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Sony HB-F1XDJ Capacitor Replacement Guide

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Sony HB-F1XDJ main board
HB-F1XDJ main board. The HIC-1 module with its three surface-mount electrolytics stands at the rear right; the main reservoir capacitor is beside the transformer at the left.

Sony's parts list for the Sony HB-F1XDJ has not been found, so there is no published list of its capacitors. What is known comes from owners who have recapped the machine: the three surface-mount electrolytics on the HIC-1 video and audio module, which leak, and a group of ELNA-brand electrolytics on the main board, which also leak.[1][2] The electrolyte corrodes the copper around it, so replace both groups before they fail. The tables below give the values those owners found. Check each one against your own board, because parts and brands varied between machines.[3]

HIC-1 module

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The HIC-1 is Mitsumi's EMC-NX0039 hybrid module, Sony part number 1-464-877-11, also fitted to the HB-F1XD and HB-F1XV. It carries two 10 µF and one 100 µF electrolytic capacitor.[4] Sony's HB-F1XD service guide includes the module's circuit diagram.[5]

HIC-1 electrolytic capacitors
Ref Value Voltage Notes
C10 10 µF 16 V SMD aluminium electrolytic
C14 10 µF 16 V SMD aluminium electrolytic
C22 100 µF 16 V, or 6.3 V (see below) SMD aluminium electrolytic; the one most often found leaking

The values and the warning about C22 are from sd_snatcher's list on the MSX Resource Center forum.[1] On an HB-F1XV, another owner found the original 100 µF part was a 6.3 V type marked "6A" and the 10 µF parts were 16 V.[1] Fit a 16 V part at C22 whichever you find.

Owners have used three kinds of replacement:[1][2][4]

  • Ceramic: 10 µF in 3216 (1206) size and 100 µF in 4532 (1812) size, rated 16 V or more.
  • Tantalum: Wierzbowsky fitted 10 µF 16 V parts in case size B and a 100 µF 16 V part in case size D on his HB-F1XV; sd_snatcher gives 6032 as the size for a 100 µF tantalum. Tantalums fail short, and the author of the HIC-1 schematic recommends fused types. The band on a tantalum marks the positive end, the opposite of an aluminium electrolytic.
  • SMD aluminium electrolytic: Panasonic HD series for 10 µF and HC series for 100 µF, which match the original sizes.

Main board ELNA capacitors

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One owner listed the ELNA electrolytics on his HB-F1XDJ in 2025. All are 85 °C parts.[6]

ELNA electrolytics on one HB-F1XDJ
Ref Value Voltage Notes
C3, C4, C7, C8 10 µF 25 V
C58 10 µF 25 V
C75 10 µF 6.3 V
C45, C47, C53 47 µF 6.3 V
C902 47 µF 6.3 V On a small daughterboard

On a different HB-F1XDJ, all four ELNA 47 µF 6.3 V capacitors had leaked and lost their capacitance, and 10 µF through-hole parts had leaked through to the solder side.[2] The MSX Resource Center's list of vulnerable hardware says the ELNA capacitors on this model are the risky ones and the Nichicon ones are sound.[7] Not every HB-F1XDJ has ELNA parts; check the printing on each capacitor.[3]

Audio capacitors

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C99 is a 1 µF 50 V electrolytic in the YM2413 area on the left of the main board. Replacing it cures the loss of FM volume that some production lots show.[8] To cure a slight crackle on FM sound, the MSX Resource Center gives Niga's fix: replace C99 with a wire link and C20 with a non-polarised capacitor of the same value.[9]

An owner whose HB-F1XDJ had no sound at all replaced these parts:[3]

Capacitors replaced on one HB-F1XDJ with no sound
Ref Value Ref Value
C10 10 µF C22 100 µF
C13 1.5 nF C35 470 µF
C14 10 µF C55 10 µF
C15 1.5 nF C66 47 µF
C16 1 µF C97 47 µF
C19 100 nF C98 100 nF
C20 4.7 µF C99 1 µF
C100 560 pF

His list gives no voltages. C10, C14 and C22 carry the same designators and values as the HIC-1 capacitors, and C99 matches the FM capacitor above.

Supply capacitors

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No values have been published for the HB-F1XDJ's supply. The large reservoir capacitor stands beside the transformer at the left of the main board.[10] For comparison only, Sony's HB-F1XD schematic gives that machine's +5 V reservoir as C1, 22,000 µF 16 V, with 330 µF 35 V reservoirs for ±12 V and 47 µF 16 V on each regulator output.[11] Read the values on your own board before ordering.

Recording the board

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  1. Open the case and lift out the main board as described in the Sony HB-F1XDJ General Maintenance guide.
  2. Photograph the board and the HIC-1 module, then each electrolytic close up so that the printing can be read.
  3. For each capacitor write down the designator, value, voltage, brand, diameter and height, and which side the stripe faces.
  4. Mark every ELNA part and anything showing leakage, bulging or corrosion round its leads.
  5. Choose replacements of the same value and at least the same voltage. The case is shallow, so match the height first.[8]
Template for your own board
Ref Value Voltage Brand Diameter × height Notes

Procedure

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  1. Unplug the machine and take out the main board.
  2. Remove the HIC-1 capacitors without heating the module hard. Owners have used hot air on a low airflow, two soldering irons, or a knife cut through the solder at each end.[1][2] Too much air blew three small resistors (820 Ω, 1 kΩ and 0 Ω) off one module; note their positions before you start.[1]
  3. Clean the pads and the area round them with isopropyl alcohol, neutralise any remaining electrolyte, and scrape corrosion off the pads. Omega used vinegar to neutralise the residue.[2]
  4. Apply flux and solder the new parts in, checking polarity on each.
  5. Reflow the joints of the 22 µH inductor (marked 220) below the lower 10 µF capacitor; a bad joint there killed the composite output on one module.[1]
  6. Replace the main board electrolytics one at a time, matching polarity and height.
  7. Check the board for corroded traces and broken jumper wires before refitting it.[8]

After the recap

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Measure the rails at a cartridge slot (pins 45 or 47 for +5 V, 48 for +12 V and 50 for −12 V, against pin 41).[12] Then check that the machine starts every time, that PSG and FM sound are at full volume, that the composite and RGB pictures are clean, and that every key works. If composite video is still missing after a HIC-1 recap, see the Sony HB-F1XDJ Troubleshooting Guide.

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Urgent alert to MSX2/2+ owners: suicide capacitors on HIC-1 daughterboard, July 2015 onwards—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Opening post by sd_snatcher, 19 July 2015: the HIC-1 (EMC-NX0039) module in the Sony HB-F1XV, HB-F1XDJ, HB-F1XDmkII and HB-F1XD and the Panasonic FS-A1, FS-A1mkII and FS-A1F carries three SMD aluminium electrolytics that leak and damage the board: C10 10 µF 16 V, C14 10 µF 16 V and C22 100 µF 16 V, C22 the worst; ceramic or tantalum replacements in 3216 (10 µF) and 4532 or 6032 (100 µF) sizes, rated 16 V or more. Reply by jltursan: two HB-F1XD and one HB-F1XV affected, the first symptom usually lower sound volume. Reply by RetroTechie: cut through the solder or use two irons to lift the old parts without heating the board. Reply by dublevay, 5 September 2020, on an HB-F1XV: the original 100 µF part was a 6.3 V type marked 6A and the 10 µF parts were 16 V; hot air blew three small resistors (820 Ω, 1 kΩ and 0 Ω) off the module, which he refitted; he fitted Kemet tantalums first; the band on a tantalum marks its positive end, unlike an aluminium electrolytic, which marks the negative; after fitting tantalums, then Panasonic HD (10 µF, 16 V) and HC (100 µF, 6.3 V as original) SMD electrolytics chosen to match the original sizes, there was still no composite or RF picture until the 22 µH inductor (marked 220) below the lower 10 µF capacitor, which had a bad joint, was reflowed; RGB worked throughout. Reply by Louthrax, 23 December 2025, on reassembling an HB-F1XDJ: the three cables from the lamp and slider housing go in the space between the drive and the top of the keyboard, not on top of the drive.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sony HB-F1XDJ capacitor leakage repair guide, 21 December 2017—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Repair report by Omega: an HB-F1XDJ that sometimes would not start, was unstable when it did, and produced wrong key presses (EF for E). Electrolyte had leaked round the HIC module and from through-hole capacitors on the main board, through to the solder side; all four ELNA 47 µF capacitors (6.3 V, per his later correction) had leaked and lost their capacitance. He desoldered the SMD capacitors with hot air, cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, neutralised with vinegar, scraped the pads, used SMD flux and fitted Panasonic parts, replaced every ELNA electrolytic on the board, left the Nichicon ones, and removed the flat CR2032. The capacitors on the HIC module served only the RGB to composite circuit; RGB passes through the module unaffected. Some copper was corroded but no traces needed repair, and the machine then started every time and the keyboard worked. He advises HB-F1XDJ owners to check for leakage and have the ELNA capacitors replaced preventively, because broken traces mean labour-intensive repairs. Reply by Wierzbowsky, 7 January 2018, on an HB-F1XV: replaced the three daughterboard capacitors with 10 µF 16 V size B and 100 µF 16 V size D tantalums before any leak, and replaced the soldered cell, which he calls the clock battery, with a socket for a CR2032.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sony HB-F1XDJ capacitor leakage repair guide (page 2)—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Reply by Thier, 8 June 2018: an HB-F1XDJ with no sound at all, cured by replacing C10 10 µF, C13 1.5 nF, C14 10 µF, C15 1.5 nF, C16 1 µF, C19 100 nF, C20 4.7 µF, C22 100 µF, C35 470 µF, C55 10 µF, C66 47 µF, C97 47 µF, C98 100 nF, C99 1 µF and C100 560 pF. Reply by Omega, 10 August 2020: replacing every through-hole capacitor is not needed where they are a good brand such as Rubycon, Nichicon or Panasonic; not every Sony used ELNA parts. Reply by jermar, 9 February 2025, with a photograph of his handwritten list of the ELNA capacitors on his HB-F1XDJ and a question about removing the daughterboard that carries C902. Reply by Louthrax, 17 December 2025: video and sound faults on an already recapped HB-F1XDJ were cured by replacing the 27 kΩ resistor from pin 13 of the CXA1145 to ground on the HIC module, found by touching the pins; he suspected residual corrosion from an earlier capacitor; Grauw notes that the HIC handles both video and sound.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 MSX2以降用ハイブリッドIC「EMC-NX0039」の回路図, 19 May 2020—link(accessed 2026-10-21) In Japanese, with the author's redrawn schematic as a PDF. Mitsumi hybrid IC EMC-NX0039 (HIC-1): RGB to NTSC encoder (CXA1145M), sound output amplifier mixing the PSG, the 1-bit sound port and the audio from slots 1 and 2, reset and pause muting, cassette interface amplifiers and relay control. Used in the Sony HB-F1II, HB-F1XD, HB-F1XDmk2, HB-F1XDJ and HB-F1XV and the Panasonic FS-A1mkII and FS-A1F. Sony part number 1-464-877-11. Two 10 µF and one 100 µF electrolytics, all known to leak; the author replaced them with tantalums and advises fused types because tantalums fail short. C26 is a through-hole part on early modules and an SMD part on later ones. R32 and R33 are 220 kΩ on Sony modules and 150 kΩ on Panasonic ones.
  5. ↑ Sony, HB-F1XD サービスガイド (Japanese), PDF page 12 (printed page 11): HIC-1 circuit diagram, "HIC-1 RGB/NTSC ENCODER". Hosted here as Sony HB-F1XD Service Guide.
  6. ↑ jermar's list of the ELNA electrolytics on his HB-F1XDJ, photographed and posted to the MSX Resource Center forum on 9 February 2025 (https://www.msx.pics/images/2025/02/09/elna-caps.jpg): C75 10 µF 85 °C 6.3 V; C3, C4, C7 and C8 10 µF 85 °C 25 V; C902 47 µF 85 °C 6.3 V; C45, C47 and C53 47 µF 85 °C 6.3 V; C58 10 µF 85 °C 25 V; sketches of where each sits, with C45, C47 and C53 drawn beside a box labelled "DB PCB".
  7. ↑ Vulnerable MSX hardware, MSX Resource Center wiki—link(accessed 2026-10-21) All MSX2 and later machines have a battery for the real-time clock; drained batteries, alkaline ones especially, leak; take removable batteries out before storage; lithium AA cells as an alternative. Lists the HB-F1XD, HB-F1XDJ ("the ELNA caps are risky, the Nichicon ones are ok"), HB-F1XDmk2 and HB-F1XV among models with leaky capacitors. Fractured solder joints on DIN, RCA and DE-9 connectors cause flickering video and crackling sound; reflow them.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8ビットパソコン HB-F1XDJ (MSX2+) ネタ, 25 October 2016—link(accessed 2026-10-21) In Japanese. An owner's notes on the HB-F1XDJ, which he says apply to the HB-F1XV because its hardware is the same: kanji dictionary SRAM backed by a tabbed Sony CR2032 soldered to the main board under the keyboard, which clears the dictionary at every start when flat; calendar and clock backed by two AA dry cells, manganese cells recommended, alkaline cells acceptable but watch for leaks; Mitsumi D357B 720 KB drive without VFO, with a rubber belt that stretches or melts; floppy drive powered by +5 V only, 34-pin signal connector, pin 1 on the left; AC 100 V present at the left-hand side of the case; disassembly sequence; old jumper wires on the main board come away easily and the board's joints and traces are fragile; some lots lose FM volume, cured by replacing C99, a 50 V 1 µF electrolytic in the YM2413 block on the left of the main board; quaternary-salt electrolytics used in places, which leak and break traces when the machine is stored unpowered in damp places; match the height of replacement capacitors; keyboard film traces corroded by spilled liquid, repaired with conductive silver ink; joystick ports gold-plated but prone to dirty contacts; a start-up password can be set and is cleared by holding GRAPH and STOP while switching on; after a drive swap, a reversed signal cable leaves the drive lamp lit and makes the head chatter, and a drive that is not recognised gives "Disk Offline".
  9. ↑ Sony HB-F1XDJ, MSX Resource Center wiki—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Community specification and maintenance page: MSX2+, released 1988-10-21 at ¥69,800; S1985 MSX-Engine, V9958, YM2413; 720 KB drive; AC 100 V ±10 %, 50/60 Hz. Maintenance notes: drive belt 59 mm in diameter, 186 mm long, 2.8 mm wide and 0.4 mm thick; HIC-1 daughterboard with three SMD electrolytics that leak; ELNA capacitors on the system board that leak; FM crackle fix (replace C99 with a wire and C20 with a non-polarised capacitor of the same value, after Niga); lithium AA or Eneloop cells recommended for the clock, alkaline cells advised against; link to a keyboard repair kit for the HB-F1XD, XDJ and XV sold by classicpc.org.
  10. ↑ File:Sony HB-F1XDJ main board.jpg, photograph of an HB-F1XDJ main board uploaded to the MSX Resource Center wiki by Gdx on 4 April 2016. Read from it: "MSX2+SYSTEM" on the board; transformer and large reservoir capacitor at the left; HIC-1 module upright near the rear connectors at the right; coin cell marked BATT1 at the right; blue trimmer beside test point TP1 marked ALM near the front right; Zilog Z80 CPU and Sony ROM at the centre.
  11. ↑ Sony, HB-F1XD サービスガイド (Japanese), PDF page 22, power supply schematic of the HB-F1XD: +5 V from D1 and D2 (S2V20F), reservoir C1 22,000 µF 16 V, regulator IC1 SI-3062V (10.1 V in, 4.9 V out), C10 47 µF 16 V on the output; +12 V from D3 (10E2-TA2), C11 330 µF 35 V, IC2 µPC78L12 (22.5 V in, 12.5 V out), C15 47 µF 16 V; −12 V from D4 (10E2-TA2), C12 330 µF, IC3 NJM79L12A (−23 V in, −12 V out), C16 47 µF 16 V; floppy drive power from CN7. Hosted here as Sony HB-F1XD Service Guide.
  12. ↑ MSX Cartridge slot, MSX Resource Center wiki—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Pin-out of the MSX cartridge slot: pins 41 and 43 ground, 45 and 47 +5 V, 48 +12 V, 50 −12 V, 49 sound input, 42 CPU clock 3.579545 MHz; +5 V must supply up to 300 mA per slot and ±12 V up to 50 mA for all slots.


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