Updating the Lava RGB kit mainboard...

I'm hoping this will help out others trying to update their Lava RGB 2.0 boards to the latest firmware or, in my case, update the correct firmware for the console it's being installed in. I'm also using this so I have a spot where I can recall how to update the Lava RGB if I forget.

 

WARNING! 

I will not be held responsible if your Lava RGB board dies during the upgrade process! These are the steps that I took to upgrade 2 of my Lava RGB boards. These are the instructions that I followed on the Lava RGB website that worked for me (using Google Translate). Please read/look over the procedure here and at the Lava RGB website and understand the basics of installing programs and drivers on Windows OS. 

Thank you for understanding! And best of luck! 

 

Prerequisite:

• Lava RGB board, installed, tested, and working.
• USB-A to USB Micro-B cable (must be able to transfer data, not just charging).
• The DL 1.5 software for flashing the update.
• USB Driver needed to flash the Lava RGB.
• The firmware file for the proper console.

Procedure:

 

Click on the images in the steps to enlarge it for easier viewing. 

 

    1. Unzip DL 1.5 software, driver files, and the firmware. It helps to just unzip the files in their own folder on the desktop.

 

    2. Go to the DL 1.5 folder and install the proper version for your Windows OS (in my case, I needed to install the 64 bit version).

 

 

     3. This is the start screen. Click the button with the "N" on it to advance.

 

 

    4. On this screen, click on the button marked "M", then click the button with "N" on it to advance. The "N" button will become available after selecting the "M" button.

 

 

    5. Here, click the button with the "N" on it to advance.

 

 

    6. Here, click the button with the "I" on it to advance. Depending on your Windows security settings, there might be an additional window that pops up that asks if you want to continue the installation. Allow the installation to finish. When it's done installing, click the button to finish/exit.

 

 

   7. Connect your Lava RGB board to your PC with a USB-Micro B cable. Powering on the console is not necessary for flashing. If the USB cable cannot be inserted easily, the Lava RGB can be temporarily removed from the console. Use a piece of paper to protect the Lava RGB board from shorting.

 

 

Image courtesy of Lava RGB.

 

    8. Right-click the Windows button and select "Device Manager". There should be a device marked "USB-JTAG-Cable" as it shows in the image above. Right-click on it and select "Update driver". 

 

 

     9. Select "Browse my computer for drivers". Then, go to the "al-link" folder that was unzipped earlier > win10 (or win7 if you're using Windows 7) > x64 and select "Open"

 

 

Image courtesy of Lava RGB. 

 

    10. You should now see "Anlogic AL -Link Mini" instead of "USB-JTAG Cable". You can now close Device Manager.

 

    

Image courtesy of Lava RGB.

 

11. On your desktop, select "DL 1.5-64bit" (marked 1 in the above image) to start the program. Click the "Add+" button (2). A window will open. This is where you'd select the firmware for your console, which should be in a .bit file extension. It should show in box 1 of the "File Selection" area. After selecting the firmware, click the "Run" button (3) to begin the installation.

 

 

Image courtesy of Lava RGB.

 

12. After installation, you should get a success line as shown in the image above.

 

13. Unplug the USB cable from the Lava RGB board, reassemble the console and test it to check the firmware installation and proper operation of the Lava RGB.

 

Troubleshooting:

If, after flashing, it doesn't work properly, try reflashing the Lava RGB, possibly a firmware below it. It's important to use the correct firmware for your console. 

 

 

Reference: 

 

 

IGR with the Lava RGB FINALLY solved...

You know what it was? It was the firmware.

Just out of curiosity, I took a look at The Lava RGB site to see if there's any updates. Luckily, there was one. And there were 2 different versions: One for Famicom, the other for NES.

There was also better, visual instructions on the update process!

Before, it was just text (translated, of course), but now, there are screen shots of the whole process. 

I followed the update instructions, using the NES specific firmware. Just using the visuals made the process slightly easier. It took about a minute or two to complete the updating process. When it was done, I did a quick set up of the NES to test the update.

Initial tests showed that it was working just fine. With this newest update, there were more color palettes (hold "select" button for a few seconds, then D-pad "up") available that looked really good. There also was no weird scrolling issues when changing palettes...not the whole screen would scroll, just the little box that showed on the screen what palette was currently selected.

I started a game and played a bit into a level. I paused the game then tried the in game reset (IGR) (hold "select" button for a few seconds, then "A" button). 

...it...worked...

IT FINALLY WORKED!

I'm finally content with the Lava RGB installed in my NES. I'm probably going to install another one in my BLW modified console soon. 

I'll probably write up another blog, going through the full process of installing the software for flashing the update as well as the update process itself when I get to updating the OG Famicom. 

STAY TUNED! 

Revisiting the OG Family Computer...(Pt. 3)

I'll admit, I had to leave work early. I wasn't feeling it. My YouTube feed had mostly rage bait videos, standard doom and gloom about what's going on in the world, etc. Both my dogs decided they didn't want to listen to me. My coffee wasn't strong enough... Stomach issues...

I just needed to leave and just use the rest of my time to fully decompress. I was gonna dive straight into working on the Famicom, hut I just didn't have the motivation to work on it right away. I just tried to relax, blocked the YouTube channels that keep popping in on my feed that just rage baits people, political crap, et al. I just want video game, automotive stuff, and cooking channels, and drank some water.

After having dinner and walking the dogs, I went to my office to work on the Famicom.

This is where I left it the night before. The Lava RGB was fully installed into the Famicom mainboard. As I thought the PPU was sticking up a little higher than I'd like, I did a quick test fit into the case. Unfortunately, it did stick up a bit, so some trimming needed to be done inside the case itself.

All that needed to be modified inside the case was this little rib. It was part of the guide for the cartridge eject mechanism. I just took some of the plastic off using flush cutters and needle nose pliers. After removing the plastic, I did a quick test fit. Glad to say that it now sits just right in the case.

As I did with the NES install, I cut the wires off of the connector that is supplied and soldered them directly to the Lava RGB board. I soldered the wires facing away from the cartridge slot thinking that it would interfere when I close the case. I bundled the wires together using heat shrink tubing, having composite and S-Video wires in one bundle, RGBS in another, and the rest for the controllers for color palette changing and in-game reset.

Some wiring done on the power/AV board. The power switch and wiring for 5V and ground get wired up for connections to the Famicom's mainboard. I left some length on the power and ground wires since I didn't know how long I needed the wires to be.

I estimated how much length I'd need to connect the power/AV board to the Famicom's mainboard. I soldered the 5V and ground wires to where the original power/AV board connected to the mainboard. The instructions say to solder ground to the second hole from the left(looking at the underside of the mainboard), and 5V on the 5th and 6th hole. As marked on the power/AV board, pins 45 and 46 of the cartridge connector needs to be connected to the power/AV board. There's an Aux connection on that board than needs to be connected to the Famicom's mainboard. There's a solder point near the player 1 controller connector that the Aux point needs to connected to.

Before soldering the wires from the Lava RGB board to the power/AV board, I wanted to check the best way to route the wires. One of the routes I was thinking was to route the wires through the channels where the cartridge eject mechanism was, but the bottom part of the case would have interfered with that. So the quickest solution was to route them just under the mainboard to the power/AV board.

Connections from the Lava RGB to the mainboard for palette switching and in-game reset. I mistakenly cut the wrong wire short as I was getting the controller port pins, so I just swapped them on the Lava RGB board and continued on.

Finally it was time to connect the Lava RGB to the power/AV board. The wires were trimmed down, stripped, tinned, then connected to the proper points.

I reinstalled the mainboard into the top of the case. The controller connectors were plugged back in and the wires routed where they needed to go.I screwed everything down and got ready to test the new installation.

There was one step that I missed. There's a trace that needs to be cut that connects to pin 45 on the cartridge connector. This was part of the instructions that has to do something with getting sound to work.

The DIN connector uses a Sega Saturn style AV connector. I had one of my AV cables that also did S-video that I used for testing. 

I didn't take pics of the first test, but with Super Mario Bros., I was getting continuous graphical glitches. I tried cleaning the cartridge up, blowing the cartridge and the connector out, and resetting. Nothing worked. I also tried another Famicom game, but I got the same result.

I took the mainboard out and checked the PPU to see if I missed something. All the connections look fine, but I noticed some residue on one of the pins. I took a cotton swab with some alcohol and cleaned all around the PPU pins. I reinstalled the mainboard and did another test.

Finally got it working! Top pic is of a composite connection, the bottom is S-video. 

The hole for the DIN connector was too small for the connector on my cables to connect properly. I used a step drill bit to open the hole a bit.

Completed! Other than a slight buzzing noise, sound and everything works fine. I'll revisit the buzzing sound later, probably starting with checking the mic slider on the player 2 controller.

And finally yes, RGB does work just fine.

This wasn't much of a trial as I thought it would be, with the exception of the offset board mistake I made the day before. I feel like this OG Famicom is now more "modernized" than what it originally was, even after the AV mods that I've done with in the past. So I think this Famicom can be considered finally done!

...well, maybe...

Revisiting the OG Family Computer...(Pt. 2)

It's about 10 days after part 1, The Lava RGB for the OG Famicom came in. I was planning on doing it all the following day on my day off, but I had some time tonight to get some basic things done before I get to wiring it all up.

Here's most of the project set out. The plan for tonight was to get the sockets soldered in and pins installed to streamline wiring for the next day.

 

The 40 pin machined socket has already been in soldered in this picture. I set up the machined pins into the socket to make it easier to solder it in the special board that offsets the Lava RGB board for installation.

 

Here are the machined pins soldered in place. Now, I do have a confession to make, I took this pic after I desoldered the PPU pins realizing that I did it incorrectly. This isn't the first time I've done this. One of the top loading NES consoles or AV Famicom consoles I've worked on I've made this mistake on.

 

This is what I initially done. I had both sets of pins installed before I realized that I needed to have those pins that should go into the "PPU" part of the offset board installed, instead, on the Lava RGB first before soldering it to the offset board. 

 

...

So, out comes the ZD-915 to desolder the pins off of the offset board. By doing this, I kinda ruined the pins to the point that I thought that I shouldn't use them. So, out came the extra machined pins that I ordered for the last NES Lava RGB mod I did.  

 

 

The kit came with another machined 40 pin socket. I used it to hold the replacement machined pins in place as I soldered them into the Lava RGB board.

 

The pins that go into the offset board need to line up with (from top of the Lava RGB) the first and third rows of holes. I had the shorter pins soldered into the board.

 

Next the 40 pin socket needed to be installed. I was planning on using a standard DIP socket, but I opted to use the machined one instead. Here it's put in place and soldered in.

 

Everything soldered in place.

 

 

Now, the next issue I had was that the machined pins that I used have a longer lead on the bottom. If I soldered them in place as is, the pins would just barely hit the ICs below it. 

 

Here are the pins soldered in place to the offset board. I took my flush cutters and trimmed off the excess.

 

Here is everything installed into the Famicom with the leads of the pins trimmed. 

 

Top shot of what I finished up tonight. Before setting the PPU in it's final resting place, I double checked to make sure that there are no bridges between pins on all connections that was soldered in. There are a few pins on the Famicom mainboard itself that I have to double check, but I'm at a good stopping point for tonight. 

 

...yeah, this isn't my best blog I've tried to type out... 

 

Revisiting the OG Family Computer...(Pt. 1)

This might be the last time I mess with this Famicom, I don't know. But I think it's time to finalize this thing like I've done with the NES the last time. 

I did tease with mentioning that I was gonna redo my BLW modded NES, but I felt that I should get the OG Famicom updated. I did like the Lava RGB with the last NES, so I ordered another one from AliExpress specifically for this Famicom.

I decided to take the time to open up the Famicom while I wait for the Lava RGB to be delivered. 

 

I did mess around with it before I tore it down. It still works like when I finished it up a few years ago. I took some time to dust it off a bit while I had it on my work mat.

Just as I left it when I updated the AV mod. It was quite improved, but there was some noticeable jailbars when I was playing using my RetroTINK 2x. With the 5x Pro, it actually looked a bit better. This mod looked much cleaner than the one from before, install wise.

 

Some of the topside shots of the mod. I did some of the suggestions from older av mod tutorials. One of the suggestions with using copper tape on the PPU and adding a wire to ground. I also used the original RF connector location to put an RCA connector for video. I removed the channel select switch and used a 3.5mm jack for the audio. Chaos under the case, but it did look really good when closed up.

For the Lava RGB to fit in the console, the cartridge eject mechanism needed to be removed. I just needed to remove the spring and the plastic ejector out. For aesthetics, I left the eject lever in place.

Taking out the trusty ZD-915 desoldering station to desolder the PPU, once again, from the OG Famicom. Since the kit I ordered also comes with a replacement power and video board, I also needed to desolder the wires connecting the original power and video board to the main Famicom board. The original power switch also needs to be desoldered to be installed on the new power/video board from the new kit.

 

For the old AV mod, pin 21 on the PPU needed to be lifted out of the circuit and connected to the AV board I made. Anyway, since I desoldered and resoldered the PPU many times before, I really didn't need to add more solder before desoldering it. Other than pin 40, all the pins desoldered with just one hit.

Here's the PPU and the power/RF board desoldered from the mainboard. I used the desoldering station to clean up all the solder from holes. 

Prep is good for now for part 1 of this mod sesh. I'll continue on to part 2 when the Lava RGB gets delivered, which should be a few weeks from now.

Stay tuned!