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Straya Mate

Title says it all.

I'll just leave this here.

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NYC

Yeah, some of them are like that.  I guess they got more modern with it.  I wonder what it looks like under the blob of, whatever that stuff is???

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Straya Mate
3ndymion wrote:

Yeah, some of them are like that.  I guess they got more modern with it.  I wonder what it looks like under the blob of, whatever that stuff is???


Haha it's crazy, after all the consoles I've had, modified and taken apart, this was the first one I've seen like it.

Nothing amazing, just the same chips in COB (Chip On Board) instead of packages, so it's the die directly wired to the board and covered in epoxy, but still unusual smile

Last edited by DaRkO (Dec 16, 2013 9:37 am)

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Matthew Joseph Payne

I think it's this way from board revision 06 on. All PiL gameboys have it, for sure.

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I've only seen one with 4 blobs.  The others I've seen with blobs only had the CPU covered.

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Straya Mate
kineticturtle wrote:

I think it's this way from board revision 06 on. All PiL gameboys have it, for sure.

Not in Australia apparently, I have had quite a few PiL's but never seen this style of board, this particular one is out of a regular DMG.

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Arizona
kineticturtle wrote:

I think it's this way from board revision 06 on. All PiL gameboys have it, for sure.

All of my DMGs are CPU 06 and I've never seen blobs like this in a PiL...Very cool though...

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Matthew Joseph Payne

weird, maybe it IS regional

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I believe  it's from rev8.
Those blobs where a much cheaper way to make IC's back then. You could just print them on the pcb, and cover it with epoxy.

It was cheap, and harder for people to copy the technique. (Chinese knock-offs)

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Michigan
kineticturtle wrote:

I think it's this way from board revision 06 on. All PiL gameboys have it, for sure.

Nope, only 07 and 08. I have a dozen 08s and have had a dozen more over the years, but have had only one 07 ever. Same board though, slightly differing silk screen.

Last edited by Jazzmarazz (Dec 16, 2013 5:24 pm)

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Matthew Joseph Payne

Thanks for the correction Jazz! Haven't been opening up as many gameboys lately as I used to. wink

Hey DaRkO, what revision is the one in question, anyway?

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Michigan

My guess is CPU-08 because of the vectorized, sans-serif text. The only 07 I have found has proportional serif text on the silk.

I plan on blogging about some of the subtle aesthetic differences from board to board. For example, 07 has square corners on the ground pour whereas my 08's have chamfered corners. My 07 has a larger CPU blob, but only by a mm or two. 'ONE' of my 08's has gold pins on the link port; the others all have silver.  This particular board also has a large "C" screened in the middle above the CPU which is not present in any other board. One 08 has a dark pine-green solder mask, and the others have a light green.

Then there are the great differences between the earlier revisions and the 07/08's.

Off to work. sad

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Matthew Joseph Payne

I'd love to read that blog!

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Straya Mate
kineticturtle wrote:

Thanks for the correction Jazz! Haven't been opening up as many gameboys lately as I used to. wink

Hey DaRkO, what revision is the one in question, anyway?

08 Mate!

I have a stack more here which I'll be checking also and I'll post up results as I go.

Jazz, this one has gold link port contacts too.

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Melbourne, Australia

I have a couple of 07's and twenty-something 08's and they all have the blobs - the other thing I noticed is that all of the blobbed-boys say "Made in China" rather than "Made in Japan".

I also have thirteen 02's and four 03's that have the 'A' revision of the CPU if they are of interest to anybody?

(and an 06 with a 'C' revision CPU - but I'm keeping that one!)

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I have wanted to see a blobbed one in person for a while.

Thanks for the info, Jazz.  I would also like to read that writeup.