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SNES/SFC Power LED Dual Colour Mod

Myrddin · 2011-03-05 16:48:01

Jack Burton mentioned doing this recently, so I though while I was doing work on a Super Famicom that I'd include the mod into what I was doing. Basically the idea is to have a different coloured power light for either PAL or NTSC. This is achieved by using a DPDT switch instead of an SPDT (the DPDT has an extra row of…

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05-03-2011 5:48pm

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Myrddin

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Jack Burton mentioned doing this recently, so I though while I was doing work on a Super Famicom that I'd include the mod into what I was doing. Basically the idea is to have a different coloured power light for either PAL or NTSC. This is achieved by using a DPDT switch instead of an SPDT (the DPDT has an extra row of contacts that are worked off the same switch).

Slight differences in the SFC meant I couldn't mount the switches for the region mod at the back. The Super NES has in an integrated sound board, while in the SFC it's a daughterboard extension which occupies more space.

No room here, find somewhere else!

The next availbale space was at the left hand side, towards the rear.

I won't cover the region mod, as it's exactly the same as the recent one I did here. However the lockout chip is in a slightly different place. Anyway, this is the existing power led. Two choices, either snip it out or desolder everything there...I snipped it out & isolated the power.

Old led removed, new one ready to go in. You have to only connect this new led to the ground spot, the two annodes (one for each colour) will be wired to the region switch.

Ground point soldered, & annodes ready to be wired.

Ready to rock

So either annode gets wired to the left or right terminal on the spare row of contacts on a DPDT switch, & you provide 5v to the middle switch. This woked perfectly for about 30 seconds, until the led faded to death. The reason? In my stupidity I forgot to add the correct value resistor to the 5v supply for the led, so it cooked.

The solution? Check my own stocks, I had a few 5v led's spare, white & blue. Then using http://www.hebeiltd.com.cn/?p=zz.led.resistor.calculator#single I determined I needed a 150r resistor (how lucky I'v a ton of them from the jtag days). Supply voltage = 5v, Voltage drop is 1v (from led spec sheets), desired current was 30ma (optimal according to spec sheets), = 150r.

Ok, so I needed to add the resistor in line before the 5v got to the switch, the blue lead jumps 5v off the feed for the other mods, and the resistor then brings it to the switch. From there on out it's the correct voltage for the new leds (I fit two seperately into where the old one went as there's loads of room).

Two regions, two different colours :cool:

The colours can be anything at all, once it's a 5v led.

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