What the heck is this?

[SamIAm]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...8123697043&rd=1

The seller doesn't know what it is, he's been asked. Do any of you?

 

[Cloud121]

Hm...

Interesting...

What is that?

 

[ExCyber]

I think that's the fabled extender that allows the 32X to plug into the Genesis CDX without blocking the CD lid... not sure though.

 

[SamIAm]

Originally posted by ExCyber@Aug 9, 2004 @ 04:05 PM

I think that's the fabled extender that allows the 32X to plug into the Genesis CDX without blocking the CD lid... not sure though.

That's not it, I'm pretty sure. This thing plugs into the side expansion port, where the Sega CD usually goes. That's what the seller said, and also what those instructions in the background seem to indicate. That thing also has the same number of pins as the side connector, 60, which is 4 less than the cartridge connector.

 

[deadearth]

I have one of those. I'm not sure myself what it came with. I presume it came with my sega cd, but honestly i have no idea. If you would like me to take some pictures of it, i'd be happy to. Mine doesn't have those white strips down the side though.

It does fit on the side of my model 1 genesis, but not too well. It might fit more securely on a model 2 genesis however.

 

[Dud]

Perhaps it provides the Genesis with extra memory. Genesis games tend to freeze and lag up.

 

[SamIAm]

Originally posted by mountaindud@Aug 9, 2004 @ 05:22 PM

Perhaps it provides the Genesis with extra memory. Genesis games tend to freeze and lag up.

Well, I don't know much about programming, but I doubt that most Genesis software would know what to do with extra memory if they had it.

Also, if your games are freezing, it's time to clean your equipment.

 

[SamIAm]

Originally posted by deadearth@Aug 9, 2004 @ 04:42 PM

I have one of those. I'm not sure myself what it came with. I presume it came with my sega cd, but honestly i have no idea. If you would like me to take some pictures of it, i'd be happy to. Mine doesn't have those white strips down the side though.

It does fit on the side of my model 1 genesis, but not too well. It might fit more securely on a model 2 genesis however.

Well, does it appear to have anything besides that connector? My Genesis 2 has a red plastic cover on the side connector that has to be removed in order to plug in a Sega CD, so it might make sense for that thing to just be some kind of protection for the pins on the Genesis' connector. But then why would they go through the trouble of using metal pins when plastic should work fine?

deadearth, if it is convenient for you to take a couple shots, I would be interested. I would like to see what this looks like from different angles. It's not a big deal, though, so don't go out of your way.

 

[ExCyber]

It might be a terminator. Most of the expansion port signals are shared with the cartridge slot (just a few control signals differ), so Sega engineers may have been concerned about properly terminating the bus for the more demanding 32X...

 

[SamIAm]

Originally posted by ExCyber@Aug 9, 2004 @ 06:23 PM

It might be a terminator. Most of the expansion port signals are shared with the cartridge slot (just a few control signals differ), so Sega engineers may have been concerned about properly terminating the bus for the more demanding 32X...

That's the most logical idea I've heard so far. But this definitely didn't come with a 32X. I actually got that link from another 32X board. None of the collectors there know what it is.

 

[deadearth]

Here They are.

 

[deadearth]

Hmmm.... i just noticed the screws on mine are in slightly different places than the one on ebay.

 

[SamIAm]

Originally posted by deadearth@Aug 9, 2004 @ 06:41 PM

Here They are.

Thank you for the shots. What a peculiar thing this is. It really doesn't seem like there is anything else to it other than that female connector piece. ExCyber's suggestion seems to be the most likely answer at the moment. Perhaps I could email sega-parts.com and see if they know?

Yours does appear a little different than the one on ebay, but perhaps there are just different makes for the 2 main models.

Thanks again.

 

[Arakon]

eh.. that's a terminator and originally came with the 32X if I recall right. it came with mine anyways.

it's pretty much useless since the hardware works flawless without it too.

 

[deadearth]

Doh! I just found a sheet that was with my 32x that includes instructions for that little piece. I guess it did come with the 32x, but i sure don't remember it.

 

[lordofduct]

i remember that thing... its incase you don't have a sega cd. It's actually there to let the 32x know there isn't a sega cd so that it doesn't call on its memory or anything. Well so i heard, if i locate my source ill post if yall don't believe me.

 

[fonzievoltonov]

Ummm, I had a theory myself.

I think (but maybe I was a bad reader) that the first 32x model wasn't able to make DMA from genesis to the 32x ram without the segacd plugued (I saw that in a doc but it was not very easy to understand, so.).

Maybe sega found this problem and, since some 32x production started, they added this piece in the box to prevent some problem. After that, for the end of the production for the US and all EU & JP prod, the problem was corrected.

That's maybe 50% false but it's the thing I feel.

 

[lordofduct]

thats a more complex way of saying it... see told ya i read it somewhere.

 

[Epicenter]

Looks like a termination device, I got one in a Genesis 1 bundle. It appears like it would go on the edge connector on the side of the MD/Genesis when you do not have a Mega CD / Sega CD Installed onto it.

As for expanding memory, that can't really be done by attaching an edge connector, and only games designed for more RAM would use it. Plus, it would probably only work as RAM for a 'helper chip' since the 68000 shouldn't be able to address it through the address/data lines on the cart slot or MCD/SCD connector. As it stands, no memory expansions for this system exist.