snes audio processing unit interface

[caitsith2]

Okay, expect to see the program, and its source code uploaded later today, or tomorrow. (And make sure you have .NET framework 2.0 or later installed, if you are going to use the program as it is.)

At the same time, I will also be uploading the new PCB design revision, and revised part list. A big note, is that the minimum data trace clearence has been taken down to 6 mil, which greatly improves the routing, but also limits which board houses you can have manufacture this design. batchpcb.com is out of the question, as their minimum is 8 mil. (You can go directly through gold-phoenix though.)

If you wish to go through board houses that have minimums of 7-8 mils, then you will have to do a full rip-up and reroute with such design rules. The routing won't be quite as nice though. In that case, try out freerouting.net to do the routing, regardless if you wish to route by hand, or auto-route it.

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Okay, looks like serial number is the only thing that is going to track whether the snes deck has a removable APU module or not.

Here is what I have so far.

European region:
UP14109104 - no module. (Anything greater than this is also very likely to not have a module either. If any European region systems are found to have a removable module, please report the serial number here.

North American Region: (There are 2 deck styles. THe new style definitely does NOT have a removable module, for the old style deck, serial numbers definitely need to be reported.)

BANNED's collection, All of them have modules.
UN12061817
UN11729352
UN12271182


UN292033472 - No module.

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The software (and source code), as well as the new eagle board design files have been released.

Software
Source code
Board Design - Includes eagle script files to re-route the board for 6, 7, 8, 10, or 12 mil clearance/trace width. The board files distributed are currently routed with the 12 mil set.

As you will note, I have done a bit of combination manual/automatic routing, through http://www.freerouting.net. This router is far higher quality than eagles built in auto-router, and it is also quite a bit nicer for hand routing as well. For one thing, if putting a trace between a pair of specific pads is going to violate your design rules no matter what, then freerouting will NOT let you do it.

Edit: I finally assembled the parallel port portion of the module and tested it. It is indeed working properly.

Edit 2: Here are the pictures showing the interface plugged into the computer.

Note that I do void the warranty. (That was the tamper evident label of my computer.)


And you can see where it originally was.



What you see of the battery box, I just simply took a clip from a dead 9V, and soldered it to a USB cable, and used that, to provide the required 5V supply.

Edit 3:

The software for the parallel port interface can be found at http://www.BANNED.net/snes/apu.htm (Windows), or http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sne ... apu_en.php Linux.

------- EDIT: Merged previous posts into one post.

Updated the board files again. There was a show stopper in the 12 mil routing script. (right near the parallel port, on the top side, due to a bug in freerouting.net generating an invalid wire command. (very rare)).

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Having fixed that show stopper, I now have ordered this revision, through Advanced Circuits. (And finally using my $500 off first order code, which I had gotten back in Jan 2007, with the intention of using for another project, but never did.)



--- (and again.)

Revised the PCB board again. Yesterday, I discovered that it is not easy to get linear voltage regulators that have a 1-2-3 configuration, where 2=Input. 2=Ground voltage-regulators are much more common. Im glad I caught this mistake yesterday, and was able to revise the PCB, and send that revision to the Advance Circuit CAM department, before production even started. This particular revision will be uploaded later today, after I update all of the board routing configurations once again.

As for the order itself, I used the new customer $500 off first order special, and managed to work in 80 PCBs into the order, with a 4 Week (20 business days) turn-around. All of the clearence issues should be worked out now.

The only potential clearence issue left, is the 100uF electolytic caps, and those can be layed down on the side, to deal with that issue. Alternatively, one could use 68uF electolytic caps, which are shorter in height than 100uF caps.

A final parts list will also be posted later today.

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There, uploaded the new update. (Still under revision 1.02 as that is what Advance Circuits will be producing.)

[caitsith2]

PCB boards are now on their way to me. Amazing how fast Advance Circuits is, as far as getting orders out sooner than the selected turn-time goes. (20 Business day turn-time selected, out the door in 11 Business days.)

[caitsith2]

Finally got the order of PCBs in.

The bundles, I zip-tied myself.





Now just need to order the parts, to assemble one for myself, and to make a few complete kits. (minus the SNES APU module / connector.)

If anybody wants one of these boards, I will sell them as they are for $12 US, ( + $3 US for shipping/handling). PM me if you wish to buy one of these boards, as is.

Part list. (In form of Digikey part numbers. Mouser does not carry the CUI Inc product line, that I know of, and as such, you can't get the exact RCA/headphone/power connectors through them.)

Code: Select all

Qty.Part Number     Description
1	CP-1401-ND      Red RCA Jack
1	CP-1402-ND      White RCA Jack
2	CP1-3533N-ND    3.5mm Stereo Headphone/lineout jack
2	SW400-ND        Pushbutton Switch
4	BC1151CT-ND     1uF Ceramic Caps. (Digikey minimum order is 10)
2	51QBK-ND        51 ohm resistor. (Digikey minimum order is 5)
2	S9001-ND        Jumper (Digikey minimum order is 10)
3	P10KBACT-ND     10K ohm resistor (Digikey minimum order is 5)
1	SAM1126-16-ND   16 Pin breakaway right angle wire-wrap sockets. (cheaper than ordering 2x8pin)
1	SAM1125-15-ND   15 Pin breakaway wire-wrap sockets. (cheaper than ordering 2x6pin, 1x3pin (1x3 only for Arduino NG))
1	S1012E-06-ND    6 Pin breakaway male header. (Breaks in half for 2 x 3 Pins.)

2	565-1657-ND     16V 68uF electrolytic capacitor
1	296-2062-5-ND   2 Input OR Gate. 
1	CP-202A-ND      2.1mm Power Jack (Can also order CP-102A-ND)
1	BC1160CT-ND     0.1uF Ceramic Capacitor (Digikey minimum order is 10)
1	1N4004DICT-ND   1N4004 Diode
1	LM78M05CTFS-ND  5V 500ma Voltage regulator
1	225ME-ND        Male DB25 Connector.

EDIT: Revised the part list slightly. Just looked at some arduino/pcb related clearances, and figured out that some wirewrap sockets would be the easiest way to raise the board up a bit higher. (One of the RCA jacks would short out on the USB connector of the arduino with normal pin headers.) The right angle headers, is to allow access to all of the arduino lines, for additional prototyping options. (The Audio Processing Unit would short out anything connected to any of the 8 pin sockets, if it is not the right-angle type.)

EDIT 2: Just realized that the use of wirewrap connections to extend the length would also break Arduino-NG compatibility, unless a wire-wrap 3 position header is also used. As such, the parts list has been updated accordingly.

EDIT 3: Alternatively, instead of 1 x SAM1126-16-ND and 1 x SAM1125-15-ND, if you don't mind not adding prototyping sockets, you can instead get 1 x SAM1061-28-ND and 1 x SAM1125-03-ND.

Code: Select all

Qty.Part Number         Description
1    SAM1125-03-ND    3 Position Female Wirewrap connector. (that extra length is required, only for Arduino NG, for direct access to the arduino reset button.)
1    SAM1061-28-ND    28 pin Male pin header, 620 mil mating length. (most pin headers are 220 mil mating length.)

You can still add standard right-angle female connections later on, if you need direct access to those connections. That was the purpose of the second set of holes. If you are looking to stack multiple shields on your arduino, this MUST be the one at the top of the stack. (or alternatively, you will need a double-wide extender shield, if you need something else on top.)

Finally, with the APU in place, you must NOT touch digital lines 10 & 11. They need to always be set as mode OUTPUT, digital written as HIGH. These are the APU /RD and /WR lines. As long as both of them remain high, then there will be no corruption on any of the other digital lines whatsoever, if you decide to use them for other purposes. Additionally, do NOT put any critical control lines, (that is /cs, /rd, /wr, /rst and the like.) on digital lines 2-13 inclusive. A read or write to the APU could inadvertently trigger these control lines as a result.

Also, if you need to use Analog Line 0, then you must wire up the OR gate IC, and tie that as the APU reset source, as the APU reset lines requires a logic HIGH to continue running whatever program it is running.

[caitsith2]

Sent out the first order, to Kompact, in Austria. As it turns out, I was pretty close on the final shipping/handling cost, letter mail rate, for shipping just the PCBs.

Final cost is $12 per PCB, and $5 shipping/handling, Worldwide, for up to 5 PCB boards. For any more than 5 PCB boards, PM me for a quote.

[Kompact]

Got my gamebit, here are the results for my consoles:

SNES PAL:

UP12987148
UP12299649

NO modules in both of the above

Super FAMICOM:

S10321639 has a sound module

[caitsith2]

Okay, my remianing 1.01 revision board, which was assembled Parallel port only, is now fully assembled.

I now have a revision 1.02 board fully assembled and fully tested. Everything works out nicely, and no show stopping design issues whatsoever.

When putting the board together, attach the parallel port connector before you assemble the power supply section. If assembling the Arduino shield portion, do that section last. Put all header connections into the Arduino, then mount and solder from there. If you are using an Arduino NG, be sure to mount the 3 pin male header to the ICSP port. (it carries a reset line for the arduino.)

I also have 4 complete kits available, for $30 US each. (cost of shipping to be determined.)

The serial number setup I am using, is currently 7 digits. The first 4 digits signifies when the PCB board was manufactured, (Week, and Year) and the last 3 is the board number of that production run. I have only marked 3 digits on the PCB board itself, near the 4 digit date code. (1408). This particular run has 84 boards, meaning the full 7 digit number is 1408001 - 1408084.









(EDIT 1: Added images of 1.02 build.)

(EDIT 2: Added in price of kit.)

[caitsith2]

To those that have come across this topic and wondering availability of kits, currently, no kits available. I still have PCBs available though. I plan to reorder parts to make more kits available sometime in the future. Latest status of availability will always be located at http://BANNED.net/snes/apu.htm

[vxbinaca]

A word on telling apart SNES generations at a glance:

1st Generation (with APU) have:

- Four rubber feet
- It's 'licence plate" is a sticker on the bottom.
- The "Eject" on the eject button is painted in white on the surface and NOT raised.
- Old-style cartridges are held in place by a locking bar when the unit is switched on.

Second gen units have:

- Two rubber feet (front only).
- A molded in licence plate on the bottom.
- "Eject" is raised from the curface, similar to it's licence plate.
- The cartridge locking bar is gone, replaced with a sticker below the power switch warning not to remove the cartridge from the unit when powered on.

[Toma]

When putting the board together, attach the parallel port connector before you assemble the power supply section. If assembling the Arduino shield portion, do that section last. Put all header connections into the Arduino, then mount and solder from there. If you are using an Arduino NG, be sure to mount the 3 pin male header to the ICSP port. (it carries a reset line for the arduino.)

My first problem was that I could not get an SPI device (specifically the DS1722 temperature sensor) to talk to the Arduino NG. Soon after I tried to burn the bootloader to a bare ATmega8 using the NG board's ICSP connector. This was also unsuccessful.