Duo memory for saved data.

[NeoFreak]

I keep reading about how the Duo has some type of internal memory battery, to save game data to. Does the Duo use a CR2032 battery like the Saturn, or something similar? I couldnt really find any specifics.

[lord_cack]

I keep reading about how the Duo has some type of internal memory battery, to save game data to. Does the Duo use a CR2032 battery like the Saturn, or something similar? I couldnt really find any specifics.

There was recently a discussion about this...but I can't recall weather it was on these boards or the ones over at magicengine.com  

[OldRover]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

[TurboHuC6280]

A CR2032 or similar cell could probably be used as a replacement for the cap.  It's just a matter of locating it and having a reasonable soldering skill.  It's probably easier to do on the TG16 CD systems.

[twor2005]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

Like a flux capacitator?

[lord_cack]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

Like a flux capacitator?

  Thats funny...I am watching Back to the Future....wierd...

[DragonmasterDan]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

It also ruins your saves if you don't power the machine up for a few weeks

[twor2005]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

It also ruins your saves if you don't power the machine up for a few weeks

Can you verify this? It seemed like I powered up my TGCD after a few years and it still had my saves, but I could be wrong about that.

[TurboHuC6280]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

It also ruins your saves if you don't power the machine up for a few weeks

Can you verify this? It seemed like I powered up my TGCD after a few years and it still had my saves, but I could be wrong about that.

Faraday can verify this.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor

[NeoFreak]

interesting, so it seems to be like a rechargable battery or something.

[OldRover]

A capacitor is sort of like a rechargeable battery...it's designed to hold an electrical charge for a period of time. Granted one could theoretically hold a charge for several years and then the same kind could lose the charge after only a few weeks...there's a lot of factors involved. The easiest way to discharge a capacitor is to short its leads.

[DragonmasterDan]

The Duo uses a capacitor. Cheap and somewhat unstable but never needs replacing.

It also ruins your saves if you don't power the machine up for a few weeks

Can you verify this? It seemed like I powered up my TGCD after a few years and it still had my saves, but I could be wrong about that.

It's happened to me many many many times before.

With that said I own a Sega CD 1 (the one with the motor) and it has a capacitator for saving, it's never once lost data (though if it ever did I have a memory card unlike my Duo). Maybe the TGCD has a better capacitator than the Duo that lasts a lot longer. I've lost Duo saves many times before, including saves of important RPGs!

[Keranu]

Haha, congrats to twor for the Back to the Future reference! 80's movies rule.

[esteban]

Can you verify this? It seemed like I powered up my TGCD after a few years and it still had my saves, but I could be wrong about that.

Word up, my TG-CD has kept game saves for years.  during 1993-2003, I only used my TG-CD a few times (on holidays, every 1-3 years).  Game data was intact.

I really can't recall how the DUO handled things...

[TurboHuC6280]

Can you verify this? It seemed like I powered up my TGCD after a few years and it still had my saves, but I could be wrong about that.

Word up, my TG-CD has kept game saves for years.  during 1993-2003, I only used my TG-CD a few times (on holidays, every 1-3 years).  Game data was intact.

I really can't recall how the DUO handled things...

Well, using the system at all will charge the capacitor, even if you're just playing hucards.  Keeping the base powered on the docking station might suffice as well.  I've never really looked into it.

Capacitors cannot hold a charge forever though, but it doesn't take much to preserve the data.

[OldRover]

Well, using the system at all will charge the capacitor, even if you're just playing hucards.  Keeping the base powered on the docking station might suffice as well.  I've never really looked into it.

Capacitors cannot hold a charge forever though, but it doesn't take much to preserve the data.

Capacitors take less than a second to go from total discharge to full charge. I'm pretty sure that what you suggested about the docking station would work.

[NeoFreak]

i just checked my duo manual, and it says that the back up ram will only function for 2 weeks after power off.

do you guys keep your AC plugged in even when you arnt using the duo? will this help to preserve the memory? I have all my console plugs going into a surge supressor.

[Keranu]

I think this might have happened to me once, but I can't confirm it (I or someone else might have cleared all of the memory on the unit). I've heard from other people that they would not turn on their Duo's for many months and the saved data would still be there.

[TJ]

The Neutopia instruction book says that the TGCD and TurboBooster Plus will hold your data "as long as the unit is powered up at least once every two weeks." =) Probably applies to the Duo too, but I went for a fairly long stretch (months) without playing my Duo recently and I did lose my saves.