PAL Super Nintendo Teardown
Tools
These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.
Background and Identification
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES or Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit game console developed by Nintendo. It was originally released in Japan with the name “Super Famicom” and came to Europe in 1992 and 1993 as the PAL Super Nintendo. These two releases share the same form factor with a gray plastic case and gray reset/power buttons. You can identify the PAL version by looking for the words “Super Nintendo Entertainment System” printed on the top of the device and the model number “SNSP-001A” on a sticker on the bottom.
The console has two controller ports on the front side. Nintendo shipped the machine with new controllers featuring two shoulder buttons and new “X” and “Y” buttons for your right hand. The console loads games via cartridges which you insert in a slot on the top of the device. Notable games for the SNES include Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Donkey Kong Country among many others.
The PAL Super Nintendo has a 16-bit processor running at 3.55 MHz. It has support for 8 channels of audio including simple audio samples. The graphics are handled by a custom picture processing unit (PPU) which allows for 128 sprites (moving graphics) to be shown on-screen at one time. The console can output RF modulated video, composite video, S-video, or RGB through Nintendo’s AV Multiout port on the back of the device.
Technical Specifications
Processor
- 16 bit
- Custom WDC 65C816 chip
- 3.55 MHz
Memory
- 128 KB
Video
- 15-bit color
- Resolution between 256x240 and 512x480 (most games used the lower resolution because it resulted in less slowdown)
- 128 sprites on-screen (with a maximum of 32 sprites per scanline)
Audio
- Stereo audio
- 8 channels
- Support for 8-bit audio samples
Cartridges
- Between 2 Mbit and 48 Mbit of data
Additional Information
Super Nintendo Entertainment System on Wikipedia
Super Nintendo development wiki
SNES in the Centre for Computing History