CPU variants

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Revision as of 16:41, 11 October 2024 by PizzerLover123 (talk | contribs) (Added some info and added links to the forum posts i used in this (and the previous edit) to the bottom. There are lots more CPU / PPU clones in those threads, but i don't have the time to add them right now.)
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Beyond the well-studied 2A03G, we know of the following CPU revisions, both made by Ricoh and other manufacturers:

Official (NTSC)

Part Picture Notes
RP2A03 RP2A03 3G1 09.jpg CPU=RP2A03 3L4 27.jpg CPU=RP2A03 3M294.jpg M2 duty cycle is 17/24 instead of 15/24 [1]. Lacks tonal noise mode. APU Frame Counter not restarted on reset. Has broken and disabled programmable interval timer on-die. Pin 30 connects to nothing. Other differences?
RP2A03E CPU=RP2A03E 5K5 26.jpg CPU=RP2A03E VF4109 5H4 8534.jpg Pin 30 is /RDY - combined with internal signals before feeding to internal 6502 +RDY.
RP2A03G CPU=RP2A03G 9B3 PV A.jpg CPU=RP2A03G 8815AAL.jpg Reference model. Pin 30 enables a CPU test mode. Later runs introduced a DMC DMA bug [2].
RP2A03H CPU=RP2A03H 4AM 4F.jpg CPU=RP2A03H 4BM 4Z.jpg No known differences from late RP2A03G.
RP2A04 CPU=RP2A04 2J 6C2 01.jpg Not actually a CPU at all, just a jumper in a 40-pin PDIP. Used in place of CPUs in Vs. System boards (and thus with NTSC timing).

Official (PAL)

Part Picture Notes
RP2A07 CPU=RP2A07 7C4 39.jpg CPU=RP2A07 8F3 78.jpg Input clock divider is 16. M2 duty cycle is 19/32 [3]. Changes to noise, DPCM, frame timer tables. Fixed DPCM RDY address bus glitches. Pin 30 connects to 6502 /RDY input.
RP2A07A CPU=RP2A07A 1GM 36.jpg CPU=RP2A07A 2JM 3L.jpg no known differences relative to 2A07letterless

Unofficial

Part Picture Notes
MG-N-501 CPU=MG-N-501 8933.jpg
MG-P-501 CPU=MG-P-501 9221S 415521.jpg Micro Genius-made clone. Die has the same (UMC) © Ⓜ B6167F marking as a UA6527P.
UA6527 CPU=UA6527-8909-BS.jpg CPU=UA6527-9310-CG-C12520.jpg UMC-made clone of 2A03G. Has swapped pulse channel duty cycles. Input clock Divider is 12.
UA6527P UMC-made clone of 2A03G for compatibility with NTSC software in PAL countries. Different input clock divider. Still has swapped pulse channel duty cycles. Otherwise believed same as 6527.

One revision has (UMC) © Ⓜ B6167F 1989 09 on the die.

DMC status bit is cleared 1 APU cycle later than on RP2A03 CPUs. The cause is not known. This changes the timing for DMC DMA implicit-stop glitches (the sample must be started 1 APU cycle earlier to trigger the glitches), and it is suspected that it delays DMC IRQ by 1 APU cycle. Noise channel is slightly louder than others.

CPU=UA6527P 8931S.jpg Runs hot. Revisions without "-" in the date stamp have a ÷16 CPU divider, like 6540 and 2A07
CPU=UA6527P 9019-BS.jpg Runs hot. Revisions with "-" in the date stamp have a ÷15 CPU divider
CPU=UA6527P 9214-BS 310551.jpg Runs cooler
UA6527PQ CPU=UA6527PQ 9306.JPG
UA6540 CPU=UA6540 8833S.JPG CPU=UA6540-8834S.jpg UMC-made clone of 2A07 [4]. Has swapped pulse duty cycles.

Subsequent research implies this is identical to the early 6527P - NTSC tuning tables, ÷16 CPU divider. [5]

UM6547 CPU=UA6547 8950S.JPG Believed to be a 100% duplicate of UA6527, for use in PAL-M region.
UM6557 UM6557.JPG Believed to be a 100% duplicate of UA6527, for use in SECAM regions.
UM6561xx-1 No Picture NES-on-a-chip for NTSC. Revisions "xx" F, AF, BF, CF known.
UM6561xx-2 NOAC=UM6561 AF-2 9440A R81040.jpg UM6561F-2.jpg NES-on-a-chip for PAL-B. Revisions "xx" F, AF, BF, CF known.

F and AF revision pulse wave duty cycles match RP2A03, and DMC status bit is cleared 1 APU cycle later than on RP2A03 CPUs.

AF revision observed to have incorrect ASR #imm ($4B) behavior, but other stable illegal instructions work properly.

1818N CPU = 1818N 9218.png ??-made NES-on-a-chip, NTSC timing.
T1818P 1818P 0.jpeg ??-made NES-on-a-chip[[6]. Requires external 2 KiB RAMs for CPU and PPU. Swapped pulse duty cycles. DMC status bit is cleared 1 APU cycle later than on RP2A03 CPUs.
TA-03N CPU=TA-03N 6527 9250.jpg

CPU=TA-03N 9172N 12450820.jpg

??-made die-mask clone of 2A03G. Chip underside also has two codes of currently unknown purpose. Pin 30 activates CPU Test Mode like on 2A03G. Clock Divisor is 12. Illegal opcodes are the same. Early 1991 dated chips are reported to have problems with APU DMC playback, but this was corrected in 1992 onward. Runs hot.
TA-03NP CPU=TA-03NP EWP0124.jpg ??-made clone of 2A03G for NTSC compatibility in PAL countries. Input clock divider is 15?

But not this one, this input clock divider is 12.

TA-03NP1 CPU=TA-03NP1 6527P 9231.jpg ??-made clone of 2A03G for NTSC compatibility in PAL countries. Input clock divider is 15. Fixed DPCM problems? Correct pulse channel duties. Noise channel is slightly louder than others. DMC status bit is cleared 1 APU cycle later than on RP2A03 CPUs.
PM03 CPU=PM03 HI25.jpg Gradiente-made clone of 2A03G. [7]
GS870007 CPU=GS87007 8827.jpg (Goldstar??)-made clone of 2A03 - has functioning decimal mode? [8]
KC-6005 CPU=KC-6005.jpg Found in MT777-DX famiclone, behaves exactly like UA6527P
6005B CPU=6005B.jpg
2011 CPU=2011.jpg
“2A03E” CPU=USC 2A03E 9118S 314531.jpg CPU=2A03E 9122A 422951.jpg Both with and without USC insignia
KP2B03E CPU=KP2B03E DHG 44.jpg
6527-21 CPU=6527-21 P03 9211M 7056.png
6527P CPU=6527P CFE1 1PC.png CPU=6527P CKD1 1PC.png
HA6527P CPU=HA6527P CAKBS.png CPU=HA6527P CX66.png
6527P-SS-P03 CPU=SENITON 6527P-SS-P03.png
6527UP-8 CPU=SENiTON 6527UP-8.png
6527AP CPU=SENiTON 9118C 6527AP.png CPU=SENiTON 9122C 6527AP CFDC.png
SL/WH6527AP CPU=SL-WH6527AP 9117.png
SNC6527P CPU=SNC6527P 9116.png
XYZ-6783 CPU = XYZ-6783 9129.jpg Lacks tonal noise mode like original RP2A03, but resets APU Frame Counter on console reset like 2A03E/2A03G. Otherwise behaves like letterless RP2A03.
6538N CPU = 6538N CW6B 3NQ.jpg ??-made CPU, despite the part number being similar to UMC PPU. Has inverted duty cycles like UA6527. DPCM works.
8Z01N 8Z01N CPU.jpg

If you know of other differences or other revisions, please add them!

See also