N64 RGB mod - different board revisions and serial numbers

[Link83]

Hi everyone,

I have just being trying to modify my NTSC N64 for RGB, but am having great difficulty getting a decent picture. I tried lifting the legs from the chip, which I had read was the best method, but the image was still too dark, even when I removed the capacitors in the scart cable.

I then tried the internal amp mod shown here at the bottom of the page:-
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/ntsc_nintendo_64_rgb.htm

Which made the picture much brighter, and would in fact be perfect except for the fact that there are now interference lines on the screen 

I guess my next step is to remove the internal amp and make the amplified RGB scart cable instead:-
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/ntsc-n64-rbg-booster1.htm

Although I have read that the scart amp makes the picture less clear/noisey?

What im wondering is, what causes the interference in the first place?

What does the internal amp points actually do? and is there anything I could put between the points to remove the interference? (eg resistor/capacitor).

Or is there an alternative method to performing this mod?

I believe there are currently three choices on where to connect the RGB points:-
1) Directly from the VDC-NUS chip with the legs lifted.

2)From the R8, R9 and R10 point on the underside of the board, which I believe/guess is exactly the same as connecting diirectly from the chip with the legs down?

3)From the resistors C124, C125 and C126

Would any of these help?

Thanks in advance for any help 

[eastbayarb]

If you find out how to get a better picture, let me know. I suck at soldering and was thinking of sending my n64 to someone (I don't know who) for RGB modification.

[Link83]

Well, I have been experimenting, but havent had much luck so far. I have tried connecting to all the different points for RGB.

To be honest there is not much between them. Taking it from R8, R9, and R10 is exactly the same as taking it directly from the VDC-NUS chip itself with the legs down - as I thought it would be. (The legs directly connect to to the R8, R9, and R10 points on the underside of the board)

I tried also taking it from the capacitors C124, C125 and C126, although this seemed to cause some interference on screen (?) and the picture was even darker than it was before.

I also tried the internal 'boost' mod, which gave a much brighter picture but definitely led to interfernece - its like horizonal bars of light and dark across the screen. The weird thing is, I noticed that when I turned the brightness full up on my TV I could kind of see where the interference was coming from. It seems to be from the edges of any moving object on the screen - if thats makes sense. For instance, if there was a cube bouncing up and down you would see horizonal bands coming from the sides of the cube going up and down aswell, going across the screen. However, with the brightness at a reasonable level its not usually possible to see where the bands are coming from - only that they are there.

When you take the RGB directly from the VDC-NUS chip either with the legs up or down this banding doesnt seem to be there - but the picture is far too dark

Actually, I couldnt see any picture difference with or without the legs being lifted. Both gave a clear picture, but both were far too dark. I had read previously that if you lifted the legs the picture would be much brighter but I didnt find it to make any difference 

I also read in an old thread on here of poeple joining legs 22 and 23 on the VDC-NUS chip to also give an internal boost. I guess this is the same as linking the points on the bottom of the motherboard as it seemed to do exactly the same thing - brighten the picture but cause interference.

I am guessing that legs 22 & 23 actually connect to the same points on the bottom of the motherboard which people usually link for the internal boost, although when I tried to follow the the traces it was abit too small/confusing to be sure.

I then thought that maybe legs 22 & 23 still being connected to the board may be causing the interference somehow, so I tried lifting each one off the board. I tried on one leg, then the other one, then with both off the board (but still linked by wire) but found that the interference was still there no matter what I did 

With the wire removed and both legs up in the air I got no picture at all.

I am not sure what else to try - I would love to know what legs 22 and 23 on the VDC-NUS chip actually do - how they cause this 'picture boost'. Does anyone have a pinout of the VDC-NUS chip? I have looked all over but cant find one anywhere.

Or does anyone else have any other suggestions?

Looks like my last alternative is to make the amplifier cicuit to go either inside the console, or in the scart cable. However, I am having trouble sourcing the right transistors - does anyone know of a suitable transistor/equivelent for this amp thats is still readily available?

[tsenzen]

ive done the mod on my japanese n64, and seemed to have no problems, its very very subtle, but the picture is actually way better than when i performed the same modification on my u.s. n64 which put me in the same boat your in..

I dont know what would be less problematic? buying a japanese n64? or doing the amp mod? im not super skilled in soldering either, but managed to get it working perfectly as you can see on my page:



http://tsenzen.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

again, i cant guarantee that your jn64 might do the trick, but theres a chance it might work... I also use a sony pvm, which has a very strong rgb signal gain in general.. this could be helping out greatly in providing the clearer image... but hopefully this helps.. if you find a good solution to your problem, please let me know thanks.

tsenzen

[Link83]

Thanks for your reply.

Wow, your mod looks perfect  - and theres no interference on screen? Did you try using your US N64 with the same modification on the same monitor aswell?

If you can I would love to know what CPU revision this Japanese N64 is - its printed just behind the cartridge slot on the motherboard. Also, if you dont mind could you tell me all/part of the serial number?

Lastly, do you have any pictures of the AV lines on the back of the board?

Im just surprised you got so good a picture with no boost required (?) even though you tapped it from the same VDC-NUS chip that I have. I dont think the VDC-NUS chips would be any different, so all i can think of is either somethings different with your consoles sync line (or similar) thats giving it a higher gain, or that you just have a much more tolerant TV/ monitor (But if you have tried the same monitor with both a US and Japanese RGB modded console there must be a difference!)

I cant quite make it out from the picture, but did you lift the legs of the chip off the board, or just leave them down?

Thanks in advance 

[eastbayarb]

tsenzen,


would you be willing to do my n64? PM me and let's work something out. I am horrible at soldering due to a work related injury that caused my hands and arms to be shaky.

[tsenzen]

Did you try using your US N64 with the same modification on the same monitor aswell?

i did, and yes it turns out the U.S. one is definitly dimmer, and more faint..

If you can I would love to know what CPU revision this Japanese N64 is - its printed just behind the cartridge slot on the motherboard. Also, if you dont mind could you tell me all/part of the serial number?

Is there anyway i can check the revision without opening it up again? hehe,
but heres the model number# NUS-001(JPN)
no serial#... unless it was on the bottom slot coverplate that i cant find currently, since my 64 had been originally connected to the 64DD.

Lastly, do you have any pictures of the AV lines on the back of the board?

I double checked my old pictures from that day in my archive, and unfortunately i didnt take any pictures of that side, but i know it was just a wierd overlap of wires that i tried forcefully not to have them intersect (since theres only so much space in that corner)
it pretty much looked exactly like it did in this picture

either somethings different with your consoles sync line (or similar) thats giving it a higher gain, or that you just have a much more tolerant TV/ monitor (But if you have tried the same monitor with both a US and Japanese RGB modded console there must be a difference!)

yeah there is a difference, but i think the pvm helps greatly..

I cant quite make it out from the picture, but did you lift the legs of the chip off the board, or just leave them down?

no they are left down, i dont think lifting pins will gain bandwith? i could be wrong...


let me know if you need any additional info, and i'll try my best to help.

tsenzen

[eastbayarb]

SO is it safe to say a Japanese N64 with amplifier is best with this mod?

[tsenzen]

SO is it safe to say a Japanese N64 with amplifier is best with this mod?

not really, I still feel the amp is the right way, despite Link83's unfortunate events.. i think my situation might be the lucky one. but maybe starting with a Japanese N64 and going from there could be the best bet.

I'd like if other confirmed N64 RGB'ers could list out their mod/configurations that could really help knock out a lot of variables for everyone.

[Link83]

<Have edited this post and some others on 29/05/09 as people seemed to keep reading this thread and believing I was stating facts and not assumptions/guesses, despite me stating otherwise later in this thread  >

There is a difference between tsenzen's board and my board. On mine the components for the C-Sync output line (AV pin 3) are missing. My board is the 4th revision with the motherboard code of NUS-CPU-04.

I have found picures online of an NUS-CPU-03 board and these components (A transistor and some resistors and capacitors) are still on the board, but on mine, although the traces/pads are still there - the components are missing (obviously a cost cutting measure by Nintendo)

[RARusk]

Would the sync buffer circuit that is normally used for the DreamCast VGA signal work in this situation?

[Link83]

Would the sync buffer circuit that is normally used for the DreamCast VGA signal work in this situation?

Possibly, although unfortunately I dont have the necessary components to try it  

Also, just thought id add, I have since found out that US N64's with a serial starting with NS10******* have a revision 3 board. As far as I know these are the earliest US N64 consoles available (launch consoles) which means that the US started with the revision 3 motherboard, skipping revisions 1 & 2. Obviously this really narrows down how many US N64's can be 'properly' RGB modded, as there would be so few before they changed to revision 4.

Chances are good that in Japan they had revision 1, 2 and 3 boards (Since the Japanese Launch was months earlier) - so you have a much better chance of getting one of these early boards with the Japanese models - hence why people always think Japanese N64's are better for the RGB mod.

Right now im trying to find a revision 1-3 N64 console that I can try and RGB mod to compare to my revision 4 N64 RGB mod.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would be very helpful if anyone who has a US/Japanese N64 console could open it up and let us know what motherboard revision they have and what their serial numbers is, then perhaps we can narrow down which models are best for the RGB mod once and for all  

All you have to do is remove the top cover, then the revision number should be visable printed on the motherboard behind the cartridge slot.You dont need to remove the heatsinks or anything. The serial number is printed on a small white sticker on the bottom of the console.

Just for anyone whos interested, I started to compile a list of which US and Japanese models can be RGB modded by serial:-
<UPDATED 27/05/09>
Japanese
NUJ10185860 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-01
NUJ10379732 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-02
NUJ10443582 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-02
NUJ10529112 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NUJ10950746 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-02
NUJ10961070 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-02
NUJ11284943 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NUJ11362909 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NUJ11910015 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NUJ12038214 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NUJ12117529 Yes has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NUJ13319819 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU-04
NUJ13624446 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NUJ13664217 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NUJ13766992 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05

USA
NS100932881 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS101568393 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS105145712 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS105519094 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS105866648 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS105993542 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS107466808 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS108103474 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NS109807944 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS111120581 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NS119128565 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS127959472 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-03
NS136718770 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU-04
NS143950163 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU-04
NS147230940 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU-04
NS153195134 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU-04
NS167167462 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU-04
NS219449416 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NS220244512 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NS225840672 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NS229261794 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NS231845852 No
NS245536326 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-05
NS248893488 No, has 'MAV-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-06
NS251086457 No
NS251468024 No, has 'MAV-NUS' chip
NS270238981 No, has 'MAV-NUS' chip - NUS-CPU-08

Canadian?
NS601623141 - NUS-CPU-04 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS' chip
NS605180732 - NUS-CPU-05 No, has 'AVDC-NUS' chip

French 'NUS-001(FRA)'
NUP11497144 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU(R)-01
NUP11660152 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU(R)-01
NUP11796059 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU(R)-01
NUP12009420 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU(R)-01
NUP12088222 Yes, has 'VDC-NUS A' chip - NUS-CPU(R)-01
PLEASE NOTE:- The serial number of a French N64 on its own will not tell you if the console can or cannot be RGB modded, as two different N64 console 'model numbers' were released in France, and each model had there own serial codes (Eg there could be two French N64's with the same/similar serial numbers, but only one of them can be modded) The model which is specific to the French market has the model number "NUS-001(FRA)" on the black sticker - these are the ones that can be RGB modified . The other model has "NUS-001(EUR)" printed on the sticker, and is the same as other European N64's and cannot be modified.
It is possible (but not definite) that all French N64's with "NUS-001(FRA)" can be RGB modded, and that all "NUS-001(EUR)" cant - this would make the serial number irrelevent.

Hope this interests someone

[marqs]

I tried to find this information too a few years ago. I looked at my notes and it seems that according to my findings NUJ13319819 is the last confirmed jap unit which can be modded (seems to be on Link83's list too).

On the US consoles, I have a cpu rev4 unit (NS13671877), which has great picture with legs lifted up  . I first tried the internal amp, which caused interference, but with this method there's none and the brightness is just right. The sync signal seems to be a bit weak though: my projector doesn't sync right with ntsc-games (the unit has both PIFs) and even on my old trusty crt tv it takes a few seconds after powering to lock the sync. I've tried to buffer it with LM1881 but it didn't help 

[Tiido Priimägi]

http://www.hot.ee/tmeeco/N64OC.JPG

its an European N64, and someone told me that its some early board... could that N64 be RGB modded ?
N64 GPU does not output analog RGB ?

[Link83]

I dont think your N64 can be modded, but just to confirm it can you tell us what is printed on the chip at location U4? (cant make it out in the picture)

Unfortunately, not even the first revision PAL N64 consoles I have come across can be RGB modded (easily anyway) as they dont have the necessary VDC-NUS chip.

There is one way to RGB mod ANY N64 console - it was invented by viletim, but it is quite complex and not easy. If you interested heres a link to the thread:-
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2563.0

There are also some early French models of N64 thats can be RGB modded, but these are very rare. French models are NOT the same as the PAL (EUR) N64's released elsewhere in the rest Europe, although they do play PAL games.

P.S You may want to resize that image, or just put a thumbnail of it instead - as it is abit too big for many peoples screen!

[Tiido Priimägi]

The Viletim's mod is pretty much same in principle to Game Gear RGB mod which I've already done. Now if I could get some N64 carts and controllers I would build the RGB DAC mod.

[Link83]

I tried to find this information too a few years ago. I looked at my notes and it seems that according to my findings NUJ13319819 is the last confirmed jap unit which can be modded (seems to be on Link83's list too).

On the US consoles, I have a cpu rev4 unit (NS13671877), which has great picture with legs lifted up  . I first tried the internal amp, which caused interference, but with this method there's none and the brightness is just right. The sync signal seems to be a bit weak though: my projector doesn't sync right with ntsc-games (the unit has both PIFs) and even on my old trusty crt tv it takes a few seconds after powering to lock the sync. I've tried to buffer it with LM1881 but it didn't help 

I hope you dont mind that I added your serial number to my list along with your CPU revision number (Although I think your serial may be missing a digit?)

Do you have anymore information/serials to help add to my list?

I tried lifting the legs on my revision 4 but it didnt help  I dont suppose you have a picture of the AV ouput lines on your N64 motherboard? (To see if its missing the sync components)

The only reason I can think of as to why you have a better picture with the same method is that your TV/Monitor are more adaptable to varying signals than mine. I think my TV is quite picky in that respect and so I need the correct signals to get a good picture 

Anybody with any more N64 serials/revision numbers would be much appreciated, as at the moment I am only looking for a console starting with NS10 (as that is the only one I know for sure has a revision 3 board) but if I can find out if NS11/NS12 units also have revision 3 boards it would really make my search alot easier 

[marqs]

I hope you dont mind that I added your serial number to my list along with your CPU revision number (Although I think your serial may be missing a digit?)

Do you have anymore information/serials to help add to my list?

I tried lifting the legs on my revision 4 but it didnt help  I dont suppose you have a picture of the AV ouput lines on your N64 motherboard? (To see if its missing the sync components)

You're right, the last digit is zero. It's on gray background so that's probably why I hadn't taken it into account before. Feel free to add it to your list 

That's the biggest serial for moddable us-consoles which I know. I don't have more information on which numbers correspond to specific CPU revisions though.

The sync components are missing from my board as you can see below:

[Link83]

Thats an interesting way of routing the wires it confused me a little at first as I hadnt thought of pushing the wire through those holes before

[Link83]

<EDITED 29/05/09 for reasons stated in an earlier post>

I have edited this threads title to be more relevant to the topics now being discussed.

I have also updated my earlier post to now include known serial numbers for the French N64's that can be RGB modded. Please note though that there were two different N64 models released in France, and only the "NUS-001(FRA)" can be modded. The other is the "NUS-001(EUR)" which is the same as every other normal European N64 and cant be modded.

Also, I am trying to find out if there ever was an NUS-CPU-01 revision released to the general public?

I am now positive that the US launched with a NUS-CPU-03 revision console, skipping revisions 1 & 2 entirely. I have managed to find a picture of a Japanese NUS-CPU-02 board, and an 03 and 04 board aswell - just in case anybody is interested here they all are:-

Unfortunately I havent found any pictures of the back of the boards yet  

Please, if anybody has the abilty to open their N64, let us know you CPU revison and all (or part) of your serial number - it would really help many people like me  

[Link83]

<EDITED 29/05/09 for reasons stated in an earlier post>

Right, well I hope no-one minds me triple posting, but I have just recieved a few NUS-CPU-03 N64 consoles (serials start with NS10), so thought id update now that I have modded one of them aswell.

I tried it with the chip legs down, but the picture was too dark once again  

So I tried it with the chip legs lifted up - and I now seem to be getting a lovely clear bright RGB picture!

Of course you do lose all the other video output methods when lift the chip legs (so no more RF, Composite, or S-Video ouput) but why would you want to use them when you have RGB!

The capacitors have also been removed from my scart cable.

You have to make sure your TV's contrast/brightness and colour are set up properly to begin with, but apart from that the picture now looks pretty good to me  

I am now pretty pleased with the RGB output of this N64/
Heres some pictures of Zelda Ocarina of Time in RGB:-


I know Zelda isnt the best game to demonstrate the vibrant RGB colours, but it was the only game I had to hand. My TV is only an old CRT (although to be honest I prefer CRT's to LCD).

I know my picture skills are not the best (You can probably see reflections of my Zelda poster on the screen) and it looks alot better in motion, but at least they give you an idea  

The only thing I would have liked is to make the Scart 'auto switch' to the AV1 channel, as currently you have to manually switch to the AV1/RGB channel (hardly a major thing I know!) but I dont know if this would be possible as the 'sync' line seems to use the same line that would normally carry the 12V switching signal on a PAL SNES/Gamecube system - anyone have any ideas?  

[albino_vulpix]

Great work you've done there.

About the SCART switching. Some TVs are happy to use +5v. If yours isn't, just put some batteries inside the 64.

[Drewman21]

So quick question Link83, are you using a RGB amp after the n64 before your monitor like the MMMonkey mod? Or are you just running the signal straight to the monitor? I'm still using the jumper method on the 2 points to get my rgb to work. Just wondering. I'll pop my systems open when i get a chance. Thanks for all the work your doing.

[Link83]

<EDITED 29/05/09 for reasons stated in an earlier post>

Hi, thanks for your kind words  

The signal is not amplified in any way - I didnt link the two points or build a booster - the RGB signals are going straight from the VDC-NUS chip to my TV.

Also, just a quick note to say that I tried it with a "multi scart switcher'' but it seemed to make the picture alittle bit duller (Its not a very good switcher) So for me it works best when its directly connected to the TV.

Thanks also for your suggestions albino_vulpix. Unfortunately my TV isnt happy switching with just the +5v, it needs the 12v 'fast blanking' signal (I think)

I did actually try to connect a 12v point from the motherboard to the AV output pin 3, as suggested in this thread:-
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2424.0
but I started to hear a loud whining noice from the N64's power supply and then after a few seconds it stopped working all together! The N64 console is fine - its just the power supply that is fried. Doh!

I dont think it is possible to make it switch to the AV channel with this type of RGB mod, as pin 3 carries the sync signal on NUS-CPU-03 boards.
With the Viletim RGB mod Pin 3 is not used, so you can connect 12V up to it as Barkuti did.

Unless anybody has any other suggestions? Heres a link to wikipedia with abit about scart switching signals:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART#Blanking_and_switching
I guess I could try and 'hack into' the scart cable and connect up a battery to these pins but it hardly seems worth it just for my laziness!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING MOD APPEARS TO BE VERY TV DEPENDANT>

I thought id type a quick guide in case anybody is interested in trying this mod:-

To perform this mod you need an N64 that has an NUS-CPU-03 motherboard, I found that consoles with a serial starting with 'NS10' have NUS-CPU-03 boards. Once you have opened up the console and removed the heatsink you then need to carefully lift the RGB legs on the VDC-NUS chip off the board (I used a safety pin which I opened up and then bent the tip into a tiny hook with a pair of pliers. I used it to ease the leg off the board whilst touching the tip of the leg with a soldering iron.)

Then I used some normal 'multi-strand' equipment wire to connect the chip legs to the Multi AV output as shown on the gamesx wiki diagram. The easiest way I found to do this is to make sure you properly strip, twist and tin the ends of the wire - I then added a tiny bit of extra solder onto each wire end than you are normally supposed to, and then I placed it on a chip leg and put my soldering iron on it. After about a second the small amount of extra solder flows round the leg and hardens in a few seconds. Then its onto the next wire!

Follow the same process until you have connected all three wires to the chip. Then before you go onto connecting it to the Multi AV output make sure you can route the wires around all the components and over the edge of the board - and also route it so that it wont be squashed by the edges of the heatsink when you put it back on (I found a place near the AV output where there is a small gap between the board and the heatsink which is a good place to put the wire through without being squashed)

Lastly, make sure you remove any capacitors from your scart cable, and that your TV's brightness, contrast and colour are setup properly (I used the "Digital Video Essentials" Calibration DVD) and then hopefully you will have a nice clean/clear RGB picture like me  

If somebody else tries this I would love to know if it works well for you too.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If anybody would like some pictures let me know  

[eastbayarb]

I performned the mod on my n64 and it works great!

[Link83]

I performned the mod on my n64 and it works great!

So glad it worked well for you too  

I have managed to make my N64 auto switch to the AV channel now   I had previously been using an official nintendo scart cable on which I removed the capacitors - but it wouldnt switch to the RGB channel.

Then I ordered some third party nintendo scart cables from play-asia. I removed the capacitors and performed the mod shown here:-
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/other/rgbswitch.htm
and hey presto! it now auto switches The only problems is it is using the 5v line on pin 8 to switch, so I would imagine a Widsecreen TV would think it is recieving a Widescreen (16:9) picture, not 4:3?

I thought about it some more and was wondering - since pin 3 is already used up by sync on NUS-CPU-03 boards, I was wondering if I could cut the 5v line which normally to connects to the multi-out pin 10, and conect it up a 12v point instead. Then if I make sure that this 12v wire goes to scart pin 8 instead of pin 16, and then link pin 16 to pin 8 by a 560ohm resistor (Like the Dreamcast scart cable)....Would this work? It should in theory make the TV switch to a 4:3 RGB image shouldnt it  

The only other thing im curious about is why the missing Sync Components on the NUS-CPU-04 motherboard caused any problems in the first place. I thought RGB Scart took the sync signals from the Composite signal - so I dont understand why when I modded my NUS-CPU-04 it didnt work as well?

I realise the missing sync components on the NUS-CPU-04 will be an important consideration for people who are not in Europe and who are using a monitor, but as im using a European TV with a scart socket I am not sure why it was a problem!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<UPDATE 17/02/09> I just wanted to update for anybody who may read this in the future - when I made this thread I was new to modding and to be honest I knew very little about how electronics worked. I was hoping that someone would reply with a the 'solution to solve it all', but from re-reading all this I get the impression that for the most part this thread was just me speculating and guessing to myself! With this in mind please dont take my inexperienced ramblings to be the absolute correct method! (Especially disregard 'Reply #9' in this thread - its really a load of rubbish! and I was tempted to delete it all but thought I best leave it for posterity <EDIT> Have now deleted most of reply 9 and altered other posts aswell, as people still kept assuming I was stating facts when they were just assumptions/guesses  )

I have learnt alot since I made this thread - and its been a steep leaning curve! I still have alot to learn, but theres is some information I would like to add:-

Regarding the RGB mod - I have now read of two people who have had great success 'lifting the legs', but I have also read of two people who didnt have success either. With this in mind I want people to realise that the 'lifting the legs' mod seems to be very TV dependant (I had no idea this would be the case) it worked well for me on my TV, but it might not work well for you - sorry!  

The only full-proof solution appears to be building an RGB amp - with this you should be pretty much guaranteed to have a good picture at the correct levels (assuming you build it correctly) weather of not you need to lift the chip legs ot not depends entirely on the amp you choose. There are many different amps for the N64 - which ones is best is entirely up to you really.

Regarding the missing C-Sync line on the NUS-CPU-04 that I made such a fuss about - this is actually important/useful for people who will be using a monitor (Usually people outside of Europe) but as I realised right at the end of my last post almost a year ago - missing C-Sync should be irelevant for people using a Scart connection.

So please note:-
-If you need C-Sync (you will probably know already if you do or not) make sure you get either an NUS-CPU-01, NUS-CPU-02 or NUS-CPU-03 motherboard for the RGB mod.
-If you dont need C-Sync you can get also add the NUS-CPU-04 board to that list.
-NUS-CPU-05 onwards is no good for the RGB mod as they dont have the correct video DAC chip. You can still make whats called a 'replacement DAC' though which will work on any model N64, but its quite complex. Please see this thread for more info:-
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2563.0

Regarding the 'correct cable' to use after the mod - this all depends entirely on the mod/amp method you choose - but I can say for the most part any Nintendo RGB cables you buy will usually have capacitors inside - these will likely need to be removed as I have yet to see any N64 RGB mod/amp that requires 100/220uF capacitors on the RGB lines.

I also hope to write a guide on all the different N64 RGB mods at some point, which I will hopefully add to the Wiki here  

Good luck to anyone RGB modding an N64 - if I can offer anymore advice to anyone feel free to drop me a PM (or start a new thread) and please PM me your serial numbers/motherboard revisions so I can expand the list  
Please note though - I dont have any already modded N64's to sell you! (If you can provide your own correct model N64 I may be able to mod it for you, but note that I live in the UK and the shipping can make it very costly)

Thanks for reading  

[CrackLtd]

Hi link83! Would you sell me one of your USA Version3 N64's with RGB mod already done + maybe a Scartcable? That would be nice, i am in Germany. Let me know, thx!

[Jon8RFC]

This is a USA N64:
NUS-001,  NS153195134, VDC-NUS  A, NUS-CPU-04

I don't know if it matters, but my VDC-NUS has what looks like a double-space followed by an A.  I haven't attempted an RGB mod, but wanted to add my serial number info to the list.

This is a JPN N64 which has been RGB modded:
NUS-001 (although below this, is also printed NUS-002), NUJ10961070,  VDC-NUS, NUS-CPU-02

[Link83]

This is a USA N64:
NUS-001,  NS153195134, VDC-NUS  A, NUS-CPU-04

I don't know if it matters, but my VDC-NUS has what looks like a double-space followed by an A.  I haven't attempted an RGB mod, but wanted to add my serial number info to the list.

This is a JPN N64 which has been RGB modded:
NUS-001 (although below this, is also printed NUS-002), NUJ10961070,  VDC-NUS, NUS-CPU-02

Thanks very much for the info, its much appreciated   I will be adding it to the list. I mainly keep the list updated here now:-
http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=27684
but I add serial numbers from wherever I can get them, so anybody please feel free to PM with any N64 serial numbers/motherboard revisions codes you may have  

The 'A' on 'VDC -NUS A' chip just means the chip was internally revised over the first 'VDC-NUS' chip. They both work exactly the same and both output RGB   Nintendo does the same thing for all their chips, for instance the N64's CPU was internally revised from the 'CPU-NUS' to the 'CPU-NUS A' which makes it better for overclocking mods, and there may even be a' CPU-NUS B' aswell.

However, please dont anyone mistake the VDC-NUS/VDC-NUS A chips for the AVDC-NUS chip which is totally different and doesnt output RGB. It should be quite obvious that they are different as the VDC-NUS always has 24 pins and the AVDC-NUS has 32 pins (The number of pins is even printed on the motherboard so you dont have to count them!)

[Piratero]

I don't have an account over there, so I'll just post it here.

NS143950163 - NUS-CPU-04

I didn't check what kind of chip. I was discouraged from taking the sheilding off since I would need an RGB amp for this N64.

[Piratero]

I just performed the RGB mod. Good news is that the N64 still works despite the tools I used. The bad news is that the image is too bright and completely washed out.

At first when there is a logo with a black background, the logo is extremely bright. Once gameplay starts, the game itself looks completely washed out. Oh, and there seems to be a lot of interference.

Even if the pins are up, can the RGB amp be applied? I want to sell this N64 now.

[Piratero]

NS104885107 has VDC-NUS, NUS-CPU-03

I just modded it also and it has the same problem as the previous one modded (NUS-CPU-04).

One thing though, when I have the RGB input set to 75Ω, the picture looks good. Not very bright, but good enough.

But if I set it to HIGH, I get interference out the ass! The colors are washed out.

[cr4zymanz0r]

Ok, I've read through all of this post and various other forum posts and tutorials for doing an RGB mod on a N64. Now if I had a NUS-CPU-003 I would probably use the 2nd mod on this page http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/ntsc_nintendo_64_rgb.htm and pair it with the scart cable amplification mod here http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/ntsc-n64-rbg-booster1.htm . From what I gather this would be the best mod for me to do to get the best video quality without interference with my limited soldering skills. Unless someone has some bad things to say about it, then I'm pretty set on that method.....except for one thing. My N64 is a NUS-CPU-004.

Now I don't understand all the intricacies of video signals or the technical aspects of what's different on the C-Sync on the NUS-CPU-004, so basically I'm just wondering what would (probably) happen if I do the rgb mod and scart cable mod I linked to? If that would give me the same result as the NUS-CPU-003 then that'd be great because I really don't want to have to go hunt down an earlier model US N64 and pay for it just to do a RGB mod on one of my least played systems

[Piratero]

I think viletim's amplifier is the best. I attempted the simple RGB mod (lifting the IC legs) on both a NUS-CPU-004 and NUS-CPU-003. Both provided a very dark picture. I then applied viletim's RGB amp on my NUS-CPU-003 and it worked flawlessly.

Now, there is interference on both N64 revisions if there is no 75.0Ω resistor present on each color component.

One thing is that if you need CSYNC and if you have a NUS-CPU-004 (or later), you'll also need to strip CSYNC from CBVS. If you have a NUS-CPU-003, CSYNC is right there.

Good luck.

[cr4zymanz0r]

One thing is that if you need CSYNC and if you have a NUS-CPU-004 (or later), you'll also need to strip CSYNC from CBVS. If you have a NUS-CPU-003, CSYNC is right there.

I bet that's the main thing I need to know then. I am using a NUS-CPU-004, so can you detail what exactly I do for this? I'm assuming (or hoping) I just solder a wire from wherever the CVBS stuff is to the output pin for CSYNC.

[Piratero]

One thing is that if you need CSYNC and if you have a NUS-CPU-004 (or later), you'll also need to strip CSYNC from CBVS. If you have a NUS-CPU-003, CSYNC is right there.

I bet that's the main thing I need to know then. I am using a NUS-CPU-004, so can you detail what exactly I do for this? I'm assuming (or hoping) I just solder a wire from wherever the CVBS stuff is to the output pin for CSYNC.

Unfortunately, you need to build a small circuit to strip the sync. Here is the circuit. You can get the 5.00V from the N64.

[RGB32E]

I have a launch day US N64 with serial number NS103xxxxxx.  I tapped R, G, and B from C124, C125, and C126 respectively and ran it through the GamesX NEC amp and have great quality RGB from my N64.  I haven't noticed any noise from my method either.

I connected RGB from the capacitors instead of the R* spots shown here:


Used this amp.  Only the RGB amp portions used, as CSYNC and composite are already available on my system.


I will be building another video amp to try with the N64 based off of the NJM2267 video amplifier.

[AlmostOriginal]

Recently i found this machine in an lot. I have never seen anything like this and the RGB mod is diffrent to.

Yes this is my machine but I did not makes this mod!

Nintendo 64 RGB

[Shadow_Zero]

I have:
NUS-CPU-02 / NUJ10442567 --> Japanese, modded (bought it from eBay) with a nice, although a bit dark, RGB picture. Need to check if the pins are lifted (although I rather not lift them if they aren't). Might look for a RGB boosted SCART lead.

NUS-CPU-05 / NUJ13871399 --> gold Japanese N64, guess I'm out of luck in modding this one to RGB

EDIT:
Ah, the modded N64 came with a booster RGB cable. I just didn't know which one it was (I have like 7 SNES/GC RGB cables...). Need to do some more testing, since I had the idea I had distortion, maybe the picture was even too bright.

EDIT 2:

NUP11779611 (RGB modded)
NUS-001(FRA)
NUS-CPU(R)-01
"VDC-NUS A, BU9801F, 729 186"
"S-RGB A, BA6596F, 31 173"

NUP10009929
NUS-001 (EUR)
NUS-CPU(P)-01
"DENC-NUS, RS5C282, 6LM 74"

NUJ10442567 (RGB modded)
NUS-001 (JPN)
NUS-CPU-02
"VDC-NUS, BU9801F, 619 171"

NUJ13871399
NUS-001 (JPN)
NUS-CPU-05
"AVDC-NUS, BU9805FS, 841 128"

NUP11982009
NUS-001(FRA)
NUS-CPU(R)-01
"VDC-NUS A, BU9801F, 732 133"
"S-RGB A, BA6596F, 733 159"

[Shadow_Zero]

What revision did the NTSC Funtastic consoles start?