Jump to content
Due to a large amount of spamers, accounts will now have to be approved by the Admins so please be patient. ×
IGNORED

SNES / SFC SHVC-CPU-001 2-chip RGB filter mod video fix


Recommended Posts

NOTE: I'm using an SFC in this post, but jeremybh1 says his job on a PAL SNES 2chip model works well too! It may be the case that adding the 270pF filter caps is a bad idea, reversing any gains to sharpness, so probably leave them off.

 

A little while ago someone posted a link to a Super Famicom/SNES video filter mod I thought I’d try my hand at. It’s supposed to bring the RGB video output of a SHVC-CPU-001 (initial version) SNES more in line with the quality of a 1-chip model. This is by Japanese modder Torapu, all I did was lay out the PCB, after working out what he actually did compared to what he wrote (i think). It's worth taking a look at Torapu's site for the expected results too, though i have some below.

 

Torapu’s page on the mod, including his mostly-complete schematics. I stole a lot of his photos to make life easier - https://translate.google.com/transla...sfc_sharp2.htm

Shmup’s thread on the mod - https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopi...=give#p1374468 (people are reporting some good results now!)

SNES revision 2 schematics (very similar to the SHVC-CPU-001 used in the mod) - https://wiki.superfamicom.org/upload...atic_color.pdf

 

I’ve put the gerber PCB files on OSH park, from where they can be downloaded. Note that the printed board is about 34mm x 27mm using mostly surface mount devices so the soldering is not ideal for beginners. This board is a first cut, it works fine but the tracks are not tuned for length or any possible interference.

 

Parts:

  • All diodes are DO-35 package 1S2076A. Each set is two diodes, one forwards one backwards. (RetroSwim reports that 1N4148 diodes work fine here, and are cheaper and easier to get)
  • U1 is a LMH6683MAX package SOIC14.
  • You can recycle three 2SA1037A package SOT-346 transistors from the SNES mainboard, or buy new ones.

All other packages are 1206 size:

  • 2kR - R2, R3, R12, R13, R19, R20
  • 300R – R1, R14, R21
  • 200R – R4, R5, R10, R11, R17, R18
  • 47R – R6, R7, R8, R9, R15, R16
  • All caps 1nF

 

Method:

  • On the bottom side of the SNES mainboard itself, caps C83, C92, C94 should be replaced with 10uF. Caps of 0806 size work best, but1206 package size caps will still fit ok.
    CIMG2626.jpg.3906ffa340ce8c1288f91b672d9e628b.jpg
  • The new filter board will sit in the bottom left of the photo above. It should be insulated from the SNES mainboard. Securing it with double-sided tape would be appropriate.
  • On the new filter board, Q3, Q5, Q7 are 2SA1037A, SOT-346. These can be taken from the positions with the same name on the SNES mainboard or you can get new ones, and either way those transistors must be removed from the SNES mainboard. No other components should be removed from the SNES mainboard.
  • The filter board pads Q3-E, Q3-B, Q5-E etc should be wired to the SNES main board at those positions, after Q3, Q5, Q7 have been removed.
  • On the filter board, GND from the SNES mainboard can be connected near the bottom left of the daughter board. See pic below. Only a single ground connection should be made.
  • On the filter board, +5V can be connected from the SNES mainboard at the lower side of R7, R12 or R17 (the end toward the "R" in each case) among many other spots. See the first photo above. I think i grab it from the lower side of the replaced C92 in the pic below.
  • On the SNES mainboard, 270pF caps are required between Base and Collector of Q4, Q6, Q8 (one for each transistor) - These might make the image worse, be aware! I recommend doing without them at first and seeing what you think.
    CIMG2718.jpg.31ab03cc3225b89ede5abc78440e5f69.jpg
    CIMG2730.jpg.69b63f64551a13ca3750234d14fef828.jpg

 

Install Pics:

Note the single ground wire in the bottom left corner of the daughter board, it's in black and not easy to see in the shadows. I scratched off the surface coating of the mainboard to anchor it the other end.

DZugPI5.jpg.537eff04a1a2119a376a0a7ddd213091.jpg

The daughter board is stuck on the mainboard with double-sided tape, and i then added some electrical tape lining the bottom RFI shielding to prevent any possible contact with it.

X5vt7UV.jpg.91f6a09770a94916a85e979640288a6d.jpg

 

 

Results:

Well, i actually got around to completing the mod, and it seems to work pretty well. I haven't tried too many different test screens yet, and will hopefully update in a few days when i get time. And maybe with some pics, but i can't shoot CRT for shit... but here goes anyway...

 

This is a shot of the difference on my Ikegami TM10-17RA 10" shadow mask CRT. The example is black to grey, but all colour transitions from primary to half-tone and vice versa are affected. The full size version of the below pic is here

 

d9hJQWa.thumb.jpg.be753dae0ae98053bb4e4b2695cf4b94.jpg

 

Please note those photos are terrible, and in reality the difference is more marked. It's still not perfect but the image is noticeably clearer and also a shade brighter and more colourful without crushing either the blacks or the highlights. If you compare the before and after images it might be said the before image is slightly "muddier."

Edited by buttersoft
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Photos are up :) They don't really do the mod justice, i found the difference pretty noticeable. The pics are meant to highlight a single transition, but any full-colour picture is made up of such smaller transitions, and so the whole image gets slightly smeared. The mod fixes a lot of that.

 

EDIT: I should probably be clear about the fact that i've only tried this mod on an SFC. An NTSC SNES should work ok, but i'm not sure about a PAL SNES> If anyone wants to try it, please report back :)

Edited by buttersoft
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Thank you for the photos. I must say that after going into RGB SCART land with OSSC and a PAL 2-chip SNES, I'm like.. Is that it?! Edges are too soft for my liking. Now I know I can do something about it. Having said that one must have a mind of acceptance when it comes to SNES mods as you can go so far. 60hz, de-jitter, super CIC, S/PDIF Toslink, RGB bypass you name it!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@jeremybh1 I'm not sure how well this mod works on PAL consoles. Borti says he tested it a few years back and got no real improvement. I'm not sure if the 60Hz switchmod will help there or not. I addition to which no one has tested it via an upscaler save Torapu himself.

 

I used a cheap import SFC imported from Japan, outputting to CRT as that's what i use for preference :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
I can confirm I have completed this RGB Bypass on a PAL console with great success. I have a dramatically sharper image, with more contrast between edges of text and pixels. I have written up my experience and steps to do this in my SNES mod thread on this forum. Buttersoft deserves full credit for PCB design and posting me his spares so I could implement it on my SNSP-CPU-02
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...