Commodore 64
ASSY 250469 / 252311 — C64C "short board"
Summary
The 250469 is the fully redesigned C64C short board: HMOS chipset, 64-pin SuperPLA, a new memory controller at U8 and the 8580 SID. Its capacitor designators bear no relation to the long boards - they run from C36 to C77.
Safety & Warnings
Test the power supply first
A recap will not protect the machine from an original Commodore brick. These fail with the 5 V rail drifting high and take out RAM, the CIAs, the SuperPLA and the SID - and SuperPLA and 8580 SID replacements are both harder to source than the parts they killed. Measure the 5 V rail under load first and move to a modern regulated supply.
Confirm polarity against the board, not just the silkscreen
Align the negative stripe on each capacitor with the negative marking on the PCB. If a marking looks wrong, buzz the pad out to the ground plane with a continuity tester before soldering.
Higher voltage ratings are always safe
You can fit a higher voltage rating than original (25 V or 35 V in place of a 16 V part) as long as the can physically fits. Never fit a lower rating. Capacitance should stay at the original value.
The short board runs its SID on 9 V rather than the 12 V rail used by the 6581 long boards, which is why the power section looks nothing like the earlier revisions.
The 250469 and the 252311 share this capacitor list, and the same cap kits cover both.
Aldi-variant 250469 boards were built with a 6581 SID and an extra linear regulator. If your board has electrolytics beyond the nine listed here, note them and measure before ordering.
Function and rail annotations are only shown on rows where the service manual or schematic confirms them.
RF modulator capacitors are not included below - they sit inside the modulator can and are normally treated as a separate job.
Is This Your Board?
- The assembly number is silkscreened on the mainboard. Look for "ASSY 250469" or "ASSY 252311".
- Decisive test: the PCB is physically short, leaving empty space inside the case, and it usually sits in the wedge-shaped C64C case rather than the breadbin.
- Two DRAM chips, a 64-pin SuperPLA, and the 8580 SID (some late boards were fitted with the 6581 via an adapter).
- Designators are the giveaway when working from photos: this board's electrolytics are C36, C43, C44, C58, C59, C63, C65, C66 and C77. A list quoting C88 / C90 / C91 is describing a long board, not this one.
Verified rows are agreed by two or more independent sources. Check rows are revision-dependent or single-sourced — confirm the value against your own board before ordering.
Mainboard
| Ref | Value | Voltage | Type | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C36 |
47 uF | 16 V | Radial | Verified | |
C43 |
220 uF | 16 V | Radial | Verified | |
C44 |
2.2 uF | 50 V | Radial | Verified | |
C58 |
100 uF | 16 V | Radial | Verified | |
C59 |
4.7 uF | 25 V | Radial | Verified | |
C63 |
1000 uF | 25 V | Axial | Largest can on the board. | Verified |
C65 |
220 uF | 25 V | Radial | Verified | |
C66 |
470 uF | 25 V | Radial | Verified | |
C77 |
10 uF | 25 V | Radial | Verified |
Mainboard — shopping list
- 1 x 47 uF 16 V Radial
- 1 x 220 uF 16 V Radial
- 1 x 2.2 uF 50 V Radial
- 1 x 100 uF 16 V Radial
- 1 x 4.7 uF 25 V Radial
- 1 x 1000 uF 25 V Axial
- 1 x 220 uF 25 V Radial
- 1 x 470 uF 25 V Radial
- 1 x 10 uF 25 V Radial
Recap Tips
- Nine capacitors and a roomy board - this is the easiest C64 revision to recap.
- Use 105 C low-ESR parts. Panasonic FR or FC and Nichicon PW or HE series are the usual bench choices and keep ripple off the 8580's audio output.
- If the machine hums or buzzes on audio, do the recap before you condemn the 8580. Tired coupling and supply caps are a far more common cause than a dead SID.
- The short board leaves plenty of room, so this is a convenient moment to fit a heatsink to the SuperPLA if yours runs hot.
Related Symptoms
- Black screen / no video Work the power rail tests first. On this board the SuperPLA is a common no-boot cause.
- Garbage video / character corruption Suspect the two DRAM chips or the SuperPLA before the capacitors.
Sources & References
- Console5 TechWiki - Commodore 64 Lists ASSY 250469 / 252311 together, compiled from real boards.
- Retro Rewind - C64 Assembly 250469 Cap List Independent list that agrees with Console5 on all nine rows.
- Commodore 64C Service Manual (PDF) Primary reference for schematics 252311 and 252312.