[Solved] Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

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Ice Man
Posts: 547
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:34 pm

[Solved] Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

I just recently got a Lagrange Point myself and put the English translation on it.
While the game works well and can be dumped properly, I cannot get the audio to work on my Famicom.

I have done several Lagrange Points and all of them had the audio working.

Does anyone know how to fix it or what IC to replace (and ideally also their name).

Thanks!
Last edited by Ice Man on Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Memblers
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Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Memblers »

In case the "hybrid IC" failed, there is a schematic of it here:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4709
It potentially could have a cracked solder joint, or a broken or corroded trace on the board. Not so easy to fix when it's coated in epoxy, though..
Ice Man
Posts: 547
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:34 pm

Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

That schematic helps alot.
I assume JRC 2904 is the OP amp used? In that case, NJM2904 is the same, right?

Also, what exactly does the 3.58MHZ crystal on the VRC7? If it's related to the sound (ADSR).
Can it cause silence, too, if not working properly? Or what is it used for?

Thanks for the help so far!
lidnariq
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Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by lidnariq »

It's the clock for the VRC7's audio. If it's not working you won't get any sound.

You should be able to bodge in a wire from M2 instead: all the sounds will be an octave too low but otherwise it might work. I think. Unless that slows down register access times too much.
Ice Man
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Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

I do have certain sound effects and music, just not the expansion audio. So I guess the crystal is working, at last.

Will try to remove the epoxyd from the circuitry.
lidnariq
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Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by lidnariq »

Lagrange Point plays almost all the entire soundtrack using the VRC7 (although it uses the 2A03 audio for drums). Sound effects come from the 2A03.
Ice Man
Posts: 547
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:34 pm

Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

I see. So first step would be to replace the 3.58MHz?
Where would I connect M2 to? XIN (Pin 17)?
What about XOUT (Pin 18)?

Just to test if that would get anything to work, of course.
lidnariq
Posts: 11432
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by lidnariq »

Yeah, try connecting M2 to XIN.

Before that, if you have access to a longwaveshortwave radio (or an oscilloscope...), you could see if you can tune it to 3.579MHz and hold the antenna near the cart while it's powered, and see if you get any signal. (You shouldn't hear much, because the crystal frequency and amplitude shouldn't be changing, but it should be able to pick up whether the crystal is going at all.)
Last edited by lidnariq on Wed Mar 25, 2020 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ice Man
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Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:34 pm

Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

Removed the crystal, connected M2 to Pin 17 (XIN) but still nothing. :(

Afraid I don't have an oscilloscope. Really should buy one one day.

Attached pictures of the PCB just in case.
Attachments
IMG_20200325_200656.jpg
IMG_20200325_200651.jpg
Ice Man
Posts: 547
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:34 pm

Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

Bought nrew 3.58 MHZ resonators. Let's see if that's the cause.

If it isn't, I already prepared new boards to replace the sound circuitry.

I just hope the VRC7 itself isn't faulty.
Attachments
vrc7.png
Ice Man
Posts: 547
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:34 pm

[Solved] Re: Need help fixing VRC7 Audio

Post by Ice Man »

Update: The cart is working fine now. It wasn't faulty at all but the AV mod was done wrong.

My Famicom is a HVC-CPU-07 and I grabbed sound directly from the SND pad instead of pin 46 of the connector resulting expansion sound not work.
Everything is fine now.
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