The world of console modding leads us to some extremely impressive projects, and a recent one we featured of note was a portable NES produced by [Redherring32]. It was special because the original NES custom DIP chips had been sanded down to something like a surface-mount QFN package. Back when our colleague [Arya] wrote up the project there wasn’t much information, but since then the full details have been put up in a GitHub repository. Perhaps of most interest, it includes a full tutorial for the chip-sanding process.
To take irreplaceable classic chips and sand them down must take some guts, but the premise is a sound enough one. Inside a DIP package is a chip carrier and a web of contact strips that go to the pins, this process simply sands away the epoxy to expose those strips for new contacts. The result can then be reflowed as would happen with any QFN, and used in a new, smaller NES.
Along the way this provides a fascinating insight into DIP construction that most of us never see. If any of you have ever managed to fatigue a pin off a DIP, you’ll also no doubt be thinking how the technique could be used to reattach a conductor.
I would love to see this with a Sega Genesis.
Horrific. Could hardly watch this ambutation. Reminds me of an old film (“Scream and Scream Again”), in which a sportsman wakes up multiple times in what seems to be a clinic, with one of its limbs removed every time. The last time he wokes up, only his head remains.
Works fine though
That’s what the doctors said
I feel the same way, but then I remind myself that they did make millions of these things, and that thousands of them did end up in landfills or electronics recyclers. I would rather see this, where they still get use as opposed to just being disposed of.
That’s true on the other hand. 🙂
Plus, you can use chips with very corroded pins. Ones people usually toss out.
I would avoid watching such films. Horror movies can have a traumatizing effect that makes you see/relive this in otherwise innocent contexts.
Awesome. I could watch this for hours.
Reminds me of an old film (“Scream and Scream Again”), in which a sportsman wakes up multiple times in what seems to be a clinic, with one of its limbs removed every time. The last time he wokes up, only his head remains.
It’s amazing that they could have such tight lines near the chip and instead of making smaller packages, they went ahead and pulled the wires out really long to make some whopper ics. What backward people we are.
It’s all about those board fabrication yields and costs. I default to QFPs and 0.6mm BGAs instead of 0.4mm WLCSPs for exactly the same reason. Flatpack packages, what we would call SMD these days, has been around since the 60s for those willing to pay for it. There are companies out there specializing in removing and repackaging die into chip-scale packages too, just usually out of reach for your average video game hacker.
Considering the size of the console and the cartridge it doesn’t make much sense to go smaller. You have to remember surface mounted components were not commont and you needed to be able to assemble it as cheaply as possible. It is also good to be able re-work it quickly and easily for repairs, or even put it in a socket, as is still common today for a computer.
This is actually really cool, I wonder if a 2000$ Gameboy NES would have been possible or sold back in the day
“This is actually really cool, I wonder if a 2000$ Gameboy NES would have been possible or sold back in the day”
The Sega Game Gear had a Master System adapter (optional). It wasn’t a big success, I guess. On the other hand, the Master System itself wasn’t popular outside of Europe. So it’s hard to say if a GB/NES hybrid would have been a hit. 🤷♂️
https://segaretro.org/Master_Gear_Converter
I had one of these. I don’t think it’s like a Super Game Boy where there’s an entire Game Boy in the adapter. I think it’s just the pins going straight through, it’s only adapting the size of the cart. The Game Gear being mostly backwards compatible with the Master System (I could be wrong).
Well, we do the same thing these days with BGAs. If you have the space for a 1.0mm pitch part, its much easier and cheaper to get a PCB made compared to a 0.35mm pitch WLCSP component.
0.1″ spacing for through the hole components was the Industry standard back then.
In milimeters, please!
This is the USA, we use freedom units. We will measure in any units EXCEPT metric.
Weight:
-Elephants
-747s
-Hippos
-Height:
-747s
-Giraffes
-Empire state buildings
-Length:
-Football fields
-Baseball fields
-Soccer Fields
-Giraffes
-747s
-Empire State buildings
Data Storage:
-Libraries of Congress
-Encyclopedias
Is there any standardization in those freedom units, or does everybody have their own elephant of 747 as a reference? And do you weigh them before or after dinner?
@paulvdh
You have to specify the 747 used, at the end of any academic papers.
There is a standard elephant, but it is kept in a government warehouse, so unless you live close to the warehouse, you usually have to estimate.
Lol. 😂
We have these comparisons, too. Like football fields (actual football, aka as soccer to you :p). But it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling to know that in the end all is precise and metric haha.
Seriously speaking, I wonder if metric will ever be fully adopted.
2.54 minimeaters
SMD P&P were hugely expensive, slow and not bulletproof. Instead industry relied on armies of ~20 year old women to do the robots work and stuff boards with DIP chips.
This is legit and it’s the kind of things I come to this site to see. Bravo!
I used to do this many years ago but I’d stop after the grinding process and make jewelry out of them. That was back when I was a huge geek…. wait, I still am a huge geek, wth!!