USB is universal, I have lots of AC adapters from Japan/USA and UK and wanted to know if a project could be started that utilized USB for this purpose going forward?
Thanks.
Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
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Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
If you modified the consoles to ditch the input voltage regulator, then you could run them on the 5V from your USB supply.
It's not advisable to do so though, as the bypassed input stage is also acting as filter and protection.
So no, you can't power them via USB directly.
It's not advisable to do so though, as the bypassed input stage is also acting as filter and protection.
So no, you can't power them via USB directly.
Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
You can definitely do that, there are two ways.
First, what rama said, except that USB is generally pretty well filtered so you won't find any issue, especially if you're using, say, a powerbank. There are although some USB chargers which are really noisy but those shouldn't pose a problem.
Anyway, if you want to go this way you'll have to physically mod your console.
Second, using a powerbank/charger which supports Qualcomm's Quickcharge 3.0 technology and a board to trigger the 9V or 12V output (plenty of those on ebay for ~3€), those will give you 18W of power which are plenty for most old consoles.
This is what I actually use for several projects and powering old 16-bit consoles on the fly. You won't need to make modifications to your console, but you'll need to build a USB -> power jack adapter with correct polarity.
First, what rama said, except that USB is generally pretty well filtered so you won't find any issue, especially if you're using, say, a powerbank. There are although some USB chargers which are really noisy but those shouldn't pose a problem.
Anyway, if you want to go this way you'll have to physically mod your console.
Second, using a powerbank/charger which supports Qualcomm's Quickcharge 3.0 technology and a board to trigger the 9V or 12V output (plenty of those on ebay for ~3€), those will give you 18W of power which are plenty for most old consoles.
This is what I actually use for several projects and powering old 16-bit consoles on the fly. You won't need to make modifications to your console, but you'll need to build a USB -> power jack adapter with correct polarity.
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Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
Not interested in modding consoles for it.
Just wondered if it was possible to make a USB>Console plug lead for each type of console without fiddling with internal gear.
Just wondered if it was possible to make a USB>Console plug lead for each type of console without fiddling with internal gear.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
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Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
Generally, no, because there's too wide a range of voltages and polarities to make a passive adapter like that work. Examples:neorichieb1971 wrote:Not interested in modding consoles for it.
Just wondered if it was possible to make a USB>Console plug lead for each type of console without fiddling with internal gear.
- NTSC NES expects 9V 1A AC (external PSU, barrel jack)
- PS1, PS2, Dreamcast expect 100V/110V/220V (depending on region) AC (internal PSU, polarized plug)
- N64 expects multiple lines of 12V and 3.3V DC (external PSU that plugs into the console)
Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
This is what I use:neorichieb1971 wrote:Not interested in modding consoles for it.
Just wondered if it was possible to make a USB>Console plug lead for each type of console without fiddling with internal gear.
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B079M68NHN/
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https://www.ebay.it/itm/123790721842
It works on Mega Drive, and most probably other 16-bit consoles, but, as said, not newer ones like PS1, Saturn, N64, etc.
You'll just need to hook a USB to barrel jack adapter and be cautious of the polarity.
For consoles expecting AC voltage, you can still use DC but be wary that there'll be a voltage drop of ~1,4V, so if your NES expects 9V AC, you'll probably need to use 12V.
Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
For certain 90s consoles like the N64 and PS1, you pretty much have no choice but to mod them if you want USB power input.neorichieb1971 wrote:Not interested in modding consoles for it.
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Re: Can original 1990's consoles be powered by USB?
N64 has an external PSU; theoretically, someone could design a replacement N64 PSU based on USB that's plug-and-play. Consoles like the PS1, Xbox, and Dreamcast would need to be opened, but their PSUs are at least modular, so a component swap with a compatible replacement would be fairly straightforward.ApolloBoy wrote:For certain 90s consoles like the N64 and PS1, you pretty much have no choice but to mod them if you want USB power input.neorichieb1971 wrote:Not interested in modding consoles for it.