SNES:SNES Jr DIY S-RGB Mod

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Revision as of 22:12, 29 July 2022 by Derf (talk | contribs) (WIP)
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This guide shows you how to enable RGB output on a SNES Mini / Jr using its built-in RGB amp.

Materials Required

  • The 4.5mm tool that opens the SNES
  • Philips head screwdriver
  • Soldering iron, solder, and flux
  • 26-30 AWG wire
  • Three 75 Ohm resistors, the lowest tolerance possible
  • Three 1.2k resistors, the lowest tolerance possible

Installation

The mod is pretty easy, however soldering to the S-RGB chip can be challenging.

  1. Disassemble the console and remove the heatsink. Locate the S-RGB chip:
    SNESMiniRGBModPage02.jpg
  2. Solder four wires to the pins on the “S-RGB A” chip shown below. Use a soldering tip that's extremely thin, as well as very thin solder. Make sure to tin each pin and each wire before trying to solder them together:
    SNESMiniRGBModPage03.jpg
  3. It's recommended to use heatshrink tubing to keep the wires together and also protect them from touching any other components. Run the cables through the hole pictured below on the right:
    SNESMiniRGBModPage04-1.jpg
  4. Carefully replace the heatsink. Run the wires under the heatsink, since there's enough room. The wires will touch the heatsink but won't be crushed
    SNESMiniRGBModPage04.jpg
  5. Cut the wires to size, add the 75 Ohm resistors to the RGB lines, then solder them to the corresponding pins on the multi-out.
    SNESMiniRGBModPage04-2.jpg
Next you need to add resistors to the RGB inputs that adjust the brightness.  The mod will work without these resistors, but it's recommended you add them (and it's really easy).  Simply solder three 1.2k resistors between the three holes located directly under pin 10 of the cartridge port and a ground point (flux is a big help for this).  The picture below shows non-conductive tape covering the components under the resistor, however using heatshrink tubing is a better solution overall.  AFTER YOU'RE DONE SOLDERING, FLIP THE MOTHERBOARD OVER AND MAKE SURE TO TRIM THE EXTRA LENGTH!!!!  It's very common to have these touch something on the other side, so make sure you check the length!   Click the picture below for a full-sized example:
SNESMiniRGBModPage06.jpg

Results:

That’s it! A pretty easy mod and the picture quality is amazing!!! Check out the difference from an average SNES 1 to a SNES Mini:
SNS-CPU-GPM-02vsSNESMini.png