SGX

The SunSeibu SGX (model no. HSG-0007) is a modified Saturn in a steel enclosure hooked up to a coin operated mechanism and a 7 disc CD-ROM changer. Using a remote control or the panel-mounted buttons, the CDs can be easily cycled to select the game of choice. The coin slot activates the unit and a timer counts down the remaining play time. When the last minute comes up, the system's internal speaker beeps. For the last ten seconds it beeps rather insistently, giving the player ample time to slap in another hundred yen. It was manufactured primarily for use in Japanese hotels, although a few entrepreneurial types installed them in arcades.

The owner can configure it to run for a determined time whenever the proper number of coins are inserted. It can also be set to free-play, perfect for the home user. Two standard controllers can be connected to the rear of the unit, and it uses the standard AV cable and power cord. There's a slot for the VCD card, presumably for love hotels that wanted less gaming and more entertainment. There's a video passthrough so a VCR or TV tuner can be connected to the same TV. Both the remote and deck have a Game/TV switch to select the output.

There are only five controls accessible when the cover is on: power, coin, CD+ & CD-, and TV/Game. When the cover is removed (using a key) there are four additional buttons: CD Eject, Cartridge Eject, Credit and Reset. There's also a switch to enable the video passthrough (or not) when there's no credits on the clock. There are two LED displays, one shows the currently selected CD and the other shows remaining time in minutes.

Ports on the rear are your standard fare; two standard Saturn controller ports, a serial port (for a modem, since linking two of these is probable completely unheard of), AV in and AV out. There are three removable panels, one hides the VCD card and battery, one allows installation or removal of the remote unit (which is not cordless), and one on top allows access to the cartridge slot. This cartridge slot must use a special 90-degree riser, normal carts will not fit.

Internals

Inside the system, a production Saturn PCB is used, with the battery, VCD and serial ports accessible from the rear. A standard Saturn power supply is also used, though the AC plug has been removed and there's now a cable providing power to the PCB where normally the supply is connected directly. A large JVC CD changing mechanism, the same as found in their home audio equipment with a 6-CD cartridge and a single tray, provides the disc-swapping capability.

The only parts of the Saturn PCB that are used normally are the serial port, VCD slot and battery. The rest are moved to other locations in the box. The controller ports and AV output are re-routed to a small PCB mounted under the Saturn PCB. The controller ports are connected with a ribbon cable, the video output from the Saturn is connected via three wires soldered to the base of the Saturn board. These wires are the only changes made to the Saturn PCB. The BIOS is standard Sega Saturn fare.

The system is set to Japanese, though you can set the language like any normal Saturn via the boot menu. Since it uses a standard Saturn board you can easily configure it to run games from any region. It's trivially easy to connect the RGB or S-video output as well, however this will obviously bypass the video passthrough function.

Contents

The full SunSeibu SGX system comes with:

• Saturn Unit
• Control Pad x2 (5m cables)
• 6-CD Cartridge
• Movie Card
• Remote Control (5m cable)
• AV Cable
• Power Cord
• Lithium Battery
• Instruction Book
• Keys (2 kinds, 2 of each)
• Screwdriver

Gallery

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External links

• Rare Hardware: The Sega SGX