Who has a Nes on a chip?? Got a question for ya Can anyone tell me what voltage these things run on? Is it possible different ones run on different voltages? I got one at a thrift store with no power cord. Its a "Prima" brand if anyone cares. I have an Atari flashback from last year. From everything ive read its also a Nes on chip and it runs on 9v 300ma. I might be able to wire it with a Nes port if I cant get this cheapo one working. Im gonna get one of these bad boys working with Nes carts if it kills me. Any info is appreciated. Meanwhile im off to find schematics.
I think you're getting the two versions of the Atari Flashback confused. The original Flashback used a NES-on-a-chip design, but unless you are a master of electricity, it's really doubtful you'll get a functional NES from it. The Atari Flashback 2 actually uses a condensed version of the actual Atari chipset (an Atari-on-a-chip, so to speak) and has the nessicary contact points on the mainboard for the brave to solder in their own Atari cartridge connector. I'm not quite sure what you're talking about with this 'Prima' thing, but I'm assuming it's a Famiclone. Most electronic devices have some sort of power input/output rating on the underside, but the Famiclone may not. Either way, it's a safe bet that Flashback adaptor might power the Prima (assuming, of course, it really IS a Famiclone). Oh, and I found this post at the bottom of the Phoenix Wright thread - you must have accidentally replied instead of making a new topic.
this is what I can find for now, but I'm sure I've seen more info than this: http://nesdev.parodius.com/nes-on-a-chip.txt http://nesdev.parodius.com/6578_pinout.pdf
Whoops. Thanks. Yeah the Prima has no voltage marks at all. Has a sticker that says NTSC and I think im lucky thats even there. Yeah the Flashback 2 is based on Atari hardware, hence they were able to mod it to accept Atari carts. Flashback 1 is NES on chip and the games are emulated. If you can modify the Flashback 2 to take Atari carts why not the original to accept NES carts. this http://www.benheck.com/Downloads/NES_Famicom_Pinouts.pdf and what Babu(thanks bro, I was looking at those just before I saw your reply but good find man) posted should get me well on my way. I'd bet about anything the chips im dealing with are more like that first schematic, but the second could be good referance also. I know ive seem more too. More detailed schematics. Im no engineer but I know my way around an iron. It'd be a good test of my skills to try this Anyone know how to get that black shit off that they cover the chips with, without damaging them? When I get home I'll try the adapter from the flashback 1 in the Prima. Cross your fingers it does not go POP. EDIT Boy if you go to Ben Hecks page the forums are chock full of good stuff
The chip is a glop-top, the stuff on top is epoxy... they put it on there for a couple of reasons one of them being so you can't circuit bash their chips. In theory, there are enzymes that can eat through the epoxy without damaging the chip underneath, but i've never tried it, and i don't know where to get them. Glop-tops are very hard to work with...
Thanks Ace, I'll do some looking. Jerks with thier Epoxy!! Perhaps I can get access to an X-ray machine. If I could just get the orientation, assuming no major traces I need to get at are covered with the glue id be in good shape. I also picked up one of those Mrs Pac man/Galga/Mappy land/Pole position sticks that hook right to the tv on the cheap. Im going to replace the stick in it with a Happs 4 way, the one its built with is junk. Edit Shit!! "The big thing holding me up is finding the NES-on-a-chip (NOAC) to use. Many existing "TV games" units use these (which is why the "emulation" of their old games isn't always accurate) but those are always non-reusable "glop top" versions."
removing coating while there are some guides on the net, if you really want to remove the coating, bunnies book "Hacking the Xbox" has an excellent guide on how to do this. tubo
Bunnie removed the TSOP and replaced it with a socket. I dont recall him getting at any gloptops. He does cover it in the book though you say? I do remember him shaving some chips down but Im pretty sure they were no covered with anything.
well you can allways do it kevtris style ^^ http://www.tripoint.org/kevtris/Projects/votraxpss/unpot.html
Looks like the Kevtris way is the thing to do. Get a heatgun and shave it with an Exacto knife. I'd assume circut bashing is identifying/reverse engineering/dumping the chips. Edit It looks like most the people that made portables are using 6volts, ie 4 AAs to run NOAC's with screens. I think 9 will be too much. I think I'll wire it up with some AAs tonight just to see if the thing is still in working condition. Edit. Bingo!! http://portablesofdoom.org/images/nesonchip.gif Thats the good stuff right there. Assuming I can get the epoxy off or get at the traces without messing with the glop, theres no reason I cant wire up the Flashback to work with NES carts. Only stumbling block I see is putting in a switch to enable/disable the EEPROM with the Atari emulator and roms.
I suspect that you'd be much better off just getting a Famiclone that has a cartridge port already built into it, then all you'll have to do is replace the connector so that it takes NES carts instead of Famicom. All the Famiclones that I've ever had come with 9V 500mA AC adaptors, but they never require that many batteries. Most of them need four AAs and some newer ones only need three. The VG Max Pocket systems that were released last year use three AAs and that powers the screen, too. If you're dying to turn a Famiclone system with no cartridge port into a portable NES system, I'd certainly recommend starting form one of those. Their screens are very good, controls are good enough and they also have TV out jacks. According to the company that makes them, Jungletac, at the last E3, the games are stored on flash memory internally, so something even better than a portable NES might be possible. I don't know much about flash memory formats, but might it not be possible to replace the onboard flash memory with an SD or other such flash card slot? Maybe not, and maybe they don't really use flash memory anyway. I don't know why they would. ...word is bondage...
To me it looks like they just slapped an eprom on the flashback for the games and atari emu. I'm sure if someone wanted to you could socket it or interface it with a flash card. I have two NOAC's basically. One with a cart slot and one thats an Atari (flasback) it that makes any sense. Sweater Fish If you say ones you've had work use the 9v power supplies, I might as well give it a shot. Its an older one that looks like a PS, I trust your experience. Im off for home should be interesting here. Oh one problem I think I will have to make a NES cart header, Id bet anything the Prima has 60 pins. Off to hack up some floppy connectors(thanks for the idea Ben Heck).
