Here are some impressions of the MODE used in a Saturn.
The box comes with the MODE (of course), 8 plastic stand-offs with adhesive pads, a 2-pin power connector, 2 screws, an a leaflet with the URL for the installation guide. The installation guide can be downloaded by everyone, if you want to download future firmware updates (units now ship with 1.01r4 firmware) you need to register to TerraOnion's website.
The complexity and length of the installation varies between Saturn models. At first I wanted to install it inside a grey 3200 model, but the innards were a bit too different than what is shown on the guide, so I opted for a white HST-0014 instead; I gave up on the grey 3200 when I realized a connector I had to unplug looped through an incredibly tight ferrite filter attached to the optical drive's PCB.
Installation in the 0014 is very straightward and almost identical to what is shown by the installation guide currently available: there are a few minor differencies here and there, but nothing major. Compared to the GC-Loader, installation is faster because there aren't as many screws to undo, but you need to pay attention to more details: the first is if your Saturn is 21-pin or 20-pin, and connecting the data cable to the wrong receptacle will damage both console and MODE.
The second is that some Saturn models can't properly power the MODE, and in this case you need to use the 2-pin connector included with the expansion board, and flip a dip-switch on it to correctly use it. My model doesn't need that, luckily.
The MODE supports three mass devices: USB, micro SD, and 2.5" SATA. You can switch between these three when the MODE operates, but due to microcontroller limitations, you can't use USB and SATA at the same time; the USB port is placed in such a way that it's blocked with a HDD plugged in. With a micro SD in, MODE will automatically look for a new firmware at every boot, with USB and SATA you have to manually start the update process.
If you want to use an SSD/HDD, TerraOnion points out that before attaching the board to the console you should secure the drive with the two screws included; I didn't, because if you want to remove the drive, you have to unplung all cables from MODE and remove it from the plastic stand-offs; quite the task, considering you also need to open up the console.
Of the whole process, I only have two gripes: on my model, one to the plastic stand-offs ends squarely on the connector to the pads, so I didn't use it. The second is that there's no way to access any of the storage connectors with the console closed: of the two consoles I have, the grey 3200 offers the largest hole to the innards, but it's nowhere big or comfortable enough to easily reach the USB or micro SD, let alone disconnect a 2.5" drive. The white 0014 is even worse. So I'm keeping my console unfastened, the two halves of the chassis taped together with thin modelling plastic tape, and the chassis screws taped inside in an anti-static bag. Not exactly the cleanest of solutions, but Laser Bear Industries (the same guys behind the SD card extender I use for the GC-Loader) are creating extensions for the SD slot; which Saturn models will support, however, I don't know.
Once everything is in place, usage is simple. Storage can be formatted in either FAT32 or exFAT, and games must be placed in separate directories in BIN/CUE format. The MODE is apparently smart enough to automatically change discs when required, provided that all discs are properly named and place in the same directory. Game directories cannot be on the root or the drive, they must be place in a directory named after the console you're using. If you don't do so, the MODE will not recognize any game.
I'm currently using a Samsung QVO 1TB SSD, and so far I haven't encountered any problems.
There's also a way to assign thumbnails and display games with that rather than a dry alphabetical list, but I still have to try that out.
If you are using a 4-in-1 Action Replay cart, powering the Saturn will bring up that cart's menu up first, then you can navigate to MODE (with "start game without cheats enabled"), and after you select the game from there, the Action Replay menu will pop up again. Somewhat cumbersome, but nothing major.
As for the Dreamcast, I suspect using the MODE will be much more straightfoward than a GDEMU, simply because you can just copy stuff onto the drive and have the MODE sort it alphabetically without having to produce companion files describing the game.
The box comes with the MODE (of course), 8 plastic stand-offs with adhesive pads, a 2-pin power connector, 2 screws, an a leaflet with the URL for the installation guide. The installation guide can be downloaded by everyone, if you want to download future firmware updates (units now ship with 1.01r4 firmware) you need to register to TerraOnion's website.
The complexity and length of the installation varies between Saturn models. At first I wanted to install it inside a grey 3200 model, but the innards were a bit too different than what is shown on the guide, so I opted for a white HST-0014 instead; I gave up on the grey 3200 when I realized a connector I had to unplug looped through an incredibly tight ferrite filter attached to the optical drive's PCB.
Installation in the 0014 is very straightward and almost identical to what is shown by the installation guide currently available: there are a few minor differencies here and there, but nothing major. Compared to the GC-Loader, installation is faster because there aren't as many screws to undo, but you need to pay attention to more details: the first is if your Saturn is 21-pin or 20-pin, and connecting the data cable to the wrong receptacle will damage both console and MODE.
The second is that some Saturn models can't properly power the MODE, and in this case you need to use the 2-pin connector included with the expansion board, and flip a dip-switch on it to correctly use it. My model doesn't need that, luckily.
The MODE supports three mass devices: USB, micro SD, and 2.5" SATA. You can switch between these three when the MODE operates, but due to microcontroller limitations, you can't use USB and SATA at the same time; the USB port is placed in such a way that it's blocked with a HDD plugged in. With a micro SD in, MODE will automatically look for a new firmware at every boot, with USB and SATA you have to manually start the update process.
If you want to use an SSD/HDD, TerraOnion points out that before attaching the board to the console you should secure the drive with the two screws included; I didn't, because if you want to remove the drive, you have to unplung all cables from MODE and remove it from the plastic stand-offs; quite the task, considering you also need to open up the console.
Of the whole process, I only have two gripes: on my model, one to the plastic stand-offs ends squarely on the connector to the pads, so I didn't use it. The second is that there's no way to access any of the storage connectors with the console closed: of the two consoles I have, the grey 3200 offers the largest hole to the innards, but it's nowhere big or comfortable enough to easily reach the USB or micro SD, let alone disconnect a 2.5" drive. The white 0014 is even worse. So I'm keeping my console unfastened, the two halves of the chassis taped together with thin modelling plastic tape, and the chassis screws taped inside in an anti-static bag. Not exactly the cleanest of solutions, but Laser Bear Industries (the same guys behind the SD card extender I use for the GC-Loader) are creating extensions for the SD slot; which Saturn models will support, however, I don't know.
Once everything is in place, usage is simple. Storage can be formatted in either FAT32 or exFAT, and games must be placed in separate directories in BIN/CUE format. The MODE is apparently smart enough to automatically change discs when required, provided that all discs are properly named and place in the same directory. Game directories cannot be on the root or the drive, they must be place in a directory named after the console you're using. If you don't do so, the MODE will not recognize any game.
I'm currently using a Samsung QVO 1TB SSD, and so far I haven't encountered any problems.
There's also a way to assign thumbnails and display games with that rather than a dry alphabetical list, but I still have to try that out.
If you are using a 4-in-1 Action Replay cart, powering the Saturn will bring up that cart's menu up first, then you can navigate to MODE (with "start game without cheats enabled"), and after you select the game from there, the Action Replay menu will pop up again. Somewhat cumbersome, but nothing major.
As for the Dreamcast, I suspect using the MODE will be much more straightfoward than a GDEMU, simply because you can just copy stuff onto the drive and have the MODE sort it alphabetically without having to produce companion files describing the game.
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