Topics

[Console Repair/Mod Center / How to get custom shell for mods?]

I am not a God of bondo and I don't have vacuum forming machine or CNC machine so those are out. Is there a way to get custom shell that can be easily used for making a portable PCE?  Been wanting to get one like LT but LT costs too much and TE/GT are limited by size to about 3" LCD without looking ugly. I wanted something with 5 or 7" LCD on a PCE or Coregrafx board.

Any suggestion or idea?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Anyone still prefer mechanical switch region mod?]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201444656382?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

10 pole 2 throw switch, $7 and it comes in 4.  I just got this for a different project and it does latch so it'd be good for TG16 and PCE region mod if you prefer mechanical switch version.  Since the region mod only needs 8 poles, the extra 2 can be for anything like LED lightning (one color for USA, different color for Japan) or left unused.

This sure beats the expensive $25 price tag for a single 8p2t switch that have been around for the past few years.

The seller has more than 100 lots (400 switches) currently so he won't run out anytime soon.

Not bashing the electronic switch version (any of them) but some of them do have issues with Everdrive while the mechanical switch don't have any problem.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Is this a PC Engine controller or what?]

Odd button layout, odd button names:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PC-engine-controller-Accessories-JP-GAME-/311623063957?

And the pass through connector.  The last time I saw a game controller with a pass through mini DIN plug was for Macintosh ADB port. Looks like S-Video plug, and Macintosh ADB did have support for multiple devices on the same system so pass through connectors were the norm on some keyboard and game pads.

The picture doesn't show the plug itself so I can't tell if it's 4 pins, or PS/2 6 pins or something. I am pretty sure PC Engine does not have or supported pass through connector design.

[PC-FX Discussion / Spotted a BC-FX for 5500 yen...]

Dunno if anyone knows this. Now and then in various Anime I see consoles that are obviously based on real console but often with intentionally misspelled name or completely different name. Today I caught the elusive PC-FX console (intentionally named as BC-FX) in an anime:

and get this: only 5500 yen.  That shop is rather expensive it seems considering I see a few boxed PC-FX sell for about $100 each.

Anime Asobi ni iku yo!  (English title Fill In)

12 episodes plus OVA, it's about alien race who looks like human with cat ear and tail coming to Earth and becoming friend with a boy and ends up getting chased by sci-fi fanatics and government agencies while the cat race negotiate for connection with Earth simply because Japanese food are all great tasting!  Comedy, boobies galore, and probably worth watching if you can get them.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Can this be done? SFGx add on module?]

PCE and TG-16 has plenty of pins in the rear port, would it be possible to make a module that contained the extra chips used by Super Grafx that plugged into the back? akin to what 32x did for Genesis? Maybe with pass through connector to dock with a CD system?

Is there a detailed schematic of Super Grafx?  There's a user made schematic of PCE that could used as reference, TG-16 is nearly the same except for that 8 flipped data lines on cart port.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / [USA] Turbografx CD in box, quite complete and works]

SOLD!!!

Since getting Duo-R, this one hasn't been used and I am more of player than collector so this set and the nice looking box should go to someone who will appreciate it and be able to show it off.

I am the original owner, bought this new from Toys R Us when they were on sale when NEC dropped TG-16 and CD system in favor of Duo. The serial number on the box did not match so it was switched or mixed up somewhere before I got it.

Last year shortly before I got Duo-R I had to take apart the CD system for stuck laser. Cleaned the rail and put on fresh white lithium grease. I also drilled out the middle gear oh about 1/32" bigger so it'd be less likely to seize and jam or crack.  Both drive and dock has not been recapped! They still worked when I retired it and all you need is a working TG-16 unit. 

PCE does not fit because of the Hucard hump on top is too tall but with adapter or mod (mod removing the top of the console shell, cut the side of EXT port to fit), one can use PCE and Coregrafx in it. Supergrafx too although you will probably need that hard to find extension dock.


(full size) https://i.imgur.com/IJ20Ezj.jpg
Image of CD and deck + system card in hard case (originally for PCMCIA) with my forum ID and date

(full size) https://i.imgur.com/YYfpr9Q.jpg
Box with my forum ID and date

More pictures:
https://i.imgur.com/BFyhne5.jpg  whole box front, a few dings and corners.  Mostly how I got it.  Since it was kept in the attic for most of those 25+ years, it didn't get much light exposure and the color is pretty good.
https://i.imgur.com/MMX4YpU.jpg whole box back side
https://i.imgur.com/nYAywUS.jpg one side of the box
https://i.imgur.com/jfOJOID.jpg other side of the box
https://i.imgur.com/WCNKY6t.jpg set of styrofoam blocks for CD case plus wraps
https://i.imgur.com/egutoEJ.jpg another styrofoam block for top part of the box, holds CD box, power supply, and AV cable.  There is cord melt in one of the compartment:
https://i.imgur.com/7uYEYe3.jpg because I left the AV cable and never knew about the "cord melt" issue
https://i.imgur.com/Bagz0ca.jpg styrofoam from inside CD box
https://i.imgur.com/A3fnZmr.jpg instruction manual and brochure. I know the warranty registration is gone, they were mailed away. There may be other paperwork missing as well
https://i.imgur.com/OlnBaNS.jpg CD case. both latches still on and intact
https://i.imgur.com/Aj2DipD.jpg inside the case with CD dock
https://i.imgur.com/Vj6LgeH.jpg CD and dock serial number. It matches!
Need more? Ask for more picture please.

Not pictured but original AC adapter and AV cable are included.  I am quite sure the AV cable are the same one that came included originally considering it was left in the box for the last 25 years!

I prefer to keep this as a set, but will consider separating the CD system and box if there's no interested party after a while.  As it's huge and over 11 pounds without packing material or shipping box international shipping is not recommended.  Shipping within USA can run from about $14 (inside Michigan) to $65 west coast.  Alaska and Hawaii can expect very high shipping as well   If you are in Michigan I can meet you in some area (about 1 hour drive from Flint area) to save on shipping

I have no idea what to price this at so I'll take reasonable offer. Forum rule I think requires I put a price anyway so I will list this for 1 million dollars 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Pulled my TurboCD box out of storage...]

and I forgot how big it is!  Still in very nice condition, almost like it just came out of Toys R Us after sitting on the shelf for a year.  The label on the side of the box is still intact, dealer was supposed to take it off for warranty purpose but I guess someone at Toys R Us forgot or it wasn't needed since TG-16 and CD was about ended in favor of Duo and I got my CD on clearance sale for under $100 (can't remember, no receipt saved)

Several foam blocks are still in along with few wraps, TurboCD manual, brochure, and original NEC AV cord were still in the box. I think I used RF at first and when I got AV, I didn't come back to the box for the original AV cable. Unfortunately the AV cable had melted into the foam due to plasticizer reacting.

I am a tad sad however, the serial number on the bottom of the box did not match the serial number on the CD or base unit.  I don't know if it was something at TRU or at NEC but it was mixed up and quite a large skip in serial number.  Were they supposed to match anyway?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Ys 1&2 map pack in]

I have this with the CD game I bought a couple decades ago and I just noticed I can't find scanned map so either my google-fu is bad or scanned map is about as rare as actual original map.

https://imgur.com/jofTa9R

Scanned at 300dpi, I need to center it better as I cut off a little bit off the top.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB Power switch piece for TurboExpress or GT]

Somehow I lost the switch piece that goes between the PCB switch and the shell for user to use. Without it, it is hard to turn the unit on or off as the switch itself is rather deep inside through a small hole.

I suspect one of my cat has it, she often steals LEGO pieces and other small plastic parts. The green switch piece would look like toy to her.

eBay is a little dry on spare parts, the cheapest unit is over $200 -_-  So anyone got a spare switch for TE or GT? Buying one + shipping in USA.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Playing audio CD in Duo while playing Huey game]

TurboCD and PCE Cd had play button that would allow one to play music CD while playing with Hucard game.  Duo does not have such buttons as the CD drive were never made to be detachable and playable as stand alone CD player.

Is the hardware under that Duo CD system the same?  If so, would it be possible to add play, stop, next, and previous button and make playing music possible while playing card games?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / what is this?]

Seller listed it as Develo Box, PC Engine development environment kit

Looks like it uses controller port and has 3 more ports on the box.

PDF Scan of PCE Develo Assembler Book:
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/downloads/Develo_Book_Assembler_nec_pc_engine.pdf

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Hucard pin spacing?]

I tried Google and I couldn't find any information plus Google thinks I am looking for pin header not hucard.  So what is the pin spacing? 0.05"?

TIA

[Console Repair/Mod Center / BRAM upgrade hack]

First the quick summary:
the original BRAM is only 2k which is not a lot.  Sega CD also had similar limitation but they did have RAM cart that can be used. Us poor people in USA never got easy to use English version like Tennokoe Bank card or something (plus we need converter) so we need to rely on guide and modded system.

Or one could replace the original 2K with something bigger.  Tennokoe2, TurboBooster Plus, CD system, and Duo all have standard SRAM which makes it easy to work with. No weird propriety shit.

However the systems were never designed to work with more than 2K of RAM so you need to manually control what "pages" the system is on to get around the 2k limit.

I have choosen 32k because: 16 pages is more than enough for many good games, because the DIP package used on Tennokoe2 and Turbobooster Plus is the narrow 300mill package, and SRAM over 32k is 600mil wide, which would require DIP adapter or a whole lot of wiring.  Duo and CD system used SOIC package which can go up to 1 megabit in same physical width.

The pinout are different though.  Just slightly different.  For 32k, you would need to lift 2 pins and reroute /WE pin and /VCC pin from the pad to the new chip. You will also need a way to control each of the added address pins that are not on the original system pad.

There are 3 ways you can control memory banks, or pages:

The easy way:
Dip switch with pullup resistors

Pro: cheapest, quickest, 4 address switch can be controlled by a hexidecimal rotary switch
Con: need to read *tiny* switch, larger switch does not appear to exist.

Add more switches for more address (ie 5 switch for 64k SRAM, 6 switch for 128k, etc)

Medium way
DIP switch plus LED readout

added with the DIP switch diagram above.
Pro: easy to read current page
con: more wiring, displays in hexidecimal only (0-9, A-F)

Add second 7447 with more switch for 64k, 128k, 256k, and 512k SRAM

Medium-hard:
there is a binary counter with up and down count pin, use it along with 7447 above for 2 buttons counter with display.  I did not look in this because it seems a lot more wiring than the Arduino method below.

Hard way:
2 push buttons and LED readout

Pro: display pages in decimal (starts at 1, 1 to 9, 10-19, etc)
Con: a LOT more work than above mods. Requires a mean to program ATMega328 (such as Arduino UNO board)

With 5 pins left, I can do 3 displays and up to 512k SRAM before I run out. 

Source code for those of you doing the Arduino way:

Code Select Expand

// unused pin: 0 and 1, 4, 13, and by removing DP pin, A3
// digital pin 0 and 1 are not used, these are usually used for communication
// with host and can be repurposed if more pins are needed.

#include "SevSeg.h"
int buttonup = 2;                 // pin to connect the button
int buttondn = 3; // pin to connect the button
int presses = 0;         // variable to store number of presses
long time = 0;         // used for debounce
long debounce = 200;                 // how many ms to "debounce"
const byte numPins = 4;                 // how many address, 5 for 64k and 6 for 128k
int state; // used for HIGH or LOW
   // pins to connect leds
byte pins[] = {5, 6, 7, 8};             
int leddisplay = 1;                     // start LED display at 1
SevSeg sevseg;                          //Instantiate a seven segment controller object

void setup()
{
/* we setup all pins as OUTPUT and start at LOW */
for(int i = 0; i < numPins; i++) {
pinMode(pins[i], OUTPUT);
                digitalWrite (pins[i], LOW);
}
pinMode(buttonup, INPUT);
pinMode(buttondn, INPUT);
/* use pin 2 and 3 which has interrupt 0 and 1 on Arduino UNO */
attachInterrupt(0, countup, FALLING);
attachInterrupt(1, countdn, FALLING);

      // setting up LED display
         byte numDigits = 2; // 2 digits for 16, 32, and 64 pages.
         byte digitPins[] = {A1, 11}; // equals to number of digits used,
         byte segmentPins[] = {10, 9, A0, A2, A3, 12, 13, A5}; // pin a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and DP
         // can probably leave out A3 DP and free a pin for one more LED display
         sevseg.begin(COMMON_ANODE, numDigits, digitPins, segmentPins); // change to cathode if used
         sevseg.setBrightness(70); // change to be brighter or dimmer
}
 
void loop()
{
/* convert presses to binary and store it as a string */
String binNumber = String(presses, BIN);
       
if((0 <= presses)&&(presses <= 15)) { // change to 31 or 63 for 64k and 128k

digitalWrite(pins[0], (presses &        B1));
digitalWrite(pins[1], (presses &       B10));
digitalWrite(pins[2], (presses &      B100));
digitalWrite(pins[3], (presses &     B1000));

} else {
                if (presses > 15) presses = 15;
                if (presses < 0) presses = 0; // change both lines from 15 to 31 for 64K, 63 for 128k
}

    // display current page
    leddisplay = presses + 1 ;
    sevseg.setNumber(leddisplay, 0);
    sevseg.refreshDisplay(); // Must run repeatedly
}
 
/* function to count the presses */
void countup() {
// we debounce the button and increase the presses
if(millis() - time > debounce) presses++;
time = millis();
}

void countdn() {
// we debounce the button and decrease  the presses
if(millis() - time > debounce) presses--;
time = millis();
}You will need to add sevseg library to your Arduino IDE to make this work.

Lastly, replacing the backup RAM cap would help.  On my Duo it's a tiny 0.047uF wich won't last long. I am getting 1 farad cap which should last me many months even with the larger SRAM chip.

Before jumping into this project, be aware that:
SOIC chip are small and can be hard to remove if you don't have a proper SMD work station.  The chip in my Duo-R was glued on underneath so I had to use dentist pick to desolder and lift individual pins before I could pop it out.

If you are going to get DIP package for Turbobooster Plus or Tennokoe2 and going to get a 300mil to 600 mil adapter for larger SRAM, watch the clearance or you may have trouble reassembling the shells.  Alternative is DIP to SOIC adapter as it'd be a few mm thinner.

What size SRAM you want depends on  how much work you want, and don't go overboard. 1megabit SRAM (128kx8) exists but that would be 64 pages, a lot of flipping switches or pushing buttons.  Also be aware that SRAM comes in even smaller TSOP package which will be hard to work with, and some SRAM are serial or 16 bits parallel, not 8 bits which is not useful for this mod, and some SRAM requires lower voltage rather than 5v the system puts out.  Make sure the SRAM you get are:
5v normal
low power standby would be nice
has 8 bit data
and is not from disreputable source like eBay where you may end up with nonworking counterfeit.
Bonus: if you consider the pricey ferroelectric ram (FRAM for short), you won't need to bother with replacement cap. FRAM can retain data for 151 years!!!

And above all, work carefully!  If you have limited soldering experience, it is best to ask someone to do the work for you.  Same thing with case modding for the switch or display.

Original work log below:

Been itching to do this for a few years but I finally got started.



The chip was a pain to remove, it used some strong glue to hold it down.  I have on hand new chip to install. I need to double check the pinout, lift the extra pins, wire VCC from the pad spot 24 to the new chip 28, and 4 wires to switch for toggling address.

I had to take a break.  A marathon soldering session 4 hours isn't good for anyone's health.  Fixed Atari Lynx (no power), worked on C64 board (bad RAM) and then Duo-R.  Plus it was past 4 AM here and I am expected up before 9 AM.  Time flies when you're high on solder fume.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / naked Memory Base 128]

Didn't find this in Google search and the forum search is a bit dumb so I couldn't tell if anyone ever posted this before.



Uses Oki 128KBx1 serial RAM chip, a .047F cap as backup for when you change the batteries, and a NEC chip 65015 which looks like a small FPGA to me if the datasheet is correct.

There's not much one can do to hack this but it is useful as a 64x memory backup if you used certain game like Private Eye Dol (yes, dol not doll) to swap the entire 2k bank between the host system and one of the 64 blocks.  Sorry but Tennokoe card's only good for 4 banks and it's a bitch to replace the tiny battery plus no backup so if you take the battery out, the save's toast.

This seems like a better choice for when you have lots of saves to preserve and Tennokoe is not enough.  Memory Base 128 and one suitable CD game costs about the same as 2 working Tennokoe cards.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / TurboStick CIB $50]

Tested working TurboStick, I used controller test program on Everdrive to check all buttons and turbo sliders.  Comes in original box with 2 pieces styrofoams, instruction manual, unused registration card, and advert.

https://i.imgur.com/nFSDPNB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8xsPgdY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aq6WsY5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wocvu2p.jpg

The box has large dent on one side and the back side shows some grime. 

https://i.imgur.com/yMtIpII.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/64ydxH4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8Q3QQ01.jpg

The controller also needs a minor repair, the wire had been pulled a bit out of the controller's base, see picture.

https://i.imgur.com/vBQthE5.jpg

Asking $50 (USA shipping included) plus shipping from USA, 48435 if I am shipping outside USA.  Paypal payment accepted.  This is about eBay price just for the controller itself, you are basically getting free decent looking box.  I ask that whoever buys this are planning to keep it and not flip it on eBay.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / How did the seller test this controller?]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281875779569

The plug looks like it's missing something, a common problem with these controllers.  Somehow the seller tested it as working.

Did I miss some info about a rare all black plug end or is the seller full of shit?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Any games that can use Power Glove?]

I got a few gloves and a couple sensor bars sitting unused because most NES games I play don't play well with the glove. So I was wondering if any other console could use it or if there aren't any decent 3D type game that could really use the glove.

Although the glove is made for NES, it can be hacked to work on other consoles.

PS when did the power glove become so expensive?  The sensor bar by itself can reach $100 easy.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Fixing Turbostick slider switch]

I have a Turbostick that works but the metal post had come out of rapid fire speed slider and it won't stay in.  It's not the plastic knob that normally comes off (like when you take it apart) but the metal post. I suspect the socket inside the slider has cracked.  The slider can still change position if I stick something thin like a nail file so the slider itself is working.

How can it be fixed? Or is there a replacement slider somewhere that has correct physical size, correct pins, and correct resistance value?  I hope it wasn't a custom design for NEC to use in Turbostick.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / NES Advantage to PCE/Duo controller hack]

I have looked at the controller board from NES Advantage and it does have a 4021 shift register chip used for NES system, no weird propriety chip. The rapid fire and slo-mo option are controlled by different logic chips.

I have mapped out what I need to change to make it work with PC Engine.  The player 1/2 switch will not be used since PC Engine uses propriety chip to multiplex up to 5 controllers to one line. There isn't any schematic so I can't even tell how it switches from one of the port to one wire to console. 

I thought I had a small PCB to work with for making hookup but I can't find it and local stores are already closed for the night so it'll have to wait before I can start wiring it and test to see if the original rapid fire and slo-mo will work unmodded.

Maybe in the future I'd hack a cheap 2/3/whatever tap and replace the original 1/2 switch with one that has required poles.   I am guessing it controls 4 data lines from the controllers? A 4p2t switch to map from the controller's 74157 through the switch to player 1/2 pins of the tap chip.  It wouldn't be very effective in games that are simultaneous multi-player like Dungeon Explorer but only with one player at-a-time games.  (how many games has one player taking turns via tap anyway?)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / About to commit rodenticide...]

I was looking through some stuff and came across a small box that held TG-16 game boxes. Most of the boxes were inside plastic box and are OK but the one box I wanted to keep the most, Vasteel CD cover (USA), was not OK.  The front are wrinkled like it got pissed on and the back was ruined.

NNNOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

[Buy/Sell/Trade / How much is this worth?]

Card only, doesn't play at all in my TG-16 or TE, cleaned it a lot so I suspect it is 100% dead.  CNN mentioned video game could be worth as much as $18,342,543 so I wanted to check before I sell it for 10x the highest suggested value.









PS not a real how much it is worth post, just picking on those noobs asking how much it's worth we've been getting lately.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / recapped Turboexpress no power]

From this thread: https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=19511.0

I've cleaned and recapped and replaced the fuse. But when I powered it on, nothing happens.  No smoke, no light, no sign of life in the stock LCD. (no sound naturally since I am still without replacemen audio jack and sound doesn't get piped to speaker without the jack)  The meter shows it is drawing only about 20mA so something is getting through but something isn't working.

Now what?  I am guessing issue around the voltage regulator.  Someone has any detail or schematic on the power circuit?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Can LD-ROM2 games be played on non-LD?]

Pioneer had Genesis and TG-16 module for one of the laserdisc system and released a few games that are only on LD.

Would it be possible to play games that were exclusive to LD-ROM2 format on a CD-R played on regular TG-16 or Duo console?  Or is the LD format so different it couldn't be converted to CD format?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / (USA) FS TurboGrafx-16 with AV+S-Video mod and original PSU]

sold

Been using this for many years as a second system, I modded it with video ports so I didn't need to hunt down those overpriced Turbobooster.  I had them mounted to the side so it wouldn't interfered if I ever got a Turbobooster Plus or CD system but since I got a Duo-R last month, my old "main" system is now my second and this one is just taking up space.

Original console, no region mod, original power supply plus A/V cable and S-Video cable.

$100 shipped in USA!. I take Paypal or US postal money order.  I would rather not put this on eBay as I would have to raise it to $125 minimum to cover eBay fee and aggravation fee (noob asking really dumb questions like will it play NES games or can XBox controller be used)

Pictures (large hi-res)

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Controller doesn't work right, no U, D, R, or L]

TG-16 controller I just dug out of the mess of untested controllers I sometimes pick up from Goodwill, Salvation Army, various sales, and even in rubbish bin.  It's acting odd.  When I press U, D, L, or R, nothing happens.

Using controller test ROM (via Everdrive), it confirmed nothing working on the control pad.  HOWEVER if I pressed Start, Select, I, or II button, it also triggers direction.  Examining the schematic, the common issue seems to be data toggle line to pin 1 of 74HC157 is not toggling and stuck in high. I checked the wire and PCB trace, there is continuity from the plug all the way to pin 1

Using a logic probe, I am getting pulse on pin 1 so the signal is getting through.

Does it mean the chip is partially bad?  The 4 buttons still work but directional does not work.  Or is there something else I need to check first?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Can it be done? save RAM inside TE?]

Turbobooster, Turbobooster Plus, Tennokoe, and Backup Booster plus CD systems all have save RAM for in game saves. (there's also Save-kun and M128 but those are not usable with most games).

Express and GT do not and they do not have the expansion connector for one.

I have been looking at Tennokoe (cheapest) and it seems like I can cut the board to minimum including the custom NEC chip plus SRAM chip, add a super cap to the SRAM's + rail with a diode in line so the cap can be charged when TE is powered on, and keep SRAM from getting erased:


I've documented the pinouts from the EXT connector to the chip and SRAM and I'd need to clean up my notes, type it in text file, and double-check it all. Then figure out which CPU pins to tap.

Some of the components on one side of the bank is used for battery watchdog and can be removed in favor of a super cap and a diode. (was 4 transistors plus a dozen caps and resistors cheaper than one super cap back then?)

The only issue is about 30 wires from CPU to the save board.  Since Tennokoe didn't use some of the expansion pinouts (CD detect, video bus, etc) it cuts down some work from the full 69 pins but that's still a lot of work to do.  Also would I still have room to install it in a TE?  The wide ribbon cable from the mainboard to the cart board would be in the way.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Well, messy mod on something I got off eBay]

Well, now what?  I got a second TE as a spare, it was listed as non working. I expected the usual, bad caps and blown fuse. What I saw is worse.

/4jfKgOp.jpg
Long exposed wire from + side of the cap touching a diode and metal box. Brown wire also suggest someone used very hot soldering iron   

/TKZKiTC.jpg
2 missing caps, lifted or damaged pads, and melted audio out jack 

/6aQvPqv.jpg
One cap with long exposed metal touching another metal spot on the PCB, and another cap had pea-sized solder blob that was floating (not connected) to anything. 

And lots of mess from flux, it's hard to tell if any of those are from original cap.  I was going to get this recapped and LCD modded but there's fair amount of damage I don't think it'd be safe to LCD mod.  The caps currently in use, most of them aren't labeled to the brand so I may need to replace all those.

Any other issue you can see that I may have missed?   

PS someone go start a change.org campaign to make license a requirement to use soldering iron. When someone's woefully inexperienced tries to do a difficult task like removing SMD caps, they risk destroying Turboexpress.  I may have a few hundred hours of experience with soldering and desoldering but removing caps is not my forte, which is why I paid someone to recap my first TE.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / mod plan: power LED for Duo-R]

PC Engine, Coregrafx, Turbografx-16 all have one thing in common: no LED at all.  CD system has drive LED but that is all.  I wanted a power on indicator.  There were 2 ways of doing it.


Easy way: adding a second LED alongside existing LED wired to 5v and ground. The only drawback is it'd mix color with drive LED.  You could change drive LED and color coordinate with a second LED to get a nice pleasing one color for drive, second color for other. But I wanted blue for power on with no drive and red for drive.  Since there's no way to combine blue with something to get solid red, the easy plan won't work.

Harder way: second LED is switched electronically so it comes on when the drive LED is not on.  I found a quick schematic that seemed to do the trick:


and my finished LED assembly:

I opted for dead bug style, with only 4 parts it wasn't worth wasting a PCB.  The LED anode and cathode lined up with collector and emitter of the transistor. Anode/collector led connected to a 1k resistor (which with 5v makes for a nice blue light that won't melt eyes like some cheap electronis LED can), emitter ad cathode side are connected to ground. The blue wire with 10k resistor inline is to go somewhere.

I'll post update when I finish, verify my idea works, and get video.

PS I did check the drive LED when I was fixing bad RAM issue (different thread) and saw the cathode is connected to ground and anode is connected to a 470 ohms resistor to a transistor, one leg to 5v and other leg probably to an IC chip for drive activity. I plan to tap onto that transistor pin.  The layout is probably the same on RX (since it's only 1 letter printing on console and a 6-button controller instead of 2 button controller as pack in) but it would likely be different on black Duo.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / [SOLVED] Bad chip or what? Corrupt video on Duo-R]

From the thread: https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=19470.0 since the issue is not with game disc but with Duo-R itself.

Here's a video of the issue running Might and Magic III and Ys III.

Suggested it may be related to the RAM chips, I am going to go over them with a strong magnifying glass to see if I can rule out bad solder joint or bad trace.  Hopefully it's not the chip itself as I don't have the tool to desolder those chip (pins curled under chip, needs hot air station to remove it)

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Turboexpress LCD mod take 2 - rolling screen]

LCD screen tested good when I used other devices but when I connected to the TE, the screen rolls very slowly. Like 2 seconds for one full flip.  This is what I am using for wiring: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/pcengine/express-gt-composite-t179.html

Any idea? It seems the sync should be within the video but the sync seems off.  The LCD is supposed to be auto sensing NTSC and PAL so it may be the sync is not present?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Do I have a bad disc?]

On Duo-R I tried to play Might and Magic III and the graphic seems off to me.



Is that how it's supposed to look?  The animated part and the text seems fine but the static part seems funny.  My Duo-R doesn't show any glitches when I played Space Fantasy Zone, Dungeon Explorer 2, and other games.  I'll do Populous next, I got a few more CD games to check.  Space Fantasy Zone and M&M3 are the only ones I have on CD-R.

If it is bad game,  [snipped]

[Console Repair/Mod Center / TG-16 does it need to be recapped?]

I have an extra TG-16 I am cleaning up to sell and I can't remember if TG-16 are fine or if they are known to have caps problem like Express and black Duo.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Did I fry HuC6260? LCD mod fail]

I went to mod my Turboexpress for LCD and when I tested it, nothing worked.  I used a bench power supply to provide 9v into battery compartment as it also had amp meter to monitor consumption.  After some checking, I found the fuse had blown and it seems I wired the ground wire from the lifted pins of the video chip to 5v spot rather than ground spot.

Can the HuC6260 get fried if I put 5v through those 5 ground pins?  I really would hate having to desolder and remove the entire chip and swap it with one from a sacrifice console.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Turboexpress or GT schematic?]

Is there any schematic on this?  There are schematic of TG-16 but it does not account for difference with LCD and internal sound plus tuner support.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Duo-R video signal issue]

There's 2 noise bars slowly moving across the picture.  It appears to be interference but what is causing it? My TG-16 and CD system doesn't show this or many other game consoles so it can't be external interference.

I'm thinking problem with internal power supply being 2 lines, looks like 120Hz, like there's noise at DC filtering. Any schematic for it? Or is there a common known issue with this that I can quickly check?

Using Sony brand PS2 slim power supply, it's the only one I have that fits and meets requirement atm.  If the power supply is causing it, what else can I use?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / TE LCD pinout?]

Anyone know of the LCD pinout?  Other LCD systems (Gameboy, Lynx, and Game Gear) had 20 or 30 lines between the board and the LCD, which suggest the LCD were directly controlled.  TE cable however is only 8 lines total.

Does it means TE LCD uses analog video such as RGB?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Who is available for TE recap and how much?]

I just got a TE and it has bad sound. I thought I'd try recapping myself but when I opened it and took a look, I realized it's a lot smaller than what I am used to.  My first reaction:



Which would make recapping TE quite a bit harder than when I recapped my TG-16 CD base system. (3 boards, all hardwired, and not a lot of room made that a bit tricky)

Sooo... anyone in USA is able to recap? I will send just the mainboard, with the cart port taped down to prevent it from wiggling around and breaking cable in shipment.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Tennokoe2 hacking question]

It has 2 main chips, a custom NEC chip plus a common 2k SRAM, and the rest of the circuit is just battery watchdog that switching the SRAM over to 3v batteries when the power is off.

It seems almost anything can be used in place of the SRAM.  Is there an alternate chip like NVRAM, FRAM, EEPROM, etc that can be used as drop in replacement for the SRAM so I could just cut off those battery watchdog circuit.

Failing that, would a large capacitor (470uF or so) connected to SRAM's VCC and ground, plus a single diode from 5v to SRAM's VCC work?  The diode would prevent current from running out of cap to the entire system when the power's off while keeping the SRAM alive.

Just trying to reduce part counts of Tennokoe2 to see if it's possible to shoehorn save support inside a TE or GT.  No more trying to read 5 pixel high password, just save and play later.

PS schematic seems to be absent?  I have the Tennokoe2 and plenty of good pictures, if there's no schematic I will try to reverse engineer it for schematic.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Avenue or Blaster controller?]

3 button Avenue pad I have has up and died (board cracked) and so I am looking for a replacement controller.  I haven't looked much at Blaster, does it have a switch to remap start or select button to button 3 like Avenue does?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Getting a Duo-R, mod advices (video, cap)]

If it hasn't been recapped, I'd like it recapped. Is it easy or is the solder a pain in the butt to suck or old caps hard to remove?

Also it only has standard AV port and it won't have a cable. I could:
buy a 5 pin DIN plug and solder in AV cable
or
install a 9 pin mini DIN and use Genesis 2 AV cable

At this time I am not planning to do RGB mod but if I install the 9 pin socket, I will add in 3 color coded wires for RGB and tape it off so I could add in RGB board later.

If I go with the 9 pin mod, where is the best place to mount the port?

Luckily I still have the old NEC controller adapter that was released when they first released Duo in USA so I can use existing TG-16 controllers.  (replacing all 5 Turbo Sticks and tap can be expensive)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / [USA] no longer WTB PCE GT or TE (got it)]

No idea what to pay so I'll start with $100 via Paypal for a working unit with battery cover, more if it's been recapped and / or modded with new LCD.  Since I have Everdrive, it does not matter if it's a USA TE or Japanese GT, region mod not needed either.

I can't do Yahoo Jp and eBay is full of snipers with itchy trigger finger.

TIA!!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Turbo CD and base matching serial number]

Hadn't really paid much attention but I noticed the serial number on my CD drive and base unit are the same.  I am the original owner so the serial number is probably matched from factory to make it easier to keep track of customer return for repair.

It's been a while since I've seen the original box but does it have serial number on it as well?  I'd have to go to my parent's attic and dig it out so it would be a while before I can do it.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Average price for used TE?]

Well?  Been itching to get one but eBay seem all over the board.  Either the TE or the GT, I'm going to use my TED so region doesn't matter.  I plan to recap and replace LCD if it's not already modded.

What's a good price for an used one that works and is there a better place beside eBay? I can't do Yahoo Jp, most sellers there won't ship to USA and I don't know Japanese.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Recapping TurboCD dock is a pain in the butt.]

Taking a break from recapping job. This is my second TurboCD dock I am recapping.  The 3 boards doesn't come apart unless I desolder all the wires as none of them are socketed.  So i got one board in the bench vice (the small solder station sized one) and I still have to put up with 2 loose boards trying to cause problem.

How do you do the TurboCD dock?

Seriously I don't get paid enough to do the dock.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Grease for stuck CD system]

My CD system got stuck and I've taken it apart. The gear didn't want to turn at first but now turns freely after I applied a bit of force.  I cleaned the worm gear and checked the board for bad caps (non visible so emergency recap isn't needed)

Anyway before I put it back together, it needs fresh grease. I don't have a local electronics shop and it's 20+ miles to the nearest Radio Shack that didn't close.  Local hardware store did have something, only 1 grease that doesn't have any warning about plastic parts. The employee there said he uses it on battery powered tools without a problem.

I doubt anyone would still be using battery powered tool after 25 years like Turbo CD.  But is "White Lithium Grease" ok to use?  This is exactly what I got: http://agscompany.com/product/white-lithium-grease-tube-1-25-oz-cardhardware/

[Console Repair/Mod Center / blown chip on Duo? (eBay listing)]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111598520733

One picture shows the motherboard and if you look at the right side chip, it looks like something was burning.  Blown chip?  Hard to fix or worth trying to buy it to fix it?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Question about turoCD and PCE CD]

First, are both the same aside from cosmetic? (black vs white)  ie I can use TurboCD into PCE interface unit, and PCE CD drive in my Turbo CD base.

Second, is the CD drive pinout documented? I was wondering if it was possible to cook up alternative as the original CD drives predated CD-R technology and can't handle them without risking burnout.  TurboDuo would be hard as it's integrated and it seems you'd need to emulate CD optics and drives or solder in hack to bypass CD drive hardware and feed data into system.  A plug in option for older interface and separate CD unit seemed easier.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Raffle: Keith Courage HuCard + Victory Run HuCard and manual]

No minimum post count but you need to be registered before today to be counted!  I'd prefer this goes to whoever does not have the games.  If you wanted just one of them, raffle off the second one.  These aren't exactly valuable game and I don't want to deal with feeBay so I'm giving these away. I figure if I sold on feeBay with free shipping, then after all the fees and shipping are paid I'd have nothing in the end.   So I'm not giving those fat greedy cats money.

I'll eat shipping so post away if you want a shot at Keith Courage (HuCard and sleeve only) plus Victory Run (Hucard, sleeve, and manual)  Both cards are for USA TG-16 and will work on modified PCE (pin mod required)

I'll randomize all interested posts who joined in before Sunday, August 23rd at noon eastern time and winner will be drawn later on Sunday.  I'll update the first post once in a while with list of people who are in.

*BigusSchmuck
*KnightWarrior
*420GOAT

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Finally got Turbo ED!!!]

A while ago Stone Age Gamer offered a limited time order for TurboED and I jumped on it within 1 minute of it becoming available (and spent 25 minutes cursing at the broken checkout, the payment server was choking on PayPal payment for some reason) I got the payment in.

Today the card arrived.  I had the micro SD card ready before the card arrived and I got the card plugged in and running before the shipping box I tossed had landed on the floor. 

Refresher: the ED card will not play Populous or either of the Arcade card due to extra RAM not available.

PS as the ED has region switch installed, it seems redundant to have 2 region switches on a single console. My TG-16 has switch as well.  I'll probably have the card plugged into my eventual portable PCE hack so I won't have to hack 8 data lines and try to dig up a hard to find mini 8PDT switch or wire up IC method with way-too-many tiny SMD contacts.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Using PCE with TurboCD, etc]

The pinouts of both PCE and USA TurboGrafx addon are the same. The only problem is the shape of the connectors, PCE uses rectangle connector while TG-16 used trapezoid shaped connector.

Is the shape just the only limitation or is there another reason USA and Japanese accessories can't be cross mated?  I'd like to try and plug the white PCE into my USA TurboCD, and Tennokoe2 bank on my TG-16 console.

If there's no limitation, I got files and I'm not afraid to use it.  Well, I'm not hacking the TurboCD, it's frickin' expensive to replace if it breaks.