Kira Kira Star Night DX First PV released. (EDIT: New 8 bit music power boards!)

Started by ImATrackMan, May 24, 2016, 12:39:41 am

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fcgamer

Awesome, thanks mate!  I dream of getting that version some day.
Family Bits - Check Progress Below!

https://famicomfamilybits.wordpress.com

ImATrackMan

May 28, 2016, 12:18:45 pm #61 Last Edit: May 28, 2016, 01:20:32 pm by ImATrackMan
Quote from: fcgamer on May 28, 2016, 10:57:46 amI just think this product and the one before it are taking too much heat, all facts considered.
I agree with this more than most things in the thread.
Quote from: jensma on May 28, 2016, 07:47:34 am
I'll whip out the design tomorrow evening, I'm at my parents right now :)

You can't possibly know enough how grateful I am to you for going with my idea and making designing these boards.

UglyJoe



Quote from: ImATrackMan on May 28, 2016, 12:18:45 pm
You can't possibly know enough how grateful I am to you for going with my idea and making designing these boards.


Stupid question: would an MMC3 chip need to be harvested from another cart to make these?

jensma

Quote from: UglyJoe on May 28, 2016, 02:46:07 pm
Quote from: ImATrackMan on May 28, 2016, 12:18:45 pmYou can't possibly know enough how grateful I am to you for going with my idea and making designing these boards.

Stupid question: would an MMC3 chip need to be harvested from another cart to make these?
That's no stupid question at all!  There is a replacement for the MMC3 out there, namely the AX5202P. Unfortunately that chip misses at least one connection, so it's not 100% compatible. So yes, you most probably have to get a genuine MMC3.

If desired I can switch the design to the replacement chip, it's just two clicks in the layout software.

ImATrackMan

Quote from: jensma on May 28, 2016, 03:06:49 pm
That's no stupid question at all!  There is a replacement for the MMC3 out there, namely the AX5202P. Unfortunately that chip misses at least one connection, so it's not 100% compatible. So yes, you most probably have to get a genuine MMC3.

If desired I can switch the design to the replacement chip, it's just two clicks in the layout software.

The issues with the AX5202s are that most, if not all, good chips were used in carts, so all existing ones are defective in SOME way (especially in the IRQ area), and that there are two alternate pinouts.

jensma

May 29, 2016, 12:01:17 am #65 Last Edit: May 29, 2016, 05:40:39 am by jensma
Quote from: ImATrackMan on May 28, 2016, 09:46:53 pm
Quote from: jensma on May 28, 2016, 03:06:49 pm
That's no stupid question at all!  There is a replacement for the MMC3 out there, namely the AX5202P. Unfortunately that chip misses at least one connection, so it's not 100% compatible. So yes, you most probably have to get a genuine MMC3.

If desired I can switch the design to the replacement chip, it's just two clicks in the layout software.

The issues with the AX5202s are that most, if not all, good chips were used in carts, so all existing ones are defective in SOME way (especially in the IRQ area), and that there are two alternate pinouts.


Yeah, I heard that. Bummer. Next step would be implementing a MMC3 with a cpld. That'll take some time tough (maybe a project for the summer holidays  ;D)

Post Merge: May 29, 2016, 05:40:34 am

edit: The pcb is almost done. Waiting for ImATrackMan for confirming the measurements.

ImATrackMan

I don't see any reasons why they won't work, but I really really hope they do. I don't know how many people will want one, but if you do or know anyone who does, do not hesitate to speak up. In the event that KKSN:DX needs WRAM, I'll try to add it on so jensma doesn't have to do all of the work.

Great Hierophant

The replacement board as currently designed would require a donor MMC3 chip.  They are not hard to come by, but would you be able to desolder the chip if someone sent you a donor NES PCB?
Check out my retro gaming and computing blog : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/

ImATrackMan

May 29, 2016, 08:43:39 pm #68 Last Edit: May 30, 2016, 09:52:42 pm by ImATrackMan
I don't see why not. A whole donor PCB is probably the best base since it also includes the necessary capacitors.

UPDATE:
(update)

Great Hierophant

Quote from: ImATrackMan on May 29, 2016, 08:43:39 pm
I don't see why not. A whole donor PCB is probably the best base since it also includes the necessary capacitors.

UPDATE:
(update)


That picture is worth a thousand words.  If it weren't for the plastic standoffs, you could just use a Famicom MMC3 donor board and do a ROM swap. 
Check out my retro gaming and computing blog : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/

ImATrackMan

May 31, 2016, 12:59:52 pm #70 Last Edit: May 31, 2016, 01:05:22 pm by ImATrackMan
Quote from: Great Hierophant on May 31, 2016, 08:04:33 am
Quote from: ImATrackMan on May 29, 2016, 08:43:39 pm
I don't see why not. A whole donor PCB is probably the best base since it also includes the necessary capacitors.

UPDATE:
(update)


That picture is worth a thousand words.  If it weren't for the plastic standoffs, you could just use a Famicom MMC3 donor board and do a ROM swap.  
Normally I'm not big on repros because of the ethics of destroying a cartridge, but in this instance the end result is the same (this is a discussion for many other threads, not this one).

If Columbus had used a replication of the Nintendo mounting scheme, you'd need an MMC3 donor board to do the ROM swap. In this case though, you still need to use an MMC3 donor for the mapper and caps. This is why I don't have any issues with it (and also you can use any garbage MMC3 game instead of looking specifically for garbage TLROM games thereby limiting the damage slightly).

So YES. Jensma's gonna send me the files soon and then it's off to fabbing. Production confirmed, testing and successful recreation is TBA.

jensma

Quote from: ImATrackMan on May 31, 2016, 12:59:52 pm
So YES. Jensma's gonna send me the files soon and then it's off to fabbing.


Done  ;D

ImATrackMan

June 01, 2016, 04:45:01 pm #72 Last Edit: June 01, 2016, 04:50:38 pm by ImATrackMan
Alrighty, I've put the order in with PCBway, should take about a week for them to get here (Lead time 4-5 days, shipping 2. 2 DAYS FROM CHINA!).
One slightly annoying thing about PCBway is that they edit the silkscreen layer with the order number, so the boards'll have "W17542ASW3" printed on them in tiny text. If anyone cares, here's what they got (CHR position changed slightly from the images).

jensma

Blue soldermask, nice choice  :)
Your service seems to be pretty fast, my waiting time is around 35 days for pcbs  :'(

ImATrackMan

June 01, 2016, 10:41:48 pm #74 Last Edit: June 04, 2016, 11:47:18 am by ImATrackMan
I've also gotten the hardest part of the process taken care of, the MMC3 removal. I used a method that I think is pretty creative. take a piece of enameled wire, solder one end to a nearby component, run it under the legs of the IC and give a controlled, firm tug (using needlenose pliers or similar) while running the iron along the pins. The wire will separate the pins from the board, and the enamel coating keeps it from being soldered to the pins or the pads.

UPDATE:
Fabbing going smoothly, constant step-by-step updates. Production took a couple of days to start unlike my first time using them, but you can see that they just blaze through it.