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ST-V : Sega Titan Video Game System

For any comment, suggestion, correction or question, please use this topic on the board! Thank you for your help. :-)

Contents :

general , motherboard , pinouts , BIOS , cartridges , games

ST-V (Sega Titan Video Game System) is the arcade system released in 1995 out of the Sega Saturn hardware, with games on cartridges instead of CD-ROMs.

PCB

Versions :
There are 2 revisions of the motherboard : one with extra button connectors P1 and P2, and P3 and P4, on the main board, and a second one, in which they are on a small daughter board attached over the main one at the same place (to the right of JAMMA).
Official manual (and BIOS) mentions a 4 slots PCB, with switchable game. I've never seen any of these, only saw with 1 slot.
A specific developper kit must have existed too, but I don't know anything about it.

Games with specific usage or parts:
_ 4 players: none, even if hardware allows it!_ 6 buttons: Golden Axe The Duel, Groove On Fight, Suiko Enbu.
_ extra sound card: Batman Forever
_ extra CD drive on SCSI controller: Sport Fishing 1 + 2
_ link mode : Funky Head Boxers
_ mahjong control panel : Virtual Mahjong 1 + 2
_ hammer: Critter Crusher, Mogu Rapper
_ photo interface, sticker printer, video card...: softwares for specific systems, including photo stickers appreciated in Japan ("puri-kura")

Most of the games were only available in Japan, but they are compatible with other BIOS (see BIOS and games sections).


Technical description:

200,000 texture-mapped or 500,000 flat-shaded polygons/second
16.7 million colors (24bits true colors)
resolution arcade CGA 15KHz @ 60fps

CPUs: 2* Hitachi SH-2 [SuperH-2] (28.63MHz 25MIPS RISC, 4Ko cache)
+ coprocessor: SCU DSP [Saturn Control Unit Digital Signal Processor] (14.3MHz, geometry, DMA)
+ 2Mo RAM (16Mb): 1Mo SDRAM (faster) + 1Mo DRAM (slower)

Video: 2* VDP 32bits (Video Display Processor)
VDP1 (sprites, polygons, mapping)
VDP2 (4Ko SRAM on chip color palette) (backgrounds, videos, scrollings, shadows)
+ 1.5Mo VRAM [SDRAM] (12Mb): VDP1 512Ko (3D textures, drawing) + 2*256Ko (3D rendering), VDP2 512Ko (2D textures)

Sound:
controller: Motorola 68k (MC68EC000 11.3MHz 1.5MIPS)
processor: SCSP [Saturn Custom Sound Processor] / Yamaha YMF292-F FH1 DSP (22.6MHz) 32 canaux PCM FM (Pulse Code Modulation) 44,1KHz
+ 512Ko DRAM (2Mb)

ROM IPL 512Ko (2Mb) [SH-2 BIOS mask ROM]
SRAM save 32Ko (256Kb) (with 3V lithium battery)

consumption: 15W


(technical details and pictures: System16, Sega Titan Video, sega.jp hard archive, Wikipedia)

general , motherboard , pinouts , BIOS , cartridges , games

Pinout :

56 points fingerboard:
_ JAMMA standard
_ no -5V
_ common, video, sound grounds linked
_ select for game select (on unrealeased 4 slot boards)
_ credits linked

Other connectors: Molex 0.1" (2.54mm)
2P 6B = CN21 / 4P (3B) = CN21 + CN32

general , motherboard , pinouts , BIOS , cartridges , games

BIOS

There are several versions of BIOS (always 512Ko).
(BIOS versions and usual file names)
Multibios allows to choose country when booting (A:Japan/B:Europe/C:USA).
For compatibilty, see games section.

Japan (21/08/97) : epr-20091.ic8 / 20091.bin
Japan (17/02/97) : epr-19730.ic8 / epr19730.ic8
Japan (25/04/95) : epr-17951a.ic8 / mp17951a.s
Japan (31/01/95) : epr-17740.ic8

Europe (25/04/95) : epr-17954a.ic8 / mp17954a.s

USA (25/04/95) : epr-17952a.ic8 / mp17952a.s

Taiwan (25/04/95) : epr-17953a.ic8 / mp17953a.ic8

debug (13/01/95) : stv110.bin
development 1.061 : stv1061.bin
ST-V MODBIOS 1.11 by Joerg Hartenberger (24/12/08) : epr-stv-multi_v111.bin


BIOS modifications:The file can be read from genuine mask ROM as a 27C400 and flashed (tuto) on an EPROM 27C400 (dip40 16bits).
For more informations on files contact me on the board.


Another solution: dual-BIOS.
= 2 BIOS that could be selected with a switch.
Here I chose dualbank over piggyback (possible too).

(For this example I made a dualbios Japon - MODBIOS: most recent japonese for authenticity and a multi for necessity.)
_ Once you have the 2 files, launch DOS or Windows CMD and enter: "copy /b [1st BIOS with extension]+[2d BIOS idem] [output file .bin]"
example: copy /b epr-20091.ic8+epr-stv-multi_v111.bin dual_stv.bin
(note: when using Windows you must enter cmd in "execute" to access to command line)
under Unix "cat [1st BIOS] [2d BIOS] > [output file]"
_ Burn file (example dual_stv.bin) in an EPROM 27C800 (dip42 16bits).
_ Solder on 2 positions switch (3 legs ON-ON) 3 wires to EPROM legs 1, 22, 31: 1st in center and each of the 2 remaining to each extremity. Use short wires to avoid trouble.
_ Place EPROM instead of original ROM with legs 1 and 42 (marked extremity) outside the socket (see picture).
_ A small 2-position round switch fits perfectly in the near hole.

source : Tormod Tjaberg

general , motherboard , pinouts , BIOS , cartridges , games

Cartridges

   

The cartridges must be plugged into the connector at the extremity of the motherboard (the same as the Sega Saturn extension port).
There is a lock that avoids placing it in the wrong side and strongly maintains the game. (I have removed this lock on mine because when connectors become old it might sometimes be useful to move a bit the card to obtain the contact.)

Blue stickers mean it is a Sega genuine game and red ones mean third party games.
You can found black cartridges, they are bootlegs (illegal copies).

Game cases are closed with 2 Gamebit 4.5mm screws (about 0.18").
ST-V games are on 1024Ko + x*4096Ko (12 tops, so max is 48Mo=384Mb) ROMs. 1Mo ROM is just header (GAL key) and is optional depending on game. The game itself is on x*4Mo ROMs.

There are some illegal copies ("boots" or "bootlegs"). They were common on eBay in the late 90's and in the beginning of the 2000's, especially for expensive games (Cotton Boomerang or Radiant Silvergun). There are some details that make them recognizable:
_ Opening the cardridge:
* PCB and/or chips are in different sizes or placement than the genuine ones shown on my pictures.
* PCB is a genuine Sega but Flash Memory chips (MX29F...) were manually soldered instead of original MROMs ("convert" card)
_ From outside it is more difficult, especially because a genuine case can be used to make a boot. But there are some signs:
* Case is black.
* The clips on top of the case, genuine have 2 little streaks between each extremity of clip hole and the junction with the front part (see red marks on picture) and a hollow to the back (green on picture).
* Screws are not Gamebit or are not shiny black (chrome or matt black).
* Font used on sticker is simplier than genuine (often game specific).
* Connector edges are sharper than genuine ones, which are rounder.


(Example pictures: Shmups (System11), Arcade System)

general , motherboard , pinouts , BIOS , cartridges , games

Games

Complete list of known games, with region compatibility:
J=Japan, U=USA, E=Europe, T=Taiwan / |=same game

Nationalities for 43 games, 49 versions:
Sport Fishing 2, Die Hard Arcade / Dynamite Deka, Major League / Final Arch are the only 3 in 2 versions : UET / J (U only for Major League).
Puzzle & Action Sando-R and Tanto-R exist in different versions.
16 games with japanese only BIOS, others are JUET except Batman Forever, PebbleBeach Golf, Shanghai Banri in JUE and Columns '97 in JET.
Differences are small between regions: language, sometimes title, rarely a bug (commands of Radiant Silvergun in U or E).

Additional list: "systems" (photo software, stickers machine,...) and unknown games.

To know more: puri-kura (PhotoGuide.jp), System16, Sega Titan Video, KLOV, Wikipedia.

general , motherboard , pinouts , BIOS , cartridges , games