N64d (v0.2) - Nintendo 64 RGB lead conversion guide

@Nintendo64

Published in

N64 various

· 25 Jan 2020

N64 RGB Conversion Help File

!!!WARNING!!! I DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONISIBILTY FOR FOR ANY TAMPERING TO N64'S, CONVERT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!

To do a conversion you need the following tools and parts.

(NOTE: If you don this conversion, whatever you do don't let the E,B and C pins touch each on the transistor!!)

Checklist

10cm of 4 Different coloured wires (3 three for each colour, (that's RGB, and one for linking the capacitors to parts)

3 x 2N3904 Transistors (Can get from Maplin, QRT4OT

3 x 220 Ohms Resistor and M22OR)

1 x Soldering Iron

Some Solder

Also you must have an old SNES US/JAP RGB lead!!!!

With this file there should be two diagrams

N64 RGB Diagram1
N64 RGB Diagram2

N64 RGB Diagram1

N64 RGB Diagram2

The first will show you roughly where the capacitors are located on the underside of the N64 CPU.

The second will show you how to do the conversion.
However, to help you here are step by step instructions that should relate to the diagram 2 and help make your conversion as simple and easy as possible.

By the way to all you electronic buffs out there, you will notice that my diagrams do not use the proper symbols. This is because I want everyone to understand what the diagram is all about.

Here are the instructions.

Step 1
Take your 3 transistors (2N3904) and bend and solder the first leg of each to each others first leg. Make sure that you solder the collecter or 'C' (you can see this by looking at the underside of the transister).

Step 2
Solder a wire from these joined 3 legs to the top of capasistor 'C10'

Step 3
Now take the middle leg of each transistor (aka 'B' or base) and solder the thrid leg on first most transistor to the top of 'C126', the second to the top of 'C125' and the third to the top of 'C124'. This should help to keep the transistors in place.

Step 4
Solder each third leg (that should be emitter 'E' aka emitter) to a 220 ohm resistor and the end of the resistor together to the other resistor ends. Don't worry about which way to solder the resistor it doesn't matter.

Step 5
Attach a cable from this joint at the end of the resistor to the bottom of 'C120' (see diagram 1 for location)

Step 6
Finally, attach the red, blue and green cables from the multi-out, look at diagram 2 to locate there placement and then attach each one to the correct place as shown in the diagram. NOTE: the attachment of each colour MUST go before the resistor in each case.

Step 7
On the metal plate that sits parallel to the board you have just been working on, put a sticky label (or something) on where your conversion is opposite to. This is to make sure that the cables are not earth by the metal as it could have bad results.