NESRGB board available now

[McCracAttack]

@McCracAttack: is that the original akumajou densetsu or the hacked "translated" version which the lettuce is running?

It's the original version. I've tried it through the original cart and through an Everdrive N8 and both were affected. Castlevania 3 is similarly affected. But if these videos are coming from a hacked version I guess that would be the difference.

[Vigormortis]

At the title screen hold A+B and press start to get into the sound test menu. Compare the audio with this recording from a genuine Akumajou Densetsu cartridge on a Twin Famicom.

[CkRtech]

Everything wired up! You can see that I have the expansion audio wired up as well (the white wire):

Holy shit those are some thick wires

No kidding. Where did you source those wires from, darcagn? They look like they are out of a JAMMA harness.

[nesfreak]

It's the original version. I've tried it through the original cart and through an Everdrive N8 and both were affected. Castlevania 3 is similarly affected. But if these videos are coming from a hacked version I guess that would be the difference.

That's strange, i don't get the wrong colors with the original cart on a "AV Famicom" or with the translated rom on the Famicom EverDrive N8.

Might be more to this then?

[McCracAttack]

It's the original version. I've tried it through the original cart and through an Everdrive N8 and both were affected. Castlevania 3 is similarly affected. But if these videos are coming from a hacked version I guess that would be the difference.

That's strange, i don't get the wrong colors with the original cart on a "AV Famicom" or with the translated rom on the Famicom EverDrive N8.

Might be more to this then?

Bah, who knows at this point. I tried a translated ROM and it had the wrong colors too. Hopefully whatever fix gets cooked up will sort all of this out.

[Vigormortis]

It's the original version. I've tried it through the original cart and through an Everdrive N8 and both were affected. Castlevania 3 is similarly affected. But if these videos are coming from a hacked version I guess that would be the difference.

That's strange, i don't get the wrong colors with the original cart on a "AV Famicom" or with the translated rom on the Famicom EverDrive N8.

Might be more to this then?

Does yours use the new SRAM chip that has been identified as the troublemaker or the old chip from the first batch? Try out Super Mario Brothers and see if that game gets the right colors. Megaman 3's title screen is also a good one to test.

[Jeppen]

The A and B pins aren't outputs, they're inputs. You need to solder a wire from CPU pin 1 to A and another wire from CPU pin 2 to B. The NESRGB then takes those two inputs, mixes them together, amplifies them, and outputs a mono signal on the O pin.

If you want NES "fake stereo," then you'll have to build your own separate amplifier.

Thanks! i didn't know the NESRGB A+B were inputs lol, silly me..

So after your input (har har), i soldered the minus leads onto the resistors first legs towards the CPU pin 1 and 2, then to one 1 microF capacitor each, going to a potentiometer, and then to the RGB connectors Left and Right audio pins.

Works perfectly!!
I can now choose how much separation i want with the pot

No ground needed btw, for those wondering.

I did it based on Game-Tech.US's tutorial here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG8387VFfYM

Really nice mod and gives such a nice depth to the sound.

The finished product:

WOW, that looks so clean and amazing! Good job!!!

That's a true NES on steroids

[nesfreak]

Mine is from the new batch, there wasn't a problem with the first batch as i understand it?

[Jeppen]

Mine is from the new batch, there wasn't a problem with the first batch as i understand it?

As far as i know his first batch in autumn 2013 were perfect, the second one in early 2014 have the color problem.

[darcagn]

Everything wired up! You can see that I have the expansion audio wired up as well (the white wire):

Holy shit those are some thick wires

No kidding. Where did you source those wires from, darcagn? They look like they are out of a JAMMA harness.

It's 22awg stranded wire. I had some 10-wire/10pin PCB-mount connectors that I ordered a year ago to use with a very lofty NES mod idea (I was going to remove the shielded RF/AV box completely from the front-loader and replace it with a board with a replacement audio circuit, PC10 RGB amp circuit, and power circuit, and mount the A/V connectors where the old ones were, to make it look as stock as possible, but I abandoned this idea out of laziness and because new RGB mods were on the horizon). I wanted to use the connector with the NESRGB board, but the only way to get the connector to fit was to remove the expansion slot and I wasn't really in the mood for more desoldering, so I snipped off the connector and just used all the wires directly because they were nice and multicolored and easy to set up. The wire thickness is still thin enough to go through all the holes in the NESRGB and its connectors and boards, though, so it worked very well IMO.

Bah, who knows at this point. I tried a translated ROM and it had the wrong colors too. Hopefully whatever fix gets cooked up will sort all of this out.

I don't have an original copy, but my Japanese ROM and various different English-translated ROM hacks all work perfectly. My board has the new second-batch faulty SRAM chip configuration.

I wonder what's causing the error to show for some people and not others.

Thanks! i didn't know the NESRGB A+B were inputs lol, silly me..

Haha, I think that part of the instruction guide is ambiguous, so I'm not too surprised someone mixed it up.

WOW, that looks so clean and amazing! Good job!!!

Thanks! I'm very happy with how it came out, especially considering I don't have a drill. I used a Dremel and the only tip I had was a very small 1/8" drill bit tip. I just kept drilling in a circular motion and trying the connector until it squeezed into the hole.

[Jeppen]

[

WOW, that looks so clean and amazing! Good job!!!

Thanks! I'm very happy with how it came out, especially considering I don't have a drill. I used a Dremel and the only tip I had was a very small 1/8" drill bit tip. I just kept drilling in a circular motion and trying the connector until it squeezed into the hole.

Haha nice, who need power tools

[McCracAttack]

Bah, who knows at this point. I tried a translated ROM and it had the wrong colors too. Hopefully whatever fix gets cooked up will sort all of this out.

I don't have an original copy, but my Japanese ROM and various different English-translated ROM hacks all work perfectly. My board has the new second-batch faulty SRAM chip configuration.

I wonder what's causing the error to show for some people and not others.

Some games like Ninja Gaiden 2, Abadox, and Metroid look perfect. I'm not sure why mine would be acting up on more games than other peoples' boards if all the boards have the same fault. It is indeed from the second batch with the bad SRAM.

[darcagn]

Bah, who knows at this point. I tried a translated ROM and it had the wrong colors too. Hopefully whatever fix gets cooked up will sort all of this out.

I don't have an original copy, but my Japanese ROM and various different English-translated ROM hacks all work perfectly. My board has the new second-batch faulty SRAM chip configuration.

I wonder what's causing the error to show for some people and not others.

Some games like Ninja Gaiden 2, Abadox, and Metroid look perfect. I'm not sure why mine would be acting up on more games than other peoples' boards if all the boards have the same fault. It is indeed from the second batch with the bad SRAM.

All three of those games work fine on mine as well, the only thing is that with Metroid on the Everdrive N8, if I restore from a save state point, the graphics go completely black and white. Not even grayscale, everything is either a black pixel or white pixel:



The colors eventually return if I leave one area and enter another (e.g. leave Brinstar and enter Norfair, etc.). Doesn't seem to happen with any other game. I don't know if this is a bug with the Everdrive or the NESRGB. Since I didn't hook up the palette switch I can't disable the NESRGB and my other NES has a CopyNES in it which is not compatible with the Everdrive. Does anyone have an Everdrive and can test this out?

[opt2not]

Black and white version is rad. I say keep it that way

[LaC]

Is it better we don't attempt to install it if we received boards recently? Or will I be able to reprogram it once it is installed?

[bdlou]

All three of those games work fine on mine as well, the only thing is that with Metroid on the Everdrive N8, if I restore from a save state point, the graphics go completely black and white. Not even grayscale, everything is either a black pixel or white pixel:



The colors eventually return if I leave one area and enter another (e.g. leave Brinstar and enter Norfair, etc.). Doesn't seem to happen with any other game. I don't know if this is a bug with the Everdrive or the NESRGB. Since I didn't hook up the palette switch I can't disable the NESRGB and my other NES has a CopyNES in it which is not compatible with the Everdrive. Does anyone have an Everdrive and can test this out?

Gameboy feature.

[Glossectomy]

So obviously i'm having color issues like everyone else, but i feel like there's something else going on with the board that i've installed. Compared to some of the other pictures i've seen mine has much more black.

This is the 4th one I've installed, but first from the new batch. wired up for rgb using composite video as sync to the 8 pin din. jumper 5 is jumped for ntsc. Does anyone else's look like this or is something up with my board?

I also have another question that i just want to verify. If i'm going to be wiring up a board using a genesis 2 rgb cable, i need to remove the 220uf caps on the r g and b lines on the board correct? is there anything else besides that?

[ApolloBoy]

If i'm going to be wiring up a board using a genesis 2 rgb cable, i need to remove the 220uf caps on the r g and b lines on the board correct? is there anything else besides that?

You need to remove the 75 ohm resistors on the RGB lines in addition to the caps.

[darcagn]

Does anyone else's look like this or is something up with my board?

Mine definitely doesn't look like that, but we all seem to be experiencing the issue in slightly different ways, so who knows.

[Glossectomy]

If i'm going to be wiring up a board using a genesis 2 rgb cable, i need to remove the 220uf caps on the r g and b lines on the board correct? is there anything else besides that?

You need to remove the 75 ohm resistors on the RGB lines in addition to the caps.

ok, that's what i wasn't completely sure of. thank you very much.

also, my issue above was due to my cable. i tried another one and it looks like everyone else's now.

i plugged my main system in using the same cord, and it started doing the same thing. i was fucking furious. either way it's fixed now.

Edit - Yet for some reason the cable that doesn't work with either of my nesrgb units here, it works perfect with my consolized mvs. I'm just extremely confused now.

[lettuce]

Bah, who knows at this point. I tried a translated ROM and it had the wrong colors too. Hopefully whatever fix gets cooked up will sort all of this out.

I don't have an original copy, but my Japanese ROM and various different English-translated ROM hacks all work perfectly. My board has the new second-batch faulty SRAM chip configuration.

I wonder what's causing the error to show for some people and not others.

Some games like Ninja Gaiden 2, Abadox, and Metroid look perfect. I'm not sure why mine would be acting up on more games than other peoples' boards if all the boards have the same fault. It is indeed from the second batch with the bad SRAM.

Could it be the region of the PPU chip, by chance is one of you using a PAL system and the other a NTSC system?

[darcagn]

That's a good point; if it is indeed a timing issue like Tim initially alluded to, then it wouldn't be a surprise if NTSC/PAL displayed the bug a little differently.




As an aside, if any of you are interested, here's an ultra-high res picture of Metroid running on the NESRGB w/ XRGB-mini. Warning: 6MB image.

[alimadhi]

can i use NESRGB on my Family Game console has a UMC CPU & PPU UA6527P, UA6538 ?

[Jeppen]

That's a good point; if it is indeed a timing issue like Tim initially alluded to, then it wouldn't be a surprise if NTSC/PAL displayed the bug a little differently.




As an aside, if any of you are interested, here's an ultra-high res picture of Metroid running on the NESRGB w/ XRGB-mini. Warning: 6MB image.

*Homer*
Mmmmm scaaanlines aahrhhrhrhrhrff

[McCracAttack]

Could it be the region of the PPU chip, by chance is one of you using a PAL system and the other a NTSC system?

Hmm. Well I'm using NTSC.

[mufunyo]

As an aside, if any of you are interested, here's an ultra-high res picture of Metroid running on the NESRGB w/ XRGB-mini. Warning: 6MB image.

Do you have overscan enabled? On LGs disabling overscan is called "1:1 Pixel", and on Samsungs it's called "Just Scan". Looks like your XRGB picture is still getting scaled a small amount.

[Glossectomy]

If its not too much trouble can someone point to exactly which caps and 75 ohm resistors are on the rgb lines?

[Zets13]

Well, 90% of the way there. After much desoldering, resoldering, broken header arrays, and more time and frustration mistakes than I care to admit trying to figure out why I was getting a black screen and silence, I realized that I forgot to solder J3 to power the board from the AV Famicom... OOPS. Wound up putting another socket in the PPU space on the mobo, and despite having probably too many sockets (one for the PPU, one to connect the NESRGB to the adapter board, and then finally the one between the adapter board and the console) the connections seem solid and I think it might still close up OK, but we'll see.

Now I just need to figure out what kind of sync my monitor wants since right now I have scrambled picture and then finally reassemble my AV Famicom and wire up the switch outside the console.

[leonk]

If its not too much trouble can someone point to exactly which caps and 75 ohm resistors are on the rgb lines?

??? Just trace back from the pads. You can't miss them. I removed only the caps. Not resistors. Don't forget to jump the gap.

[CkRtech]

Anyone want to share some of their case work tools? I am not 100% decided on my layout/ports just yet. I also don't own a step drill bit.

Working on my front loader at the moment.