[We all make mistakes... Keep better track of the screws!]

29 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Actually not really. See not all of the vias can be got to. They are offset and so every other one is under the BGA package. Addtionally, those vias don't go through to the other side. And the other end of the connection to the GPU doesn't have any vias there at all. Had that ben the case, I could have gotten away with using the 30awg kynar I have on hand now. I'm likely going to send it to another tech that likes working on micro stuff like this and let them have it. I already replaced out the main board for this project so the original is just a parts donor at this point. Then again, there isn't a lot on it that I can really use given the main chips really require a hot plate and better SMD station setup than I'm equipped to handle.

 

Regarding the vias: good point... I'm used to old school 2 layer boards.

I'm happy at least that someone will try to repair. Much better than tossing, of course.

[We all make mistakes... Keep better track of the screws!]

Search for "0.1 mm wire", and you'll find suitable wire for repair. On the one side, you have vias (holes) that you can connect to.

[Audio Slumming]

That's some wild EQ settings you've got there, but if it works well, and nothing is jumping out or being lost, then I guess it's all good.

 

Definitely, speakers need to be #1, and its sounds like you're in good shape there, from what you're saying. With a cassette deck (as opposed to a CD player), obviously you need something at least half-decent and in good working condition, and just looking at your brands JVC and Onkyo, you've got some half-decent middle of the road stuff that should be totally fine for most applications.

[Microvision!]

One of my goals over the next year is to provide the required elements so that anyone, including yourself, would be able to create their own Microvision game relatively easily.

This would include being able to provide any or all of these:

• Printed materials (and templates if you'd rather get them printed yourself):
  • Manuals
  • Boxes
  • Main label
  • Keypad overlay
  • Bezel
• Circuit boards, programmable by the user. Boards would feature an Atmega328, that would be programmed using a fairly cheap EPROM programmer and edge connector (other methods may also become available). There's no emulator for this method (using Atmega328 instead of TMS1100), so at this point a programmer and real Microvision are required to test programs that are made.
• Programming guide and sample program(s), for the Arduino IDE, including all basic requirements for the Microvision.
• Shells. There's a few options available, but they all come with cost and/or quality limitations. This one will take the most time, and I'm guessing will also have the greatest cost.

[Things and stuff]

I've seen worse.

[View-Master Virtual Reality Is Disappointing]

When I was a kid, our family was on vacation somewhere, and we saw a guy with 2 SLR film cameras beside each other on a single tripod. My dad asked why he had 2 cameras, and he said it was for View Master pictures. That was cool, except I thought it was weird because the camera lenses were about 10" apart instead of about 4".

[Pocket Joystick Tester]

Cool. A current limiting resistor would be a good idea.

[Again with the neighbors....]

Patent Pending?

[Analog TV was better than Digital TV]

Yeah, the ATSC transmission protocol is deeply flawed, as far as I'm concerned. Even close, strong channels fail in bad weather, nearby traffic, etc. With NTSC, you pretty much always had decent audio, which is vitally important, and the video signal degraded slowly the further you were away from the source.

[Homebrew Art, part 1 - Climber 5 contest entries]

Awesome! Thanks.

I'm looking forward to more of these.

[ActionMax homebrewing]

How about music?

[Computer Space/Pong Reception]

Also make sure the sound is set up pretty much right away. Don't wait for the 2nd splash screen, for instance, to do this.

[JFK's INTENDED SPEECH - Aliens Exist!]

"they promise to help our nation overcome the common enemies of all mankind -- tyranny, poverty, disease, war"

 

That's classic!

 

edit: oh, and I, um, welcome our new overlords!

[Game Room to Nursery Conversion - Pt. IV: Coming Together]

It looked like it was hiding from you... maybe it was hiding from people like me... .

[Game Room to Nursery Conversion - Pt. IV: Coming Together]

Need a new home for the Adventurevision?

[Every cloud has a silver label]

Too bad they're not numbered.

[Increased Drobo 5D capacity]

That should fit your Atari 2600 ROM collection.

Is it for work or fun? Video work?

[Game Room to Nursery Conversion - Pt. I: It Starts]

That AdventureVision is taking up to much space. Send me a PM and i can help out with that.

[Microvision homebrew (part 10)]

Google is your friend... Propbasic.

[Microvision homebrew (part 10)]

There's a few ways of programming the Propeller chip, including assembler, spin, and basic. I'd investigate which one works best for you, and go from there. Starting with the sample code and expanding it slowly is a great idea.

[Microvision homebrew (part 9)]

For prototyping purposes, you can remove the original chip, and attach wires as required. between the propeller PCB and the Microvision PCB.

 

For the real deal, however, you would likely be designing an original PCB that would replace the one in the Microvision cartridge.

 

To open the Microvision cartridge, you should see a screw in the middle of the back of the "top" half of the cartridge... near where the PCB edge connector is. There is usually a small sticker covering the screw. Remove the sticker from the back, remove the screw, and the back cover (covering the PCB) should come off easily. Take it off slowly so you don't lose the springs that hold the door of the edge connector closed until inserted in the Microvision.

 

edit: the fifth picture here shows the back of the cartridge, this time with the sticker "beside" the screw: http://nzgamer.com/srassy/blogs/686/microvision-console-review.html

[I compiled 10 year birthday with CCI3 to see if sound works.]

I guess I'm not as stubborn as you, so because of some other issues I had with SDCC, I went back to the old method. A bit more tedious for compiling, but it works. Sorry I can't help you.

[Microvision homebrew? (part 7)]

3 - there's a screw on the back, usually under the white sticker.

 

Hacking in this case = figuring out the details of the protocol that haven't been mentioned in previous blogs, removing all the crap from the existing MV cartridge, and connecting your development system to the cartridge port of the donor cartridge.

[Microvision homebrew? (part 2)]

Also, between step 5 and 6 is a delay... up to about 1/35 seconds, I guess.

[Microvision homebrew? (part 2)]

I don't have my notes or data with me right now, but here's what I recall:

 

1. Send info for one (or more) rows (that will hold the same column data) (4 varying data bits pulse-latched 4 times, for 16 rows)

2. Send info for the column data for that/those row(s) (4 varying data bits pulse-latched 4 times, for 16 columns)

3. Send strobe pulse (I call this one the minor strobe)

4. Repeat the above 3 steps for a maximum of 12 times total (not sure why this limitation of 12 exists, but all the games seem to follow it - no game use more than 12 rows with distinct data on it at any single point in time). At this point you basically have one "frame" which should hold all the current screen information

5. Hold the latch active, send a strobe pulse, then release the latch (I call this one the major strobe)

6. Repeat all the above steps ad infinitum with new or the same data, as the gameplay prescribes

 

I don't recall the timing, order of the rows/columns data, or whether the system uses positive or negative pulses, but that is pretty easy to figure out.

 

If you look at the FAQ (http://www.handheldmuseum.com/MB/MicrovisionFAQ.txt for instance), you should be able to "translate" between my language and the FAQ's language.

 

/please don't ask why I know all of this, or why I have dozens of spare Microvision carts lying around... it's a secret.