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Game Gear Mainboard 315-5378

This is a brand-new manufactured replacement mainboard for your Sega Game Gear, using all new components. The board makes it possible to repair your VA0 (dual-ASIC) model Game Gear which suffers from PCB damage caused by leaking capacitors or batteries.

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The board has been reverse engineered from a Sega Game Gear VA0 model, better known as the dual-ASIC variant. Since I am not able to source new ASIC chips, cartridge connectors and expansion port connections, you need to supply these parts from one of your broken boards. Currently I do not have enough supply to provide you a fully assembled board!

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Recommended tools are:

  • Soldering iron with 1-1.5mm chisel tip

  • Hot air rework station

  • Desoldering gun or pump

  • Flux

  • IPA

  • Multimeter and/or oscilloscope

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Highlevel workplan:

  • Source broken Sega Game Gear dual-ASIC mainboard; working chips are:

    • IC1 Toshiba 84C00AM-6

    • IC2 SEGA 315-5377 VDP ASIC

    • IC3 SEGA 315-5378A or 315-5378B SCA ASIC

  • Remove cartridge slot and expansion port using de-solder gun

  • Remove above chips with hot-air and clean pins with solder wick

  • Align the above chips on the new board – it should snug into position using the solder mask

  • Tack few pins on the edges

  •  Apply flux and drag solder all pins of the ASIC – remove solder bridges with solder wick

  • Solder XTAL, LED, cartridge connector power and sound cable

  • The region is default selected to rest-of-world, in case you want change it to Japanese, switch the small switch next to the audio connector

  • Validate installation with starting a game – you should hear game sound

  • Install LCD kit

  • Assemble the shell

  • Enjoy another 30 years of playing on a Game Gear!

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Installation video coming soon!

The following table can be used to connect a LCD kit to the mainboard:

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In case you install a BennVenn kit – bridge the BV solder pad next to the brightness wheel.

 

The kit includes:

  • Brand new mainboard - all surface mount parts are assembled

  • 5-pin contrast wheel

  • 9-pin power board cable with JST PH2.0 connector

  • 6-pin sound board cable with JST PH2.0 connector

  • 32.2160MHz crystal

  • 3mm red/green LED - switch polarity if you want a different color

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BOM

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