Could a short circuited cartdridge slot harm a Genesis?

[Zitruskeks]

If I would bend the pins of a genesis cartridge slot to restore their springyness and some pins they would actually touch the oppisite pin after that, and then I would accidentallypower on the genesis without a cartridge inserted - would it hurt the genesis?

 

Sorry for the lot of "ifs" but especially the slot type with the slotted pins (like this one http://www.8-bitcentral.com/images/miscellaneous/genesisClassic/cartSlot.jpg) has very little space between opposite pins so theoretically there could be a short with no card in it.

[derFunkenstein]

There are a couple of 5v pins in the connector, and I imagine that touching one of those to its neighbor is not good for the system.

[Zitruskeks]

That's what I thought, but then, the engineers could have forseen such a problem and put the 5 Volt opposite to an unused pin, or 2 5 volts vice versa so that shorting them would do nothing.

[Keatah]

They could have, but you would have to test and examine the slot to be sure. And it's just simply not a good idea to be shorting things overall.

[derFunkenstein]

That's what I thought, but then, the engineers could have forseen such a problem and put the 5 Volt opposite to an unused pin, or 2 5 volts vice versa so that shorting them would do nothing.

http://gendev.spritesmind.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=780

 

That has diagrams for both the SMS and the Genesis. specifically this image: http://devster.monkeeh.com/sega/sega2sms.png

 

not sure what those across-the-street pins do but they don't seem to be unused.

[Zitruskeks]

Great Info! Thanks. Then I probably won't bent them pins. A thorough cleaning with contact cleaner (Teslanol T6 Tuner Spray, not the ultra agressive stuff) and some IPA have solved any contact isses for now anyway.