HVC *GPM* (Oops)? What is the meaning? + FC CPU Board Revision Numbers

Started by Xious, September 27, 2010, 07:09:24 am

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jpx72

Everything's possible, but most probably the controllers were just exchanged on your machine... 04 is definately square button, but since the controllers were so easily destroyed, repair shops just changed them for a new round pair.
Those boards are pretty rare, so please be gentle when doing the mod... if you really need it to be done.

Da Bear

Thats cool.
But I guess getting a pair of square button controllers is nearly impossible so I think I'll go on with the mod. Without the original controllers I don't find much value in the machine itself.

NintendoKing

Wrong, Da Bear; as reproductions do exist and they look exactly the same as real ones. Keep an eye on eBay. I wouldn't ruin that rare Famicom if I were you.

Da Bear

Really? I didn't know that. I will keep my eyes open.
How much do they sell for?

jpx72

I thought mentioning senseiman's article about revisions would be worth linking here cause it's on topic, informative and also caught some nice attention!
In Search of the Square Button Famicom Revisions

Xious

Quote from: jpx72 on October 17, 2011, 02:11:23 am
Quote from: Xious on October 12, 2011, 05:33:25 am
I seem to recall someone selling a Rev-01 some time back, but he didn't show photos of it internally, so it's hard to say if it was legitimate. :bomb:


This Rev.01 was probably a mistake, as I have seen such sales countless times, the seller just states it's version 1 because it's HVC-001 (Nintendo code for Famicom console and not board revision number). Even better, when someone is selling "HVC-002", because this number is written on the bottom sticker which is in Japanese, and says "..use only Famicom AC adapter (part number HVC-002)..." :D


It wasn't a mistake, but it also wasn't on eBay. He claimed it was a Rev-01, but I don't remember if he had logic board photos.

I'd still be interested in that Rev-03 if you feel like selling or trading it.

To the guy with the Rev-04: I've seen the controllers for around US$30 per controller in the past, but they're not a commonly sold commodity. If you end up with a set that has button problems, I can restore them to perfect working order. I would also advise modifying a different unit: You can always modulate the RF signal on a standard CRT or buy a TV from Japan if you want to use it without modification.

I do not have spare SBFC controllers, though I've pondered reproducing them in whole. I'm doing repro buttons first, in any case. The equipment needed to reproduce the shells is pretty costly, and having them done by a plastics firm is even more so. I have never seen reproduction SBFC controllers for sale anywhere. If someone has a link, please send it to me as evidence. :bomb:

Some Additional Datum

The plastic shift (from smooth to textured) happened in 1986, probably in November or December, or maybe January 1987. This coincides with the texture change on the FDS and the NES in North America.

The Famicom had round-button controllers through Rev-05. Many Rev-05 units originally had square button controllers, but were swapped by NCL (at no cost) for the round-button type. Some Rev-05 units were also made with round-button controllers. I have a guess at the serial range at which this shift in manufacturing happened, but no positive proof. I'd need to find some NOS Rev-05 round button systems as evidence of the change prior to Rev-06.

The Rev-06 Famicom is very rare, and the shift from Rev-05 to Rev-06 to Re-07 happened in a matter of a few months. I have a serial number range in my books for the Rev-06 as well.

The controllers weren't changed by 'repair shoppes', but by NCL directly as part of a voluntary exchange programme that lasted through 2003, or maybe 2005. I need some direct confirmation (from NCL) on some of the dates. Systems with pre-Rev-05 logic boards were automatically swapped for Rev-05 by NCL if they were ever serviced for any reason, including having the controllers swapped. This accounts for many low-serial Rev-05 units.

I have Rev-05 units with serials lower than or int he same range as my Rev-04: These were changed from Rev-?? to Rev05 by NCL. When the Rev-07 was released, NCL began using the -07 logic board for these swaps, so it is possible to have an extremely low serial number unit with a Rev-07 PCB that was never user-serviced.

The reason Rev-01 through Rev-04 PCBs are rare is because NCL swapped them as a recall programme, not because of low production quantities. For this reason, it is both impossible to know the revision by the serial (except for Rev-07 and above), and to pin down the exact range of Rev-05 units, though it is possible to guess with decent accuracy based on known Rev-04 and Rev-06 units.

The famous recall on the logic board was on Rev-01 to Rev-04 units; Rev-05 was the normal replacement part. The controllers were not recalled, but a replacement was offered when NCL designed the round button controllers as a free upgrade, and NCL never made more square-button controllers. It may have been possible to order old-stock SBFC controllers at one point; it is unclear if NCL still has any in stock or warehoused somewhere, and the fate of the controllers taken as exchanges as well as replacement button parts that NCL may have had is unknown at this time.

I think I.ve said this all before, many times, but here it is again for those curious. I also have similar information on dating the FDS revisions, the FDS RAM-Adapter, and other Nintendo revision sets and parts lists. I need a part number for the square button pads (bot Nintendo and Sharp), but I have numbers for the some of Sharp round-button parts.

The Sharp C1 controllers also have the same square buttons as the original FC controllers, as they were released in 1983, before the round-button pads were released. I place the round button controller release in 1984, probably mid-year. The C1 and its controllers were made in red, white and silver-ish colours.

Sharp also used the FC round-button controller shell and button design for their X1/X68000-series systems; these are externally identical to the controllers used on their AN-500 series systems, but internally are incompatible with the FC. The X1/X68000 controllers (part No. CZ-8NJ1) are black and grey, and may--by some collectors--be seen as an extension item for a complete FC controller collection.

Sharp also produced two NES-style controllers: The Famicomstation controller in grey, which is identical to the NES controller, with a shorter cord and a Sharp logo, and the NES-TV controller in black with the words 'Game Television' in place of a logo.  :bomb:

jpx72

AWESOME NEWS!!!

:fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire:
FAMICOM BOARD REVISION 1 CONFIRMED
:fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire:

http://offgao.blog112.fc2.com/blog-entry-24.html
-I have found this Japanese blog with board pictures of HVC-CPU-01 !!! We can all go dig ourselves underground with our modern revisions because of this info! :D
This one started it all, this is the most first :crazy: revision of them all!

Also, HVC-CPU-08 confirmed too:
http://offgao.blog112.fc2.com/blog-entry-22.html

So confirmed are:
HVC-CPU-01
(no 02 picture so far)
HVC-CPU-03
HVC-CPU-04
HVC-CPU-05
HVC-CPU-06
HVC-CPU-07
HVC-CPU-08
HVC-CPU-GPM-01
HVC-CPU-GPM-02

Xious

I've been telling people forever that Rev-01 exists. I am only shocked at the Rev-08, especially due to the copyright date, as I would have expected 1985/6. I may need to re-date the VCCI versions because of this... I suspect it may even be a prototype or internal-only PCB, as I have dozens of Rev-07 units in the 13+Million serial range, so I can't imagine where this falls, if it was designed in 1984.

If someone could contact the author of that blog to inquire as to the serial number for the Rev-01 and Rev-08 units (explaining that we are keeping a catalogue of serials versus PCB revisions, that'd be nice. The Rev-01 is for an upper limit serial, and the Rev-08 for a lower-threshold serial.

I also fully expect a GPM-01 to exist. it's only logical, and was probably a very short run.  :bomb:

jpx72

Quote from: Xious on November 23, 2011, 10:50:42 pm
If someone could contact the author of that blog to inquire as to the serial number for the Rev-01 and Rev-08 units (explaining that we are keeping a catalogue of serials versus PCB revisions, that'd be nice. The Rev-01 is for an upper limit serial, and the Rev-08 for a lower-threshold serial.

Yes, contacting him would be fantastic, and aslo asking him for photos of the HVC-CPU-02 and HVC-CPU-GPM-01. I have read on his blog something like: "finally I have all the revisions!"
Quote from: Xious on November 23, 2011, 10:50:42 pm
I also fully expect a GPM-01 to exist. it's only logical, and was probably a very short run.  :bomb:

-when you check the videos in that link, altough there is no board photo evidence, there is GPM-01 tested about some sound issues.

Da Bear


80sFREAK

HVC-CPU-07 (c) Nintendo 1984 chipset rev. E

HVC-CPU-GPM-01 (c)1988 unshielded chipset rev. H
HVC-CPU-GPM-02 (c)1989 shielded chipset rev. H added C37 560pF and shifted FC2
I don't buy, sell or trade at moment.
But my question is how hackers at that time were able to hack those games?(c)krzy

Xious

What is the source of this? I'm also curious if the Rev-01 VCCI model has sub-revisions, akin to the Rev-02x sub-revisions.

I would also be interested in seeing how the unit is 'unshielded' and if it retains the same methodology for connection the video board (e.g. hard-bridged) or if it is cabled. For all I know, I have both VCCI-Rev-01x and Rev-08 units: I haven't opened every single unit in my stocks, as I did not expect there yo be anything past Rev-07 that was not a VCCI model, and I don't presume that any of my VCCI models are early enough (in terms of serial range) to be before Rev 02/02A. :bomb:

fredJ

Today I received a famicom with the serial nr
HV1208431
It has board revision HVC-CPU-GPM-02
Is this something unusual? Haven't seen HV before.

Okay I just searched and found Xious post http://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=5242.msg84707#msg84707
But still curious for more information, if anyone has.
Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com

Xious

I thought before that the HV serial designation happened between H and HC. I can't confirm that, and until I know the serial numbers from at least two or more GPM-01 systems I won't be able to place it, as it could also be after HC. I would like to see photos of this revision, as it sounds unusual.  :bomb:

fredJ

I didn't quite understand, would you like photos of my HVC-CPU-GPM-02?

Could you perhaps put the information about HV in the first post, since I saw you made another post about your theory of HV revision. It takes time to have to look through all the posts for information.
I would like there to be a FAQ of about this , maybe it could be made a sticky topic.
Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com