Difficulties with Super Famicom and Super-FX games

[Ducky]

Hi! I've been doing a considerable amount of lurking on these forums for years, and I was hoping that somebody may be able to alleviate me of my Super Famicom woes.

I bought a Super Famicom roughly a month or two ago, which came with a bunch of games. Most games worked fine, except for certain games with the extra pins. Starfox and Yoshi's Island both presented a wobbly, dirty-coloured picture. I figured this was issue with the Super Famicom, so I bought another one. With this second Super Famicom, I got a crisp picture, but a very loud buzzing noise from the speakers. I figured this was another broken Super Famicom, so I got a third, and with this one, I'm either getting no picture at all, or a similarly wobbly, muted coloured picture like from my first Super Famicom.

Of course at this point, I've realised that perhaps the Super Famicom isn't the variable here that I should be concerned about. I figured it could've been the cables that I was using. The seller of the first Super Famicom sent with it a PAL Super Nintendo AC Adaptor, which I've later read online is unadvised, since the Super Famicom actually requires a DC adaptor. I've read mixed reports as to whether using an AC adaptor is damaging to the Super Famicom, but I am confused, considering games without the extra pins have been playing just fine, such as Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda and Super Mario World.

So, could it be that the extra power required to use the pins is not being adequately provided by the AC adaptor? Is it worth investing in a MegaDrive Model 1 power adaptor, which allegedly is a fitting replacement? Or am I completely off basis in assuming this will resolve the issue? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Ziggy]

First off, let me just tell you that those extra pins aren't Mode 7. Mode 7 is a scaling/rotation graphics mode. Games use Mode 7 with out any special co-processors.

Those extra pins on the Star Fox and Yoshi's Island carts are for the GSU or "Super FX" enhancement chip. However, any cart with those extra pins doesn't automatically mean it uses the GSU chip inside. Games that use the SA-1 chip have the extra pins, like Super Mario RPG. Games that use the S-DD1 chip have the extra pins, like Street Fighter Alpha 2.

I'm 99.9% sure that all you have to do, at least for 2 or your 3 consoles, is clean the cart slot and the game carts, especially the extra pins. Especially since you say that normal games like Super Mario World work fine. Not many games use those extra pins, so they're more likely to be dirty in the cart slot. Just give them a good cleaning, and clean the cart's pins too. You should be alright.

Power is not your issue. If it was, all games would exhibit the same behavior, and not just Star Fox.

[Ducky]

Oh! Of course it's Super-FX! I'll change that right after I post this. How foolish of me. Sorry about that...

Yeah, I figured that it was unlikely since I was already playing certain games happily without trouble. But now I don't understand why the AC adaptor that I am using is proving no trouble for the Super Famicom. The general consensus seems to be that the conflict of DC and AC will bust the system, but of course I'm happy it hasn't. The first seller sold the Super Famicom with the AC adaptor, anyway.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try cleaning the slots tomorrow. This would make a lot of sense. If most games don't use the slots, then I suppose they're going to become dusty due to them being empty most of the time. I was going to ask what you would recommend to clean them, but I did a quick search, and it seems that the best idea would be to use some fabric and a credit card to get inbetween the slot. How does that sound to you? I'll also take a cotton swab to the carts just to be certain.

I'll get back to this thread with my discoveries. If anybody has any other suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

[Ziggy]

Yeah, the credit card method with some cloth around it is the easiest/quickest way to clean the slot. Stack a few cards together though, you want the thickness to be at least as thick as a SNES PCB, maybe a hair thicker so it'll scrub the pins better. Not too thick though, if you shove something in there that's too thick you can wreck the pins. Otheres have suggested using cardboard, or folding up an old cereal box to the appropriate thickness.

Use rubbing alcohol. The regular old 70% stuff is fine, the 90-something % will be better. Despite what others may claim, don't use any other products (Windex, stove cleaner, etc). Use rubbing alcohol or electrical contact cleaner only.

It's not so much that dust got in there, but they're more susceptible to corrosion and whatnot since they're not being used as often.

edit: About the power adapter questions... The NTSC-U SNES power adapter outputs DC, but if IIRC, the PAL SNES power adapter outputs AC. You can use an AC adapter on something that's expecting DC because you might blow it up, but you can usually use a DC adapter for something that normally expects AC (like using a model 1 Genesis power adapter for an NES). So this is where the confusion comes from. The Super Famicom, I always forget what it uses (AC or DC). I thought it used DC, but you said your SFC came with an AC adapter and it works, so maybe I'm not remembering correctly. Look on the back of your plug, it'll have specs for input and output. Input it always gonna say AC, but it's the output voltage you wanna look at. What does your power adapter say for it's output voltage? Also, is it a Nintendo brand adapter, or third party?

[Ducky]

Well, I cut myself a tall, thin strip out of an old credit card, cut some microfibre material for the end, and bought some rubbing alcohol. I've pushed this tool I made into the cartridge slot, especially with the pins on the far sides of each. I did this with all three of my Super Famicoms and it didn't seem to do the trick. The two Super Famicoms are still producing a wobbly, muted picture, and the third Super Famicom is still buzzing loudly while giving a clear picture. Either I didn't do a very good job at cleaning those SFX pins or that isn't the problem. Does it matter how much rubbing alcohol I dab onto my microfibre? I've been dabbing it onto the material with cotton buds, but if I dip the material straight into the rubbing alcohol, is there such thing as too much?

In regards to the power adaptor, the AC adaptor that came with my system is an official Nintendo power adaptor for the PAL SNES or NES. The output according to the adaptor is "AC9V 1.3A". On the back of the Super Famicom, it's DC IN. That's why I'm confused, since according to the internet, I should have three dead Super Famicoms on my hands, and yet I've had moderate success with these machines.

I'm contemplating buying a replacement pin connector, but I feel like having three non-working Super Famicom systems isn't just a coincidence. Perhaps it is and I was really unlucky, but before I consider this, I'll give cleaning these pins another crack, or at least try and get hold of a Megadrive 1 power cable.

Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks for all your help, Ziggy587! I really appreciate it.

[BRIK]

I would recommend using a step down transformer for plugging it in. That's what I do.

[Ziggy]

In regards to the power adaptor, the AC adaptor that came with my system is an official Nintendo power adaptor for the PAL SNES or NES. The output according to the adaptor is "AC9V 1.3A". On the back of the Super Famicom, it's DC IN. That's why I'm confused, since according to the internet, I should have three dead Super Famicoms on my hands, and yet I've had moderate success with these machines.

OK, so the PAL SNES is AC and the SFC is DC. In that case, stop using the AC adapter with your SFC consoles. Perhaps this is your problem. Try to locate an appropriate DC plug and give that a shot.

[cookie monster]

Try using a old toothbrush to clean the cart i normally put some cleaner on a old brush and scrub both sides of the pins then dry them with a que tip as for the console pins itself try useing a white cloth it will give you a better gauge of if it is dirty as for the power cord my super famicom uses a original nes power brick and i have never had a problem with it in the 3yrs i had it and i also have the same games you seem to be having issues with other then them getting dusty i had no problems

[Ziggy]

Good tip with the white cloth. I forgot to say before...

I usually recommend using an old white cotton T-shirt (or something similar) for a few reasons. For one, it's a flatter material so you'd be better off using it then something like a drying towel or micro fiber material. Those materials have sort of fingers, the fabric might get caught in the pins. But also, I think the cotton T-shirt is a metal material to scrub the pins with. And being a white one, you can easily see the dirt/grime coming off the pins and get a good idea if you're actually doing a good job cleaning it. Pull the T-shirt over the credit cards or cardboard or whatever you're using, tight, almost to the point where you're stretching the fabric.


Hmm, so the both of yous have used an AC adapter on a SFC. And the official SFC brick outputs DC? Weird.

[cookie monster]

yeah the power brick that came with mine was doa it had a picture of megaman on it

Good tip with the white cloth. I forgot to say before...

I usually recommend using an old white cotton T-shirt (or something similar) for a few reasons. For one, it's a flatter material so you'd be better off using it then something like a drying towel or micro fiber material. Those materials have sort of fingers, the fabric might get caught in the pins. But also, I think the cotton T-shirt is a metal material to scrub the pins with. And being a white one, you can easily see the dirt/grime coming off the pins and get a good idea if you're actually doing a good job cleaning it. Pull the T-shirt over the credit cards or cardboard or whatever you're using, tight, almost to the point where you're stretching the fabric.


Hmm, so the both of yous have used an AC adapter on a SFC. And the official SFC brick outputs DC? Weird.