Anyone tried to make a card slot mod, yet?

[spenoza]

And by asking, I reveal that I don't know how difficult it would be. I know the card slot pins go all over the place in the system, but would there be any way to install a switch (either electrical or mechanical) to allow you to select between PCE and TG-16 games? Maybe route all the pins through a switch box and the switch one way routes them all one direction, the switch in the other routes them the other way?

Is this within the realm of possibility?

[D-Lite]

 

You mean a way to switch between different region HuCards, yes?

Look one thread down 

[spenoza]

I thought those boards still required some kind of diving board adapter. I am incorrect, then?

[D-Lite]

I thought those boards still required some kind of diving board adapter. I am incorrect, then?

Nope, any "region mod(ification)" is actually a hardware mod of the HuCard slot itself.  With a mechanical 8PDT switch, there is no PCB, with the PCB you also use a small SPDT switch.  So you need no further adapter 

[spenoza]

Does it also take care of the region check US games make?

[D-Lite]

Does it also take care of the region check US games make?

No, because it's the Japanese systems that run that check 

For US systems, the PCB or switch is good enough.  For Japanese systems, you need to ground pin #29 on the 6280 as noted in that thread.

[spenoza]

OK. Well, I should have read deeper into the other thread. My bad. I can buy the PCB, install it (or scream for help installing it), and ground that pin and all Japanese and US games will play fine with the flip of a switch.

Damn fine. Now I'm even happier I have a PCE Core.

[termis]

You can use either the PCB or a 8PDT switch.  Using the PCB is the more "elegant" solution (allows you to use any style switch), and the 8PDT is the more "direct" solution (no need for ICs/PCBs).

This is one of my own:


And here's one that (I think) D-Lite did.


Searching through the threads here will give methods to do it any one of these.  If you have a grasp of some electronics & soldering, you should be able to do it.

[spenoza]

That, I think, is the problem. I have a soldering iron but I've no real experience using it.

[Turbo D]

its not too hard, My first job was moding my ps2. Now that was hard, lol.

[spenoza]

I imagine installing an 8PDT would be a more complicated job. But then, I have never drilled a hole in a case with the intent of it looking nice, either.

[grahf]

Ive always said making the hole for the switch was the hardest part. Soldering the wires for the pins is easy, just VERY time consuming. Well, I suppose its not easy if your using a shitty soldering iron. But with decent equipment its easy.

[spenoza]

Is a 15 watt from Radio Shack a crappy one? It sure was cheap. How well do those little cordless ones work? The ones that stay cool because they're only hot for 5 seconds or somesuch.

[grahf]

For the $15 (i think thats what those cost) the radioshack irons are not terrible, but they're too bulky for most things. Not to mention weak. Not really ideal for console work. Since you dont really know where to start, I would reccomend you pick up one of these:
http://circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/6438

Its not top of the line, but its certainly worth the $39.99 they charge for it. Light years better than a radio shack iron for not much more. Comes with a .5mm tip as well, so its great for console stuff. The tips are fairly high quality as well, and generally last forever (maintain their point) under occasional use.

[termis]

I imagine installing an 8PDT would be a more complicated job. But then, I have never drilled a hole in a case with the intent of it looking nice, either.

If you already have a prepared PCB, it probably won't make that much difference either way, though you'll need to wire more points on with the PCB method. 

If you don't have a prepared PCB, then making your own & installing that will make it a quite a bit more complicated than installing just the 8PDT switch.

It'll be much easier to make it look "nice" with the PCB method, as the 8PDT switch selection is extremely limited.