP1 — sprites and polygons
IC12, IC13, IC15, IC16 2 Mbit SDRAM Video RAM
IC14 315-5690 / 315-5890 VDP2 — backgrounds and scrolling
IC17 315-5687 SCSP, sound processor
IC18 MC68EC000FN12 Sound CPU
IC19 4 Mbit DRAM Sound RAM
IC20 315-5746 PLL, fed from the 14.318 MHz reference
IC21 CXA1645M RGB encoder — this, not a VDP, drives the AV connector
IC22 TDA1386T or PCM1717E Audio DAC[4]
IC25 S-80741AL Voltage detector
IC31, IC32 4 Mbit DRAM CD buffer RAM

Connections

[edit | edit source]

Sega's identifying-parts drawing gives the console's external connections as the power jack (the mains inlet for the detachable lead), the AV OUT jack, two control ports, the cartridge slot, the OPEN button, the ACCESS light and the Master Reset switch.[2]

There is no S-video output and no dedicated composite socket: everything leaves on the single multi-AV connector, and what you get depends on the lead. PAL machines shipped with an RGB cable.[2]

Backup battery

[edit | edit source]

Saves and the clock are held up by a CR2032 cell; Sega's accessories list gives it as "Lithium Battery (CR2032)" with the note "Positive Side B".[2] A machine that forgets its saves and its clock wants a cell, not a board repair.

CD drive

[edit | edit source]

Several different CD-ROM boards were fitted across the range — JVC EXL-P604, EXL-P605 and ENR-007 B/D, Hitachi JA00292 and Sanyo CDK94V5SGC — so a drive from one Saturn is not necessarily the same assembly as the drive in another.[4]

Sega's maintenance figures, and its warning about the one adjustment people reach for first, are on Sega Saturn (Model 1) Maintenance Guide.

Documentation

[edit | edit source]
[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sega Saturn, Sega Retro. Secondary source. Release dates, recommended retail prices and Sega model codes, each footnoted on that page to a contemporary source: Japan 22 November 1994 at ¥44,800 (HST-0001), North America 11 May 1995 at US$399.99 (MK-80001), Western Europe 8 July 1995, United Kingdom 8 July 1995 at £399.99 (MK-80208-05), Germany, Spain and France 7 July 1995. Also the source for the two case designs — the HST-3200, later revised as the HST-3210, sold from the Japanese launch until early 1996 with blue oval buttons and both Power and Access LEDs, and the HST-3220 announced at Sega Saturn Power Up Meeting '96 Spring and released on 22 March 1996, whose only functional change is the omission of the Access LED — and for the statement that overseas machines are physically identical to the Japanese ones save for region encoding and black plastic.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Sega Enterprises, Ltd., Service Manual — Sega Saturn (PAL), No. 013-1, June 1995 — hosted on this wiki as File:Sega service manual - sega saturn pal - no. 013-1 june 1995.pdf (see Sega Service Manual - Sega Saturn Pal - 1 June 1995). Section 1 gives the ratings and specification (model MK-80200-50, AC 220–240 V 50/60 Hz, approximately 20 W, 5–35 °C and 10–80% RH non-condensing, 260 × 230 × 83 mm, master and slave 32-bit RISC SH2 at 28.4 MHz and 25 MIPS, 68EC000 at 11.3 MHz for sound, work RAM 16 Mbit, video RAM 12 Mbit, sound RAM 4 Mbit, CD buffer RAM 4 Mbit, IPL ROM 4 Mbit, backup RAM 256 kbit, 320 × 224 dot, 1024/2048 colours from 16,770,000, five screens maximum, 32 sound channels with PCM and FM and a 16-bit 44.1 kHz maximum sampling rate, and an intelligent double-speed CD drive); section 3 the accessories (lithium battery CR2032, RGB cable, and AC cables for the UK, SOE and Australia); section 4 the board identifications; section 5 the disassembly; section 6 the CD drive maintenance and adjustment figures; section 7 the block diagram with the power supply rails; section 9 the circuit board diagrams and section 11-3 the electrical parts list for the VA0 main board.
  3. ↑ Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual (PAL) — hosted on this wiki as File:Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual PAL.pdf (see Sega Saturn VA13 Service Manual (PAL)). A partial scan, redrawn and watermarked by a third party: an overall block diagram giving the 28.6 MHz 32-bit clock and the 14.318 MHz PLL reference, eleven main-board schematic sheets and power supply and CD unit sheets. It carries no parts list. Sheet 1/11 shows IC1 and IC2 as the two Hitachi SH-2 devices (IC2 marked 315-0998) with IC3 and IC4 as 4 Mbit SDRAMs on a separate LVCC supply; sheet 2/11 shows IC5 as a Yamaha 315-5966, a different part from the VA0 board's IC5.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 console5 TechWiki, Saturn, https://wiki.console5.com/wiki/Sega_Saturn . Secondary source — per-revision capacitor lists read off real boards, covering VA0 through VA15, the power supply units by manufacturer and model, and the CD-ROM PCBs. Its VA0 PAL list (837-11491 / 837-11493) agrees position for position with the parts list in Sega's own PAL service manual, including the values at CE30 and CE54 that are specific to PAL boards.
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