Battery replacement

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Revision as of 00:57, 28 April 2020 by Unknown user (talk) (It's an ML 2430, not 2450. No wonder I couldn't find a datasheet, lol)
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Rear view of a Dreamcast controller board; note the battery by default is a soldered-in ML2020, or sometimes a larger ML2430.

The Dreamcast uses a soldered-in, rechargeable battery to store the console's time and date settings. The battery recharges whenever the console is powered on, takes about 2 hours to charge from empty to full, and should hold date and time settings for about 20 days.[1] The batteries on most all Dreamcast consoles should be totally dead by now, so one can desolder the original battery and replace it with a plastic battery holder to allow easy replacement of the ML2032 in the future. It is recommended not to use the LIR2032 battery type as the Dreamcast does not output the voltage necessary for it to properly and fully recharge. Specifically, the ML2032 (and ML2020 and ML2430) are 3V batteries,[2][3][4] while the LIR2032 type is generally 3.6V or 3.7V.[5]

Parts

References