Sega 32X Issues, need some advice!

[UHATEIT]

Alright I bought a whole setup while out of town during the holidays last week (Genesis model 2, Sega CD model 2, and 32X console) and am having issues with a Sega 32X and am trying to confirm if the thing is just straight dead or fixable and what to actually check.

 

The Genesis console is a Model 2 and works fine with Genesis games, and when plugged into the Sega CD, the CD unit works just fine and Genesis games are fine as well. There appears no issues with the Genesis or CD units at all.

 

Now when I plug in the 32X and try to use it as a passthrough (regular genesis games) I get a black screen, no sound, nothing at all regardless if I have the cables to the 32X hooked up properly through the 32X or through the Genesis. When I plug the AV cable into the 32X to the TV I do get a bunch of scrambled sideways lines but no video and no sound. That is when using a Genesis game in the 32X with all the cables hooked up properly.

 

With the Genesis on the CD unit and the 32X in the Genesis, I have tried the 32x/CD combo games and I get the regular images to show up but ANY moving images (which are likely to come from the 32X since that is what is to boost the images to 32X color) I get nothing, so the images do not even show up at all. With the 32x/CD combo games you need a 32x installed for the games to load and they do LOAD so it is registering there is a 32X on there, it's just the issue with any moving images/video not showing up, as if the 32X just will not output any video (perhaps the chip is bad?)

 

It is as if something is wrong with the video processor or image chip or whatever there is in the 32X. How to even test that???

 

Have already used alcohol and qtips to thoroughly clean the cartridge slot on the 32X that goes into the Genesis, have used an air can to blow out the AV in and AV out sockets on the 32X, I have taken the 32X apart multiple times (5-6 times at least) and checked for any rust or any dust or anything loose and see no issues inside, and I have also yanked out both white ribbon cables and wiped them clean and reseated them as well.

 

Any suggestions would be great! I just have no idea what else to test or if there is a way to confirm if something is blown or if I should just scrap it and find another one. I don;t know how common it is for these to just go bad over time or if the caps are bad or the video processor or chip is bad. I did buy it for $35 at a game store with the power adapter and the Genesis to 32X cable and it was untested even at the shop since they did not have any 32x games.

Edited November 27, 2018 by UHATEIT

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Well..you already did the #1 troubleshoot method of reseating the ribbon cables. It does seem based on your description that the issue is something with the logic on the 32x. What you are describing with the black screen on power up, I've only seen when I forgot to connect the power to the 32x.

 

I've not really heard of them going bad over time, but recapping them is a good idea since they were made in that era of the 90s when caps were all craptacular. But unless there is one dead shorted or just not connected properly, I don't see you not at least having the passthru work for Genesis games..

[deepthaw]

but recapping them is a good idea since they were made in that era of the 90s when caps were all craptacular.

 

Crapacitors.

[UHATEIT]

Inside of the unit looked clean as if never opened before. I cannot see any leaking capacitors but I am not sure exactly what to look for but I imagine it would be easy to see. It probably is a capacitor issue since I cannot see anything else inside that is wrong at all. I get some images but that is only from the Sega CD but then anything from the 32X just doesn't output at all and all all of the cables are connected properly. I wish I knew how to solder and fix capacitors!

 

On the passthrough issue that definitely is odd since all the connections seem clean and the Genesis games work fine in the Genesis but it is just a black screen when trying to passthrough and that made me think it was a chip issue.

Edited November 27, 2018 by UHATEIT

[+-^CrossBow^-]

You don't think you have a 32x setup for a different region do you? I'm pretty sure you can region mod them similar to the Genesis and if someone with a large library of japanese games for instance might have internally modded it for JPN only? I can't recall that a message comes up but I have a region switch on my Genesis and if I leave it in JPN mode, then I just get a blank screen when trying to use passthru on the 32x. That is because my Model 1 is nonTMSS so I don't normally get region mismatch messages all the time. Can confuse me when I've forgotten the switch is set to the wrong region.

[UHATEIT]

I didn;t see any switches installed on it, but there are some wires going from the flat board and to the one that goes down into the Genesis part at the bottom (red, yellow, black, blue) but from other pictures I've seen of other open 32X units it looks the same. Only thing I noticed looked different than other pictures I saw of 32X insides was that mine has a copper wire spun heat core looking thing I assume regulates the heat inside of the unit.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Yeah those loose wires are normal. Can you unplug power from it and then see if you can use Genesis pass through? I don't recall if power actually has to be applied to the 32x for the pass thru to work but I'm thinking it doesn't and is only needed to fire up and initialize 32x games.

[UHATEIT]

I'm at work right now so I'll try it later but I know I tried leaving the AV cable in the Genesis and then the 32X plugged in and a game inside and I got a black screen. But when I ran the AV cable through the 32X I got a few dashed/diagonal lines scrolling across the screen. But I will have to try it again with and without the power cable to see the results. I tried so many configurations I just couldn't remember them all!

 

I know that the Genesis is attached to the Sega CD and I threw in Corpse Killer (the CD/32X version) and without the 32x attache dt specifically said on the screen "This game is meant to be used with the 32x" and wouldn't work at all. When I plugegd the 32X into the top of the genesis and tried that game again it started and worked (so I know it's registering there is a 32X on there) but then it only showed the borders on that game and you could hear the video talking but not see ANY of the video or images. SO It lead me to believe something is causing the 32X not to output video properly.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

yeah it is sounding more and more like an issue with the 32x itself...wow...

 

But yes with the 32x attached I thought you could still use the RF output for video at least to see if the passthrough is working I thought? I guess I need to experiment with that on my setup as I can easily unplug and plug in as needed to see what does and doesn't work.

[UHATEIT]

I put up a wanted ad in the wanted section incase anyone has one for sale. I figure someone will probably have a working one if I cannot figure this one out. Somewhat running out of options aside from assuming it is the capacitors, but without knowing how to fix/solder them I wouldn't be able to test those

[+-^CrossBow^-]

32x isn't too bad to recap, I've done it a few times and console5 sells the replacement cap kits for the 32x. I technically have a spare, but it has been modified to ONLY output s-video. As a result NO audio passed through it since the multi-AV out port was removed and a matching pcb mount s-video jack put into its place. I did this at the time because I didn't have RGB ability and wanted better than composite only output from the 32x on my larger TV. Since I already wired up separate RCA jacks for audio out the back of the Genesis, the 32x not outputting sound wasn't an issue.

 

It doesn't much use but it is handy for quickly plugging into a Genesis and getting instant s-video output for testing..etc...

[Lost Monkey]

On 11/27/2018 at 6:05 PM, UHATEIT said:

I put up a wanted ad in the wanted section incase anyone has one for sale. I figure someone will probably have a working one if I cannot figure this one out. Somewhat running out of options aside from assuming it is the capacitors, but without knowing how to fix/solder them I wouldn't be able to test those

 

 

Any update on that 32X? I have one that is behaving similarly.

 

I have already recapped it and replaced the ribbon cables.  No changes in behaviour.

 

Here is what it does:

 

Sega Genesis II and Sega 32X:

 

Boot up with all connections set properly - Sega Genesis game - black screen with a light "white" flash", then back to black screen.  No sound. 

 

Boot up with all connections set properly - Sega 32X game - black screen with a light "white" flash", then back to black screen.  No sound. 

 

Boot up with 32x power unplugged - similar to above but with no flash.

 

Sega Genesis II, Sega 32X and Sega CD II:

 

Boot up with all connections set properly - Sega Genesis game - black screen with a light "white" flash", then back to black screen.  No sound. 

 

Boot up with all connections set properly - Sega 32X game - black screen with a light "white" flash", then back to black screen.  No sound. 

 

Boot up with 32x power unplugged - similar to above but with no flash.

 

Boot up with all connections set properly - no cartridge in 32X slot - Sega CD game - game boots and plays normally.

 

Boot up with all connections set properly - no cartridge in 32X slot - Sega 32X CD game - game halts at "No 32x accessory detected" error message.

 

Boot up with no power to 32x - no cartridge in 32X slot - Sega CD game - game boots and plays normally, but without video.  If 32X power is plugged in, video is displayed.

 

Boot up with no power to 32x - no cartridge in 32X slot - Sega 32x CD game - game boots and plays normally, but video is black and white and severely distorted.  If 32X power is plugged in, Sega CD resets. 

 

 

 

 

 

[+jgkspsx]

Does the patch cable from the Genesis and the 32X still have the power pin? It should be removed if so.

[Lost Monkey]

6 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

Does the patch cable from the Genesis and the 32X still have the power pin? It should be removed if so.

I removed that pin when I received the cable from Aliexpress.    

[UHATEIT]

With regards to an update, I eventually sold off that 32X that i could not get to work. It would output sound from the games but no video at all. The 32X seemed to be more common around my area than I thought so I was able to find nearly 10 of them for sale and eventually grabbed a better one that worked just fine. Perhaps my issue could have been the patch cable but I am unsure since I no longer have it.