sdave

That's normal. The main system chip in the Flashback 2 runs off 3.3V instead of 5V. There is a diode in series with the 5V to the cartridge pad so that it runs at a lower voltage to keep the voltage levels on the system chip lower. It's kind of a hack way to do it. This is probably also why some of the carts don't work with the Flashback 2. The correct way to handle this would have been to use level shifting buffers between the 5V cart signals and the 3V system chip. I've kicked around the idea of designing a proper interface board with level shifters and see if that would make more carts compatible with the FB 2. I just haven't had the free time to try it out yet.

Here are a couple of pics of my light sixer and a joystick after painting with the orange deco opaque paint pen suggested above by LittleJoe. This pen makes the job pretty easy and the color is certainly close enough for me. Before I started painting, I used isopropyl alcohol to clean the surface. I didn't try to remove every bit of the original paint (most of it was already gone anyway.) I was just trying to make sure the surface was clean and free of any dirt or oils from fingerprints. I have noticed one problem though. Even after letting the paint dry for a couple of days, it will still rub off fairly easily. Especially on the joysticks where you tend to rub against the paint while playing games. Has anyone else had this problem? I may try to remove this paint and lightly sand the bare plastic (maybe with a 400 grit sandpaper?) just to provide a surface the paint can bond to better. I have also seen adhesion promoting primers for plastic at most auto parts stores. Has anyone tried either of these or other techniques to help the paint bond better?

I've just sent Bryan a PM to see if the UAV is available. I'll post here when/if I hear back from him. I was planning to do my own design so I could include a PCB mounted output connector. I was originally planning to use an SNES style multi-out connector (it's basically just an edge connector on the PCB) and 3D print the housing. I've also been looking at the Sega Saturn multi-out connector. I've got cables for both. The Sega connector is a single 10-pin mini DIN style connector. This would be nice and clean with only a single hole in the 2600 case. The problem is, I can't find any source for the connector. Ultimately though, if the UAV is still available, it will be much faster and easier. I can still mount whatever type of output connector I like on the back.

I'm looking to have both composite and s-video, so I'll use one of the fms64xx chips. My plan is to design a new PCB that incorporates the SNES style multi-out connector. I'll start with a design similar to the LHE or batari versions from earlier posts in this thread. There seemed to be some debate over which signals should be buffered for best video quality (in particular the color and blanking signals). I was curious if any consensus had been reached. I don't mind doing some testing myself, but I don't want to waste too much time reinventing the wheel here. Also, I'd like to know if anyone has compared video quality with the mod board mounted inside the shield box versus outside.

OK. So I realize this thread has been dormant for a long time, but I'm going to see if I can spark some new life into this topic. If it doesn't work, I'll just start a new thread! I recently picked up a light sixer and I'm interested in installing a good s-video mod. I've got the simple (though not to install) composite video mod based on the single 2N3904. Unfortunately, I'm less than satisfied with the results (works but picture quality is not that great.) What I would like to do is make a PCB with the s-video and composite video out that uses the standard SNES (and N64, GameCube) multi-out connector. These cables are available everywhere at a low cost, and I'm sure most gamers already have them lying around anyway. The connector is basically just a PCB edge connector. I plan to make a housing using a 3D printer. I've already started the PCB design, but after reading through this thread, I was left with several questions as to what mod is best. I've got quite a bit of experience with electronics, and I know I could shed some light on some of the discussions that were raised here. Anyone game to get this started again? I would love to know where the latest mods left off, and if there was any consensus as to which circuit design worked best.

I posted the FB2 menu button (aka soft reset) mod under a new topic. Here's the link: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/238873-fb2-rev-b-menu-button-soft-reset-mod/?hl=menu+button Constructive feedback is appreciated.

I finally got finished with my FB2 Rev B menu button (aka soft reset) mod. This mod allows you to go back to the game selection menu without toggling the power button. This mod is completely independent of the cartridge mod. It can be added in addition to the cartridge mod, or as a standalone mod without the cartridge. I've been playing with my FB2 both before and after this mod, and I must say the overall experience is much nicer with the mod. I really love being able to quickly go back and select a different game. Not that it's difficult to cycle the power button, but this just seems more polished to me. OK, so let's get to work! You will need the following items: A momentary contact SPST pushbutton switch Some small guage wire (26 - 30 AWG will work best) A soldering iron and some solder Some hand tools like a screwdriver, file, drill and drill bits You will need to take the FB2 apart by removing 5 screws from the bottom. One screw is in the center under the white label. You will also have to break the warranty seal to open the unit. Once you have it open, remove the main circuit board from the top cover by taking out all the small screws. You will also have to remove the screws from the two smaller circuit boards that hold the power and difficulty switches. You will be soldering two wires to the main circuit board on the bottom (green) side. Once you have it apart, you can start by preparing the switch and mounting it in the case. I had a switch that was leftover from another project. I think I ordered it from MCM electronics some time ago. This is what it looked like in the package: This is the switch taken out of the package: Next you will need to solder two wires to the switch terminals. You can use the same color wire for both since polarity doesn't matter here. I used some heat shrink tubing to cover the solder connections and add some strain relief. This step is optional. Next, you will need to make a hole to mount the switch. I chose the left front edge of the top cover. I used a smaller drill bit, then finished the hole with a hand file. Here is a close up of the hole: Here is the switch mounted in the top cover: And a look from the underside of the top cover with the switch in place: I had to file a small relief area in the bottom cover so the switch would fit when it was all put together: Next you need to find the correct points on the circuit board to solder the two wires to. Look for a zero ohm jumper resistor marked J19 to the left of U2 (the ROM chip that's under the big black blob near the top edge of the board.) You can solder the first wire to either side of J19 as both sides are connected to ground. The second wire from the switch will connect to a round pad just above C10. Take a look at the two photos below. The second one is a close up of the board. The two points you need to solder to are marked in red in both images. Here is what mine looked like after I soldered both wires in the correct place. It would be a good idea to glue or tape these wires down to the board for strain relief. You can use hot melt glue or electrical tape. Just be careful of the placement so the wires don't interfere with any switches or buttons when you put it back together. Now put everything back together and test it out. The FB2 should power-up normally and show the game select menu on the screen. Once you select a game, you can now go back to the menu by pressing the new button you just installed! Here is my unit fully assembled with the new menu button. I plan to add some lettering above the button that says "MENU" at some point. But it's functional for now so I'm just going to play some games instead and worry about that later. I would love to hear any constructive feedback or suggestions. Thanks, Dave

I'll try to get some up this weekend. I'm also interested to know if anyone has figured out a way to enable the hidden paddle games menu by default on power up. Looking around the processor chip on the board, I see several unpopulated jumpers and an area with a set of resistor pads that appear to be used for configuration (i.e. pins that can be tied high or low to configure default modes.) I'm curious if anyone has experimented with these.

I'm not sure if anyone is still interested in the soft reset that Curt mentioned above, but I was able to find it on my FB2 rev B. I don't have a photo yet so here is the best text description I can come up with: Remove the main board so that you are looking at the component side. The controller ports and power jack should be on the top edge so that you can read the component designators. Look to the left of U2 (under the upper black blob on rev B.) Find the surface mount resistor R3. There is a small round pad (similar to the cart connecter pads but without any number) just to the left of R3. On the other side of the round pad you should see the text C10. Solder a wire to this pad. Connect a normally open, momentary pushbutton switch to this wire. Connect the other side of the switch to ground (cart connector pads 12 & 24 are both ground.) What you are doing is shorting this pad to ground when you press the switch. This will reset the unit and take you back to the main menu just like you cycled the power switch. I don't have a FB2 rev C available so I'm not sure where this would be located on that version. Looking at the photos above, the layout is quite a bit different. The component designators might be the same (i.e. R4 and C10) but I don't have any way of testing that out. Dave