NESRGB board available now

[ApolloBoy]

For those of you have installed an NESRGB in a Twin Fami, how did you deal with adding external/FDS audio to the NESRGB? I'm trying to find info on the Twin Fami's audio circuitry and I'm not finding anything.

[mvsfan]

[/quote]


There are several variations in the works. A version for those who choose to omit the RF modulator box, a version that doesn't omit the RF Modulator Box, RCA/Composite, RCA, Mini-DIN, TRS, Mini-DIN, etc.

[/quote]

when can we expect to see these new multi-out panels? Id buy one.

[Voultar]

when can we expect to see these new multi-out panels? Id buy one.

It's probably going to be a couple of months. My work is consuming me at the moment, but it's moving along quite nicely.

[lettuce]

So where are people sourcing A/V multi out sockets from, will anyone ever fabricate them?

I'm in the final stages of perfectly replicating the AV Famicom Multi-Out panel for use in the Top-Loader.

Jason (Game-Tech.US), and a couple of others are aware of this project of mine. I'll bring it to the open forum once the quality comes to a production level.

That's good news!. Only downside is I have a front loader NES, any plans to do something for that?

[Voultar]

The only thing that I'm working on that's applicable to the front loader is the female multi -out port replicate.

The challenge there is faithfully reproducing the pinout/PCB.

It's proprietary, and is proving to be difficult to produce with off the shelf parts. I'm etching two-sided clad panels with a few different designs to determine what works best.

It will be a while for that one.

-And to be honest, I prefer the Toaster over the Top-Loader.

[mvsfan]

One thing ive been meaning to ask is that my rgb nes keeps dropping out of sync on bright white screens. Im using a csy-2100.

I am also using composite sync.

what will fix it?

[ccovell]

For those of you have installed an NESRGB in a Twin Fami, how did you deal with adding external/FDS audio to the NESRGB? I'm trying to find info on the Twin Fami's audio circuitry and I'm not finding anything.

I didn't. Someday I'd like to get a stereo + FDS audio (+ external audio) mod going in my Twin Fami, but haven't figured out good resistor levels for mixing these sources.

Anyway, I did trace the audio path on the Twin. It's... overly complicated. The entire front-left portion of the Twin PCB is basically audio routing, amplification, and mixing with the microphone and FDS audio. The final joining of amplified FC audio and FDS audio happens in the slider switch that turns cartridges/FDS on and off. Getting these sent to the NESRGB prior to amplification and still having the cartridge/FDS switching happening will take some creative electronic work on your part.

[ApolloBoy]

For those of you have installed an NESRGB in a Twin Fami, how did you deal with adding external/FDS audio to the NESRGB? I'm trying to find info on the Twin Fami's audio circuitry and I'm not finding anything.

I didn't. Someday I'd like to get a stereo + FDS audio (+ external audio) mod going in my Twin Fami, but haven't figured out good resistor levels for mixing these sources.

Anyway, I did trace the audio path on the Twin. It's... overly complicated. The entire front-left portion of the Twin PCB is basically audio routing, amplification, and mixing with the microphone and FDS audio. The final joining of amplified FC audio and FDS audio happens in the slider switch that turns cartridges/FDS on and off. Getting these sent to the NESRGB prior to amplification and still having the cartridge/FDS switching happening will take some creative electronic work on your part.

I kinda feared that would be the case. Looks like I'll just forego the audio amp on the NESRGB in that case and remove the low-pass audio filter cap on the AV/power board to get cleaner audio.

[nesfreak]

I'm trying to figure out how to connect the extended audio on a "AV Famicom".

By using only the audio from the multiout-port, skipping the amplifier, is the extended audio going to work? Or is there some other problem?

[ApolloBoy]

By using only the audio from the multiout-port, skipping the amplifier, is the extended audio going to work? Or is there some other problem?

The external audio is already mixed in by the audio gets to the multiout so there's no problems there.

[RGB32E]

I'm trying to figure out how to connect the extended audio on a "AV Famicom".

By using only the audio from the multiout-port, skipping the amplifier, is the extended audio going to work? Or is there some other problem?

I recently used my RGB PPU AV Famicom and noticed that the audio quality isn't that bad, but definitely not as clean as with the RGBNES PCB. My thoughts on using the kit PCB are to isolate cartridge slot pins 45 and 46, connect pin 46 to the RGBNES audio circuit with an appropriate valued resistor. I'd think this should provide better than stock audio from an AV Famicom.

[leonk]

How many games actually used the extended famicom audio? It seems to be a "big deal" here even though users outside Japan never had this extended audio in the first place.

[kamiboy]

Akumajo Dracula Densetsu used it and that alone makes it the biggest of deals.

[Jockel]

How many games actually used the extended famicom audio? It seems to be a "big deal" here even though users outside Japan never had this extended audio in the first place.

Loads of games from Sunsoft and Konami did, the FDS used it, plus a few other games.
Check this guys videos for more examples of awesome enhanced music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTvccCs1C8g

[lettuce]

I'm trying to figure out how to connect the extended audio on a "AV Famicom".

By using only the audio from the multiout-port, skipping the amplifier, is the extended audio going to work? Or is there some other problem?

I recently used my RGB PPU AV Famicom and noticed that the audio quality isn't that bad, but definitely not as clean as with the RGBNES PCB. My thoughts on using the kit PCB are to isolate cartridge slot pins 45 and 46, connect pin 46 to the RGBNES audio circuit with an appropriate valued resistor. I'd think this should provide better than stock audio from an AV Famicom.

I tried this on a front loader and also using a NES EverDrive cart but it didnt work, not sure if it was because there was no famicom2NES adapter involved???

To be able to use this NESRGB audio you have to connect CPU pins 1 & 2 from the NES PCB itself to the 2 channel inputs on the NESRGB PCB labeled Channel A & B, as pictured below.....



Because of this rebuilt audio circuit, it has been suggested that rather than using a 44k resistor to bridge pins 3&9 on the Expansion socket of the NES, instead run a wire (with a 22K resistor attached) from pin 9 of the Expansion socket to the 2 resistors on the NESRGB PCB as pictured below....



But what was also used in the above mod, was the mod to the Famicom2NES adapter which bridges 2 pins....



I dont have this Famicom2 NES adapter as im using the Everdrive N8 NES version (not famicom), i have tried the mod (pin 9 to 2 resistors on the NESRGB pcb) along with the Famicom version of Castlevaina 3 and im sure i was not getting any expanded audio!, so im not sure if this method of mod works with the combination of components i have (Front loading NES, NES Everdrive and NESRGB mod)?? Is there a Famicom game that uses exclusively expanded audio so i cant test for sure if this mod method is working??

Any ideas if i should try just bridging pins 3&9 with a resistor on the expansion port?, as i guess this could work as the NESRGB is taking the audio (from CPU pins 1&2) and then rebuilding the circuit inside the NESRGB and outputing the improved audio to the A/V socket (white wire 2 pictures above). Does the expanded Famicom audio get added before CPU pins 1&2 though or after as if its before i guess this mod wouldnt work either??

[mvsfan]

Any ideas if i should try just bridging pins 3&9 with a resistor on the expansion port?, as i guess this could work as the NESRGB is taking the audio (from CPU pins 1&2) and then rebuilding the circuit inside the NESRGB and outputing the improved audio to the A/V socket (white wire 2 pictures above). Does the expanded Famicom audio get added before CPU pins 1&2 though or after as if its before i guess this mod wouldnt work either??[/quote]

I didnt have to connect pin 3 to anything. I just connected pin 9 on the expansion port through a resistor to the audio output on the nesrgb. It just works.

[lettuce]

I didnt have to connect pin 3 to anything. I just connected pin 9 on the expansion port through a resistor to the audio output on the nesrgb. It just works.

Are you using a famicom2nes adapter in your setup though?? As i dont have one of those in my setup as im using a NES Everdrive flash cart which as the famicom roms loaded on to that so i have no need for a famicom2nes adapter for my front loader NES, im not sure if this is needed or not to get the extended audio, but im sure i wasnt getting extended auido when i tried Akumajo Dracula Densetsu

[mvsfan]

I didnt have to connect pin 3 to anything. I just connected pin 9 on the expansion port through a resistor to the audio output on the nesrgb. It just works.

Are you using a famicom2nes adapter in your setup though?? As i dont have one of those in my setup as im using a NES Everdrive flash cart which as the famicom roms loaded on to that so i have no need for a famicom2nes adapter for my front loader NES, im not sure if this is needed or not to get the extended audio, but im sure i wasnt getting extended auido when i tried Akumajo Dracula Densetsu

no im not using the famicom2nes adapter.

[lettuce]

no im not using the famicom2nes adapter.

So you basically did this...



Are you sure that your audio sounds like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shVgwBlUfes

[Vigormortis]

I'm planning to install the NESRGB in a Famicom, and I'd really like to use its sound circuit with expansion audio mixed in. My famicom has a HVC-CPU-GPM-02 motherboard, which has poor expansion audio mixing (the AV Famicom suffers from this too). The expansion audio is really loud compared to the 2A03 audio on genuine carts. With its lower expansion audio output, the Everdrive N8 running Akumajo Densetsu actually sounds more balanced than the genuine cart on my Famicom.

I poked around the Famicom's audio circuit and roughly figured out the path the audio takes through the system. First, the two channels of the 2A03 are mixed together, then the microphone audio is mixed as well. The 2A03 + microphone audio travels to pin 45 in the cart slot. The final mixing occurs in the cartridge, and the entire 2A03 + microphone + expansion audio comes out of pin 46 in the cart slot and goes to the RF modulator or AV connector (in the case of a cart without expansion audio, pins 45 & 46 are simply bridged). This is different from how expansion audio is dealt with in a modified front loader, where pin 9 of the expansion port outputs the expansion audio by itself, and it is mixed with the 2A03 audio outside the cartridge - by bridging expansion pins 3 & 9 with a 47k resistor if using the NES's audio mixing circuit or by connecting expansion pin 9 to that point between the two resistors on the NESRGB.

So, after all that, my idea is simply this: Remove the two resistors in front of pins 1 & 2 of the 2A03, connect pins 1 & 2 to their respective solder pads on the NESRGB, then finally put a 22k resistor or potentiometer on cart slot pin 46 and connect it to the point between the two resistors on the NESRGB, as described in Skips' expansion audio method. Because the 2A03 audio has been disconnected from the Famicom's audio mixing circuitry, cart slot pin 46 now only outputs microphone + expansion audio, and it can basically be treated like the front loader's expansion pin 9.

This is just an idea floating around in my head right now. I haven't actually put it into practice, since I'm still waiting on my NESRGB board. But would anyone care to take a stab a this plan to see if it works? It would be awesome if we could finally get properly mixed expansion audio out the GPM motherboard and AV Famicoms this way.

edit: On the AV Famicom, you would also have to cut the trace going to the audio output pin(s) on the AV out and connect the NESRGB's audio output there instead.

[Jeppen]

Ok, I just received my NESRGB boards from Tim, it took exactly 5 work days to reach Scandinavia and Sweden.

Perhaps not the most extravagant packing material used, but it sure did the trick.
Besides, who Doesn't want to know what was showing on Australian TV last week??

I do.

[opt2not]

I was happy to see an email stating my order had shipped today.
Thank you Tim!

[Adderall]

Mine is getting shipped as well.

So am I going to have problems using the Everdrive N8 on my US top loader?

[Vigormortis]

I dont have this Famicom2 NES adapter as im using the Everdrive N8 NES version (not famicom), i have tried the mod (pin 9 to 2 resistors on the NESRGB pcb) along with the Famicom version of Castlevaina 3 and im sure i was not getting any expanded audio!, so im not sure if this method of mod works with the combination of components i have (Front loading NES, NES Everdrive and NESRGB mod)?? Is there a Famicom game that uses exclusively expanded audio so i cant test for sure if this mod method is working??

Any ideas if i should try just bridging pins 3&9 with a resistor on the expansion port?, as i guess this could work as the NESRGB is taking the audio (from CPU pins 1&2) and then rebuilding the circuit inside the NESRGB and outputing the improved audio to the A/V socket (white wire 2 pictures above). Does the expanded Famicom audio get added before CPU pins 1&2 though or after as if its before i guess this mod wouldnt work either??

The Famicom to NES adapter mod simply passes the expansion audio from pin 46 of the 60 pin famicom connector to pin 54 on the 72 pin NES connector. The NES Everdrive N8 already outputs expansion audio on pin 54. It doesn't need any modification to output expansion audio to the front loader NES.

To troubleshoot your audio, start from the output and work your way backwards. I'm assuming that you currently just have pin 9 on the expansion port connected to the spot between the two resistors on the NESRGB board. Some of these things may seem silly or obvious, but it's good to have everything covered.

1) Output: Make sure you're using the audio output from the NESRGB board, not the NES's original RCA audio jack.
2) NESRGB connection: Makes sure your expansion audio wire is soldered to the exact point shown in Skips' picture.
3) Resistor: Make sure you didn't accidnetally use a 22M resistor instead of a 22k
4) Expansion Slot: Make sure your wire is connected to pin 9 on the expansion connector. Skips removed the expansion connector on his board, so his picture is actually from the side opposite of where you would normally find the solder points if your expansion connector is still there.
5) Cart connector: See if there is continuity between pin 9 of the expansion slot and pin 54 of the cartridge connector. If not, a trace may have gotten cut.... or you're not looking at pin 9. In the unlikely event that a trace was cut, try connecting the wire with resistor directly from pin 54 of the cart connector to the NESRGB.

If none of this works, try bridging pins 3 & 9 on the expansion connector with a 47k resistor. This will enable expansion audio on the NES's original audio output from the red RCA jack. It will not enable expansion audio from the NESRGB's output. Likewise, the 22k resistor from pin 9 to the NESRGB only enables expansion audio on the NESRGB, and not on the NES's original audio circuit. If you can't get any expansion audio out of either method (and making sure you're using the proper output), then maybe there is a problem with your Everdrive's expansion audio output. If you reach this point, I guess the only thing left to try is another everdrive or powerpak.

[sdekaar]

Order Number 150 shipped

[mickcris]

Mine just shipped also! Order #144.

[Elrinth]

Wow then it might actually be possible that mine ships next or the week after.. I'm #234

[Jeppen]

Mine is getting shipped as well.

So am I going to have problems using the Everdrive N8 on my US top loader?

I thought it was the PowerPak that had some issues with NESRGB and that the EverDrive worked perfectly?

Or maybe I misunderstood that completely.

[lettuce]

I dont have this Famicom2 NES adapter as im using the Everdrive N8 NES version (not famicom), i have tried the mod (pin 9 to 2 resistors on the NESRGB pcb) along with the Famicom version of Castlevaina 3 and im sure i was not getting any expanded audio!, so im not sure if this method of mod works with the combination of components i have (Front loading NES, NES Everdrive and NESRGB mod)?? Is there a Famicom game that uses exclusively expanded audio so i cant test for sure if this mod method is working??

Any ideas if i should try just bridging pins 3&9 with a resistor on the expansion port?, as i guess this could work as the NESRGB is taking the audio (from CPU pins 1&2) and then rebuilding the circuit inside the NESRGB and outputing the improved audio to the A/V socket (white wire 2 pictures above). Does the expanded Famicom audio get added before CPU pins 1&2 though or after as if its before i guess this mod wouldnt work either??

The Famicom to NES adapter mod simply passes the expansion audio from pin 46 of the 60 pin famicom connector to pin 54 on the 72 pin NES connector. The NES Everdrive N8 already outputs expansion audio on pin 54. It doesn't need any modification to output expansion audio to the front loader NES.

To troubleshoot your audio, start from the output and work your way backwards. I'm assuming that you currently just have pin 9 on the expansion port connected to the spot between the two resistors on the NESRGB board. Some of these things may seem silly or obvious, but it's good to have everything covered.

1) Output: Make sure you're using the audio output from the NESRGB board, not the NES's original RCA audio jack.
2) NESRGB connection: Makes sure your expansion audio wire is soldered to the exact point shown in Skips' picture.
3) Resistor: Make sure you didn't accidnetally use a 22M resistor instead of a 22k
4) Expansion Slot: Make sure your wire is connected to pin 9 on the expansion connector. Skips removed the expansion connector on his board, so his picture is actually from the side opposite of where you would normally find the solder points if your expansion connector is still there.
5) Cart connector: See if there is continuity between pin 9 of the expansion slot and pin 54 of the cartridge connector. If not, a trace may have gotten cut.... or you're not looking at pin 9. In the unlikely event that a trace was cut, try connecting the wire with resistor directly from pin 54 of the cart connector to the NESRGB.

If none of this works, try bridging pins 3 & 9 on the expansion connector with a 47k resistor. This will enable expansion audio on the NES's original audio output from the red RCA jack. It will not enable expansion audio from the NESRGB's output. Likewise, the 22k resistor from pin 9 to the NESRGB only enables expansion audio on the NESRGB, and not on the NES's original audio circuit. If you can't get any expansion audio out of either method (and making sure you're using the proper output), then maybe there is a problem with your Everdrive's expansion audio output. If you reach this point, I guess the only thing left to try is another everdrive or powerpak.

Thanks for the pointers, ill double check but i believe everything is as it should be. I take it it doesnt matter if the two resistors on the NESRGB board are bridged via solder?

Is there a Famicom game that uses just expansion audio, so if the nesrgb isnt correctly wired up then i wont hear no sound at all. I know GameTechUS was talking about a program that he used to make audio tunes and that he found a audio file that just used expansion audio and thats what he test to make sure his mod was working with expanded audio. But i cant seem to find the file anywhere

[ApolloBoy]

My NESRGB is here! Now I just have to wait for my new Twin Fami to arrive...