NESRGB board available now

[CkRtech]

So I finally made an account to post here. Got my NESRGB board, all is good, pulled the PPU, installed the NESRGB, and nothing works. Now I'm afraid I either fried the NESRGB board or the PPU. I already broke a few pins off the PPU but I fixed it by using legs from resistors. Lesson learned, I need a proper desoldering iron or atleast a new desoldering bulb. I spent so many hours trying to get it out and in the end zip. I'm just debating shipping it off to somebody to finish the job now I'm so angry at the time I've spent with zero results. Atleast the NES itself isn't dead. Any tips on where to start?

Based on your state of mind (frustrated) and your need to repair the PPU, perhaps sending it off to someone is the best course of action. However, if you are a problem solver and want to give it a go, shoot some photos of you work and talk us through what you have done.

[sazyario]

I just checked. Both EXT2 & EXT3 go to a 10K (pull down) resistor to ground.

10k to ground and that's it? The other side of the resistors don't go to any other part(s) of the nesrgb board?

I appreciate your help in scoping the board. I plan on rebuilding the 10k to ground externally if they don't connect anywhere else. Trying to hand solder a kynar wire to any part of the fpga doesn't sound fun.

[darcagn]

I just checked. Both EXT2 & EXT3 go to a 10K (pull down) resistor to ground.

10k to ground and that's it? The other side of the resistors don't go to any other part(s) of the nesrgb board?

I appreciate your help in scoping the board. I plan on rebuilding the 10k to ground externally if they don't connect anywhere else. Trying to hand solder a kynar wire to any part of the fpga doesn't sound fun.

No they definitely connect somewhere. Those pins are the pins that the PPU uses to communicate with another PPU in dual-PPU mode, which the NESRGB uses as a trick to generate RGB.

From probing mine, EXT3 has a 10K pulldown resistor to ground and also connects to pin 4 on the LC541A (the chip closest to those legs), and EXT2 has a pulldown resistor to ground and also connects to pin 5 on the same LC541A chip.

It's gonna be tough to solder directly to those pins. Check to see if you have continuity between those pins and the pull down resistors. If you do, it should be much simpler to solder directly to the resistors.

Luckily I have a semi-assembled NESRGB laying around - IMAGE

[sazyario]

I just checked. Both EXT2 & EXT3 go to a 10K (pull down) resistor to ground.

10k to ground and that's it? The other side of the resistors don't go to any other part(s) of the nesrgb board?

I appreciate your help in scoping the board. I plan on rebuilding the 10k to ground externally if they don't connect anywhere else. Trying to hand solder a kynar wire to any part of the fpga doesn't sound fun.

No they definitely connect somewhere. Those pins are the pins that the PPU uses to communicate with another PPU in dual-PPU mode, which the NESRGB uses as a trick to generate RGB.

From probing mine, EXT3 has a 10K pulldown resistor to ground and also connects to pin 4 on the LC541A (the chip closest to those legs), and EXT2 has a pulldown resistor to ground and also connects to pin 5 on the same LC541A chip.

It's gonna be tough to solder directly to those pins. Check to see if you have continuity between those pins and the pull down resistors. If you do, it should be much simpler to solder directly to the resistors.

Luckily I have a semi-assembled NESRGB laying around - IMAGE

Thanks for your help!
The picture is super useful also.

Those chips I'm confident I can solder to.
I thought the ext lines ran to the fpga. That I can't solder too.

[lettuce]

So I finally made an account to post here. Got my NESRGB board, all is good, pulled the PPU, installed the NESRGB, and nothing works. Now I'm afraid I either fried the NESRGB board or the PPU. I already broke a few pins off the PPU but I fixed it by using legs from resistors. Lesson learned, I need a proper desoldering iron or atleast a new desoldering bulb. I spent so many hours trying to get it out and in the end zip. I'm just debating shipping it off to somebody to finish the job now I'm so angry at the time I've spent with zero results. Atleast the NES itself isn't dead. Any tips on where to start?

Have you remembered to short or connect up a switch to the palette switch pads. Do you have a frontloader NES, do you get video from the RCA sockets on the side of the system?

[mvsfan]

with breaking off pins and having to use wire on them as well as saying that you had a very tough time pulling the ppu - you may have also ripped out some of the plating on the through-holes that the ppu pins go into.

did you have a tough time inserting the ppu into the nesrgb? there may have been some of the copper trace stuck to it - although ive noticed that tim is drilling them larger now so it may have just fit for this reason.

it would really help if you had some pics of your work.

[DarkAries]

Okay so yes I did have a VERY tough time trying to pull it. I didn't peel off any traces though, just broke off PPU pins. I soldered the pin headers into the board just fine and dandy, broke OFF a pin of the pin header which again, resistor legs to the rescue, the board popped in the headers without issue, I then soldered them all on one by one, then I put the socket on top because well it came with in what the hell, will make trouble shooting this easier. I did snip off the center plastic so I can get easier access to the pins underneath. NOW one thing I forgot I did was while wiring up the regulator I had the + and ground mixed up, so it went ground > vinput, + > ground, and then normal to the NESRGB, when I fixed it the console did turn back on, I'm really hoping that didn't fry it because I'd rather pay for a new NES to gut the PPU then order another NESRGB. I'm going to post pictures later, the solder work isn't scary at all, I'm just a person who had to rip out a PPU with desoldering braid and a crappy pump. Also yesterday while trying to pull out the ppu again from the socket I snapped off more legs....I'm buying a new NES later today too.

[daskrabs]

Need a little more tech support from you guys. I had my NESRGB working in my AV Famicom tonight for the first time after replacing my adapter board from soldering it backwards. The new one came, I installed it, fired up Super Mario Bros., and it worked. Audio and Video were great. This was using the Natural palette soldering pin 3 to GND. I changed to the Improved palette (pin 2), and changed games to Paperboy, and it gave a black screen and a loud buzz. Haven't got anything to work since. What could I possibly have fucked up? I reflowed the visible solder joints, reseated the PPU, cleaned up the palette pads, but to no avail. Any ideas? Pics below.

[Zets13]

Are you running an Everdrive or actual carts?

[daskrabs]

Are you running an Everdrive or actual carts?

Actual carts.

[Zets13]

It is a definite long shot, but was your console reading the games regularly prior to installing the NESRGB? I guess it is possible that your cart slot and/or the carts might need a good cleaning.

[daskrabs]

It is a definite long shot, but was your console reading the games regularly prior to installing the NESRGB? I guess it is possible that your cart slot and/or the carts might need a good cleaning.

Slot and games are all clean. Games were playing fine all weekend.

[Zets13]

OK. It is a bit hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like the soldering on the ground pad is a bit dodgy, and while it wouldn't explain why it worked before, some of the pads on the video output section of the board look like there could possibly be some solder bridging between a few of them.

[Pasky]

He would still be getting audio from the game. No audio from a game means the PPU/CPU are not working properly. Check if the NESRGB is seated correctly. It's also possible you shocked the CPU or PPU with static discharge or if you have a cheap iron that doesn't have ESD protection.

[daskrabs]

When checking continuity, what pins are supposed to fail? Maybe I should start there?

[Taiyaki]

Does everyone here actually do the mod themselves? Is there any good person or store you guys recommend for sending it in to be modded?

[daskrabs]

Is it true that DP0-DP7 and EXT0-EXT3 should fail continuity, and everything else should pass? That's what I'm getting. I'm testing from the PPU pins to the bottom of the Famicom board.

[ApolloBoy]

Does everyone here actually do the mod themselves? Is there any good person or store you guys recommend for sending it in to be modded?

I've done a number of these for myself and others, shoot me a PM.

[Konsolkongen]

No caps in the RGB-cable, right?

[daskrabs]

No caps in the RGB-cable, right?

Correct. Works fine on my RGB US top loader.

[sazyario]

I just checked. Both EXT2 & EXT3 go to a 10K (pull down) resistor to ground.

10k to ground and that's it? The other side of the resistors don't go to any other part(s) of the nesrgb board?

I appreciate your help in scoping the board. I plan on rebuilding the 10k to ground externally if they don't connect anywhere else. Trying to hand solder a kynar wire to any part of the fpga doesn't sound fun.

No they definitely connect somewhere. Those pins are the pins that the PPU uses to communicate with another PPU in dual-PPU mode, which the NESRGB uses as a trick to generate RGB.

From probing mine, EXT3 has a 10K pulldown resistor to ground and also connects to pin 4 on the LC541A (the chip closest to those legs), and EXT2 has a pulldown resistor to ground and also connects to pin 5 on the same LC541A chip.

It's gonna be tough to solder directly to those pins. Check to see if you have continuity between those pins and the pull down resistors. If you do, it should be much simpler to solder directly to the resistors.

Luckily I have a semi-assembled NESRGB laying around - IMAGE

Are you sure those are 10k resistors?
I just used my tester and I'm showing 5k.

I had a disconnect between ext3 and that resistor. Ran a wire externally to reconnect them. However I'm still getting garbled picture. I also cant fnid where CLK runs to on the NESRGB.

[Konsolkongen]

No caps in the RGB-cable, right?

Correct. Works fine on my RGB US top loader.

Thank you. I was having some slight trouble with the image here. It worked fine on my TV, but not when connected to my XRGB-mini, either directly or through my Extron matrix switcher. Turned out to be the SCART to BNC adapters I made. For some of the inputs I use really high quality RGB cable with individually shielded wires, so I kept the GND connections separated in the adapters too, which means no GND at all when the Retrogamingcables only uses GND on pin 18. I completely forgot about that

First time installing a NESRGB, but certainly not the last. Really easy and straight forward, and looks MUCH better than my PC10 PPU modified US NES :/

Pictures here if anyone is interested:
http://s40.photobucket.com/user/Konsolk ... t=3&page=1

EDIT: The wires on the bottom are for the lightgun and switchless palette mods. You can just barely see that the PIC is soldered directly to the holes in the NESRGB, upside down Thanks to yxkalle for selling me a couple of PICs with his code. Works perfectly

[cyborc]

I'm seriously considering paying someone here to desolder the PPU on my front loader. (provided they have the appropriate tools.) I have enough confidence in myself to do the actual mod, but I really don't feel like buying a $200 Hakko desoldering gun just for one job, and I don't want to screw around with the solder wick/pump method as I've heard of people damaging traces this way.

[eightbitminiboss]

I'm seriously considering paying someone here to desolder the PPU on my front loader. (provided they have the appropriate tools.) I have enough confidence in myself to do the actual mod, but I really don't feel like buying a $200 Hakko desoldering gun just for one job, and I don't want to screw around with the solder wick/pump method as I've heard of people damaging traces this way.

A 15 dollar Radio Shack desoldering iron plus patience did the trick for me.

[CkRtech]

I'm seriously considering paying someone here to desolder the PPU on my front loader. (provided they have the appropriate tools.) I have enough confidence in myself to do the actual mod, but I really don't feel like buying a $200 Hakko desoldering gun just for one job, and I don't want to screw around with the solder wick/pump method as I've heard of people damaging traces this way.

A 15 dollar Radio Shack desoldering iron plus patience did the trick for me.

Yeah. I used that as well. I would also definitely like to suggest -

1: You add fresh solder to each pin. It helps quite a bit.
2: Give that radio shack desoldering iron some really good time to heat-up. Plug it in and place it somewhere safe on your bench while you add fresh solder to your points, and it will be ready to rock once you are prepped.

Good luck if you give it a go.

[cyborc]

thanks guys, I might give this a try.

[mvsfan]

also with the radioshack desoldering iron - make sure you hold it on each pin for long enough to melt all the solder through to the top before you try to suck it up otherwise youll still have solder hanging towards the top of the hole and the ppu will be hard to pull.

Its all i ever use because i dont have enough $ for a hakko yet and it works fine as long as you give it plenty of time to melt the solder.

[Moosmann]

Installed the 1.7 Version on a AV Famicom. All cables (with or without capacitors) works great. I take the RGB and #CS Signal from the "official" Points from the RGBNES Board.

Mega Man 2 Problem ? I got some white "Pixels" in the Energy-Bar (Boss Fight Only). This is not in the First batch. Anyone can also check this glitch ?

[lettuce]

Question about pin 16 on scart socket, does the resistor have to be a 180 ohm resistor? or would a 100 ohm or even a 220 ohm resistor be ok to use? I know the idea of the 180 ohm is to bring the voltage down to a safe level of anywhere between 1-3 volts for pin 16 but would a 100 or 220 ohm be too far either end of the scale??

[mvsfan]

has anyone tried the hakko FR-300? it looks like a toy compared to thae 808 but if it does the job i want one because id bet its a whole lot lighter than the 808.

right now i dont have either one.