The SNES/PDIF Mod Brings High-Quality Digital Audio to Nintendo's SNES, Super Famicom Consoles

Vintage gaming enthusiast and engineer qwertymodo has begun selling a mod board for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Super Famicom (SFC), designed to add high-quality optical and coaxial digital audio outputs to the classic consoles.

"This mod kit enables perfect digital output from a Super Nintendo console, capable of both optical and coaxial output," qwertymodo explains. "Unlike other similar devices, this kit utilises a mini-TOSLINK output jack, which not only supports both output types, but also makes installation easier and cleaner, since it only requires a single 5mm hole, which can be easily cut with a standard drill, rather than needing to cut a square hole for a full-sized TOSLINK jack.

"The boards are designed to minimise the length of wire needed for the noisy serial lines, which should help to reduce interference which can result in audio drop-out. Instead, the final output signal is carried differentially to the transmitter board, which should also serve to eliminate interference."

Each kit includes a digital audio encoder - either a Texas Instruments DIT4096 or, at an extra cost, a Cirrus Logic 8406 — with separate mini-TOSLINK transmitter board, precision crystal oscillator as a replacement for the SNES' existing ceramic resonator, and all required mounting hardware.

The SNES/PDIF is fully compatible with the "Jr." models of SNES and Super Famicom, qwertymodo notes, but may also work with other revisions equipped with the single-chip "S-API." "Other board revisions can still work," its creator notes, "but the installation won't be as streamlined."

The kits are available now, priced at $35 with TI encoder or $40 for Cirrus Logic, from qwertymodo's Tindie store.