Friday, December 21, 2012

Sega Nomad Mods (SMS Mod / Region Mod / LCD Mod)

My second Nomad has arrived today.

Like i did with my first one i will install a LCD and change the battery led, also i will be showing you how to do the SMS Mod (Sega Master System Mod) that lets you play Sega Master System games and how to make a switchless Region Mod.

Keep in mind that some LCDs dont work because they have shitty or wrong resolution and/or handle signals the wrong way, some interpolate and distort the nomads signal. i had good luck with 3,5" LCD (480x234) in the 40 euro price range.

You just need to unplug the old LCD on the side of the pcb, the flat cable that connects directly to the pcb has to be removed, this can be done by knife, soldering iron or pure brutality (choose whatever suits you best).
Double check that there are no cross connections after removing the old LCD.

Throw the old screen away, you wont be needing it anymore (and you wont ever miss it, because your new one will rock!)

Lets start of with some pics of the LCD Mod (those are a little better than the last ones).

first testing the LCD wiring

everything is working fine

connection points for video signal and ground

power supply connection

now that we have a new LCD lets mod our Nomad a little more, i didnt find good pictures or information on the SMS Mod on the internet so i decided to make some for you guys.


connect to asic pin 45 (the pin has a small white dot in front, easy to find)

other end of the cable goes to pin B30 of the socket (back row)

Ok starting to get interesting, now that we have done the SMS Mod, lets jump right to the region mod. This mod will allow you to simply change region from US to JAP by simply holding down the mode button of your nomad while starting the game.


on the same pcb look out for JP1/JP2 - cut the trace that connects JP1 points
with a cutter knife and solder a cable to one of the middle points

the other end of the cable goes to the middle pin of this connector (mode button)

mod works - you can now simply change the region of your nomad

so enough for today, stay tuned for more modding soon!

15 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing! Sweet mods, and they look fairly easy to do... Does the LCD screen help with battery life?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Nick ! Yes the LCD Screen helps alot, because modern LCDs dont use that much current for backlight than the old standard LCD that was built inside the Nomad. If you also do the LiPo (Lithium Polymer) Battery Mod your Battery life including the LCD Mod will rise to 4-5 times the normal battery time. Greets

      Delete
    2. yes for the old screen is a battery whore

      Delete
  2. Hi, just out of curiosity, might I be able to send my Nomad to you and have it screen-modded? I don't trust myself with a soldering iron :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello.. have you already got a LCD screen ? if not, i am not sure if the correct ones are still available.. i have to check that out first, where are you located ?
      contact me via email: nilein(at)aon.at

      Delete
  3. Do you do nomad mods for people. Is there a way you could mod it for me if I sent you the lcd screen,lense and lithium battery?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Do you do nomad mods for people. Is there a way you could mod it for me if I sent you the lcd screen,lense and lithium battery?

    ReplyDelete
  5. J.Lycan. I do. If Ryux chooses not to, I do. I have a degree in low voltage electronics and do how-to repairs on my YouTube channel. Follow me @ Roccotheretrorepairman

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have just done this mod but I cannot seem to get an sms game working with a master mega converter. Please can you help thanks

    ReplyDelete
  7. The image difference is immense when comparing the original screen to the LCD replacement, a highly recommended mod for any nomad owner and relatively cheap, I would advise on spending a little more on your LCD to ensure that any sync / blur, frame rate issues are reduced. Great guide guys.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do you know how to do the Reset mod for the Nomad?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I know this an old post, but can you help with some damage to my Nomad? I was working on an internal battery mod and somehow caused the third wire on the ribbon to heat up and melt a little plastic on the ribbon cable. Now, the attached battery does not work. Do you know what I damaged? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice post thank you Melinda

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sega Nomad is an example of how technology can be versatile. The popular game console has set gaming history by bringing the best North American classic games in its bulky console.

    ReplyDelete