hex65000

The one with the headphone jack in the front is the Genesis 1. It uses a completely different set of connectors to do audio/video output. What we are discussing is the Genesis 2 which lacks a headphone jack and uses a spcial RF switchbox. Hex. [ Everybody... to the limit... ]

Just to clear out all of that nasty confusion about the Gamecube Gameboy Player... IE compatability, what is it, etc... A link from Nintendo's site: http://www.nintendo.com/systemsgbplayer This is one of the few things that was worth early adoption to me. I tend to like playing RPG type games on the GBA so something that makes it easier to see and ignores battery life was ideal. This was one of N's better ideas for sure. As for compatability, I'm not aware of any GB/GBC games that the GB-Player doesn't like. Also, Improt GB games work just fine too. (Allowing me to play Mr. Driller A on the TV problem free. ) Now the Super Gameboy for the SNES was much more limited, and only supported carts that worked on the original GB brick or GB Pocket. Hex. [ Still playing Dr. Muto... ]

I'm not a big fan of the PS-X controller either. However my gripe is with the D-Pad. I remember playing the Namco Museum pack and gritting my teeth in pain because my hand cramped up while trying to use that infernal D-Pad. I am prolly also in the minority about the original X-crate ctrler. I managed to get a used one really cheap and I use it exclusively. The others just are bundled up and stored away in case company is ever allowed in the house. I'm finding consoles kind of plateuing in my world. I'm happy generally with what the technology is capable of. If they can get the reliability up, I'd have to look for something else to whine about. Until that 'killer game' comes out I have plenty to doodle with over the platforms I have. Case in point: Do I play more Dr. Muto or Blade 2 tonight? Or should I retire to the bedroom and play Starfox Adv. or the Medabots RPG? Chances are I'll be goofing off tonight. Hex. [ Won't even mention the copy of Skies of Arcadia Legends he picked up... ]

I think its the excessive amount of hype that bugs me the most. I'm sure that there will be droves of people stepping on one another to get their grubby paws on the new unit. From the perspective of Sony that's awesome news. I'm not Sony, and I just can't bring myself to drop the big dollar for an early adoption console. I picked up my (fully functional) PS2 a bit over a year ago -- hopefully most of the kinks have been worked out by now. Early adoption is nice because you can irritate others with your new toy and you can muck about with the latest and greatest. Past that there's no huge gain. Any production bugs are yours, and you are paying top dollar for that unit. Slow adopters may miss out on the eye-candy, but past that I don't see a huge downside. Hex. [ last seen logging serious milage on his X-crate with Dr. Muto and Blade 2 ]

Yeah, when I did the inital post his site appeared to be down. I have since made a local copy of his howto in case it disappeared again. He also has a link to a fellow in Japan who did some serious mods to his geneisis. My solution (at this point) looks like its going to be a hybrid of the two implementations. First off, the platform -- All of these projects focus on the Genesis 1 systems with the first board revision. Later revisions (except for the genesis 3) all appear to use a 68 pin quad flat pack for the CPU. I'm placing my focus on the Genesis 2 because I think it is the version of the deck that will gain the most from a faster CPU. (IE: 32X, CD drive) v/s the Genesis 1's Power base converter (which just uses the onboard Z-80) and the CD drive. However, it is loads easier to poke at an oversized DIP package than a SMD part. The current plan is... 1: Getting the old CPU off without damagaing the board. I don't care about the old CPU so it will prolly get cut off. 2: Bend the clock pin of my replacement CPU (12 or 16 MHZ -- I haven't decided yet) out of whack so I can tie a wire to it 3: Poke at the cartridge slot with the scope and verify that the 13.6MHz clock is actually hanging there as well. At this pont, technically I don't have to cut any traces. 4: Find a way to run wires from the bottom of the board to the top. Shorter is better of course. 5: Run out a power and ground line to power my extra IC. 6: Instead of a MUX to drive the clock I want something with the least amount of impact, (timingwise) So I am going with a 3-state buffer chip and a DP3T toggle switch (one set of throws will be for fun LEDs) 7: Using the two enable pins on the buffer, I can set one output to high impedance while the other goes to the CPU. Toggle the switch and they reverse. Add lights for aestetics and wer'e done. The buffer presents the least amount of propagation delay (~5 to 11ns). Concerns: 1: How steady is my hand 2: ESD (static-zapping the new part before I start) 3: I have been told by my work's digital gurus: Thou shalt not gate the clock. 4: Overshoot / undershoot of the clock -- This can beat up the CPU if I'm not careful. I can add a damping R to the line if I have to. 5: Mechanical mounting -- Getting it all to stay in place at the end of the day and rugged enough to carry about. 6: Will the buffer do what I _think_ it will? I'll have to build this peice and play with it. Hex. [ Wonders when he should make this one a priority... ]

I just always went with the heavier cable for my RF connection. That and I think my TV is a little more forgiving about impedance mismatches. My Girlfriend's TV has all sorts of wacky mismatch problems. Not to mention it's a mod I'm just not motivated to do. As for the Genesis-OC mod, watch the hardware section for updates. I found what the last guy did and it looks pretty crude. I'll have to add at least one IC and replace another. Then we shall see who has the better hack-fu. Hex. [ Is not the master, but is still a two-fisted fixin' kind of guy... ]

Building a system from the ground up is an incredibly daunting task. Sure, it would be nice, but think about this: the development time, cost of materials, and construction would be phenominal. You would have to sell a _HUGE_ number of units (and break about every copyright law in the book) in order to just break even on the effort. I recall one fellow planning on making a 2600 on an FPGA -- an noble and ambitious task. The point is that unless you are cutting up something ultra-rare and are crossing that line where the mod takes away from an aestetic or gameplay you might have an agument. Else, it's just another machine with some new tricks. Hex. [ Has put to paper his ideas for the Genesis overclock project... If it works, that CPU is gonna be rockin' at 13.6MHz over the 7.5 ]

My mistake, I thought they were only piping video signals out of that port. Of course to create a proper adaptor worthy of using it would prolly cost more than the blasted deck to construct. It's such a drag, I have great solutions, but they cost too blasted much in parts. Hex. [ Has decided to press on with the Genesis Overclock project on his own... ]

You know, I need a few of those cables myself to properly load out some Genesis 2 decks. I then got to thinking that I could just break out the output of the AV cable and pipe the RF directly to my TV. What a good plan! Except: The AV switchbox actually determines CH3 or CH4. I'm not sure how they are pulling this off with passive parts. The suspicion is that there is some RF goodness inside that box and I'm not skilled enough to duplicate it off the top of my head. I do like the concept of an AV breakout box for the Gen2. It is capable of composite video I believe. There's a mod that even the purists can't complain too loudly about. Hex. [ You got questions, I have obtuse nonsensical thoughts... that makes us even. ]

Sometimes a mod can be used to fix a known flaw over the 'destined to fail' design or at least give the machine a better chance at having a fuller lifespan. IE: Replacing voltage regulators and adding a proper heat sink to the 2600. The mod is first of all an easy way to make sure the input voltage is okay. Heat dissipation is equally important. Okay, it's not the original part, but it has no effect on any cosmetic or gameplay aestetics. To me it's a good improvement from the original design. Another example is the Atari sticks. The switch dimples drift and you tend to break the stick soon after because you press in the offending direction so hard. In most cases, you can restick the buttons back in place. This one becomes more borderline in natre since the proper replacement isn't available. So what do you do? Fix it and move on, or just have another busted stick? Hex. [ Tries to be very suttle in his rework jobs... ]

Okay, I know this has been apparantly done, because it made it to slashdot. Unfortunately, whoever did this project has folded up his website. Does anyone know of a mirror site or has done this themselves with any success? I noticed Digital Press selling services to do it, but I like being a do-it-myself guy. However, if the wheel doesn't need to be re-invented, then cool. Hex. [ Suffering from exposure of too many Genesis machines... ]

Oh... Oh... here's a shocker: Hex or LPT_on_Fire The second one is based off of a story I got from a UNIX guru one day where a program would complain, " An unexpected state has occured, is the printer on fire? " Hex. [ Uh... I'm pretty sure I have a life... if not... don't tell me, I'll just die! ]

Interesting... It may be an excuse to pick up some cheap storage and the PS-2 adaptor to keep wear down on my CD drive. My only complaint is that you cannot use the drive as a mem-card. Or even as a place to temporarily drop your save-data. Am I the only one who tries to occasionally make backup copies of their save data in case I really hose something up? Out of curiosity, does the FF-11 hard disk pack allow you to save data on your mem-cards to the hard disk? I assume someone out there has dropped the $100 on that package and give us the skinny. Hex. [ Is pondering a 7200rpm 8mb cached session of .//hack ... ]

Agreed. It sounds like you have a bad connection somewhere. Check the solder joints on your RF out, but check your cable first. It'll be easier to check and you may not have to pull apart your deck. Hex. [ Back to work... ]

Honestly, I think both companies are evil. That doesn't answer the question though... The Xbox is a technically superior machine to any of the modern consoles. The PS-2 is an aging platform. The library is huge because of backward compatability to the PS-1. You will find lots of shovelware for the PS-1/2 though. You've touched on the big points on what is nice about the PS2 and the X-crate (it is big). Another point to consider is what type of games do you like playing. If it's action, fighting, online play, or multiplayer (where you get the gang together and play) I would say the X-Crate. If you are into RPGs (IE: Final Fantasys, .//hack) the PS2 is the way to go. Also bear in mind accessories: With a PS2 you'll need memories and probably a second controller. If you want online play, you'll also need their online pack. You will still need a second controller for the Xbox, but you can use the HD to save your games (one of the nicest features of the platform) so no memories are required. You will need to buy the DVD remote module though if you want to use the system to watch movies. Again, for online play, you'll need the Xbox Live package to play on MS' networks. Stability: I've had some bad experiences with USED PS-2s. I found it a bear to get apart and I have heard many reports of CD-drive failures (or partial drive failures). The PS-2 I bought, I treat like glass, and run it only when I need to. I have heard fewer reported problems with the Xbox (except for the early units). But you are now contending with two mechanical parts that can fail: The hard disk and the cd drive. If one of them goes away you are hosed. Hard disks tend to have about a 4-5 year lifespan. My X-Box is currently being used to play my DVDs (until I fix my PC) and I've been logging a lot of time playing Gauntlet Legends. Hope that helps... Hex. [ just can't duct-tape his reality together today... ]

It looks like someone is wiping out my area completely. I ran around a bit and all the bargain basement titles have been snapped up. Either that or one of the CC clerks is out recycling this stuff too. Yeah, I'm fairly hacked about this one... I did want to pick up a bunch of titles for myself. Hex. [ In a way it's alright, didn't need to spend the $$$ , but those grapes looked mighty good... ]

I do, but I will not pay a lot for that muffler. I do need to go through my piles and see what I have and do not have. Not that I have done much of anything with my INTV. I have far too much on my plate to attend to over the INTV. It's an interesting system though. I also don't see carts for it very often. Hex. [ The upside is that few people actually care about the system. ]

While I don't qualify as a member of the 'Big-N' faithful, they do deserve credit where it is due. The cube ctrler is surprisingly comfy. I didn't think it would be when I first saw it in the stores though. I recall having the attitude of 'that looks convoluted and will try and turn my fingers in knots -- how stupid.' Then I got my cube + mario sunshine for X-mass -- I realized that the controller has a minor learning curve, but once it's overcome it's an intuitive controller. Actually I like the aspect that Big-N typically goes with stability over shiny things. I tend to worry less about the functionality of Nintendo products than I do from other manufacturers. Especially when I buy used and (obviously) beat up systems. So lets talk about the good: Shielding -- almost every Nintendo product has a wraparaound metal shield that not only keeps the system from opening your garage door when mario gets the object of his desire It also helps keep dirt out and adds a lot of sturdiness to the system Expandability -- The big N has always tried a wide array of interesting accessories to tack on their systems. Some good and some bad. The Game boy Player(s) and the pokemon x-fer pack were good ideas that come to mind. Stability -- Carts are typically a lot more resistant to damage and abuse than a CD is. While there are conditions that can destroy a cart pretty soundly that won't affect a CD very much, a cart in the hands of a 5 yr old is more likely to be salvageable than a CD. It seems that N. tends to go with a more tried and true tech level than a bleeding edge technology. The good news is hardiness of the systems, the bad is that they will get dinged for not having the best eye-candy on the block. As for the N-64 controllers' analog being sensitive, it uses an optic system to operate, it's nice because you don't have to worry about a pair of X-Y pots going out. The design is not perfect though, the stick wears poorly and can have a lot more 'play' than most would like. Of course, in equal time there were also exceptionally bad things that they've done. The NES ZIF (Zero Insetion Force) connector -- This is a decent system with a bad connector. We all know the solutions to these problems. The fact remains that this design _NEVER_ should have become as widespread as it has. The N-64 expansion pack -- We know it was to keep the cost of the deck down, but it is a perpetual request for expansion packs. Sure, you can buy it for $30+shipping from Nintendo. However, the decks usually cost a consumer less than the pack itself. Nintendo Ctrlers -- This is more of a personal nitpick of mine, I wish that they would add some kind of strain relief boot where the cord goes in the controller. Almost everyone tightly wraps the cord around the game pad and slowly destroys the cord. I'm sure we could go back & forth about this stuff As for a 'gaming revolution' I'm skeptical. A new age of _quality_ gaming for both solitary, multiplayer, and online gamers? Less hype and better product? I could live with those things. Yeah, that's not a revolution -- that's a fantasy world. Hex. [ Really doesn't care if Driver 3 is out or not... ]

Of the three current gen systems, I would go with the X-Crate followed by the Gamecube. In the majority of cases, if a game has been released on multiple platforms I'll go for the Xbox version first. Unless I'm just too lazy to 'upgrade' (IE: Hunter: the reckoning, Godzilla) I agree on the PS2 being an overhyped system with a lot of shovelware[1] that hides some amusing titles among all that crap. I picked up a title for the PS2 called 'Seek and Destroy' recently. It was done by Takara and Conspiracy Theroy. The folks who brought us Gadget Racer, Stretch Panic and Everywhere Road Trip. The game appears to play a lot like Road Trip in that you run around and fight battles in a tank -- its very arcade like and I enjoyed it at face value, but I could not find a spot to save my game. I'm hard pressed to sit down and play with it again really. Just sloppy programming. As for the violent end planned for that gamecube, you might want to actully abuse it or something. At worst you'll scuff up the case. Other than the way the CD loads they seem surprisingly hardy for a disc-based system. (Which is good since it seems to have been designed to be carted to a friend's house to play with the gang.) Hex. [Last seen playing Gauntlet Legends and Starfox Adv. ] [1] Shovelware; Adj; Software produced that is completely shoddy work and has no real innovation, play value, and/or is buggy as can be.

Mechanized said... Sort of taking the Sonic & Knuckles thing to another level, with the power of CD storage and the processing ease and speed of a cartridge. - - - - -- - - - - This can be a bone of contention. Carts tend to be more costly to manufacture V/S a CD. There is also the issue of available memory and access time too. I'd bet that even a 1x drive can probably stream data a lot faster than was possible with cartridge technology of the time. Now that I think about it, I wonder if that is why we had all of those henious FMV games... It was an easy way to take advantage of the technology. I do like cartridges generally. They are generally much more hardy than a CD. While you can easily come up with ways to quickly bring an end to either media format, I always marvel at the cart for getting flooded, rolled in the dirt, and half-rusted contacts, and with lot of love (and scrubbing... good heavens, the scrubbing!!!) a cart will rise from its grave and run like nothing ever happened. For this reason alone I anticipate a very interesting scenario with the Sony handheld offering... But that's another topic for another time. Lastly, A unified Genesis, 32x, and CD system would have been the finest offering for the 16 bit platform. I admired the fact that Sega squeezed every ounce they could out of that rig. And then goofed with the Saturn -- a good system, but quirky. A shame the DC appears to be loved now only by hardcore Sega fans and those who like "300+ games on a CD". Hex. [ Had the horrid urge to p!mpslap some idiot because he was just hunting for roms for his DC... ]

Or that if you screw up you can create your very own electrical fire. Whee! Use caution when mucking about with line current. Fuses are your friend. Hex. [ Golly Mr. Wizard, what's a 'rail gun'? ]

Overall, the FAQ seems okay. I would make sure that you actually BUY an inductor to keep the RF off of your power line. The proper value is 2.7uH (microhenries). Remember, it's going to be carrying about an amp of current through that coil. If you pick a part that has too low of a rating it'll heat the wire up (increasing resistance) and eventually melt down on you -- that would be bad. I'm having problems fiding the supplier I used for that coil. I have notes somewhere I hope... The capacitor should be 0.001uF (microfarads). Not 0.01uF. As long as the capacitor is rated at 15V or greater you'll be fine. A ceramic cap should cost you much less than 0.50 . I do strongly agree with the auminum box statement. You want a good common ground (shield) for all parts of the circuit. Enclosing my switchbox design in a metal box would bring it closer to perfection... but it's costly, and that's a lot of drilling. For your needs, it might not be so bad. And remember before you plug everything in: Make _SURE_ that DC power does not go to your TV. I don't know what 12-15VDC will do to your antenna, but I'm betting it'll be a 'bad thing'. Good luck! Hex. [ _still_ needs to write a test procedure and mail everything out to Susuatari... Like I have free time ]

The 'legs' are how you connect the pot to the AV mod. I'm pretty sure that the single leg is the wiper arm (giving you the ability to change the resistance) the bottom 2 legs are attached to the extreme ends of the pot. You also don't want to bend all of the pins as you have. A slight bend to hold the device in place on the perf-board. When you solder the wire, that joint will help tack the part in place. You might want to talk to someone more experienced with soldering in person and have them show you how to do it. An electronics repair shop may be a good resource for asking such questions. It is a skill, and to do it right is harder. At my work, they have a 1 week certification class so that you are allowed to work on production items. Our production devices go into space, so they need to work every time. (No I'm not qualified. I wish I was so that my skills were better than they are. ) Good luck, and be very thorough checking your work before you turn your deck on. Hex. [ Want's to give good advice, but does not know where to start ... ]

Muhaha! I have the answer! Design notes are pending... Because, I too was tired of swapping about all of those darn RF cables. Hex. [ Would like to be able to make that Godzilla roar noise ... ]

An easy way to check your supply is to open your case up and use a multimeter to check your in and out supply voltage. You need to be careful though, if you slip with the probes you may short something together. To check the supply voltage find big filter capacitor (the big cylnder next to your power switch) One terminal on the capacitor is marked ' - ' and the other is marked plus( '+' ). To see what is going into your voltage regulator with the power on and a game in the system (use something expendable (ET, Combat, etc.) measure the DC voltage across the capacitor. As long as you have at least 8 - 10V hanging there your brick is prolly okay. The cap on my mini 2600 is C26. (Vader unit with wide stripe) Now you want to see what is coming out of the voltage regulator. It's a large 3 pin device that is right below the power LED The center pin on the regulator is ground, and is the same ground terminal as the minus terminal on the big cap I mentioned above. On my board it is marked VR1 and the device should be marked "xx78x05" where the 'x's could be several different letters that are not relavent for your needs. Be _VERY_ careful when poking around here with the power on. With the device upside down (the metal tab with the screw through it will be facing you) pin 1 (input) is on the right and should be the same value as the voltage measured across the capacitor. Pin 3 is the output. This should read almost exactly 5v. Your tolerance is between 4.8V and 5.25V. If it is out of this range it's possible your regulator has failed. Turn your machine off and replace the regulator. For your reference, you can find the 7805 data sheet at the following URL: http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/KA/KA7805.pdf Good luck! Hex. [ The 'power mod' guy... ]