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New Coleco RGB board?


SiLic0ne t0aD

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Yeah that spider web of power distribution traces does have its own losses.  For that matter, vias may gain resistance over time as temperature cycles modify the stresses on them.

 

I wonder if running a wire directly from the +5 after the switch directly to the filter inductor at the opposite corner might improve the voltage readings?

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2 hours ago, ChildOfCv said:

Heh, well my schematics have the board ready to go if you want it.  Of course holes may be a mil off or so, but it might be close enough.

I would be quietly interested, yes. ;) 

Depends on the smallest part. Though, PCB layout is my forte and I'd really like to layout both boards from a correct schematic soonish... and with some modest improvements to power, memory and more modern component choices. Like, 90s :D

Want to talk about it in PM?

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You're certainly free to rearrange the board as you see fit, but I just placed all components where they were and then ran the wires while using a continuity tester on the real board to make sure everything was correct.

 

For the simpler stuff like the controllers, the Atari module, and the steering wheel, I copied the original PCB and its traces.  But for the CV PCB I chose not to try to copy that thing but instead made a 4-layer board and routed it myself.  I can't say it's the cleanest run, but it made the correct connections.

 

Coleco.zip

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Howdy,

 

I recently picked up a very nice ColecoVison and am very interested in an RGB mod.

 

I scanned through the thread, but I didn't see any info for signing up or getting on a interest list. So, if there is a list, please feel free to point in the right direction.

 

I'm, currently, not using any sort of scalar. My consoles are just connected straight to my TV. So, ideally, I'm just looking for a s-video or component (preferred) hook-up.

 

Looking forward to see what comes out in the near future!

 

Cheers!

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The first of the components I ordered has arrived.

I'm waiting on @Falonn to fully test out the current board revision and give me a nod before ordering the 250 PCBs and solder mask.

It's been quiet for a while - just thought it would be good to remind everyone that things are progressing forward - slowly ;)

Edited by MrPix
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FWIW, I just got the shipping notice from OSHPark.  Their half-thickness board service doesn't have any rush options, so it took the full two weeks this time.

 

The tracking number says the v2 boards should be here Monday.  I'll have the first results overnight.  My confidence level for the smoke test is high: the schematic is unchanged and all we did was make the PCB layout better.

 

Assuming that goes well, I'll be sending a few assembled boards to Ruggers Customs to test against a pile of different Colecovision revisions.  I'll leave it up to MrPix whether he wants to wait to hear back from that round of testing before he orders a bunch of these. ;)  For my part, seeing it work perfectly on a PAL Colecovision is enough to raise my overall confidence level pretty high.  That's just about the most-different environment you could imagine, so if it also works there, it should work everywhere.

 

I've got a fair chunk of the instructions site finished locally.  Most of it has to wait for these final PCBs before I can start taking pictures and recording video, though.  I hope to have most of that done during next week, too.

 

EDIT: Er, it looks like the shipping notice was for a couple more 8-pin DIN breakout PCBs and the new test jig boards, which were both using their standard stack-up.  The half-thickness TMS-RGB boards themselves are supposed to come back from the fab a day later.  So with any luck "Monday" above should only become "Tuesday".  We'll see.

Edited by Falonn
Actually read my email
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Best. Edit. Reason. Ever.

Yeah, you might be Woz, but I'm not ordering your design until you send me video, in triplicate, of that exact PCB design working. :P

Also, I'm assembling a pick and place machine right now. It might take a few weeks to get the whole thing together, but when it is, it will save me a LOT of time assembling these boards. I plan to panelize them in 2x10 or 2x20 so I can mount parts on 20 or 40 in a go. 2x20 will just fit in my reflow oven.

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I'd highly recommend an 8pin minidin breakout board

https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/0hrYbjDu

 

though it works with a different style minidin than what you have.  Also I'd recommend getting proper individually shielded premade cables from retro-access or retro gaming cables uk.  The cables you want are mainly used for NES RGB mods.  Those gray 8 pin computer cables will have lots of buzz in the audio lines coming from the RGB lines.

 

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6 minutes ago, zanaxe said:

I'd highly recommend an 8pin minidin breakout board

https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/0hrYbjDu

 

though it works with a different style minidin than what you have.  Also I'd recommend getting proper individually shielded premade cables from retro-access or retro gaming cables uk.  The cables you want are mainly used for NES RGB mods.  Those gray 8 pin computer cables will have lots of buzz in the audio lines coming from the RGB lines.

 

So, I guess the grey cable sucks, and I need a different SCART cable?

Did I install the board correctly?

Edited by Retro_Game_Lover96
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Yeah there is no shielding between the audio and the RGB.  There is only the outside shielding that wraps around all the wires.  I tried using those gray cables at first and quickly replaced them.

Edited by zanaxe
typo
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6 hours ago, Retro_Game_Lover96 said:

What are JP1, JP2, and JP3 from the ColecoRGB 1.2 board?

My understanding is that you can solder them if you want to completely bypass the potentiometers, leaving the board unable to be adjusted.

 

I reverse-engineered the schematic back in February, over here.  You can see the three jumpers in the middle of the PDF page and how they let you skip past GRN, BLU, and RED.

 

I know the OSH Park link for ColecoRGB 1.2 says "if you do not get sync, try adjusting R23," but I wonder if the better advice right now isn't "wait two days for TMS-RGB"? ?

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