Sega "Super Scaler" (Hang-On / Space Harrier / OutRun)¶
Sega's sprite-scaling pseudo-3D revolution, by Yu Suzuki / AM2 (1985-1986). No polygons: scaled sprites pushed at high speed by dedicated ASICs — hence the depth illusion of Hang-On, Space Harrier, OutRun. Often in motion/ride cabinets. The direct ancestor of the X-Board / Y-Board and then the Model 1 (true 3D).
Identification¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sega (AM2) |
| Years | Hang-On (1985), Space Harrier (1985), Enduro Racer (1986), OutRun (1986), Super Hang-On / Turbo OutRun |
| Type | pseudo-3D with scaled sprites ("super scaler") |
| Cabinets | often motion / sit-down (tilting bike, cockpit) |
Architecture¶
| Block | Chip | Role |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Motorola 68000 (×1, then ×2 on OutRun) | logic + road/object geometry |
| Sound CPU | Zilog Z80 | drives the sound |
| Sound | Yamaha YM2151 (FM) + SegaPCM (315-5218) | FM music + samples |
| Video | custom Sega sprite-zoom ASIC + a "road" stage | scales hundreds of sprites, draws the road in pseudo-3D |
Two close families in MAME:
- Hang-On / Space Harrier / Enduro Racer →
sega/segahang.cpp(68000 + Z80; Enduro Racer is FD1089B-encrypted). - OutRun / Super Hang-On / Turbo OutRun →
sega/segaorun.cpp(2× 68000 + Z80; Turbo OutRun is FD1094-encrypted).
Hang-On, two 'firsts'
Hang-On (1985) is both Sega's first super scaler and one of the first motion-feedback cabinets (a full-size tilting bike). OutRun (1986) pushed the concept with its hydraulic cabinet and selectable soundtrack.
Protection & de-suicide¶
Some games are encrypted (battery-backed module):
- FD1089B (Enduro Racer), FD1094 (Turbo OutRun…) → dead battery = mute/ dead game. De-suicide = decrypted ROM or re-key — the same method as System 16. → System 16 FD1094/FD1089 (de-suicide) · Per-game keys.
Notable games¶
Hang-On, Space Harrier (1985), Enduro Racer (1986), OutRun (1986), Super Hang-On (1987), Turbo OutRun (1989).
Common faults¶
| Symptom | Likely cause | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Black screen / stuck boot | FD1089/FD1094: dead key battery | De-suicide (decrypted ROM / re-key) |
| Sprites no longer zoom | zoom ASIC / sprite RAM | Video diagnosis, contacts |
| No music / sound | Z80 / YM2151 / SegaPCM | Sound-stage diagnosis |
| No force feedback (cabinet) | motion board / motors | Cabinet mechanical diagnosis |
| No image | Power, 68000, harness | Base diagnosis |
Modernisation & mods¶
The common ground for every JAMMA board
Video, power, control panel and upscalers depend on the cabinet rather than the board: everything is centralised in Modernising a cabinet. To run the board outside a cabinet (at home, on a display): supergun.
- Anti-suicide 🟠: some games/variants of this platform do suicide (battery-backed key) — see the dedicated section above to find out whether yours is affected. If so, the durable route is de-suiciding → conversions and de-suiciding, not merely replacing the battery → save batteries.
- Storage 🟡: the game lives in EPROM/mask ROM on the board. Changing or restoring a game means reprogramming the EPROMs (and, for a mask ROM, using a pinout adapter) → EPROM method.
- Media preservation: replacing the original storage, multicarts, ODEs and modern options by family → PCB preservation hub.
- Scan rate 📺: ~15.73 kHz / 60.1 Hz — standard resolution, a classic 15 kHz chassis is fine — the most common JAMMA case → tri-sync and upscalers.
(Computed from the MAME sources —
sega/segahang.cpp + segaorun.cpp— pixel clock ÷ htotal.) - FPGA / emulation: see the Emulation & FPGA section below.
Repair (technician)¶
- FD1089 encryption on some (e.g. Enduro Racer): key in the custom → see keys/de-suicide and backup batteries.
- Zoom ASIC + "road" stage: corrupt road/objects = test RAM + buffers, the ASIC last (donor, rare).
- Sound: Z80 + YM2151 + SegaPCM (315-5218) — silent samples = the SegaPCM stage / sound ROM.
- Capacitors: recap PSU + audio filtering. Oxidised EPROM sockets: turned-pin socket.
→ Methods: PCB fault-finding · Recap · EPROM · Traces & vias
Expected clocks — measurement table ✅¶
Values extracted from the MAME sources for this platform. On a scope or frequency counter, a clock that is missing or off-value points straight at the crystal, the divider or the chip at fault — the fastest starting point on a dead board.
| Component | Expected clock | Role |
|---|---|---|
| I8751 | 8 MHz | protection MCU |
| M68000 | 6.2937 MHz · 10 MHz | main CPU |
| YM2151 | 4 MHz | FM (sound) |
| YM2203 | 4 MHz | FM (sound) |
| Z80 | 4 MHz | sound CPU (usually) |
How to read this table
Several values for one component = several board variants in this family (or several instances of the chip clocked differently). These frequencies are those of the clock signal at the component's input, not of its original crystal — on many boards the clock is divided down from a single master crystal.
DIP settings ✅¶
13 games on this platform, settings extracted from the MAME sources (INPUT_PORTS_START blocks). The Position column gives the switch's physical reference on the board (SW2:!3,!4 = bank SW2, levers 3 and 4) — which is what lets you set it up without the paper manual. Games are sorted by MAME set name.
DIP settings — MAME set enduror
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1 | Upright · Wheelie |
| Difficulty | SWB:2,3 | Easy · Medium · Hard · Hardest |
| Time Adjust | SWB:4,5 | Easy · Medium · Hard · Hardest |
| Time Control | SWB:6,7 | Easy · Medium · Hard · Hardest |
| Demo Sounds | SWB:8 | Off · On |
DIP settings — MAME set outrun
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1,2 | Moving · Up Cockpit · Mini Up · Unused |
DIP settings — MAME set outrun_generic
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Sounds | SWB:3 | Off · On |
| Time Adj. | SWB:5,6 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
| Difficulty | SWB:7,8 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
DIP settings — MAME set outrundx
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1 | Not Moving · Moving |
| Demo Sounds | SWB:2 | Off · On |
DIP settings — MAME set outrundxeh
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1 | Not Moving · Moving |
| Demo Sounds | SWB:2 | Off · On |
| Speed Indicator | SWB:4 | km/h · MPH |
DIP settings — MAME set outruneh
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1,2 | Moving · Up Cockpit · Mini Up · Unused |
| Speed Indicator | SWB:4 | km/h · MPH |
DIP settings — MAME set shangon
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Sounds | SWB:1 | Off · On |
| Difficulty | SWB:2,3 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
| Time Adj. | SWB:4,5 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
DIP settings — MAME set shangupb
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Sounds | SWB:1 | Off · On |
| Difficulty | SWB:2,3 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
| Time Adj. | SWB:4,5 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
DIP settings — MAME set sharrier
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1 | Upright · Moving |
| Demo Sounds | SWB:2 | Off · On |
| Lives | SWB:3,4 | 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 |
| Bonus Life | SWB:5 | 5000000 · 7000000 |
| Trial Time | SWB:6 | Off · On |
| Difficulty | SWB:7,8 | Easy · Medium · Hard · Hardest |
DIP settings — MAME set toutrun
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1,2 | Moving · Cockpit Conversion · Mini Up · Cockpit |
| Turbo | SWB:4 | Use Start Button · Use Turbo Shifter |
| Credits | SWB:5,6 | 3 to Start/2 to Continue · 2 to Start/1 to Continue · 1 to Start/1 to Continue · 2 to Start/2 to Continue |
DIP settings — MAME set toutrunc
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1,2 | Unused · Unused · Unused · Cockpit |
| Turbo | SWB:4 | Unused · Use Turbo Shifter |
DIP settings — MAME set toutrunct
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Time Adjust | SWB:5,6 | Easy · Normal · Hard · Hardest |
DIP settings — MAME set toutrunm
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet | SWB:1,2 | Moving · Unused · Unused · Unused |
Check against your own board
These settings apply to the game and revision described by MAME. One title may have several DIP sets depending on region or revision, and some systems use soft-dips (settings in memory, via the test menu) rather than physical switches. In case of a discrepancy, the board's silkscreen and the test menu are authoritative.
See also: DIP reference · game manuals
Emulation & FPGA¶
- Emulation: MAME (
sega/segahang.cpp,sega/segaorun.cpp) — FD1089/FD1094 decryption included. - FPGA / MiSTer: super-scaler cores available/in progress — Super Hang-On and OutRun have a core (the work is a basis for the other super-scaler games).
EPROM repair¶
68000 program (+ Z80 sound). Ex. (MAME sega/segahang.cpp, segaorun.cpp): Hang-On = 4× 27C256 · Space Harrier = 8× 27C256 · Enduro Racer = 6× 27C256 · OutRun = 4× 27C512 · Turbo OutRun = 6× 27C512. Several sub-boards; graphics are mask ROMs.
Lineage¶
Followed by the X-Board (After Burner) and the Y-Board (Galaxy Force), then the true polygonal 3D of the Model 1. → Converts: Sega X / Y-Board.
Photos / assets¶
(To add: Hang-On/OutRun board, zoom ASIC, motion cabinet.)
Sources & attribution¶
- MAME —
sega/segahang.cpp&sega/segaorun.cpp(68000(×2), Z80, YM2151 + SegaPCM, sprite zoom, FD1089B/FD1094, games) — https://github.com/mamedev/mame - Wikipedia — Hang-On / Space Harrier / Out Run / Super scaler — CC-BY-SA — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_scaler
Review & corrections
How this space is used
Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.
Reading is open to everyone; posting requires signing in with Discord. Reports from the wiki's declared reviewers are handled first; anyone else's are read too, but go through a human before anything is changed.