Noise on Nintendo 64 PAL S-video cables

I've been reading on the internets that one option for modding S-video cables is putting the resistors and whatnot in the console itself, instead of the cable to fix the brightness issue. This sounds like a possible solution to my S-video issue, since I would be able to use the Monster cable again, which I know is sufficiently shielded. Does anyone know about how to do this?

 

By the time you bought resistors, adequate soldering equipment, and practiced enough to do it, may make more sense finding an NTSC N64.

In fact so ludicrously common here they're hard to sell. Over a thousand N64's have active ebay listings in the US alone. Not counting sold, or other sites/countries.

 

I've already got soldering equipment and practice, so all I need is resisters in that case As I've said before, I've already got a large collection of PAL games, and I'm not too keen on having to give them up or use one of those silly converter cartridges (the number 1 reason why I own both an NTSC and PAL Super Nintendo)

 

Well yes. It isn't easy. AFAIK...

Three different s-video cables:
NTSC SNES/N64/Gamecube
PAL SNES
PAL N64

Four different RGB cables:
SCART for NTSC SNES & PAL Gamecube
Japan for NTSC SNES & PAL Gamecube
SCART for PAL SNES
Japan for PAL SNES

 

Its an easy mod..

he has a US svideo cable and wants to solder the extra parts in the console side so he can continue to use his high quality us style svideo cable.

You are making things confusing for no reason. After the mod, both his PAL and NTSC n64 will use the same svideo cable with no problems.

 

Sorry. I was thinking of the variety of cables, not how to mod between them.

 

That is the model number on EVERY N64. You need to know the internal board revision.

 

Ah ha, so it is possible! Okay, now I just need to find some instructions on how to do it. I found what would appear to be instructions over at http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:nintendomultiav, but it doesn't mean much to me, except that two 75ohm resistors, a 220uF capacitor and a 68nF capacitor are involved. What I really need is a photo or diagram that shows how everything is suppose to go together, but the closest I've found is this
But that appears to be short a few components.

 

Pin 8 connected to pin 5 via a 75 ohm resistor
pin 7 connected to pin 5 via 75 ohm resistor.

You then need to cut the traces going to pin 8 and 7

Connect a polarised 220uf cap where the break is (with negative leg going toward the soldering points shown in your picture) on the trace you cut for pin 7.

Connect a non polarized ceramic cap between the trace you broke for pin 8.

its basically 2 caps, 2 resistors and 2 trace cuts.

 

I'd hate to sound like I'm questioning the process, when you're clearly more knowledgeable about this than I am, but cutting traces? I didn't hear anything about having to cut traces with any of the other discussions I read, you've got me a little nervous that I might be irreversibly damaging my N64 un-necessarily :hororr: Even that gamesx.com article that every seemed to link to doesn't make mention of cutting traces.

 

The article you linked says the cap needs to be in series, only way to do that is break the existing connection. Just because it doesnt say "cut the trace!" doesnt mean its not describing that would be required if you did it in the console.

Say this is your Luma or Chroma signal

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

the cap has to go inbetween it like:

-------CAP------------

The only way to do that is in the cable (remove wire, solder to one side of the caop, then other leg of cap to where the wire went).

Inside the console, the wires are traces.


This picture shows what I mean:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/264/paln64svideog.png/

 

Ah, I getcha, that gamesx.com page is for modifying a cable, naturally, you can't cut a wire in a console, so you have the cut traces. Are the N64's traces like the Mega Drive's? i.e you've gotta dig into the circuit board and cut the little bit of copper?

And do have if you guys have a photo of this mod? I'm having trouble visualising what it should look like, things like connecting the capacitor "where the break is" (does this mean it's connected into the break itself or on one of the sides of the break?) and cutting the traces themselves (in the N64's board, the traces are the dark green lines right? But if you look in the photo above, pins 1 and 2 are not connected to anything, so should I be looking on the underside of the board?)

Sorry, this must be like watching a caveman try to drive a car if you're reading my posts with a solid knowledge of electronics

 

Just had a thought, what if I modified the cable instead of the console? I could de-solder the original cable and replace it with a nice, thick, heavily shielded cable. That would be less drastic than permanently modifying my console. Thoughts?

 

Yes, that will work. But your cable will be for the pal console only - not the NTSC.

 

Well, I've still got that noisy PAL s-video cable, so that should have all the extra parts already installed. Do you know how may wires an S-video cable for the N64 needs?

 

I hope to help and not make it worse but you can get inspiration from here:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/gamescart/gamescart.htm

Check the SNES cabling.

Luma and Chroma "should be the same" as RGB in terms of what kind of "canditioning" you need.
If it gets you confused ignore this post.

 

It doesnt need the same parts as RGB and the details of what needs doing has already been posted in this thread. Including a picture.

 

The confusing part is Nintendo's decision. What they were thinking with a pal n64 specific s-video cable, who knows.

 

Just wrap it in tin foil. Le problem solved :victorious:

 

I've built much better shielded SCART cables for the N64. The picture noticably improves when you use higher quality wires that are put into that insulation designed to avoid interference rather than 8-9 parallel wires essentially acting as a antennae with inductance issues out the wazoo.