ToToTEK.COM

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

I've recently bought a SPF Q+ (24Mbit) for a PAL snes, and I've got some questions about it. I'm desperate to find answers to them, so any help will be appreciated alot.

Could someone explain to me how to get saving working? For example, I go to this save place in a game, and press save - then I restart the game and the save is gone.

Also, is there any way to upgrade it to 32 Mbit?

Thanks,
Data33

kyuusaku · Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 941 Location: .ma.us

You may need a new battery.

To upgrade it to 32M, you must solder two more 514400 to your DRAM board.

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

Many thanks for the replies!

Now I got some more questions though.
About that battery, if I change that will I be able to save my games? I'm having trouble finding what part is the battery. And, right now the game just reset while I was playing (bad floppy, perhaps?). Also, I'm having trouble finding any 514400's, will any 4Mb DRAM IC thingy fit there?

Thanks,
Data33

madman · Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 598

The battery is easy to find. It'll be a round can-shaped thing on the board, I think it's near the front on PFQs. It'll have some plastic (probably blue) wrapping around it that should say 3.6V and NiCd along with a few other things.

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

Ok, I located the spot on the board that says "BAT", but the weird thing is that I have no battery there, I have this electrolytic radial thing (C307 I think) instead. Should I try to find a 3.6V battery to solder there instead? If I find one, will a Lithium one be ok?

Thanks,
Data33

kyuusaku · Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 941 Location: .ma.us

You can use a lithium but I'd use a NiMH instead.

Any 4M (1M x 4-bit) will work if it has the same package as your current RAM. You want 70ns or less. Other manufacturers use: 814400, 71C4400, 4C4001 and 44400 too with their prefixes. What I have done is bought many old 8MiB 72-pin SIMMs with 16 x 20 pin DRAM chips, usually this gives you 16 514400, enough to fill two 32M boards. They will also generally be 60ns.

madman · Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 598

Weren't the originals NiCd rechargables?

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

About the battery, my SPF didn't have any.. it had a condensator (sp?), but I just switched it. *edit* Yeah, it works now - I put three 1.2V NiMh batteries in a series in there :p

I've found like a 25-pack of DRAM thingys. *edit* They are made by Toshiba and these are the details: Toshiba TC514410ASJ-60
1048576 Word x 4 Bit DRAM

If they are usable, will I have to replace all the old ones with these, or can I have 4 old ones and 2 new ones?

Thanks,
Data33

kyuusaku · Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 941 Location: .ma.us

You can keep the old ones, it is probably best to because the DRAM boards are very old and fragile; it's very easy to break a track or pull up a pad.

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

Ok, cool.. but will the ones I found work?

Thanks,
Data33

kyuusaku · Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 941 Location: .ma.us

Check to make sure it's the same SOJ type package (I think it is) as what's already on your board, if so, go for it.

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

Hehe, right.. I'll check that.
*edit*
The ones on my board has 28 "legs" while the ones I found had 26 "legs", is that a problem or could it still work?

Thanks,
Data33

kyuusaku · Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 941 Location: .ma.us

That will be a problem, your RAM is a lot harder to find in that package than the 20 pin RAM. I would still look on PC SIMMs, I'm sure many will have your type, but it will be hard to see in online pictures if you shop online.

Data33 · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 18

Do you think it would be possible to chat with you over MSN, cause I really need some help with this.

Many thanks,
Data33

kyuusaku · Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 941 Location: .ma.us

Sure, just add me.