DrBunsen Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Wikipedia says:CPU: Ricoh 8-bit processor based on MOS Technology 6502 core' date=' custom sound hardware, and a restricted DMA controller on-die * Main RAM: 2 KiB plus expanded RAM if present on the cartridge * ROM: Up to 49128 bytes (just shy of 48 KiB) for ROM, expanded RAM, and cartridge I/O; bank switching can expand this by orders of magnitudeSo it seems to use the chip outside the NES, you'd need to make a simple single board computer, based on other 6502 SBC projects, but designed for the pinout of the NES CPU, and with extra circuitry for the audio output. Program just enough 6502 code into it to interface between the CPU and a Core board, then write a MIOS NES app. Simple ::) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vedge Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Dont want to make any extra publicity but i own a MIDINES cart and it does the job for me,a funny annectode is that theres a PIC inside of it :)Ive modified a NES motherboard to fint in a 1U rack and soldered the stereo audio touts to RCA plugs on the chassis.fun fun... But i plan on maybe adding a MIDIBox in front to allow for greater flexibility/arpegios and especially a polyphony-from-MiDIChannel hack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e-toy Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 just that it's been saidfor all the people with PAL version NES console who plan do buy a MIDINES. It will work (after the CIC hack) but it's absolutely out of tune :oI just bought such a cardride and now I have to find a way to alter the NES cpu clock timing. :'(btw, my first postcheerse-toy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vedge Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 just that it's been saidfor all the people with PAL version NES console who plan do buy a MIDINES. It will work (after the CIC hack) but it's absolutely out of tune :oI just bought such a cardride and now I have to find a way to alter the NES cpu clock timing. :'(Oh, thats very sad indeed. the tables are hardcoded with the NTSC pulse lenghts i guess.But you could just buy a NTSC NES on ebay for 10 dollars, rip the innards and do something like this:this thing is still a "playable" NES console, well if you can bother opening the rack mount each time you want change the cartridge :)Web search for "portable NES" and youll get all the pinouts you need. I did the "stereo mod" and one of the many "video amplifiers" mods.I also de-CIC 'ed it and placed a brand new ZIF connector.I dont want to discourage anyone from making a MIDIBOX NES in any case. Just for me, my goal is to have MIDI versions of most/all important late 70's and early 80's video game/computer sound chips, and this was, for me the shortest path for the NES, both finance, and time wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBunsen Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 just that it's been saidfor all the people with PAL version NES console who plan do buy a MIDINES. It will work (after the CIC hack) but it's absolutely out of tune :oI just bought such a cardride and now I have to find a way to alter the NES cpu clock timing. :'(There must be a timing oscillator or crystal on there somewhere you could change?Or you could download Syntendo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vedge Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Or you could download SyntendoJust important to note that systendo is a bare synthedit plugin, using synthedit's built in Square and Triangle oscillators, which in most probablility dont have the same caracteristics as the ones in the NES hardware. That depends how anal you are about those thigns :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00dawg Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Seems like there were some good ideas here. Has anyone tried out building a single-board computer or tried integrating this into MBox stuff yet? The MIDI cartridge looks like it's probably going to be the best bet otherwise, although $90 + shipping seems like a lot of $$$ to throw down for a simple soundchip... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e-toy Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 like vedge saidthis was, for me the shortest path for the NES, both finance, and time wise.that's absolutley right. even if 90$ + seems to be lot of money, you will need much more (particularly time)to develop a new system based on MIOS. In the meantime i found a solution to "tune" my PAL NES :)I used an LT1799 Frequency generator as Crystal substitution for the CPU clock. Now I can tune my console in a wide range.greetse-toy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visibleman Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 In the meantime i found a solution to "tune" my PAL NES :)I used an LT1799 Frequency generator as Crystal substitution for the CPU clock. Now I can tune my console in a wide range.greetse-toyhey e-toy! can you describe in more elaborate detail the mod you did to your PAL NES? I also run Midines on a PAL NES and would really appreciate your advise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e-toy Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 i had to reopen my NES to make a picture With the pot on PIN 3 of LT1799 you can adjust the CPU clock frequency (tune)right tune will be at arround 3,8K so you can use a 5k or 10k pot. cables should be as short as possible. CPU clock frequency is about 28 Mhz.Note that you wont get a picture out of the console anymore because the GPU will also be "tuned" and TV cant sync anymore to this frequency.greetse-toy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaicen Posted April 6, 2007 Report Share Posted April 6, 2007 Why don't you add a second oscillator to run the sound, and restore the old osc to the video chip? Actually, I know NOTHING about NES's, I don't even know if they generate sounds via the video chip as per the VIC or not, that's just what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaicen Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 So is this thread dead, or are people working on other apps for integrating the 2A03? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00dawg Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I think most people figured that MidiNES was the best option. I'd still like to see a MidiBox implementation, but the MidiNES pretty much whoops ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryd_one Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Why don't you add a second oscillator to run the sound, and restore the old osc to the video chip? I just read this thing and thought exactly the same... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e-toy Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 go ahead and try ;)for me graphics arn't really important, as I only need it for music purpose.But you could easy make a simple hack to toggle between Gaming tune and Music tune. Just use two pots an a switch to toggle between the two different values.Or even easier. Buy an NTSC Console! (and hope that your'e TV is able to display NTSC Video)If someone knows an other working hack that alter the tune of sound without change the video frequency, let me know ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubka Posted July 11, 2007 Report Share Posted July 11, 2007 Can someone please just clarify that the 2 grey wires are attached to a pot and the blurred, orange/brown wire is going to pin 5? That's it? Sorry for the boring quiestion - seems too simple. Cheers,Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Wily Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 (edited) Quote Actually, I know NOTHING about NES's, I don't even know if they generate sounds via the video chip as per the VIC or not, that's just what I would do. NES' soundchip is builtin CPU. If your purpose is making a midibox with NES soundchip you can take NES' CPU. Sound out directly through pin 1 and 2 of NES' CPU. For guy who want making music on real NES you can use a Nes tracker and test your tune on a special cartridge who use SD card for loading any game or Nes sound format. This cart is for using on Famicom hardware, but with an 60 to 72 pin adaptor you can use on US or PAL NES. Edited January 18, 2017 by Dr.Wily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 Hey, this cart looks great !!!How can i get one ? it's a long time i want to hear my nsf's on the real hardware :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theta_Frost Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Sorry for bump but this would be incredible if someone did it. You have no idea what this would do for the chiptune scene. It would be bigger than the Midibox Sid even. Let me know if I can help in any way. It would be so cool to have NES and SNES synths! THIS IS AWESOME! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 http://web.archive.org/web/20030805180424/http://greybox.norfair.org/proto_r4.jpg <-- this would look nice sitting next to a midibox core inside a case. if the circuitry is 3.8" x 6" or smaller i'll mill out a couple prototypes of the SBC MIDIbox_NES module boards ;) i would like to hear what this can do! i know the SID module sounds AMAZING! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theta_Frost Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hey if you mill out a prototype I'll gladly test and try to improve it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/tilted/ Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 shame about the really odd oscillator.but hey, we've always been able to find weird parts before!Let me know if I can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryd_one Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Seems strange to build an SBC and then control it with an mbhp core.... Why not hang the 2A03 off the core, directly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theta_Frost Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Would that work Stryde? ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 can you replace the xtal with a 555 timer circ.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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