X'eye mult-bios/32X mod possible?

[Soviet Conscript]

one of my main problems with the whole 32X/sega CD/Genesis combo is not only is it kinda bulky but you need 3 power supplies. recently someone on the board created a "Neptune" buy modding a Genesis 2 to play 32X games. so i was thinking and i wondered if this can be taken one step further.

after some research i found that a X'eye can definatly be modded to do S-video and a language switch for jp games. i'm assumeing they can also be modded for 50/60 hrtz but not sure as they were not released in EU.

now my question is is it possible to

1) do a multi-bios mod to the CD portion, as there was no EU release and i assume the bios is diffrent then the sega CD i was wondering if at least it can be modded with a X'eye/wondermega switch for playing US and JP sega CD games

2) can you mod a X'eye internaly to play 32X games in the same way the recent genesis 2 was modded

if its all possible the end result is going to be a "32X'eye" a small and nice looking console that can play all your genesis games and us/jp cd games as well as 32x games all through S-video and all just useing one power adaptor.

as I have no modding skills its really just a question of pure curiousity.

[RadiantSvgun]

I've been wondering that about the CD bios mod myself. Hope someone answers.

[ooXxXoo]

I have been looking into the 32X/X'eye mod myself.It can definately be done,unfortunately I don't have any spare X'eyes and they seem a bit pricey now a days.About the bios,so far I haven't found any info on this.

[InsaneDavid]

From what I understand there's no public dump of the JVC X'Eye BIOS however it is totally different from any of the other SCD BIOS's so a reflashed multiBIOS chip designed for an SCD will not work in it. When I was writing the USA/JPN cartridge region mod tutorial my findings were that basically the Genesis side of the JVC X'Eye is heavily based upon the Genesis 2. (which means the Wondermega 2 was probably heavily based upon the Mega Drive 2) This means pin 46 of the 315-XXXX chip should denote 60Hz/50Hz.

I can't fathom destroying a JVC X'Eye for built in 32X usage, but then again I've spent far too much time with that console and like it far too much as it is. Especially considering that with the JVC X'Eye and 32X you're only using two power supplies anyway - which really isn't much of a problem at all. The CD stuff would be nice though but sadly it involves loading alternate region BIOS's and would require more than a simple jumper removal and switch installation.

Since it seems that no one has dumped the CD BIOS for the JVC X'Eye I've gotten MANY e-mails from people explaining in detail how easy it is to do, how I should do it, how they'll send me the parts I need to do it, etc, etc, etc. It would always crack me up that people with the technical prowess to know how to do the above and the willingness to fund me all the parts and go on and on about their collections (half of them have told me in detail about the Wondermega they own and how they like it more) couldn't just drop the less than $100.00 for a loose JVC X'Eye and dump the BIOS themselves. Even the $30.00 or so broken JVC X'Eye systems go for - all they want is one damn chip out of it anyway. One of the last of those requests was met with a very long (and I'll fully admit overly hotheadded) reply. Maybe I was out of line, but I really didn't care. However lending to the sense of professionalism, all requests since have been replied to with the simple "No thanks, I'm not interested in any new mods."

To remind me to retain my humility, I kept the contents of that reply. For the heck of it here it is below, please keep in mind it has nothing to do with the forums, anyone that posts here or has posted here...

Hello,

I find it interesting that of the 10,000 JVC X'Eye consoles out there and the thousands of owners and former owners that you would contact me of all people. If you can invest the money in a Megacard, a JVC Wondermega 2 (which you should know is somewhat different inside than a JVC X'Eye due to the removal of certain features in the JVC X'Eye, that's common knowledge), Lunar The Silver Star, and Shining Force CD of which you say you have. Then you can most certainly drop the $40 - $80 on a JVC X'Eye and dump the BIOS yourself. They come up on eBay QUITE frequently, in fact there are five up for auction right now and at least one is offering international shipping right out of the gate. And again, it is NOT a Wondermega 2, they are different internally with at least three different confirmed output revisions of the JVC X'Eye on top of that. (RCA + DIN, DIN only, RCA only)

Many JPN and EUR region Mega CD games can be played on the JVC X'Eye via dumping the disc contents, reinjecting them with the US SCD BIOS, recompiling and reburing them to CD-R. (again, this is common knowledge) Since you talk about burning ISO's and transferring files to BIOS cartridges you should be able to do this without problem and should know all about it already. It works the same way for recoding USA games into JPN or EUR mode.

Honestly haven't I done enough for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive and JVC X'Eye owner community? I created the USA/JPN cartridge region mod and I'm the only person that has a full walkthrough of the procedure. I am the only person that has documented the lid close pinswitch problem that plagues these beautiful consoles, and went as far as to write a repair tutorial for that as well.

It's requests like these that sometimes make me want to pack up and quit but I don't because I don't feel that the actions of some should negatively effect that of the whole. What becomes apparent is that the people that "want want want," no matter how much you give, do so because they simply don't want to invest the time themselves. This is laziness, plain and simple. "They have lives" is always the reply, well I do as well but mine has always been ingrained into every facet of this industry.

If there are things I wanted to do, they would already be done. If there are things that need to be done, I would already be working on them. Someone else can contribute to the greater whole and do so without expecting to profit on it. You sent me links to multiple sites, none of which belong to you. This means that the data is spread all over the place and you have no intention to share the information with others in a comprehensive everlasting format. You want the information for you. You want me to take the time to dump the BIOS for you. You want me to invest money, and more importantly my time for you. All so you can have what no one else has, a digital copy of the JVC X'Eye BIOS. Please do so yourself if it will be that large an ego boost. My ambition has yet to exceed my ability and that's how it's going to stay for the time being.

And I thank YOU for taking the time to read through this.

~David

Like I said, it was an overly hotheadded reply. I may have worded it differently but I still meant it all.

Then again I've learned that with most of these JVC X'Eye threads I should just keep my mouth shut since a pissing match will surely ensue. This is a bad subject for me but I'm over it.

[Soviet Conscript]

i understand what your saying InsaneDavid and i'm sorry you have to put up with all those emails

but from the perspective of someone like me (no modding skills) that is a huge fan of modded systems it would just be nice to have a "all in one" sega package in a nice body of the X'eye.

i would rather have to flick a switch and play a 32X game then plug in that god awful looking
32X. and even though 2 power adaptors isn't alot haveing one is still better. i'm also aware that tototek i think is working on makeing there megacart work for the X'eye for multi region support. but even knowing that its beside the point for a number of people. its mearly the idea of not haveing to rely on any outside carts or discs. same reason i went with a multi-bios sega cd then a megacart or a mod chip instead of a swap disc.

InsaneDavid, correct me if i'm wrong but from what you said

1) a 60/50 hrtz mod is possible for playing EU genny carts

2)the multi bios is most likely possible if there was a CD BIOS dump for the JVC X'Eye

[InsaneDavid]

InsaneDavid, correct me if i'm wrong but from what you said

1) a 60/50 hrtz mod is possible for playing EU genny carts

2)the multi bios is most likely possible if there was a CD BIOS dump for the JVC X'Eye

1) Yes, the USA/JPN region mod works the same way it does on a Genesis 2, pin 107 of the 315-XXXX chip denotes USA (+5v) or JPN (GND). Since it uses the same processor, pin 46 should denote 60Hz (GND) or 50Hz (+5v).

2) Not completely, it depends if the JVC X'Eye will take an existing multiBIOS chip. For all anyone knows it could control all sorts of stuff in the system and it may not take to a standard JPN or EUR BIOS.

i understand what your saying InsaneDavid and i'm sorry you have to put up with all those emails

I don't mind the e-mails all that much, if I did I wouldn't have the information up along with e-mail links to me. In fact I probably get three or four e-mails a week about vintage pachinko restoration and that stuff takes hours to work out with people via e-mail but it's something I really enjoy doing. It's the lazy e-mails that really grind me. Unlike a lazy forum post about something I know of that I'd just ignore, I respond to every legitimate piece of e-mail I am sent concerning my site. It may take two weeks, but I'll get back to all of them.

[RasterScan]

Talking about the X'eye, is there a place were i can buy a new cd lid swith? It no longer works, I had to jump the 2 solder pads so I could use it.

[InsaneDavid]

Talking about the X'eye, is there a place were i can buy a new cd lid swith? It no longer works, I had to jump the 2 solder pads so I could use it.

You probably won't be able to find an exact replacement but any tact switch will work fine. In the repair tutorial I wrote (visit my site - classicplastic.net) I used a tact switch I scrapped from an old DVD player.

[omnedon]

InsaneDavid nicely explains why I post so much less than I used to.

This is a great project for DIY, but a project that will be very VERY hard to get someone esle to do. Only someone with personal passion for the project themselves could put the time in to do it.

The reason for this is there is no business case to offer it. Since the functionality this would add to an X'Eye can for the most part be worked around thru other means (ISO image altering, attaching 32X to X'Eye) that further limits the desireability of the mod from a sub niche, to a sub niche within a niche. I get a LOT of emails with a LOT of inquiries every day. I my professional estimation, this mod would have a worldwide market appeal of approximately ten units. WORLDWIDE. maybe less. This sort of mod would require tens of hours of R&D just to see what could be done and how. There is no way any business that had to maintain a bottom line could touch it with a ten foot pole.

So, you need a perfect storm of someone who has a passion for the job, or at least the challenge to take it on. Someone who loves the idea behind the project enough, so that the loss of a couple of weekends, and the risk of destroying their X'Eye (or worse, someone elses X'Eye) is worth the end result to them.

These people do exist. Ben Heck, and the Longhorn Engineer have developed an online rep for excellent work on fascinating projects. Projects that show amazing ingenuity, and commitment to an idea, resulting in something special.

Myself (and OSG) support my family. Time spent on such things sadly takes away from time to do paying work. When something becomes a real job, some changes have to take place. I can't make the customers in the queue wait, while I tilt at a 32X/Genesis hybrid windmill. =)

Talk up your idea, just like you are doing here. Also do it where these fellows with reps for these sorts of projects hang out. People like Insane David and myself can offer verbal and technical support when we have it to give, so you never know.

Just know that whoever takes it on, will be putting a LOT of their free time into the project, likely for a return of only a job (hopefully successfully) done.

And there is nothing wrong with that!