Requesting help in repairing 2 dead Super Nintendo decks

[Ace_1]

I have picked up 2 SNESes that don't work to see if I can fix them. The problem: they don't power on(they're 2 Model 1's, by the way, the one that gets discolored over time). There's no power light whatsoever. I tried to stick some wire on the 2 solder points of the 50C 1.5A fuse, but they still wouldn't power on(I'm not sure if you can jump the fuse on a Model 1). One of 'em has browned solder on the board, but I'm not sure if that means anything. And I didn't test the power supply with something to see if it works. Any advice? Are the fuses blown on both?

 

EDIT: The power supply IS dead, so that might be the problem. I'll go get another one tomorrow and see if the consoles power on. If they still don't, then what else could be wrong?

Edited August 23, 2007 by Ace_1

[Ace_1]

The power supply was only part of the answer, now I've got an even BIGGER problem. 1 system gives a garbled image then goes to a black screen and endlessly plays some kind of song, and the other one gives no image at all(the game I'm trying is Brett Hull Hockey 95). I tried to clean the cart's contacts, but to no avail, and I can't properly clean the cart connector in the system. Is the PPU dead in both systems? Do I need to replace something? Is the 62-pin connector finished inside the systems? What's wrong? Please help me! I've spent all day trying to figure out the problem but came up empty(as usual). If this is beyond repair, I might suck it up and leave $80CDN aside for an FC Twin, besides, it's only $20 more than a used original system, and I get an NES cart slot as an added bonus(and of course, I'd take it SNES mini colors).

Edited August 25, 2007 by Ace_1

[SINGLE TOOTH]

I can't properly clean the cart connector in the system.

 

Use a credit card and a peice of cotton from an old shirt or something wrapped around it. Put some alcohol on the shirt and thrust it in and out of the cart slot.

[Ace_1]

Right, so I'll give that a go and see if it changes anything. If it doesn't, then what could be the problem?

 

UPDATE: I brought the consoles to my cousin to check out the problem, but the problem is not a dirty cart connector. One console seems to output the wrong frequency(and it nearly killed his TV!! It crackled befored the TV shut itself off), and the other one had 3 pins on PPU 1 that had RUST ON THEM! He tried to clean it up with a soldering iron, but it made the pins black. Anyways, I tried them again, but it still doesn't make a difference. HELP!!!! I don't want to trash them until all of my options run out.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Ace_1

[Chaos89-dot-com]

I have picked up 2 SNESes that don't work to see if I can fix them. The problem: they don't power on(they're 2 Model 1's, by the way, the one that gets discolored over time). There's no power light whatsoever. I tried to stick some wire on the 2 solder points of the 50C 1.5A fuse, but they still wouldn't power on(I'm not sure if you can jump the fuse on a Model 1). One of 'em has browned solder on the board, but I'm not sure if that means anything. And I didn't test the power supply with something to see if it works. Any advice? Are the fuses blown on both?

 

EDIT: The power supply IS dead, so that might be the problem. I'll go get another one tomorrow and see if the consoles power on. If they still don't, then what else could be wrong?

 

The browned solder you see is solder flux. Nothing to worry about. Another point, whether or not a cartridge is in the console, on a working system, the red led will still illuminate. It sounds like a power issue. I just replaced a fuse on a friends a few days ago.

Here are some things to check:

Using a screwdriver or something conductive, short across the power switch. If it powers on, replace switch. If not lets try something else. We need to check the voltage regulator. Do you have access to a digital multimeter? If so, I can give you some details on the regulator from a working unit.

[Ace_1]

No, sorry, I don't, but I think the problem is maybe the cartridge I got, because every time I hit it somewhere, I get a differently garbled image, so the cart is probably dead. If the next cart I get works fine, time to get me a Super Nintendo Mouse, official controller(I don't like the Angler crap I got with them) and Arkanoid Doh it Again, as well as about 9 other carts(pretty much the rare stuff, I'll put up a list on my next post). But I replaced the power supply and they turn on now, so it can't be the power switch or the fuse. And, where exactly is the voltage regulator?

Edited August 25, 2007 by Ace_1

[SINGLE TOOTH]

No, sorry, I don't, but I think the problem is maybe the cartridge I got, because every time I hit it somewhere, I get a differently garbled image, so the cart is probably dead. If the next cart I get works fine, time to get me a Super Nintendo Mouse, official controller(I don't like the Angler crap I got with them) and Arkanoid Doh it Again, as well as about 9 other carts(pretty much the rare stuff, I'll put up a list on my next post). But I replaced the power supply and they turn on now, so it can't be the power switch or the fuse. And, where exactly is the voltage regulator?

 

It usually looks like a little black square with 3 pins coming out of it. Sometimes it is mounted on a piece of metal to use as a heatsink. I have never opened a SNES though...

 

[Ace_1]

I think the NES uses the same voltage regulator. How exactly does it work? Does it adjust the voltage throughout the whole machine or something? Could it actually be causing my SNES to output the wrong video frequency? Are the voltage regulators made the same way in an NES and SNES? If so, I have 2 spare NES motherboards I can take the regulator from.

[SINGLE TOOTH]

I think the NES uses the same voltage regulator. How exactly does it work? Does it adjust the voltage throughout the whole machine or something? Could it actually be causing my SNES to output the wrong video frequency? Are the voltage regulators made the same way in an NES and SNES? If so, I have 2 spare NES motherboards I can take the regulator from.

I'm no expert but I dont think the voltage regular is the problem. It basicly turns power into a constant voltage.

You could test it to make sure its working properly if you had a mulitmeter. If not, you should get on anyway. Since I bought mine, its been an invaluable tool. There only like $7 at walmart. I'm not sure if the NES and SNES use the same regulator.

 

I have no idea what would cause your screen to scramble, but it doesnt sound good.

Are you hooking them up through RF, or the composite cables? Try both ways.

[Ace_1]

I already did, but 1 output or the other, it's still the same junk. Does Wal-Mart REALLY have a multimeter? I'm not sure if those things are sold in Canada(where I live). If it's not the voltage regulator, then what IS the problem? Does anyone here know the SNES inside and out?

Edited August 27, 2007 by Ace_1

[SINGLE TOOTH]

I already did, but 1 output or the other, it's still the same junk. Does Wal-Mart REALLY have a multimeter? I'm not sure if those things are sold in Canada(where I live). If it's not the voltage regulator, then what IS the problem? Does anyone here know the SNES inside and out?

In the U.S. they have them in the hardware section and the Auto sections. You could test fuses with them too......

Did you ever get the other cart? Try that before anything drastic.

 

Your in canada? is there any chance you have a PAL snes or TV? In the US its always NTSC, but I dont know if there are any pal units in canada.

Both your SNES look like this, right?

 

Edited August 28, 2007 by SINGLE TOOTH

[Ace_1]

Yes, yes they are, except that 1 had(I say "had" because I swapped their cases) the top discolored and the other had the bottom discolored. Even if they were PAL, I would still be able to get a good image, but in B&W(that's what PAL PlayStation stuff does to me without a color fix). By the way, I got another cart(NHL Stanley Cup), but this one STILL garbles up, but even worse than Brett Hull Hockey 95. It shows garbled white lines and keeps on doing that forever, and like with Brett Hull, if I smash or flex the cart, the image changes. And in the one that outputted no video with Brett Hull(the one that had a discolored top), it does the same with this one, black screen. What is the problem????? I need to know before I shell out some cash on an FC Twin(I'd need to know how it works with the games I think are worth something first, more notably Arkanoid Doh it Again, which I can use the SNES Mouse in order to make it play like Arkanoid on the NES with the Vaus Controller.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Ace_1

[SINGLE TOOTH]

Can You take a pic of the "Garbled Screen" so we can see excatly what we are dealing with?

[Ace_1]

Will do, as soon as I set up my digital camera, I'll update this post with the pictures of what both carts do on both consoles.

 

UPDATE: Here they are:

 

NHL Stanley Cup on discolored console(hard to see, but still noticable):

 

Brett Hull Hockey 95 on discolored system:

 

And on the normally colored one, it's just a black screen. What's causing this?

Edited August 28, 2007 by Ace_1

[SINGLE TOOTH]

That doesn't look good.

I have no idea what could be wrong. It's very hard to remotely troubleshoot. But, I think it may be a fatal problem.

 

The other one powers on, but just doesn't show an image?

[Ace_1]

Yup, that's exactly what the normally colored one does to me no matter what. Now I got NHL 97 to test, no image on either console. Know someone with full knowledge of the SNES? That person might know the problem. HELP ME!

Edited August 29, 2007 by Ace_1

[Ace_1]

Scratch a faulty 62-pin connocter off the list of possible suspects that is causing my discolored SNES to constantly garble the image. WHY AM I GETTING THIS??????? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ApolloBoy]

I read about a similar problem on Digital Press, and apparently it has something to do with the PPU. With that in mind, I'd consider both your SNESes toast.

[Ace_1]

Do you have access to a digital multimeter?

 

Hold on just a minute, I think I do! But mine is one of those with a needle on a dial, the analog type. Anyways, where are the +5v and Ground points on the SNES Model 1's 2 PPUs? Which of these is positive(+5v?) and which is negative(Ground?)? I'll see if one of the PPUs are dead, and hopefully, I can swap the PPUs of both consoles, that is if different PPUs are fried. What could be the faulty pin(or pins or whatever) causing this inside the PPUs?

 

EDIT: I think I found something! What's that red box with a screw in it on the board supposed to do? It seems like when I loosen it, the image distortion on the screen changes. Weird.

 

EDIT 2: Nope. It actually made the system output in green at one point! Man, I NEED PPU SCHEMATICS so I can see how I can test their voltage!

Edited August 31, 2007 by Ace_1

[SINGLE TOOTH]

That red box is probably a color adjustment. you can test the voltage regular. The first pin on the left, is the power that feeds it. The middle pin is ground, and the last pin on the right is the regulated voltage.

So put one lead from the multimeter on the middle pin, then the other lead on the one to the right. That will tell you if the regulator is working if you get power reading.

 

What is a PPU?

Anyway, maybe you wanna try on a Nintendo Forum.

[nathanallan]

from wikipedia:

 

A Physics Processing Unit (PPU) is a dedicated microprocessor designed to handle the calculations of physics, especially in the physics engine of video games. Examples of calculations involving a PPU might include rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics, collision detection, fluid dynamics, hair and clothing simulation, finite element analysis, and fracturing of objects. The idea is that specialized processors offload time consuming tasks from a computer's CPU, much like how a GPU performs graphics operations in the main CPU's place.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_processing_unit

 

I've been watching this thread, thought I'd throw in. It may be the PPU.

 

What I'd do is repair only one and make another a micro XT computer project (but that's just me)

 

Nathan

[ApolloBoy]

from wikipedia:

 

A Physics Processing Unit (PPU) is a dedicated microprocessor designed to handle the calculations of physics, especially in the physics engine of video games. Examples of calculations involving a PPU might include rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics, collision detection, fluid dynamics, hair and clothing simulation, finite element analysis, and fracturing of objects. The idea is that specialized processors offload time consuming tasks from a computer's CPU, much like how a GPU performs graphics operations in the main CPU's place.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_processing_unit

 

I've been watching this thread, thought I'd throw in. It may be the PPU.

 

What I'd do is repair only one and make another a micro XT computer project (but that's just me)

 

Nathan

 

Actually, PPU stands for "Picture Processing Unit", not "Physics Processing Unit". Think of it as the SNES's GPU.

[Artlover]

Actually, PPU stands for "Picture Processing Unit", not "Physics Processing Unit".

Actually, it depends on what PPU you're talking about. 'Physics Processing Unit' is a correct and common meaning of PPU.

 

Just doesn't apply to the NES/SNES.

[nathanallan]

Actually, PPU stands for "Picture Processing Unit", not "Physics Processing Unit".

Actually, it depends on what PPU you're talking about. 'Physics Processing Unit' is a correct and common meaning of PPU.

 

Just doesn't apply to the NES/SNES.

 

Uhhh, whoops. I shoulda figgered that one.

[Ace_1]

Just to be sure, is it the negative lead I should put on the Ground pin of the voltage regulator? What would happen to it if I place the leads on the pins in the wrong order?