Hello again!
Over the past few days I've been working on installing an RGB amp into an original (white) PC Engine #PITG001, and have run into several difficulties and differences from the other PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 systems. There is also no repair thread associated with the Original PCE, So I figured I would use this opportunity to explain some of the differences between the Original PCE and the Coregrafx/Coregrafx II. Credit is due to thesteve for constant hacking/guru help in chat literally every step of the way and telling me what to do, chop5 for counterpoint, and BlueBMW for the Coregrafx chart that I will reference later.
Day #1:![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3703_zpsvuqdovao.jpg)
While digging around looking for a file to clean up a casemod, I came across this Original White PCE that I had forgotten about in a box with some PSP stuff. I plugged it into my IFU, and I had no power, so I pulled it apart and began the journey of tracking down the problem... The PCE would pulse in the IFU like crazy.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3704_zpsaksjwrnm.jpg)
Opening Up the case, everything looked DECEPTIVELY clean, with the exception of the clunky old RF port, (top right on the chipboard) that looks like a piece of 8-bit tech from a William Gibson novel. I then decided to check the underside of the unit for any obvious problems.
I found the grounding plate soldered on two points that lifted clean off with the touch of an iron. I then was looking at the bottom of the board:
I ran the wires for the RGB amp off of the Expansion Bus, following the RGB Amp guide on
TG16PCEMODS.com, and powered the system on, to check the voltage to the BUS. I then did the Jailbar Fix, installing the two blue caps on C131 and C135. Everything read correctly.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3709_zpss52vfdcj.jpg)
The Next step was to remove the cyberpunk RF port...
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3707_zps3ko1igvs.jpg)
...3 solder points on the bottom that go a heck of a lot quicker with a fine-tipped iron and some flux. I don't have a de-soldering station and didn't have a torch handy, so i just took my time with a wire braid and took it all out. It is important to note that the three holes that hold the RF port in are ground, so you should re-fill them with solder when the port is removed for easy access to ground when installing the RGB chip or Region Mod. The back of the port is connected to three tiny pins, which are video, sound, and ground. desolder them from the bottom of the board after you get the 3 main points off.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3708_zpsjph3aq6o.jpg)
This felt like a good logical time to stop for the night.
Day #2:Aargh. That was fun. But at least that damn RF port is gone now and you can finally open up the systems true potential! The RF signal is nothing short of terrible, and while I have been playing games on composite for all these years, I wanted to get the eye-popping colors i used to see in arcades when I was younger... so on to building the 8pin DIN connector! When you assemble it, make sure that the R, G, and B signal are separate, using a thin-gauge wire (30AWG Kynar is recommended, but I didn't have any).
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3710_zpsel78g1lx.jpg)
It looks like Spiderman! Now that the switch is assembled, I Remembered the mounting issue, and opened up the PCE and stared at it for awhile. The gaping hole leaves a lot of mounting questions (get your mind out of the gutter
![Cheesy :D](https://www.pcenginefans.com/forum/Smileys/default/icon_biggrin.gif)
), but the real trick here is that the
LEFT front ground pin on the DIN8
centers the plug perfectly in the system.![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3715_zpsatgh7jwa.jpg)
I assembled the completed switch and cut ALL of the pins
except the two grounds: The left front pin, and the center pin for the DIN8. I then soldered the left front pin to the front RF hole (above), and hot-glued the switch into place once resistance was confirmed at the plug... and then came the wierdness. Checking the plug, I realized that It was putting out 9V instead of 5, and that there was absolutely no power past the power switch. It just...stopped at a point under the heatsynch... It was the fuse!! Without the parts, I put the project away for the next night.
Day #3:...I thought it was over, and I went to test, and..... NOTHING. Then I realized I had the grounds incorrect, so I ran them correctly, then made a quick trip to the electronics store to get the 1uf 50v caps and the fuse that blew the circuit out. I disassembled everything the 7805, fuse, heatsynch, and caps, and replaced the fuse. An open circuit yielded R, G, and B flashing in repetition, so I knew the DIN was correct! I then installed the caps.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3716_zpsus266ysa.jpg)
...And then something went horribly wrong. I was trying for three days to get this thing working with steve and chop's help, and i didn't even notice that the grey CABLE WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED. I made 20 cuts and stripped the wire, and desoldered JP101.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3717_zpsx7lexyqm.jpg)
Then I reattached all 21 points on the card-side of JP102.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3719_zpsil569twn.jpg)
Almost immediately after I did this, the other three cable connections snapped off in the same way
![Hitting head on wall ](*,)](https://www.pcenginefans.com/forum/Smileys/default/eusa_wall.gif)
. This put me at 21/84 connections on the cable, so I did the most important thing I could do, and unplugged the iron for the night and poured myself a stiff drink.
Day 4:Gearing up for what is one of the most annoying repairs I have had to do, I got plenty of coffee and and prepared for soldering about 100 connections. There were at least 76 more to be done on the cable side of things so I prepped the main circuitboard, and removed all of the soldering slag and bits of wire. I then cleaned the area with alcohol to make sure there was a clean surface...
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3720_zpshvbc9wms.jpg)
...and then followed suit with the second cable on the Hu-Card slot. It was already disconnected so it was pretty darn easy to completely desolder JP102. JP 101 was attached from yesterday and holding on pretty well.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3724_zpsgiclo4bk.jpg)
I cleaned the boards again, and positioned the unit in the casing of the PCE, and changed the batteries in my headlamp to get the best view of the repairs. With a needlenose pliers I bent each of the pins at a 45-degree angle and they went into the main board clean, save for some stuck stands that took time to work through. I then bent the pins back and soldered the wires from the bottom of the board. Cable JP102 went on clean.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3726_zpspbb9k2cy.jpg)
Instead of immediately reattaching the bottom of the cable, it was time to do the oBey mod to save an extra disassembly in the long run.
I had the Hu-Card slot apart, and after looking at it I thought "I could finish a region a region mod on this f*cking thing in an hour or so, everything is already apart, and for the first time I don't have to dig through tons of wires to cut the pins and solder through the board!" I grabbed the remaining oBey chip I had from turbokon, and did a quick install that lasted just over an hour, the chip went in clean, and I used purple wire for PCB side, and orange wire for the Hu-Side. Everything was flat as the slot was removed completely from the base of the system
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3727_zpsu0fadmcz.jpg)
It was then time to reattach the 42 pins on the base of the system, and now that the top-ed was completed, it was much easier to put together the two assembly's. I used the method that Ergot talked about when he posted earlier today, and soldered the two ends of the cable to keep the ribbon's geometry intact, and not tug on any extra wires. The next photo doesn't have the end soldered to show the length of wire left to allow the bend and not do any further damage a the solder points. You can see the oBey chip fuzzy in the background.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3728_zpslpger4wx.jpg)
The most annoying part of the repair came next, where I had soldered two of the wires on JP101 too close to the board, and they suffered the same fate as the pre-repaired cable, and snapped right off. I cut the ends, pulled the wire through the bottom of the board with the iron at the top, and cut back the two wires (one of which, wire #3 facing the camera is 5v power) and did a spot-repair with the leftover purple wire. The shrink-tubing is there to remind me that the wire is +5v.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3729_zpsqcj6foyh.jpg)
Going through all of these and adding the surprise region mod was tedious and I played with the length of the exposed wires again to make sure that I got a clean bend and that there were no stress points. I repositioned the main board with the soldered top assembly into the case to hold everything steady and got ready to gently bend back the cable assemblies and hope that it tests correctly.
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3730_zpse3uarqh0.jpg)
...I then noticed that the 1A car fuse had popped again, and that I had no power to the main board. I took the extra fuse that I bought (just in case) and reinstalled, and tested with the meter. My suspicion before even testing the unit was that the pulsating power issue remained, so as soon as I had power to the main board, I hooked up the oBey chip to power, and tested. It registered across the meter on the pins and with 5V power. I unplugged the console, and slowly and carefully bent the ribbon cable back into place. The whole time, I'm thinking "No Whammies, No Whammies".
![](http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/Rookstower/Video%20Games/repairs/PCE-RGBmod/IMG_3731_zpsqbftu3wb.jpg)
...Man it looks slick, but I powered it on in the IFU and STILL, the repetitive power surging that must have blown the fuse. On the RGB PVM, a green screen that fades to turquoise and then deep blue (not the game). So it's still dead, with the original issue. Everything has power, and the chips ARE working confirmed with the meter, and the game is playing on the board, but it not being exported. All pins on DIN8 are putting out proper voltage, all caps reading on the meter... but still this wierd short. Steve said that it was a power overload.
If I can't get this thing working I'm going to make it into a necklace and wear it like Flava Flav.
Day #5:...
So after hacking this unit up I got to the point where I couldn't figure out what was wrong, and I sent it to thesteve for testing and repair. The following post will show what steve did to correct the work and get everything working perfectly!
--
I will keep updating this until I get the project finished.
Goonies Never Say Die
le (hard)caw