SNES Buttersoft/Torapu RGB Mod — Install & Use

This is the on-domain overview for installing my SNES RGB mod board (the open-source Buttersoft/Torapu design) in a 2-chip Super Nintendo or Super Famicom. It covers what the mod does, what you need, and the shape of the install. For the full illustrated, revision-by-revision walkthrough — including wire maps and photos — follow the link to the canonical technical guide at the bottom.

What this board does

Early 2-chip SNES/SFC consoles output RGB, but a weak spot in their onboard video amplifier leaves the picture noticeably soft and blurry next to a 1CHIP. This board is a modern video amplifier (built around the TLV3544A op-amp) that bypasses the console’s flawed amp entirely and cleans up the raw R/G/B straight from the video processor. The result is a dramatic jump in sharpness — bringing a 2-chip console up to, and sometimes past, 1CHIP quality.

It sharpens an existing RGB signal; it won’t repair a console that isn’t working. Before you start, confirm your SNES powers on, plays games, and already outputs RGB (even a blurry one) over a known-good RGB SCART cable.

Compatibility

Designed for these 2-chip SNES/SFC motherboard revisions:

SHVC-CPU-01
SNS-CPU-GPM-01 / SNS-CPU-GPM-02
SNS-CPU-RGB-01 / SNS-CPU-RGB-02

Not compatible with 1CHIP consoles or the SNES Jr. — those already have excellent RGB and don’t need this. The motherboard revision is printed in white silkscreen on the board; check it before you begin.

Before you start: a DIY-risk note

This is a do-it-yourself modification that calls for intermediate SMD soldering skills — small surface-mount pads, and on some revisions lifting an IC pin. If that’s outside your comfort zone, this isn’t the project to learn on. It’s a rewarding install, but it is an install: I’m not responsible for any damage to your console during the process. Proceed at your own risk.

You’ll want a fine-tip soldering iron, flux, a multimeter for continuity checks, Kapton tape, isopropyl alcohol, and a way to tack the board down (a few dabs of hot glue work well).

Install overview

The full guide breaks this down per motherboard revision; here’s the shape of it so you know what you’re signing up for.

Disassemble and identify. Open the console, remove the mainboard, and confirm your revision from the silkscreen.
Mount the board. Find a flat, component-free area on the underside (the space next to the cartridge slot is a common choice), lay down Kapton tape for insulation, and secure the mod board on top of it.
Make the eight signal/power runs. The mod splices into the console’s RGB amplifier with short, direct wires: Red, Green, and Blue in, Red, Green, and Blue out, plus +5V and GND — eight runs total. Exactly where each one lands depends on your revision (on GPM/SHVC boards you remove three stock transistors; on RGB boards you lift their base legs instead), so follow the matching section of the full guide and keep every wire as short as possible. For power, take +5V from the regulator output (not the big unregulated input cap) and GND from a solid ground such as a reset-switch pad.
Optional: refresh the video-rail caps. The Standard Kit includes 10uF ceramics you can install (or stack in parallel) on the decoupling caps for the PPU, VRAM, and encoder. This is optional but recommended for the cleanest result — identify those caps before you mount the board so you don’t cover them up.

Test before you button it up

Before final reassembly, set the mainboard loosely in the shell, connect power and an RGB SCART cable, insert a game, and power on. You should see a clear, sharp picture. If you get a black screen, no signal, or wrong colors, recheck your wiring and continuity against the guide’s wire map before closing the console. Every assembled board I sell is already bench-tested per channel (R, G, B) and scope-checked for a clean signal, so a problem at this stage is almost always a wiring issue, not the board.

The full step-by-step guide

To keep things light, I don’t ship a printed manual. The complete illustrated walkthrough — with the per-revision wire diagrams, the optional PPU pin-lift for jailbar reduction, and a troubleshooting section — lives free online and stays up to date: the canonical Buttersoft/Torapu RGB mod guide.

Design credit

This mod is open source: the circuit is Torapu’s design and the PCB layout is Buttersoft’s. I print the boards, source the parts, and hand-assemble and test every unit. Questions about the mod or the install are always welcome — message me any time.