Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Discuss hardware-related topics, such as development cartridges, CopyNES, PowerPak, EPROMs, or whatever.

Moderator: Moderators

lidnariq
Posts: 11429
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by lidnariq »

I wonder if the ÷16 chips are using the 2A07 APU pitch tables for the noise and DPCM rates (nevermind which have a functioning DPCM reader...) or if they're all using the 2A03 APU pitch table.

Thank you for all of this data!
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

Fiskbit wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:40 amThe line on the RP2C02D-0 is from the Famicom eject mechanism. I have a couple more D-0's somewhere that are likely in better shape, but I was sloppy and didn't add the console serials to my spreadsheet and have an unreasonable number of Famicoms they could be in. If you can provide a better photo, fantastic!
Here's a nice photo of the D-0:

IMG_0292.JPG

Also, here's a photo of the RC2C05-03:

IMG_0289.JPG
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

lidnariq wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:16 pm I wonder if the ÷16 chips are using the 2A07 APU pitch tables for the noise and DPCM rates (nevermind which have a functioning DPCM reader...) or if they're all using the 2A03 APU pitch table.

Thank you for all of this data!
No problem!

I was just wondering myself if the UA6527P chips with /16 dividers could be viably used as PAL CPUs...?
lidnariq
Posts: 11429
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by lidnariq »

The only significant difference left is the tuning tables, so... yeah.

I guess the other little question is: what does pin 30 do? On the 2A03G and H it enables APU test registers, and on the 2A03E we believe it's /RDY. Some of the later famiclones use it to switch between dividers, so there's lots of already-documented possibilities...
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

loglow wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:02 pm
Individualised wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 3:41 pmIs there any more context to the origins of this chip/what it exactly is?
I believe it originally came out of a genuine Famicom, but I'm not certain. Other than it functioning as an NTSC PPU with a non-clone palette, I'm not sure what else to add. I suspect that it's a RP2C02E-0, for lack of a better explanation. I'm not sure if a RP2C02E (non -0) even exists?
Here's a couple more photos of this chip for you:

IMG_0293.JPG
IMG_0291.JPG
User avatar
Individualised
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2022 6:46 am

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by Individualised »

I'm honestly not even sure what to make of that. Just looks bizarre to me.
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

lidnariq wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:13 am
loglow wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:11 pm A photo of an RC2C03B chip (code 4A4 30). Tested and working RGB PPU.
The RC2C03B is the one that theoretically has the slightly-wrong palette. Have you noticed this when you were using it?
I just tested this and I can confirm that both of my RC2C03B chips do NOT exhibit the supposed "wrong" colors. They display the six colors (0x09, 0x11, 0x25, 0x29, 0x31, 0x39) identically to my RC2C05-03 and RC2C05-04 chips, and NOT like the linked-to representation (aka all of my tested RGB chips look like the table under "2C03 and 2C05" and NOT like the table under "RC2C03B"). Both of the RC2C03B chips have the same lot code on them: 4A4 30.

Perhaps the "wrong color" anomaly is limited only to specific lot numbers?

Happy to provide any additional photos of anything you'd like.
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

Individualised wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:58 pm I'm honestly not even sure what to make of that. Just looks bizarre to me.
Yeah, it's strange!

The owner of pc-10.com recently mentioned to me that he's also seen several chips like this before.
User avatar
Individualised
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2022 6:46 am

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by Individualised »

loglow wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 4:02 pm
Individualised wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:58 pm I'm honestly not even sure what to make of that. Just looks bizarre to me.
Yeah, it's strange!

The owner of pc-10.com recently mentioned to me that he's also seen several chips like this before.
Excuse my ignorance, but could it be possible that it's some sort of factory sample that somehow got out?
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

lidnariq wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:21 pm The only significant difference left is the tuning tables, so... yeah.

I guess the other little question is: what does pin 30 do? On the 2A03G and H it enables APU test registers, and on the 2A03E we believe it's /RDY. Some of the later famiclones use it to switch between dividers, so there's lots of already-documented possibilities...
I don't know how to test the tuning tables or pin 30 functionality.

I'd be happy to run any tests on any of them if you tell me the exact procedure to do so!

I have the functionality to load any ROM, monitor the video or audio output, take measurements with a multimeter, or probe any location with a scope.
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

Individualised wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 4:06 pmExcuse my ignorance, but could it be possible that it's some sort of factory sample that somehow got out?
Aside from pure speciation, I have no idea.
Fiskbit
Posts: 890
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:15 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by Fiskbit »

I feel like I'm missing something here. Nintendo used heatspreaders like this on many PPUs, with the chip name stamped into the metal. Attached is an image from Lockster (cropped down a bit to fit on the forum) with B and D examples.
Attachments
chips.jpg
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

Fiskbit wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 4:29 pm I feel like I'm missing something here. Nintendo used heatspreaders like this on many PPUs, with the chip name stamped into the metal. Attached is an image from Lockster (cropped down a bit to fit on the forum) with B and D examples.
Cool, I didn't know :D

I don't think *you're* missing anything, I just wasn't aware of this!
Fiskbit
Posts: 890
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:15 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by Fiskbit »

Ah, gotcha. I mentioned the B and D heatspreaders earlier, but I think it must've gotten lost in the thread!

Nintendo was very worried about PPU heat. Many early PPUs have some kind of rubber heatsink under the chip, others have these heatspreaders, and anything in an always-on environment (including NTSC chips, such as in the FamicomBox) has a proper metal heatsink.
loglow
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Re: Help collecting pictures of CPU and PPU packages

Post by loglow »

More photos of things!

The wiki is missing a couple of these (RP2C07, UA6541) and the other existing ones (RP2A07, RP2A07A, UA6540) aren't of great quality.

IMG_0302a.jpg
IMG_0302b.jpg
IMG_0300.JPG
IMG_0303.JPG
IMG_0301.JPG
Post Reply