GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

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kirkkoz
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by kirkkoz »

Spoiler
Just got my gbs-control working and was wondering if it's normal that 480i and 480p (I'm using a ps2 and wii) upscaled to 1080p generate some jaggy lines (visible especially in the outline of text and characters) all over the picture. This is easily fixable by enabling the line filter available in the scanlines menu (it makes the picture smoother, basically). 240p looks pretty good, and seems to not have this issue. Is this expected behavior?
got my questions answered on the Classic Gaming discord server
Last edited by kirkkoz on Wed Nov 10, 2021 12:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
underage
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by underage »

Are there any benefits / detriments in using one model over the other?
Can i use a GBS-8220 (v3.0) dual VGA out with rama's firmware, and would the second VGA out be useable? I could source the dual VGA model for a considerably cheaper price.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by maxtherabbit »

underage wrote:Are there any benefits / detriments in using one model over the other?
Can i use a GBS-8220 (v3.0) dual VGA out with rama's firmware, and would the second VGA out be useable? I could source the dual VGA model for a considerably cheaper price.
The dual VGA boards work great, if you can get one cheap don't hesitate
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

The only ones to stay away from are the yellow button boards. But I dont think that applies to 8220's?

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kitty666cats
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by kitty666cats »

NoAffinity wrote:The only ones to stay away from are the yellow button boards. But I dont think that applies to 8220's?

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Didn’t you also say that you seemed to notice a slightly better video quality on the output of the 8220s?
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

On the 8220 I have, yes there is better output in terms of noise/interference. I havent put the copper tape on this one and theres no noticeable noise or interference in the output.

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yatzr
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by yatzr »

I either have the worst luck with clock generators or there's something else going on. I'm trying to put together two of these for a friend. I ordered two of these HiLetGo ones off amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X7 ... UTF8&psc=1

Image

I received two different color boards. The black one works fine. The gbs with the purple one acts like there simply isn't a clock generator hooked up. I tried swapping clock generators between the two gbs's and sure enough, the black one still works and the purple one just acts like it isn't there.
So then I ordered another of the exact same one off amazon. Received another purple one, and it behaves like the other purple one, as in it doesn't work at all. The gbs just acts like it isn't there.

I have a hard time believing 2 out of 3 boards I got are defective, so I'm wondering if anybody has any ideas of what I could try to potentially get one of these purple ones working.
kirkkoz
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by kirkkoz »

Spoiler
Opened an issue on the github's project about some processing weirdness I'm getting with the GBS-C.
Hopefully someone can shed some light on it and if it's normal or not?
https://github.com/ramapcsx2/gbs-control/issues/293
ended up figuring out the issue
Last edited by kirkkoz on Wed Nov 10, 2021 12:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
Guile
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Guile »

NoAffinity wrote:On the 8220 I have, yes there is better output in terms of noise/interference. I havent put the copper tape on this one and theres no noticeable noise or interference in the output.

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Did you do anything besides removing the color pots and connecting the esp8266 on the 8220? I see some guides suggesting various things for particular variants.
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

Guile wrote:
NoAffinity wrote:On the 8220 I have, yes there is better output in terms of noise/interference. I havent put the copper tape on this one and theres no noticeable noise or interference in the output.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Did you do anything besides removing the color pots and connecting the esp8266 on the 8220? I see some guides suggesting various things for particular variants.
I did all the recommended and optional mods for 8220, listed on the wiki hardware mod library, including clock gen mod.

Separate subject, I built out the passive sync combiner, as recommended by @EmKIronFist. My primary objective, as mentioned earlier, is Dreamcast @ 240p. I had an old DC VGA box laying around, and with a little bit of probing around with the continuity tester, found the circuits to the H and V sync outputs. Turns out there's quite a few unpopulated pads on my particular model, and with a little bit of rework of some diode orientation, I was able to cleanly cut the lines and easily make a path from H and V through the sync combiner -> C-sync output to the H-sync pin.

The GBS loves the output, and handles the 480p downscale nicely.

Interesting side note some or all of you DC fans may already be aware, but forcing 15khz over VGA by removing the connection between pin 6 and ground will result in 480i over VGA, for games not supporting 240p. DC Capcom vs. SNK 2 = best damn 480i I've ever seen on my 27" Trinitron. :p I did, however, undo that mod, and reconnected pin 6 so the VGA box's logic would function as intended. In my experience, 480p downscaling is cleaner than 480i downscaling.

Anyhoo, a few pics of the VGA box mod and the results (please don't judge my phone camera work too harshly):
Spoiler
Image

Image

Image

Image
Ryoandr
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Ryoandr »

yo, that HV combining inside the VGA box is neat.
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kitty666cats
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by kitty666cats »

NoAffinity wrote:In my experience, 480p downscaling is cleaner than 480i downscaling.
This, 100%.
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EmKIronFist
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by EmKIronFist »

NoAffinity wrote:
Guile wrote:
NoAffinity wrote:On the 8220 I have, yes there is better output in terms of noise/interference. I havent put the copper tape on this one and theres no noticeable noise or interference in the output.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Did you do anything besides removing the color pots and connecting the esp8266 on the 8220? I see some guides suggesting various things for particular variants.
I did all the recommended and optional mods for 8220, listed on the wiki hardware mod library, including clock gen mod.

Separate subject, I built out the passive sync combiner, as recommended by @EmKIronFist. My primary objective, as mentioned earlier, is Dreamcast @ 240p. I had an old DC VGA box laying around, and with a little bit of probing around with the continuity tester, found the circuits to the H and V sync outputs. Turns out there's quite a few unpopulated pads on my particular model, and with a little bit of rework of some diode orientation, I was able to cleanly cut the lines and easily make a path from H and V through the sync combiner -> C-sync output to the H-sync pin.

The GBS loves the output, and handles the 480p downscale nicely.

Interesting side note some or all of you DC fans may already be aware, but forcing 15khz over VGA by removing the connection between pin 6 and ground will result in 480i over VGA, for games not supporting 240p. DC Capcom vs. SNK 2 = best damn 480i I've ever seen on my 27" Trinitron. :p I did, however, undo that mod, and reconnected pin 6 so the VGA box's logic would function as intended. In my experience, 480p downscaling is cleaner than 480i downscaling.

Anyhoo, a few pics of the VGA box mod and the results (please don't judge my phone camera work too harshly):
Spoiler
Image

Image

Image

Image
Dang, those scanline gaps are lookin tasty
r1vver
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by r1vver »

There are already a lot of pages and there is even more scattered information on them.
I would like to clarify a few points before my first purchase of hardware for the project:
1. It's ok to get 8200, but 8220 image quality can be a bit better? I do not care about 2nd monitor at all.
2. 8200 - it's better to avoid yellow button boards at any cost or just to avoid if possible?
3. V4.0 is that so much "superior" compared to V5.0 and V5.1? In other words - only V4.0?
4. Si5351 board - better to be purple and crystal on it better to be "metallic shiny" and not black (matte)? Or are there some markings on the elements that I can pay attention to?
5. Si5351 board is sitting right on chip's radiator only because wire from center pad of CLK0 to TrueView pin 40 (PCLKIN) must be as shorter as possible? Other wires (SCL/SDA) are no so length critical?
6. Has anyone tried using "bare" (only module, not full dev. board) modules like ESP-12/ESP-13/ESP-14/WROOM-02 etc.?
r1vver
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by r1vver »

Question about Si5351 clock gen board:
Saw in a local store one but with different resistors set - instead of all 10k ohm it's all 2,2k ohm.
Spoiler
Image
Can this difference significantly affect the performance of the project?
Iraito
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Iraito »

If i remember correctly 1 or 2 years ago it was possible to get 4:3 aspect ratio by selecting the 1280x720 profile, i see this is not an option anymore or am i missing something ?
Ryoandr
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Ryoandr »

Iraito wrote:If i remember correctly 1 or 2 years ago it was possible to get 4:3 aspect ratio by selecting the 1280x720 profile, i see this is not an option anymore or am i missing something ?
only 1080p has pillarboxed image for correct AR on a widescreen display.
720p you need to adjust AR on the display itself, well on other presets too but they are typically suited for 4/3 displays like VGA CRTs.
Gooddwarf
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Gooddwarf »

Hi everyone!
I do apologise in advance if my questions are very... well, noob questions. I wanted to try this mod, and there are a couple details I couldn't find an answer in the wiki.
1) In the power supply bypass capacitors, it is suggested to add four 10uF ceramic capacitors. Is it possible to use electrolytic capacitors instead? Also, if one preferred to entirely substitute the already present capacitor (instead than putting another one in parallel), what would be the needed capacitance value?
2) How do you get composite input into the board? I only have composite cables for my consoles (the yellow one, just to be clear), so I really would like to get composite video through the GBS, but it is not clear to me how to do it.

Thanks in advance for the response!
atohmdiy
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by atohmdiy »

Hello,
Don't know if this has already been discussed...
I own a switch, it work great when i use the 480p output for most game. BUT
If the game is 16/9, like 99% of the games, settings the output to 480p produce a nice 480p 4:3 image. But for the games that are 4:3 native, like battle princess madelyn or steel assault, 480p output is resulting in a crush image horizontally with black bars.
In my opinion, when using a 480p output, the switch take the 4:3 space, render it at 16/9, then crush the image to the final 640x480. Problem with these 4:3 games, it's in fact 16:9 games with black bar, and the switch reduce everything to 4:3, including the black bar. So we ended with a 4:3 image from a 16/9 image that include the game's 4:3 image plus the black bar. Sorry if i am not clear, i am far from being sure of what i am saying :roll:
At start i thought this problem was specific to battle princess madelyn, then when i try steel assault and i saw the same thing, so i knew it wasn't game specific but related to the game aspect ratio. Maybe the gbs could do something, like an option to crop the two horizontal black bar ?
r1vver
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by r1vver »

Gooddwarf wrote: 2) How do you get composite input into the board? I only have composite cables for my consoles (the yellow one, just to be clear), so I really would like to get composite video through the GBS, but it is not clear to me how to do it.
No way. GBS-8200 is not for Composite.
You need Composite (and/or S-Video) to YPbPr Component converter first.
Or completely different device doing Composite (and/or S-Video) to VGA.
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

r1vver wrote:
Gooddwarf wrote: 2) How do you get composite input into the board? I only have composite cables for my consoles (the yellow one, just to be clear), so I really would like to get composite video through the GBS, but it is not clear to me how to do it.
No way. GBS-8200 is not for Composite.
You need Composite (and/or S-Video) to YPbPr Component converter first.
Or completely different device doing Composite (and/or S-Video) to VGA.
Or it's time to go to rgb/scart cables or something like hd retrovision cables.

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stj
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by stj »

i just got my clock-gen pcb delivered and looking at the schematic i think i see why they arent reliable.
this is only theory till my next post, but here goes.

the board has a 3v3 regulator and 5v input level shifters on the I²C pins.
but the GBS and the ESP are native 3.3v.
so this crap can degrade the signals and cause a voltage drop.

i intend to desolder the regulator, the 2 10uf caps, and all the level shifting stuff from mine before i install it.
i'll post back in a few days after i'v tried it.
i also have a frequency counter and scope, so if it doesnt work i can see if these purple boards have faulty parts on them.
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Syntax
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Syntax »

Yup looks like you should be able to connect directly to the SCL SDA (Pins 4-5) lines of the Si5351A.
Here's hoping it fixes the questionable boards.

https://learn.adafruit.com/assets/18765
holdencars11
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by holdencars11 »

I just got one of the GBS8200 boards, and have added GBS Control with the ESP8266.
I am having some issues with finding a LCD monitor that is compatible with the RGBHV VGA output.

I can only get output on my LG M198WA with an older style 'thick' VGA cable that I used to use old old CRTs.
If I try and use another VGA cable (which works fine on PCs), I get no signal. I should mention that I tried the device before modding and it was sending the correct output on the more modern VGA cable.

If I try and connect the output with either cable (old style and new style) on my DELL 1905P / DELL E193FPc I get an 'unable to display' message, despite trying resolutions such as 1280x720 which work perfectly well when connecting a PC.
Am I missing something here with regards to the signal timings?
stj
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by stj »

question:
is there anything in the menu's to indicate it detected the clockgen board?
how would i know if it's working??
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

stj wrote:question:
is there anything in the menu's to indicate it detected the clockgen board?
how would i know if it's working??
Yes, the readout in the web ui produces a message about the frequency whenever a new source is synced, if the clock gen is there.

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TheFellowJasper
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by TheFellowJasper »

Hi.

Where is the Debug Pin located on 5725? Is it possible to access it elsewhere than usual point? While trying to fix my solder, I've gone overboard with temperature and damaged the pad that was used to solder to that pin. Is fixing that pad my only option there for repairing that board?
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kitty666cats
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by kitty666cats »

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003619645536.html

These odd things just came out, for anyone interested in connecting un-modded Nintendo etc consoles to GBSC
4lexei
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by 4lexei »

Hi all! I have registered to be able to thank everyone involved in this project and everyone who has participated in this thread.

I just finished modifying my GBS-8200 and the results are impressive. My budget is very small and I could not pay 100 to 300 euros for a video scaler, but I needed a good device because one of my passions is playing, reviewing and capturing old games from original hardware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2TCrhBoc-I

Video test. Sega Saturn PAL (60hz mod) with Sega Rally (JAP). Input: Scart RGB (I added an LM1881N to my GBS). Output: VGA to HDMI dongle. Capture device: Avermedia Live Gamer Mini. I had to play a little bit with HTotal++ and Htotal-- until my capture card was able to recognize the signal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY1wSVHpY5M

For many years I used an HD Video Converter (a black metallic box that you probably already know) but I was tired of its flaws: misinterpretation of signals at 240p, sharp still images but very blurry when there is movement, graphic effects based on flickering completely broken ... And of course input lag, which didn't bother me because I wasn't using it to play games, just to capture video.

For me, the GBS 8200 with Rama's firmware is a dream come true. I am going to play and review old games with even more enthusiasm. Thank you!!!!!
zezretro
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by zezretro »

Hiyas

I have a GBS-C I made myself and I am wondering, is there anyway to enable 5v on pin 9 of the d-sub output?

I had an idea that if the GBS-C outputs RGBs 240p and then we have 5v on pin 9 then the Antonio Villena Mister to composite and s-video adapter might work on this too.

https://www.antoniovillena.es/store/pro ... o-adapter/

I am not an expert, but if pin 9 doesnt give 5v, what if I ran a wire from 5v to pin 9 of the underside of the board, would that be a way to do it?

thanks for the thoughts
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