Conference rusure::nintendo

	I'm curious. How did you determine that this would work and where to
	hook the switch? Sounds like inside information to me, Any other
	tips?


Larry

    I myself was curious too, but comparing a working cassette with
    one that didn't pointed me to that chip and then it was just trial
    on error untill it worked, I've no inside information.
    I was merely temptated by spending 35 dollar and having a game
    which didnot work.
    
    jan
    

So long after this topic has been created, I tried the "wires and switch
trick with Shadowgate which is not available in Europe and magic, it works.

Has anybody worked out a clean modification ? I imagine it would be quite easy
to use the light signal to drive the pins 1 and 2 of the chip.

The question is: would european cartridges still work ?

I am now interested to have a price list of the cartridges available in the US.

has anyone a scanner to put the price list in the notesfile ?

Yves DEBACKER

CSSE ANNECY 

FRANCE 

    
         Hi Guys...
    
    	I tried the switch trick last night but to no avail.  When I
    switched it over and connected the two pins i all went blank.  I have a
    U.S. cartridge (GAUNTLET) and realy want to play it.
    
      -------________________________________________________-------
      |					  __________		   |
      |                                   |        |      ________ |
      |  ________ |-------------------|   ----------      -------- |
      |  |      | | ----------------- |   ----------      -------- |
      |  -------- |-------------------|   |        |      -------- |
      |                                   ----------               |
      |                        -------------------      _________  |
      |   -----------------    |  RP2C07-0       |      |       |  |
      |   |    RP2A07     |    |_________________|      ---------  |
      |   |_______________|    __________    _________             |
      |       __________       |________|    |_______|             |
      |       |________|       __________                          |
      |                        |________|                __________|___
      |                                                  |             |
      |________|-----------------------------------------| POWER/AREAL |
    							 |             |
    							 |_____________|
    
    	The above is a rough diagram of the circuit board and the chips
    that are located on it.  I conected pins 1 and 2 of chip labled
    RP2C07-0,  Was it the wrong one ?????
    
    	Which ones should I have connectec
    
    
    
    
                          

Well it worked in the end.

	The pins that need conecting via a switch are on the the far right 
	chip as seen in .5.

	great....

	now to get a better choice of games.

	roger

	Hi Roger,
	
	I'm living in Belgium and quite interrested by cartridges coming out of
	USA (cheaper and what a choice).
	I tried to print your note, but nothing appeared...

	Can you explain in more details to a guy like me who knows nearly
	nothing about electronic, how to make this intervention.

	Is it easy to do ?  Is it reversible (I mean is it still possible to use
	european cartridges) ?

	Regards, Dominique.

    Hello Dominique....
    
    The chip that you need to connect the two pins can be found as follows.
    
    	on taking your nintendo apart turn the main board upside down so
    that the side that has the chips on is displayed to you.  If you hold
    the board by the power supply so that it is in your right hand the on
    you want is the small one immediately above it. when tou have connected
    the first two pins and the game is actually running you will have to
    dusconnect them or I have found that the game will reset after a
    certain time.  by disconnecting the pins you can go on for ever.  It
    may take a time to get the game tohold on but it dows work.  Honest.
    
    If you have any problems then please call me .
    
    830-3105 (DEC PARK 1, Reading, U.K.)
    
    
    best of luck
    
    Roger

>        on taking your nintendo apart turn the main board upside down so
>    that the side that has the chips on is displayed to you.  If you hold
>    the board by the power supply so that it is in your right hand the on
>    you want is the small one immediately above it. when tou have connected
>    the first two pins and the game is actually running you will have to
>    dusconnect them or I have found that the game will reset after a
>    certain time.  by disconnecting the pins you can go on for ever.  It
>    may take a time to get the game tohold on but it dows work.  Honest.

    Hi Roger,

1)  is the method you explain in the previous note well for allowing games
    coming from the USA to be used with a console available here in Belgium ?
    AND allowing our favorite games that I already bought here in Belgium to be
    still used ??

2)  do you mean that if I have a cartridge out of USA, I have to put the
    cartridge in the NINTENDO then :
	    - connect the two pins
	    - power on
	    - disconnect the two pins
	    - PLAY.

    Does it mean that for a normal game (that I baught here in Belgium) I don't
    have to do anything (only as usually) plug the cartridge, power on, and
    play !!!
     
    I know it may be a stupid questions but I prefer to be prudent before doing
    it.

    Best regards, Dominique.

    
    Step by Step
    
    	- find yourself an ordianry on/off switch
    	- take two lengths of wire (enougth to reach the outside of
    					the console from the ic pins.
    	- solder one end of each wire to pins 1 & 2 of the relevant
    	  chip.
    	- connect the other end to the on/off switch.
    
    		Now we are ready to go.
    
    	- European games
    	- Leave the switch off and play as normal.
    
    	- U.S. Games 
    	_ place the cartridge into the console and turn on.
    		you will get the usual flashing title page.
    	- When the title page blibs up turn the new swith on.
    		games should then hold on.
    	- When the game is held on then turn the switch off again.
    		if you leave it on I have found the game locks up
    		after a short while.
    	- Hey presto your away.
    	
    	----You may find that it will take a few attempts to get it---
    	----running but it does work                               ---
    
    
    I hope this helps
    
    
    Roger

Hi!

Christmas is almost upon us, and I am planning on buying a Nitendo console for
my kids. Since I live in Valbonne, France, but travel to the US and UK,
I have some obvious questions regarding software independance from the TV
broadcasting standard: PAL, SECAM or NTSC.

Assuming I buy a French (i.e. SECAM) unit, will US or UK games play on it?

Since my TV is Multi-Standard, the reversed question (will "French" software 
play on a US or UK machine?) is also valid...

Thanks for your help, Vincent.

	Thank you for the step by step listing.

	I will try this week end to adapt my console !!!

	Have a nice afternoon.

	Regards, Dominique.

    
    I confirm that this conversion works in the U.S.A. with games that are
    made for PAL systems.
    
    One of my co workers picked up a game in Singepore. Following the
    directions, we got them to work.
    
    Thanks for all your help.
    R B
    

	Hi,

	Is there a way to print the .6 on a LN03 or LN03R or at least on
	monochrome workstation ???

	When I try to print it, the symbiont goes in an infinite loop !!!
	If I try to display it on my station, I can't see anything...
	but on a VT340, there is something that appears on the screen.

	Thanks for your help.

	Regards, Dominique.

	Hi Roger,

	before doing it, I want to be sure of one thing.

	It appears that the cartridges coming from UK are not working on 
	our console, but the one coming from France work perfectly !!!

	Is the modification you propose still good for me ??

	Regards, Dominique.

  I'm not sure about the cartridges as I didn't try converting them.

	Re: diagram.
		It is a sixel's diagram and can be printed on an LJ250
		printer.

	the switch o the console unit works fine.  I have had no problems.
	
	

roger

	Hi Roger,

	I have a very good news, IT WORKS PERFECTLY withh our console here in
	Belgium.

	Thanks a lot.

	Now I have to buy US cartridges to play with them.

	Ypiiiiiiee.

	Regards, Dominique.

PS: Do you know how, for a Belgian, it is possible to buy cartridges in the US.
    I heard about a house in US named TRYSOFT, but what do I have to do ?
    Can they send me cartridges at home ? Is it expensive ?
	

    I've tried to use TRYSOFT to send me a game in Canada.  They give
    pretty good pricing, but they have to charge a lot of money to deliver
    it.  To buy a $49 game would have cost me another $35 in delivery
    charges.  Too much for me!!  I would expect that delivery to Belgium
    would more than DOUBLE the costs at least.
    
    Good luck!

>    I've tried to use TRYSOFT to send me a game in Canada.  They give
>    pretty good pricing, but they have to charge a lot of money to deliver
>    it.  To buy a $49 game would have cost me another $35 in delivery
>    charges.  Too much for me!!  I would expect that delivery to Belgium
>    would more than DOUBLE the costs at least.

	Thanks to make me aware of this !!!!
	It would become more expensive than here in Belgium ...

	Do you think it is possible for someone in the U.S. to buy it for me,
	sending it by mail to me, and in return I send him back cash.

	I know it's a question of being confident in the other, but if we can't
	be confident each other ...

	If it is possible, it would be cheaper than here.
	Sure the guy who buy it can keep some money for him (as payment for 
	the time he had to spent for it).

	I think it can be an interessant way of buying these cartridges.

	Best regards, Dominique.

A colleague recently brought back SMB III to the UK for me. I set about
converting the NES console but being an engineer at heart, I decided to
have a play around first.

As was stated in another note somewhere, the difference from US to UK cartridges
is an NES proprietary chip. I took apart a cartridge which Nintendo UK converted
for me to see what they did. It was evident, from the soldering, that they
had changed this chip.

Back in the console, Pins 1 and 2, which are shorted out in the method described
earlier, are the input and output of a 7404 hex inverter, connected as an
oscillator with a 1meg feedback resistor and soem capacitors. My 'scope
was too fast to see but I guess its running at less than 100nsecs. This
oscillator is buffered through pins 3 and 4 then sent out to the cartridge on
pin 35 of the edge connector, from where it goes to the propriatary IC which
is changed between UK and US cartridges.

On a working UK cartridge, this IC has an output which it sends back to the
console, on pin 75 if my memory serves me correctly, a 10usec pulse every
100usecs. When the US cartridge is fitted and a UK console, no such signal is
produced. My guess is that the input signal from the oscillator in the console
is a different frequency in the USA and only produces the 10usec pulse when
matched with the custom IC in the US cartridge.

I would further guess that the console cpu checks, in software, for the correct
existance of the pulse. If its not there (because NES console and
cartridge don't match) it won't start the game. Thus the switch need only
be thrown briefly when you turn on. As is pointed out earlier, the timing has to
be correct but you get used to it. Presumably you have to do it at the correct
time to fool the software. This doesn't explain why the game locks up when you
leave the switch closed, though I haven't witnessed that.

However, this locking mechanism obviously has a flaw since when  pins 1 and 2
are shorted out, the master clock ceases to run at all, and of course, theres
no possibilty of 10usec pulses out of the IC in the cartridge.

So, despite all this research, I'm another convert for the pins 1 and 2 trick.

SMB III is a load of fun!

-Mike- (Waiting for a trip to the USA, where I can get 2 games for the price of 1
        1 in the UK)