How can you tell the year a Famicom/Famicom Disk System was manufactured?

[Tupin]

I know with Famicoms you can tell which models were the earliest because they had square buttons, but what about with newer ones? Can you tell by the serial number if it was manufactured in the late 80's compared to say one of the last ones in like 2002? Is there any way to tell for the Disk System?

[nintendodork]

The only ones they manufactured in 2002 were the A/V Famicom, so you could find out when the original ones were discontinued, and narrow it down a little bit.

[L___E___T]

There is a way you can tell, something to do with the code on the bottom I think, where did I see that decoder??!

[Tupin]

I figured you would be able to tell by the serial number, we need a table of dates and serial codes that go with them.

[L___E___T]

Yeah, I think I saw the guide on pink godzilla or something, there was a full table and faq on it.  I simply can't remember though and I can't find it either.  Could even have been on here!

[Tupin]

Well, we need to find it.

[JC]

Best way to tell is to open it up and look at the boards:

http://www.famicomworld.com/Articles/Square_Button_Famicom.htm

[djdac]

I figured you would be able to tell by the serial number, we need a table of dates and serial codes that go with them.

Found something like a while ago, found out my famicom was made in 1984. I wish I can remember the site I found it at.

[NintendoKing]

My working famicom is a 1989 model, also it has a unusual golden #1 next to the expansion port.

[L___E___T]

I figured you would be able to tell by the serial number, we need a table of dates and serial codes that go with them.

Found something like a while ago, found out my famicom was made in 1984. I wish I can remember the site I found it at.

Yeah same!  It was really useful, it didn't require you to take the thing apart!

[2A03]

My original Famicom was made sometime in 1987; the chips in my Famicom have date codes dating to around mid-1987.

[wolf9545]

If you go here, http://www.famicomworld.com/Downloads/Downloads.htm, there is a program under "famicom age" that you can run.  You just go and check the boxes that correspond to your famicom.  I know I tried it once on my famicom but it came up with an unknown age.

[nintendodork]

Ha!  That's kinda cool
According to this, mine was manufactured sometime between late 1983-1986...
Narrows it down a little bit anyway.

[Tupin]

Never mind, I found out the RAM Adapter test.

I have a Version 2 Disk System.

[UglyJoe]

You have a version 2 ram adapter.  The diagnostic tells you nothing about the drive itself.