TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine / Express / GT Region Mod Chips for sale!

BlueBMW · 03/07/2015, 04:48 PM

Updated first post

turbokon · 12/11/2015, 09:07 AM

So the obey chip version 2 is just about out. Fear not, we are working on a newer smaller form factor version that will cut down on installation time. The new obey chip will install and solder on the hucard slot 9 pins. Best of all, it will work on all turbografx and pce systems including the turbo express and pce gt. Unlike previous versions of the obey chip, the main and switchless chip will be on one board.

BlueBMW · 12/11/2015, 12:07 PM

Most excellent!

turbokon · 12/22/2015, 11:55 PM

The new region boards are on its way. It should arrive this Thursday.

The new region boards are on a flex board. The way it works is that it folds 3 times like an "S". The 9 hucard slot pins are severed leaving a 1/4 from the bottom and 1/4 from hucard slot. There are soldering holes that lines up and place on the pins coming from the main pcb and soldering pads that lines up to the hucard slot pins. There are 3 soldering holes for the wires for the switch.

Assembling these will be painful because of the small sizes of the passive components (sizes 0402) but I will know for sure when I get them. Also the fab of the boards were more expensive then the last version so the new price will be $18 to $20 before shipping for the main board and still $6 additional for the switchless board option for the gt/te.

GohanX · 12/23/2015, 07:24 PM

Hmmm, do I use the old obey chip or busy order a new one to save install time. Decisions...

turbokon · 12/24/2015, 11:44 AM

New obey region board vs old. I will do a video of an install after our little vacation sometime next week.

turbokon · 12/28/2015, 01:47 PM

So we ran into a few kinks. Holes and pads doesn't quite line up. We're making some changes to the design.

wilykat · 12/29/2015, 09:29 PM

A little oops. Aside that how does it work compared to the old mod? About the same? I was just wonder if it'd perform better or not.

turbokon · 12/30/2015, 08:25 AM

Quote from: wilykat on 12/29/2015, 09:29 PMA little oops. Aside that how does it work compared to the old mod? About the same? I was just wonder if it'd perform better or not.

It should perform better especially with the everdrive since the data lines are a lot shorter without the use of wires.

We will get another batch run. We are double checking everything again and will go with bigger footprints for the components.

blueraven · 01/05/2016, 10:32 PM

It looks amazing, tubokon! Can't wait for the changes and the updated version of the board. You've now double-reverse engineered the problem and made it a clip-on design?

Dang.

turbokon · 01/06/2016, 10:13 AM

Quote from: blueraven on 01/05/2016, 10:32 PMIt looks amazing, tubokon! Can't wait for the changes and the updated version of the board. You've now double-reverse engineered the problem and made it a clip-on design? Dang.

Thanks, but I can't take full credit. This is mainly thesteve idea and design.

thesteve · 01/06/2016, 02:18 PM

im waiting on the mail here so i can finish testing the switchless circuit to see if it needs anything changed
switched mode was tested working by turbokon already

blueraven · 01/12/2016, 03:50 AM

Just installed the oBey mod chip into the PC Engine Duo! Even though I've done a bit of repair work on and off, I never got around to doing a mod. This bothered me so I bought a few chips from Turbokon at MGC last year and this weekend a bit of magic happened.

I cut the pins, and installed the shrink-tubing and I was thinking to myself "what the fuck, not only is there no turning back but this shit is pink and it looks ridiculous." On top of it my Hu-Card slot was flipping me the bird.

After a snag or two I realized that there was a large blob of solder connecting pins 20 and 21, so I cleaned it up and bent the wires with a small needlenose pliers so that the chip would be level with the heatsynch. I then encased the chip and all of the wires in a bit of bubble wrap (an idea that I got from doujindance, although I have no Idea why also he has like 3 fucking RGB boards, an elephant and the encyclopedia britannica inside the systems he resells). I then bridged pins 29 and 30 on HU6280.

The chip went in, I mounted it on the RF shield above he Hu-Card slot, and cut a hole in the back of the case for a low-profile I/O switch. I filled in the edges with clear epoxy and double-checked the connections so that they could be quickly desoldered in the event of a repair.

but here is my working install as per BMW/Turbokon's guide and help in chat from chop5 and thesteve:

Love the design, guys and can't wait for the new board! I'll be picking a few more of these up in the next month.

Cheers! And thanks for all that you do!!

turbokon · 01/15/2016, 11:04 PM

Thanks blueraven, glad to see you finally installed the obey chip.

MNKyDeth · 01/16/2016, 01:15 AM

Quote from: turbokon on 12/30/2015, 08:25 AMIt should perform better especially with the everdrive since the data lines are a lot shorter without the use of wires.

We will get another batch run. We are double checking everything again and will go with bigger footprints for the components.

I have a TED v2.4. I have not tried nor do I have a previous version. But in all the systems I have installed the Obey V2 chip in all worked fine with the TED v2.4.

I've done more than these 3 but these are the best ones I have done with a clean look.

I am sure I can do better but as they say, practice makes perfect. These 3 systems are also using Turbokons RGB amps. The black PC Engine Duo I found using a connector to be extremely helpfull in case I needed to go back into the system I also use a thin velcro to mount the chip so I can move them or remove them a lot easier than using double sided tape.

turbokon · 01/28/2016, 07:13 PM

Here is the new revised version 3 obey region chip. Tested and working on a turbografx-16. We're still testing on an express using the switchless function.

turbokon · 01/30/2016, 02:17 PM

Here is another install of the new obey region chip on a duo-r.

wilykat · 01/30/2016, 08:30 PM

That mod is so tiny!

turbokon · 01/30/2016, 09:25 PM

Quote from: wilykat on 01/30/2016, 08:30 PMThat mod is so tiny!

We had to keep it tiny so that it fits all variation of the pce/tg16 systems.

turbokon · 01/31/2016, 08:39 AM

Here is the install video on a duo-r.

turbokon · 01/31/2016, 08:44 AM

Thesteve confirmed switchless function is working on an express. We will do another install video for an express.

turbokon · 02/01/2016, 09:51 AM

Here is the install video for an express install.

turbokon · 02/01/2016, 07:34 PM

The key to the install of the version 3 obey region chip to the cuts the top pins really short.

This is the full install for the express/gt with the switchless function. You only ran 3 wires.

Keith Courage · 02/03/2016, 08:04 PM

How much are they?

turbokon · 02/04/2016, 06:47 AM

Quote from: Keith Courage on 02/03/2016, 08:04 PMHow much are they?

Main chip is $18 plus $3 shipping, add $6 for switchless option.

spawnshop · 02/07/2016, 01:55 PM

So if i understand correctly, the switchless chip does not work on consoles ATM?
I have a US TG16, so i would need to install a switch as well, correct?

turbokon · 02/07/2016, 03:17 PM

Quote from: spawnshop on 02/07/2016, 01:55 PMSo if i understand correctly, the switchless chip does not work on consoles ATM?
I have a US TG16, so i would need to install a switch as well, correct?

That is correct. It require you ran a wire directly to the select button. You can't do that on the home consoles.

Game-Tech.US · 02/23/2016, 03:49 PM

Quote from: turbokon on 12/11/2015, 09:07 AMSo the obey chip version 2 is just about out. Fear not, we are working on a newer smaller form factor version that will cut down on installation time. The new obey chip will install and solder on the hucard slot 9 pins. Best of all, it will work on all turbografx and pce systems including the turbo express and pce gt. Unlike previous versions of the obey chip, the main and switchless chip will be on one board.

Did my design influence the v3?
Also did you test the TED at all? The only reason I haven't released my boards was because thesteve never figured out how to get the TED to work in the coregrafx consoles, or never told me if he did...

thesteve · 02/23/2016, 10:19 PM

actually we have tested with everdrive and have yet to have an issue
as far as influence this is what i was shooting for in the first place, but TurboKon wasnt comfortable with soldering such small parts
tho i could say they were both influenced by me

Game-Tech.US · 02/23/2016, 10:22 PM

Quote from: thesteve on 02/23/2016, 10:19 PMactually we have tested with everdrive and have yet to have an issue
as far as influence this is what i was shooting for in the first place, but TurboKon wasnt comfortable with soldering such small parts
tho i could say they were both influenced by me

What version of the TED are you testing with? Maybe that's the difference...

thesteve · 02/23/2016, 10:40 PM

well i just tried a 2.4 in my modded express that refused to run in a DoujinDance modded DUO and it works perfect
also TurboKon tested the ED2.4 on a white PCE with the flex board (ver3)

Game-Tech.US · 02/23/2016, 11:15 PM

Quote from: thesteve on 02/23/2016, 10:40 PMwell i just tried a 2.4 in my modded express that refused to run in a DoujinDance modded DUO and it works perfect
also TurboKon tested the ED2.4 on a white PCE with the flex board (ver3)

Excellent! So 2.4 is the hardware version or OS or firmware? That could be the reason mine isn't working, it's a v1.1 board! That the TED I sent you for testing with my pcb on the CG and white pce.
So you didn't have to add the pull-downs or the bigger cap for it to work on the CG and white pce consoles, like you suggested on mine?

thesteve · 02/23/2016, 11:18 PM

right, this is a 2.4 board everdrive (dont know what bios)
didnt have to do anything to it, no pull-up/down or added caps

Game-Tech.US · 02/23/2016, 11:19 PM

Quote from: thesteve on 02/23/2016, 11:18 PMright, this is a 2.4 board everdrive (dont know what bios)
didnt have to do anything to it, no pull-up/down or added caps

Well that's great! I'll get a hold of a newer TED and retest mine, hopefully it works!

turbokon · 02/24/2016, 07:25 AM

Even with the older region, I never had issues with the TE V1.1.

turbokon · 04/02/2016, 12:41 PM

Bump

spawnshop · 09/07/2016, 11:36 PM

Quote from: turbokon on 02/07/2016, 03:17 PM
Quote from: spawnshop on 02/07/2016, 01:55 PMSo if i understand correctly, the switchless chip does not work on consoles ATM?
I have a US TG16, so i would need to install a switch as well, correct?
That is correct. It require you ran a wire directly to the select button. You can't do that on the home consoles.

So I finally had the time to sit down and install the V3 Obey - man, works like a charm!

Now I gotta pick up some PCE games!!

turbokon · 10/02/2017, 07:14 AM

Hey guys, I finally updated the guide for obey version 3 region chip. It was almost two years overdue. Sorry it took so long.

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/downloads/ObeyChip_V3_Region_Install.pdf
https://www.mediafire.com/file/5x6zlhvvb0ozn49/Obey_Chip_Version_3_Region_Install.pdf