PC Engine - Getting to the Core of its issues...
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13-07-2023 7:46am#1
So I've done a few PC Engine threads over the last while (PC Engine Repair & Recap, Interface Unit RGB Mod, and CD-Rom2 Repair & Recap), so this will probably be the last one! While I think the Briefcase setup is very cool, it'll take up a bit more real estate than I'd like. I decided then to get a PC Engine Core Grafx, and give it all the bells & whistles, removing the need for a dedicated CD-Rom addon, and keeping the footprint as tiny as the base unit itself.
For this unit I'll do a full re-cap, replace the voltage regulator, fit a fuse holder, install a fantastic new RGB mod kit, and give the console a special gift at the very end!
^^ The Core Grafx itself. It's obviously a PC Engine, but slightly updated. It's got an obvious colour difference, but the RF output of the original PC Engine has been replaced with a composite AV port, and the CPU is revised from the original HuC6280 to a HuC6280A thereby seemingly fixing some minor audio issues according to Wikipedia.
^^ There's the native AV port which outputs a Composite feed. I think we can do a little better!
^^ Console opened up. The caps visually look ok, but they're definitely getting on in age. I felt it best to replace them, and try keep the console running happily for another few decades! The soldered in fuse is also shown here. I've had these blown in the past, so it's not a bad idea to remove it and fit a fuse holder. Finally, the original voltage regulator is also shown here. Some of these are long past their best-before date, so again, I'll fit a new replacement just to try keep things running happily.
So the original voltage regulator is a 7805, and the new one will be a variation of that, a 78S05. Not a massive upgrade, perhaps a little more efficient, but at least it's new and should see voltages being kept comfortably within spec. Beside that are the fuse holder, and new 1amp fuse.
^^ Old fuse out, fuse holder installed, and new fuse sitting happily in place. The new fuse holder isn't a perfect fit in terms of the pcb vias, so I needed to trim the legs a little, and slightly alter the spacing. It's soldered in now, solid and secure.
^^ Old regulator removed, new one bent to shape, and then in place. I temporarily refit the heat sink here to ensure the fitting is perfect. It's not soldered in here, but that was done shortly after taking the pic!
^^ Core Grafx cap kit courtesy of the fantastic Mark from Digital Delights! Link to store here - https://www.ebay.ie/usr/digital_delights?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2559
^^ A small number of pcb via's broke apart during de-capping. None of them too bad really, and none needed bypassing thankfully.
^^ Fully de-capped
^^ Fully re-capped!
Post edited by Inviere on3
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Next up is this lovely little RGB mod, called the Turbonanza. Well not just RGB, but S-Video and Composite too, so ALL of the bases are covered. It also fixes an audio issue that I'll get to later on. Developed by the fantastic Zaxour, I grabbed mine from his ko-fi shop here - https://ko-fi.com/post/The-TurboNanza-is-Released-O5O8EZ5P5 (though there's since been an EU distributor announced, possibly based in Ireland even? - https://videogameperfection.com/products/turbonanza-pcengine-turbografx/)
^^ Wonderful little design, very very neat and tidy. It replaces the stock AV port with a Saturn style DIN connector.
^^ Original AV Port removed.
^^ I reflowed the required resistors with new solder, and removed them. I didn't remove the one on the far left completely, because there are some concerns about a trace underneath it being broken....so I left it in place like this which is fine to do. The other four came out handy enough without any fuss.
^^ The Turbonanza itself solders into place directly over the pins for the Expansion port.
^^ Test fit above, and then soldered into place. The pads requiring solder are marked with a white ring, there's x13 of them. Nothing difficult at all here.
^^ These are the four pads we need to solder wire to, and then solder the other ends to where the resistors were. It's advised to keep the cable lengths all the same here.
^^ Done. I did alter the path of the wiring later on, just to keep everything as slim as possible for reassembly. Where the wires crossed over each other here caused a bit of a bump, so I just routed them differently to fix that.
^^ So where the original AV port was, we need to install the new output. A fiberglass pen here came in handy here to remove the silk screening in the required locations. It's important we get a SOLID anchor point here to give the new port some strength.
^^ This small board will be soldered down directly over the exposed copper.
^^ Done. It's a very strong connection with a good amount of solder flowed into place.
^^ The new port is then soldered into place, requiring solid and well flowed solder here. Again it's important to spend time doing this right as it'll be whats holding the new port down.
^^ Connection board loosely fit in place. It SHOULDN'T be soldered into position here, because the cart module on the case will interfere with it. So you place it loosely into place like this, then refit the shell to allow the cart unit to press down on this connection board - this moves it down and free from interference. Only then, should it be soldered into place.
^^ Angle now correct, and ready for soldering.
^^ Done, and soldered into position. Visually it looks odd at an angle like this, but it's the only way to correctly do it.
^^ Wiring route altered and now fitting perfectly. The Ribbon cable is shown connected to the Turbonanza here, and the other end connects to the connector unit on the new din port.
^^ Fully connected now, and ribbon routed to ensure it's not interfering with anything.
^^ The bottom shield needs slight modification to ensure it's not pressing on the Turbonanza. I really need to get myself a Dremel. Without one, I had to rely on stress-bending the metal here. It's not perfectly neat, but it's done the job. I taped off the edging here to ensure there's no sharp edges etc.
^^ The new AV port is quite smaller compared to the old one, so it leaves a bit of a window into the console if left like this.
^^ Some black card here shown. I was able to cut the required shape and place it into the case.
^^ Done. Looks neater and more 'finished' now.
Post edited by Inviere on2 -
Time to test everything!
Brand new power supply bought from Retrogamesupply - https://en.retrogamesupply.com/products/power-supply-for-nec-pc-engine-coregrafx-1-2 & Sega Saturn RGB scart from an eBay seller. No stepdown transformer needed now!
^^ Ready to test with some Hucards.
^^ Glorious, glorious RGB sharpness. Obviously I'm testing here on a modern display so I'm not getting the proper effect, but I can tell right away it's going to look beyond epic on a CRT.
Post edited by Inviere on2 -
Time to give the console a bit of a treat.
When I heard the announcement of the Turbo Everdrive PRO, I knew I had to have one. Full CD-Rom2 support, all from the Hucard slot!
^^ First up was a nice little SD card, that I can store all of my legitimately dumped Hucard/CD-Rom games on. It needs to be formatted in FAT32, which needs a 3rd party tool like guiformat to do.
^^ It made it safely from Ukraine through Krikzz.me to me.
^^ Anyone ordering from Ireland should use the 'Additional Comments' section of the order page to input the above. It seemed including it has kept An Post happy re importing, and there was no returning to sender nonsense.
^^ I think the Black Everdrive works very well with the Core Grafx. They sell the Everdrive in White too
^^ Everdrive updated with the latest firmware.
^^ Then, when powered on, you're greeted with this choice. There's a massive library to explore here!
^^ Hucards are separated by region...
^^ As are CD-Rom games.
^^ Time to test some games!
^^ It looks absolutely beautiful, and works perfectly
^^ Region changing is all handled automatically now with the Pro card. Again, the pixel art looks glorious. I can't wait to see it on a CRT.
^^ Time to test some CD games. The obligatory Rondo test...
^^ Perfect
^^ Region changing all automatic with CD's too. Sorry for the blurry pic here, but I can't compliment the Turbonanza enough, the image is razor sharp, even on this modern display where you'd expect the internal scaler to handle 240p poorly. It doesn't though, it's so sharp.
^^ A match made in heaven!
Post edited by Inviere on4 -
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I've always been so caught up in reading about the PC Engine itself and all it's add ons that I've never really given too much consideration to the TG16.
Didn't know there was a CD add on created for it in the US too. Getting definite Sega Megadrive vibes from the design.
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