Gamecube component cable

[Ashen]

Thats pretty awesome man!

[pr0ton]

Sweet, can't wait!

[liquitt]

great news man was hoping to see this thread alive when i came back today

[megalomaniac]

notice right side in the pic there are some 0K2 versions in there...
ive never seen those in any pics posted across the web...

[iggunr]

this is so awesome.. I'm really looking forward to this!

[psyko_chewbacca]

Alright. Dibs on a B012355CMPV-DOL and a TC9231N if you were to ever sell some of these.

[megalomaniac]

initial testing with HDMI
this is no way a promise of things to come..

just thought i would try it out to see if possible...
as seen in the pic, there is a lot of noise on the line
i might need to make a few adjustments but still not certain if this will work..

[pr0ton]

snipped

Wow, world's first! I presume the signal stays digital, so it is a signal from before the MX chip, and there is no ADC involved? Also audio is possible then over HDMI, already being digital?

[megalomaniac]

this was a quick and dirty demo to display video only...no attempt was made for audio
made a few adjustments...color is a little better now
the pic shows the candle flames as a greenish tint...now i see them in red...
...but noise and haze still persists

HDMI offers no real advantage for gamecube other than video and audio on a single cable..or for those TV/monitor without component input..

[liquitt]

nice!
keep up the good work mate!

[HomelandReloaded]

I presume the signal stays digital, so it is a signal from before the MX chip, and there is no ADC involved?

I would like to ask this question too, because my PC display gives a noticeably sharper image from a digital input.

[megalomaniac]

I presume the signal stays digital, so it is a signal from before the MX chip, and there is no ADC involved?

I would like to ask this question too, because my PC display gives a noticeably sharper image from a digital input.

no...i was using the MX chip with a wii hmdi adapter thing
the wii converts digital video into YPBPR, the adapter accepts the YPBPR signal converts to hdmi...
this is a digital to analog to digital conversion

so as demonstrated, the adapter will accept the gamecube YPBPR signal and and convert them to hdmi.
im thinking the noise was coming from the capacitors i have in-line as per the for the gamecube MX design..
if this ends up working, it could offer a solution for anyone who wishes to use hdmi on the gamecube...
like the wii, this setup also performs a digital to analog to digital conversion...

prior to modification, I compared wii component and wii hdmi on 2 different monitors and 1 TV...
i did not notice any difference between video (keep in mind, i am an HD snob when it comes to video quality)
im pretty certain the adapter will not show any improvements when used with gamecube, but as stated will offer an alternative for anyone who wants to use it



as for direct digital signal....
.....

[megalomaniac]

Ok guys..
Here is a quick progress update:

Day by day parts are arriving. As I check them off the list I still can't help but wonder what to do about making an acceptable external connector. I certainly do not want to end up with a connector that breaks within a few months or even a year.

I've been thinking to manufacture and house the board (or boards) inside the GC. There will be plenty of room to fit as the board will be quite small and with a possible mainboard mod to remove the digital port and casemod for the the connectors.
Also, I've been thinking of making a preformed external board housing but will still require mainboard mod to remove the digital port and replace with another connector.

Of course both scenarios will limit the availability to those only willing to mod the GC due to not having an external connector. I have thought of a few possibilities to make the connectors, but that will delay my timeline. As of right now I am looking at mid Feburary to begin production.

As for digital audio, this will be incorporated into the design. For anyone who already has an official component cable, I have some extra chips which I can produce a board as an addon for your existing cable (you will need to open the cable connector and solder a few leads)

Anything and everything will be fully documented once a final design has been decided.
Since I only have about 25 or so MX/audio chip combo boards, and an extra 25 audio chips for cable owners, I would like anyone interested to provide feedback or concerns regarding the scenarios i have listed above. Feel free to add alternatives. I do not want to produce a product without considering the needs of the end users.

[pr0ton]

Personally, I like to have everything inside, thus removing the digital port and cut a hole for the (component+SPDIF?) connector. Soldering is no problem and this requires the least time for you?

I don't think a female VGA connector is in the pipeline? VGA + SPDIF is my favorite combination, but with a component board I can move on, not a big problem.

[andzlay]

Well I don't need any digital audio... Component for a low price is already nice

[dantheman2865]

Maybe this is a part of your plan already, but a Coaxial digital audio plug (RCA style) would be cheaper and easier than optical. That being said, my familiarity with such things is limited.

From my perspective, I am comfortable modding my Cube, not terribly interested in digital audio, and am interested in one of your component cables.

Keep up the good work!

[liquitt]

coaxial audio sounds good for me too, as i don't have anything to plug a digital audio cable into

[megalomaniac]

Personally, I like to have everything inside, thus removing the digital port and cut a hole for the (component+SPDIF?) connector. Soldering is no problem and this requires the least time for you?

I don't think a female VGA connector is in the pipeline? VGA + SPDIF is my favorite combination, but with a component board I can move on, not a big problem.

time and soldering is definitely not a problem for me, i will do the most assembly i can on my end to minimize the amount of work at the users end.
.. but thanks for the consideration
as an extra, the standard board design will incorporate the VGA mod with both female VGA and component connector included..video output will be determined by a simple flip of a switch to activate/deactivate the VGA mod..this will allow the GC to be ready to accommodate either situation..

Well I don't need any digital audio... Component for a low price is already nice

i never considered that someone would not want digital audio...but wouldnt it be nice to have the hardware just in case you change you mind in the future?

Maybe this is a part of your plan already, but a Coaxial digital audio plug (RCA style) would be cheaper and easier than optical. That being said, my familiarity with such things is limited.

From my perspective, I am comfortable modding my Cube, not terribly interested in digital audio, and am interested in one of your component cables.

Keep up the good work!

coaxial audio sounds good for me too, as i don't have anything to plug a digital audio cable into

all the circuitry should be the exact same between toslink and digital coaxial...maybe add a resistor if i recall correctly, ill double check and run some tests..
since ive already purchased the toslink connectors, it will come standard. if i get successful results with both toslink and coaxial, then ill buy some coaxial connectors and add it into the design...

[kel01]

I would like to buy a digital audio circuit only as I already own a component cable but I would rather have it as an internal mod than an addon cable, something that I could mount to the inside of the GC next to the digital out socket and then connect to the motherboard with wires.

Hope that is not too much trouble?

[pr0ton]

...time and soldering is definitely not a problem for me,...

Ofcourse soldering is no problem for you , I meant my basic soldering skills .

VGA/component switch, great! I think Toslink is a bit more common than coax, so I vote for Toslink.

With all these optimizations, are we still in a $40-$50 range?

[iggunr]

Due to the nature of this project, i'm sure it's hard to make a final product which suits the needs of most end users.
I propose two approaches: a diy kit and an internal finished mod.

The DIY kit
the main circuit could be the only fully assembled component, the kit would contain all the remaining components that would be assembled as the user seems fit.
that way it could be made as an internal mod, an external box, in a floating baloon... almost anything.

The internal finished mod
I just had this idea, get the back piece of the gamecube casing and modify it so everything fits there, it could be a very easy way to install the adapter, but of course, how it will be wired to the digital av port remains a very difficult task for the average modder.

I've attached two drawings explaining my ideas.

And of course, please sign me up for any final product you end up making

[megalomaniac]

I would like to buy a digital audio circuit only as I already own a component cable but I would rather have it as an internal mod than an addon cable, something that I could mount to the inside of the GC next to the digital out socket and then connect to the motherboard with wires.

Hope that is not too much trouble?

ill look into ways to connect this...the solder points are on the bottom of the mainboard and then there is that metal shield which will "pinch" the cables when they are brought out from bottom to top...i think i see a hole where a few cables can pass thru with no issues..

...time and soldering is definitely not a problem for me,...

Ofcourse soldering is no problem for you , I meant my basic soldering skills .

VGA/component switch, great! I think Toslink is a bit more common than coax, so I vote for Toslink.

With all these optimizations, are we still in a $40-$50 range?

ahhhh, your soldering skills...oops, right
yea..this is one struggle im dealing with....to determine how to make the most user friendly design to allow/compensate (hopefully) for anyone to add this internally with only basic soldering experience

the best thing that comes to mind is a drop in replacement board...
for example, desolder and remove the digital port, drop in replacement board and solder into the digital port location.
i have a few "non-working" GC i just purchased...as soon as those arrive, ill tear em down and post a sexy photo shoot spread with layouts i currently have in mind..

as for the price range, i preplanned mostly all of the purchases before ordering the chips to get an idea of what final cost would end up being..the 45$-50$ price range i previously quoted did not include the VGA mod...however i scored some good prices for VGA connectors and switches which still average out and keep the final price within original range...

Due to the nature of this project, i'm sure it's hard to make a final product which suits the needs of most end users.
I propose two approaches: a diy kit and an internal finished mod.

The DIY kit
the main circuit could be the only fully assembled component, the kit would contain all the remaining components that would be assembled as the user seems fit.
that way it could be made as an internal mod, an external box, in a floating baloon... almost anything.

The internal finished mod
I just had this idea, get the back piece of the gamecube casing and modify it so everything fits there, it could be a very easy way to install the adapter, but of course, how it will be wired to the digital av port remains a very difficult task for the average modder.

I've attached two drawings explaining my ideas.

And of course, please sign me up for any final product you end up making

as for a DIY kit, i plan to test every board before selling to ensure no quality issues, video issues, audio issues...
so all components will be assembled... no resistors, caps, etc in a little bag, i do not want to stay up at night and wonder if something i sell might not be working..
as for your pictures, they are not toooo far off from what i have been planning...

[Hucklebuck]

If the mod would fit inside comfortably that would be great! Optical audio is a great idea too.

If this was made internal would you be able to have a Wiikey Fusion or Wode installed still. Like will there be enough room?

Definately put me down for one of these!

[megalomaniac]

If the mod would fit inside comfortably that would be great! Optical audio is a great idea too.

If this was made internal would you be able to have a Wiikey Fusion or Wode installed still. Like will there be enough room?

Definately put me down for one of these!

comfortability is based on individual perspective...
but i would not design an internal board that wont fit...
you will more than enough room to perform a WKF/Wode mod...plus, once the disc drive is removed, you might be able to fit an internal usb hdd...

[Hucklebuck]

Sounds good to me.