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Contents
Please click below to skip to each section.
1.0 – PAL VA4 Quick Install Map
1.1 – PAL VA5 Quick Install Map (Coming Soon)
2.0 – Full Installation Guide
1.0 – PAL VA4 Quick Install Map
Please click here for the full size image (opens in a new tab). Caution: large image file size.
2.0 – Full Installation Guide
The full installation guide covers a PAL VA4 motherboard, but can be used for all MD1/Genesis 1 board revisions.
Important: Isolate the exposed ICSP pads on the bottom side of the PCB with tape to avoid any shorts.
Locate the pins for ‘controller port 1’.
The 3 x 4 row of pins for ‘controller port 1’ highlighted above that sit under the MDIGR board once assembled need trimming so that the MDIGR board will lay flat once installed.
Align the 9 pins on the MDIGR board with the 9 pins on ‘controller port 1’. Solder the MDIGR board in place.
The MDIGR board doesn’t need to sit perfectly level with the console main board, it just needs to rest relatively flat.
Connect the ‘RST’ pad on the MDIGR board to the reset button (in) pin on the console main board.
Connect the ‘CPU’ pad on the MDIGR board to the bottom side ‘CPU pin 17’ on the console main board.
Lastly, set the jumper depending on your requirements:
-- LO: Extended mode is switched off. Console is reset is START+A+B+C are held for 1.5 seconds at the controller pad.
-- HI: Extended mode is switched on. Resets if the buttons START+A+B+C are held for 1.5s at the controller pad. The reset is then held as long as the button combination is held. This mode can be used if you have a switchless mod installed in your Mega Drive/Genesis to switch between the different region modes. Furthermore, the CPU is paused during that time so that the game will not run during this process.For this install, the console did not have a region free modification kit installed, so we opted for “LO”.
Finished. An example of a completed install.