Goldstar GDO-101M 3DO
 | |
| GoldStar 3DO GDO-101M with its controller | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | GoldStar |
| Type | Game console |
| Released | November 1994 (United States)[1] |
| Intro price | US$399.99 (1994); US$199 (December 1995)[2] |
| CPU | 32-bit RISC ARM60[3] |
| Memory | 3 MB |
| Storage | 32 KB battery-backed SRAM |
| Display | 640 × 480, up to 16.7 million colours |
| Sound | 16-bit stereo, 16 voices |
| Media | Double-speed CD-ROM, 300 KB/s |
| Ports / interface | Control port (9-pin D-sub), 30-pin expansion port, 68-pin AV expansion port, S-Video, composite and RF video, stereo RCA audio |
| Power | 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 30 W[4] |
| OS / Firmware | — |
| Model no. | GDO-101M |
The Goldstar GDO-101M is the North American model of GoldStar's 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, a CD-ROM games console built to The 3DO Company's design. GoldStar U.S.A. shipped it in November 1994 at US$399.99, with Shock Wave, Putt-Putt Joins the Parade and a Kodak Photo CD offer in the box.[1] It is the export version of the South Korean GDO-101 Alive, and it was sold in Europe as well as North America.[5]
History
[edit | edit source]GoldStar launched the GDO-101 in South Korea in mid-1994, a few months before the GDO-101M reached American shops.[5] On 1 December 1995 LG Electronics U.S.A. cut the price to US$199, with Shock Wave and FIFA International Soccer bundled, and announced GoldStar's first own-label titles, Primal Rage, Defcon 5 and BC Racer.[2] GoldStar lost more than US$100 on each console at that price. It dropped the 3DO in early 1996, after Matsushita had bought exclusive rights to the M2 successor.[5] The later GoldStar models were the GDO-202 and the top-loading GDO-203 Alive II.[5]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | GoldStar's figure |
|---|---|
| CPU | 32-bit RISC processor ARM60 |
| Graphics | Two 32-bit RISC graphics animation cel engines |
| Audio processor | 16-bit digital signal processor |
| Memory | 3 MB |
| Colours and resolution | Up to 16.7 million colours, 640 × 480 |
| Audio | 16-bit stereo; 16 voices, custom filters, 3D sound placement |
| Video outputs | S-Video, composite video, RF |
| Video decompression | Software; MPEG-1 hardware-assisted with the optional module |
| CD drive | Double speed, 300 KB/s |
| Save memory | 32 KB battery-backed SRAM |
| Control port | Serial, 9-pin D-sub; up to eight controllers in a daisy chain |
| Expansion port | 30-pin, 4 MB/s |
| AV expansion port | 68-pin, for the FMV cartridge |
GoldStar gives the memory as a single 3 MB figure.[3] Creative's specification for the same 3DO hardware on its 3DO Blaster card splits it into 2 MB of main RAM and 1 MB of VRAM.[6]
Boards and drive
[edit | edit source]| Board | Number |
|---|---|
| Main board | 6870S-260AA (940914-1) |
| Power supply | 6870S-263AA |
| CD interface | 1EA4B11A09900 |
| CD drive | 1EA4B11A09800 |
The board numbers are those printed on the boards Console5 used for its capacitor list.[7] The video encoder on the GoldStar main board is a VP536a, according to a maker of RGB kits who supports the board.[8]
The CD drive is a Sanyo mechanism, the same as the one in the Sanyo IMP-21J TRY.[9] Its laser is the 10-pin Sanyo SF-C93AQ, which the Sega CDX also uses.[10][11] The laser and its sled sit on one board and the drive electronics on another, joined by a long 30-way flexible cable.[9]
Power supply
[edit | edit source]The supply is inside the case and the mains lead is fixed.[3] On the drawing of the 6870S-263AA board, the mains goes straight to the transformer T1, whose secondary delivers about 16 V AC (15.8 V measured) to the board. The board fuses it at 3.15 A (F1), filters it through LF1, rectifies it in the bridge DB1 (RBA402) into the 4700 µF 35 V reservoir C3 at about 18 V, and makes +5 V with an L4960 switching regulator (IC2) and +12 V with a PQ12RF2 low-dropout regulator (IC1).[4][12][13]
| Pin | Signal | Measured on the drawing |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Ground | |
| 3, 4 | +12 V | 11.88 V |
| 5, 6 | +5 V | 5.05 V |
| 7 | CTL | 4.80 V on, 0 V off |
The POWER switch, SW1, works on the low-voltage side. It takes the L4960's soft-start pin (through R2) and the PQ12RF2's control terminal (through D3) to 0 V to switch the console off, so the transformer is energised whenever the console is plugged in.[4][12][13] A replacement supply built around a PicoPSU is sold for the GDO-101M by Will's Console Modifications.[14]
Controls and connections
[edit | edit source]The front carries the POWER switch and "ready" indicator, the disc tray, the CD access indicator, the OPEN/CLOSE button and the single control port. At the rear are the expansion port, the RF channel switch, RF, S-Video and composite video outputs, left and right audio outputs and the mains lead. The AV expansion port, for GoldStar's Digital Video Module, is on the left side.[3] Further controllers plug into the port on top of each controller, up to eight in all.[3]
-
Rear of a GDO-101M -
GoldStar's drawing of the rear connections (owner's manual, p. 7)
Known faults
[edit | edit source]- The disc tray is the usual mechanical fault. A tray that opens at switch-on, or closes and immediately reopens, points to the limit switch that tells the console the tray is closed; a slow or jammed tray often has a broken shaft in the tray gear train.[15][16][17]
- Disc-reading faults on the GDO-101 family are often the long flexible cable to the laser board. The first production run had a faulty cable, and GoldStar replaced it under warranty.[15][9]
- The 3DO Development Repo lists all of the electrolytic capacitors as a common failure on the GDO-101 and GDO-202.[15]
- Consoles that fail to start from cold have been cured by replacing C123, beside the coin cell, with a 22–100 µF 16 V part.[18]
- A GDO-101M will read a CD-R if its laser and capacitors are healthy; only the GDO-202 and GDO-203 refuse CD-Rs by design.[15]
Diagnosis and repair are on the Goldstar GDO-101M Troubleshooting Guide.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Goldstar GDO-101M Documentation: GoldStar's 31-page owner's manual and a drawing of the 6870S-263AA power supply.
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Goldstar GDO-101M General Maintenance
- Goldstar GDO-101M Troubleshooting Guide
- Goldstar GDO-101M Capacitor Replacement Guide
- Goldstar GDO-101 Alive 3DO
- Goldstar GDO-202 3DO
- Goldstar GDO-203 Alive II
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 GoldStar U.S.A., Inc., "GoldStar 3DO interactive multiplayer system now available in U.S. retail stores", press release, 7 November 1994, reproduced at Goldstar 3DO player now available, Real 3DO UK—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Source for the shipping date, the US$399.99 price and the bundle.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc., "Goldstar 3DO System now available for $199", press release, 1 December 1995, reproduced at Goldstar 3DO System now available for $199, Real 3DO UK—link(accessed 2026-10-01)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 GoldStar, Owner's Manual: GoldStar 3DO Interactive Multiplayer System, Model #GDO101M (GoldStar USA, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, c. 1994): front and rear diagrams pp. 6–7, "Advanced Tips" p. 19, "In Case of Technical Difficulties" pp. 22–23, technical specifications p. 24 (PDF pages 11, 12, 24, 27–29). Hosted here as File:GoldStar 3DO GDO-101M Owner's Manual.pdf; see Goldstar GDO-101M Documentation.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 GoldStar GDO101M 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (NTSC-US region) Power Supply 6870S-263AA (941012-2) 120V/60Hz 30W schematic diagram, one sheet. A community redrawing with measured voltages, from the 3DO Development Repo; not a GoldStar document. Hosted here as File:GoldStar 3DO GDO-101M Power Supply 6870S-263AA Schematic.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 3DO, Wikipedia—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Sections "Variants" and "Decline", the latter citing Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 80 (March 1996), p. 18. Used for model history and dates only.
- ↑ Creative Technology Ltd., 3DO Blaster User's Guide (Singapore, 1994): Chapter 1 "Knowing Your 3DO Blaster" (pp. 1-1 to 1-6), Chapter 2 "Setting Up Your Hardware" (pp. 2-1 to 2-12), Chapter 3 "Setting Up Your Software" (pp. 3-1 to 3-7), Chapter 5 "Changing 3DO Blaster Hardware Setting" (pp. 5-1 to 5-3), Appendix A "Using 3DO Video Overlay Setup", Appendix B "Troubleshooting Guide", Appendix D "3DO Blaster General Specifications" (pp. D-1 to D-2). Hosted here as File:Creative 3DO Blaster User's Guide 1994.pdf; see Creative 3DO Blaster User's Guide.
- ↑ Goldstar 3DO, Console5 TechWiki, 15 February 2024—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Capacitor lists for main PCB 6870S-260AA 940914-1, power PCB 6870S-263AA, CD interface PCB 1EA4B11A09900 and CD drive PCB 1EA4B11A09800. Secondary source, compiled from production boards.
- ↑ 3DO Internal RGB Installation for all models except ANVIL (Late FZ-10 and Goldstar GDO-202), Dan's Projects—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Lists the motherboard types the kit supports, including "Goldstar w/VP536a Encoder".
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 3DO:Sanyo Disc Drive Repair, ConsoleMods Wiki, 25 June 2025—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Community repair guide for the Sanyo drive used in the GoldStar models and the Sanyo IMP-21J.
- ↑ Laser assemblies, 3DO Development Repo—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Table of the laser fitted to each 3DO model and the devices that share it.
- ↑ Goldstar 3DO laser replacement: Helpful Hints, racketboy.com forum, 21 October 2012—link(accessed 2026-10-01) An owner's account of replacing the SF-C93AQ in a GoldStar 3DO.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 STMicroelectronics, L4960 2.5A Power Switching Regulator, datasheet, farnell.com. Pin 6 is the soft-start terminal.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Sharp, PQ12RF2: 2A Output, Low Power-Loss Voltage Regulators, datasheet, chipfind.net. Four-terminal regulator with an ON/OFF control terminal.
- ↑ PSUs (Power Supply Units), 3DO Development Repo—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Lists a PicoPSU-based replacement supply for the GDO-101M sold by Will's Console Modifications.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 General Hardware Repair and Maintenance, 3DO Development Repo, 7 November 2022—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Community repair notes: common failures by model and common symptoms.
- ↑ Goldstar 3DO Disc tray not closing., racketboy.com forum, 26 January 2016—link(accessed 2026-10-12) An owner's GoldStar opens its tray at switch-on and reopens it after closing; the reply puts it down to the limit switch that tells the console the tray is closed.
- ↑ Goldstar 3DO Drive Tray Gear Shaft, Printables (OFSMods), 19 August 2023—link(accessed 2026-10-01)
- ↑ 3DO:General Troubleshooting, ConsoleMods Wiki, 10 May 2026—link(accessed 2026-10-01) Section "Reboot Loop".