Wii Solo? HDMI only GCVideo Implementation for Wii.

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Arthrimus
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Wii Solo? HDMI only GCVideo Implementation for Wii.

Post by Arthrimus »

I recently installed a Citrus3000psi GCHDMI 4.1 board with the Wii Shuriken V3 firmware into a RVL-CPU-40 Wii. I got great results but because the board was designed specifically for the GameCube, the form factor of the board is really inconvenient for Wii installations, so I decided to take some time to put together a layout specifically for the Wii.

Image

The result is this Wii HDMI board, a "Wii Solo" if you will (since the form factor was heavily inspired by the Wii Dual). It runs on the standard Wii Shuriken V3 firmware and it should fit RVL-CPU-40, RVL-CPU-50, and RVL-CPU-60 motherboards. It should also fit RVK-CPU-01 and RVK-CPU-02 motherboards, but it doesn't have IR remote support implemented at this time so It's not really practical for those boards with no GameCube controller ports.

The advantage of this design is that it is low cost. Sourcing your parts from Digikey this board is around $35 to build and provides HDMI output which is what I think most people want from the Wii. It's not exactly an easy install since there's no fancy flex cable designed specifically for hooking up to the AVE-RVL chip, but it's not too hard to solder by hand with some 30AWG wire. Installation requires soldering 13 short wires from the AVE-RVL chip to the Wii HDMI board following the pinout in this guide on the GCVideo Github. I arranged the board layout so that the pads are in the correct order for soldering to the AVE-RVL chip so it's as simple to install as possible. You also need to solder wires connecting the following pads on the Wii motherboard to the Wii HDMI board:
"TP27"->"PAD"
"3.3V"->"3.3"
"5V"->"5V"
"GND"->"GND"

The main HDMI board and the HDMI hookup board with the Mini HDMI port are connected by a 20 Pin 0.5mm pitch Flat Flex Cable, the same kind that the GCDual uses for this purpose.

Here is an example of the board installed on an RVL-CPU-40 motherboard.

Image

I've posted the boards on OshPark for anyone who wants to take a crack at it.
Wii HDMI v0.2 Main Board
Wii HDMI hookup board

The BOM for each board is in the OshPark descriptions.

Let me know what you guys think.
Last edited by Arthrimus on Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:13 am, edited 3 times in total.
plus ça change,
plus c'est la même chose,
The more that things change,
The more they stay the same.- RUSH- Circumstances

I install and sell mods at arthrimus.com | SNES RGB Bypass+Dejitter available now! | Watch me live stream my work on YouTube
fernan1234
Posts: 2179
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:34 pm

Re: Wii Solo? Wii HDMI only GCVideo Implementation.

Post by fernan1234 »

This is pretty cool. CRT users could also use it if they have an HDMI to VGA adapter and a sync combiner. Even with all of that, the overall cost could definitely be lower than a WiiDual.

I hope you left a way to update the firmware though. The current GCVideo firmware still needs a fix for the other chroma shift issue, which affects resolutions non-divisible by 4, more often found on the Wii (main example being the Wii system menu).
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Arthrimus
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 5:49 pm
Location: Arkansas

Re: Wii Solo? HDMI only GCVideo Implementation for Wii.

Post by Arthrimus »

The firmware can be updated using a SPI programmer like this one. I have prepared and uploaded a BIN file of the most recent firmware 2.4C Here for anyone who doesn't know how to convert the BIT files on the GCvideo github into BIN format.

I'm working on adding IR remote support currently so I'll have an updated PCB design to show soon.
plus ça change,
plus c'est la même chose,
The more that things change,
The more they stay the same.- RUSH- Circumstances

I install and sell mods at arthrimus.com | SNES RGB Bypass+Dejitter available now! | Watch me live stream my work on YouTube
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