SNES cart repair

Wachenroder · Apr 6, 2015

Got this in a bundle about a year ago from a friend. Finally got around to testing everything and this game (Megaman X) doesn't work for some reason. I try cleaning the contacts and it still wont work. I order the bit and crack it open and this is what I find.

I've read about applying a jumper wire to the contacts but I wonder if that is even possible at this point. I tried tracing the continuity on a couple of the most egregious contacts but i'm not even sure if i'm hitting the right points or if they are just outright dead.

Help me out

bustedstr8 · Apr 6, 2015

Swap the mask roms onto a clean sex pcb.

Wachenroder · Apr 6, 2015

1. Am I correct in assuming the mask roms are the 2 on the right?

2. What you're suggesting is saccing another SNES cart for this one?

3. You want me to desolder the roms and then solder it to another PCB?

hnns · Apr 6, 2015

That 4th contact pin on the right of picture 1 seems to have no contact anymore. Check continuity on it.

julencin2000 · Apr 6, 2015

Hmmm there's an inexpensive game that shares the same PCB, SHVC-2A0N-11: The Ninja Warriors.

j/k

hnns said:
That 4th contact pin on the right of picture 1 seems to have no contact anymore. Check continuity on it.

Looks like those contacs need some reflow, or a circuitwriter pen.

Wachenroder · Apr 6, 2015

julencin2000 said:
Hmmm there's an inexpensive game that shares the same PCB, SHVC-2A0N-11: The Ninja Warriors.

j/k

Looks like those contacs need some reflow, or a circuitwriter pen.

How do you reflow a copper contact? Isn't a reflow essentially just replacing bad solder?

I did think about using a conductive pen but I am concerned that doing so would only be a temporary fix at best. Plus I don't want to ruin my SNES cartridge slot.

julencin2000 · Apr 6, 2015

Wachenroder said:
How do you reflow a copper contact? Isn't a reflow essentially just replacing bad solder?

I did think about using a conductive pen but I am concerned that doing so would only be a temporary fix at best. Plus I don't want to ruin my SNES cartridge slot.

I'm not very good with technical english, I mean like adding solder to the contacts.

You could go with conductive copper tape instead of the pen; first you could try the fine jumper cable.

Pasky · Apr 6, 2015

Wachenroder said:
How do you reflow a copper contact? Isn't a reflow essentially just replacing bad solder?

I did think about using a conductive pen but I am concerned that doing so would only be a temporary fix at best. Plus I don't want to ruin my SNES cartridge slot.

Buy a small amount of copper foil tape. cut a piece the same width of the contact and get a very very small amount of epoxy and apply it on the gap that is messed up. Push the copper foil tape on top of it and get it as flat as possible. If some epoxy flows out from under it, remove it with a x-acto knife or similar. I like to apply a small amount of solder on top of the tape so it joins with the copper plate of the actual pcb to ensure it wont get ripped off from insertion.

Wachenroder · Apr 6, 2015

julencin2000 said:
I'm not very good with technical english, I mean like adding solder to the contacts.

You could go with conductive copper tape instead of the pen; first you could try the fine jumper cable.

Oh no problem. Just confused me for a moment

Pasky said:
Buy a small amount of copper foil tape. cut a piece the same width of the contact and get a very very small amount of epoxy and apply it on the gap that is messed up. Push the copper foil tape on top of it and get it as flat as possible. If some epoxy flows out from under it, remove it with a x-acto knife or similar. I like to apply a small amount of solder on top of the tape so it joins with the copper plate of the actual pcb to ensure it wont get ripped off from insertion.

So conductive tape and a little glue. How about this tape that already has adhesive. Are you familiar with this?

http://www.amazon.com/inch-yds-Copp...ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1RYF7WY9L3HL5

Thanks btw. I had no idea conductive tape even existed.

DNSDies · Apr 6, 2015

The following games will have an exact replacement board for that game:

Adventures of Kid Kleets, The
Aero Fighters
Aladdin (Disney's)
Barkley Shut Up and Jam!
Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage
Home Improvement
Ninja Warriors, The
Rocko's Modern Life - Spunky's Dangerous Day

If you don't have a good way to de-solder mask roms, you could probably get something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/ECG-J-045-DS-Watt-Desoldering-Iron/dp/B00068IJSG

It's no Hakko808, but Mega Man X should only have solder on one side of the board, so it should handle it easily.

I can also offer to do it for you, as I have a Hakko 808, and desoldering these chips is very simple for me.
You'd only need to pay for shipping to and from Sacramento of the two PCBs.

Pasky · Apr 6, 2015

Yup, I use that! The tape isn't very adhesive. So you definitely want an epoxy because that glue under the tape is not strong at all. It's less strength than scotch tape. Judging from the pictures it looks like the 4th, and 6th pins from the right are no longer making contact. Possibly pin 26 also (pin all the way to the right connected to the ground plane). I would check continuity with all those pins and re-do any that don't have it with the tape.

Pasky · Apr 6, 2015

DNSDies said:
The following games will have an exact replacement board for that game:

Adventures of Kid Kleets, The
Aero Fighters
Aladdin (Disney's)
Barkley Shut Up and Jam!
Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage
Home Improvement
Ninja Warriors, The
Rocko's Modern Life - Spunky's Dangerous Day

If you don't have a good way to de-solder mask roms, you could probably get something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/ECG-J-045-DS-Watt-Desoldering-Iron/dp/B00068IJSG

It's no Hakko808, but Mega Man X should only have solder on one side of the board, so it should handle it easily.

I can also offer to do it for you, as I have a Hakko 808, and desoldering these chips is very simple for me.
You'd only need to pay for shipping to and from Sacramento of the two PCBs.

You missed the part where he was appalled at sacking another cart.....

aha2940 · Apr 6, 2015

DNSDies said:
The following games will have an exact replacement board for that game:

Adventures of Kid Kleets, The
Aero Fighters
Aladdin (Disney's)
Barkley Shut Up and Jam!
Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage
Home Improvement
Ninja Warriors, The
Rocko's Modern Life - Spunky's Dangerous Day

If you don't have a good way to de-solder mask roms, you could probably get something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/ECG-J-045-DS-Watt-Desoldering-Iron/dp/B00068IJSG

It's no Hakko808, but Mega Man X should only have solder on one side of the board, so it should handle it easily.

I can also offer to do it for you, as I have a Hakko 808, and desoldering these chips is very simple for me.
You'd only need to pay for shipping to and from Sacramento of the two PCBs.

IMHO, saccing a cart should only be done if the sacced cart is:

1. Of way less value than the cart being fixed (you'd never sac Aero Fighters for Megaman X)
2. As dead (or "more dead") than the cart being fixed.

Regards.

shadowkn55 · Apr 6, 2015

Try using some brasso to polish up the edge connector.

Wachenroder · Apr 6, 2015

DNSDies said:
The following games will have an exact replacement board for that game:

If you don't have a good way to de-solder mask roms, you could probably get something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/ECG-J-045-DS-Watt-Desoldering-Iron/dp/B00068IJSG

It's no Hakko808, but Mega Man X should only have solder on one side of the board, so it should handle it easily.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll look into buying one.

I can also offer to do it for you, as I have a Hakko 808, and desoldering these chips is very simple for me.
You'd only need to pay for shipping to and from Sacramento of the two PCBs.

I'll try to foil tape method first and see how that works. If that fails then i'll hit you up.

Pasky said:
You missed the part where he was appalled at sacking another cart.....

Do you have a recommended brand of glue.

Also lol I'm not really appalled per se...

aha2940 said:
IMHO, saccing a cart should only be done if the sacced cart is:

1. Of way less value than the cart being fixed (you'd never sac Aero Fighters for Megaman X)
2. As dead (or "more dead") than the cart being fixed.

Regards.

Basically this.

DNSDies · Apr 6, 2015

Pasky said:
You missed the part where he was appalled at sacking another cart.....

I saw it, but I simply thought to offer the full range of 1:1 alternatives in case a repair is impossible (foil tape will not hold up to repeated use, usually)
I hardly think anyone is going to miss a copy of Charles Barkley or Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage for SNES.

If you balk at that, Mega Man X is a simple LoROM game with no SRAM.
There's literally DOZENS of acceptable donor (or "sacrificial") sports games like NHL 94 or any one of the various baseball or tennis yearly release games which you can buy on even ebay for $3 a piece.

Any SNES PCB with the code SHVC-2A*N-xxx is a potential donor, the * denotes whether it has SRAM or not(0 = no sram), and the xxx is just a revision number.

You can ever use Japanese carts, as the PCBs are interchangeable with American cases.

Ultimately, you'll make your own choice, and I just want to help you revive a damaged copy of a great game so you can play it.

I wish you luck either way.

Wachenroder · Apr 6, 2015

^ Yeah I appreciate that. I really would hate for this game to be stuck in such shape. Games like this need to be restored if at all possible.

HeavyMachineGoob · Apr 6, 2015

I'm with DNSDies here. Once a PCB has sustained significant damage to the edge connector, it is not a good idea to keep repairing it. Copper tape and other measures won't last against a cartridge slot. It's a far better and safer option to buy a cheap donor and swap the MegaMan X ROM chips onto a new PCB.

Pasky · Apr 6, 2015

I use some epoxy i buy here from a local shop. I've used gorilla glue before but you gotta be careful if you're gonna solder over the copper tape, need to be quick and dont inhale that shit. Make sure it's dry underneath before ya try to solder then just tack it down with solder to the copper on the pcb.

I saw it, but I simply thought to offer the full range of 1:1 alternatives in case a repair is impossible (foil tape will not hold up to repeated use, usually)
I hardly think anyone is going to miss a copy of Charles Barkley or Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage for SNES.

I've got a repaired SMB2 using foil tape for over 8 years now, gets repeated use. Ya, and when that supply dies out, they'll go to other carts. Just like people sacking carts to make stupid repros, those donors are gonna dwindle down.

bustedstr8 · Apr 6, 2015

So... if we start with a good game on shitty pcb and then swap it with a shitty game on a good pcb.
We can then use advanced physics conservation laws to calculate the outcome.

(Shitty game+good pcb)+(good game+shitty pcb)=(good game+good pcb)+(shitty game+shitty pcb)

Now that we have determined nothing is being lost in the transfer process you can enjoy your sexy clean Mega Man and then
send off your shitty Bugs Bunny cart to someone who saves the SNES world one cart at a time.

GohanX · Apr 6, 2015

Busted, I love you.

No homo.

J/K, totally homo.

mainman · Apr 6, 2015

DNSDies said:
I saw it, but I simply thought to offer the full range of 1:1 alternatives in case a repair is impossible (foil tape will not hold up to repeated use, usually)
I hardly think anyone is going to miss a copy of Charles Barkley or Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage for SNES.

If you balk at that, Mega Man X is a simple LoROM game with no SRAM.
There's literally DOZENS of acceptable donor (or "sacrificial") sports games like NHL 94 or any one of the various baseball or tennis yearly release games which you can buy on even ebay for $3 a piece.

Any SNES PCB with the code SHVC-2A*N-xxx is a potential donor, the * denotes whether it has SRAM or not(0 = no sram), and the xxx is just a revision number.

You can ever use Japanese carts, as the PCBs are interchangeable with American cases.

Ultimately, you'll make your own choice, and I just want to help you revive a damaged copy of a great game so you can play it.

I wish you luck either way.

But sacking ninja warriors is definitely a no no, it deserves more respect.

shadowkn55 · Apr 6, 2015

NBA Live 95 should do the trick. I believe it is a LoRom cart with two rom sockets just like MMX. It has SRAM but it shouldn't be a problem.

darkkrisp · Feb 12, 2016

shadowkn55 said:
NBA Live 95 should do the trick. I believe it is a LoRom cart with two rom sockets just like MMX. It has SRAM but it shouldn't be a problem.

DNSDies did this swap for me and it turns out the SRAM is a problem. It seems Mega Man X has a copy protection that is triggered by checking for the SRAM. The issues I found were exactly as listed in this thread http://jul.rustedlogic.net/thread.php?id=16940 after speaking with DNSDies I went ahead and clipped the SRAM off the board and it appears to be working properly. I was able to make it through to 3 different robot masters. I couldn't beat any of them but, this was farther then the game had allowed me to progress without out any of the protections being triggered. Everything seems to be fine but just an FYI for anyone else trying this swap you will have an issue if you have SRAM.

Shout out to DNSDies for helping me with the replacement and with the trouble shooting idea. Thanks a lot.

GohanX · Feb 12, 2016

Nice! Enjoy MMX, it's one of the best games ever

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