Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

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freakaftr8
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Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

OK I thought I'd start a thread on this topic. As some of you know the Sony SSM series is a professional surveillance monitor built off the barebone platform of the PVM-20N6U. This model when found is usually well spent and sometimes beat up. Sometimes you get lucky and find one with no screen burn and very little surface scratches to the exterior shell. This unit only has S video and composite input and a blank space where the RGB should be on the N6U In the front where the "RGB" and "line A" buttons are it is blank. This particular model has the area supports in the board for the buttons so I dismantled an old Panasonic CRT and stole the buttons out of it and after researching the N6 use areas where they solder into for line A-and-RGB I installed these buttons now I have full RGB support. Take a look at my pictures next on the Q board the areas are blank but the wiring is there so after successfully getting the monitor into R GB mode which I can already see a difference even with the menu, I will be soldering a SCART connector with the proper terminations into the existing RGB wiring on the main board. Although I think this has been performed a few times by others with success this essentially turns a surveillance monitor into a high resolution RGB monitor that looks way better than a standard trinitron hence the high resolution CRT that is already installed same as the PVM. I noticed that once I got the monitor into RGB mode the service menu has full RGB support so it is basically ready to go.

I knew off the bat when I 1st powered up these monitors that it said "LINE A", With no visible buttons for switching inputs to a different line, so I automatically knew that the jungle CPU is supporting different inputs if the buttons were there.

Well last week I found 3 of them.

Long story short after downloading schematics and a little research I found out that this model incorporates RGB, but is hidden. The CPU still has the firmware for RGB.

Who knew

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vqo5Tf ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WitT5Z ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cFBs0u ... p=drivesdk
Last edited by freakaftr8 on Fri Feb 28, 2020 4:19 am, edited 3 times in total.
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kitty666cats
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by kitty666cats »

Really cool find! I've never really peeked around through their line of security monitors. I've got a mess of Panasonic security monitors at home that I'm slowly finding new homes for, but I've never had a good look at Sony's.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

Looks like I'll need a MUX switcher, IC401 and audio switcher IC402 if I want to do this correctly. The Q board missing the components is not a big deal as I'm going to tie in the RGB grid with pulldown resistors at the input cable anyway. I can get sync at line A composite so that's already a plus. I have to cut some jumpers that are SSM specific on the A board and not for the Pvm-20n6u (which is the same board and guts minus the MUX IC401 and audio switcher IC402 which are missing on this board). This way I wont have to tie into the blanking on pin 25 of Ic301. It doesn't seem to like me when I do this. Probably from the confusion of the hard jumpers forcing Line A on even when engaged in RGB mode.


Parts are:
MC14052BCP and BA7604N

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bphXlm ... p=drivesdk
Last edited by freakaftr8 on Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

Ok. On the A (mainboard) Two 10 ohm resistors in locations R030, R032 (PVM specific), three .1mfd SMD caps on the missing RGB inputs to IC301 location C310, C311, C312(for some reason Sony decided to keep these off the SSM variant mainboard) and there's RGB! And looks glorious! I ordered an IC401 video switcher and IC402 to finish the job right so I can still switch between RGB and composite/svideo.

No need to populate the missing 30 or so components on the input Q board, just create the nessecary 75 ohm terminator resistors and good to go! Tap the sync pin To the void at CN402 on mainboard and audio as well at mainboard.

Now that's left is to mount a scart connector and you have basically a scart capable PVM 20n6u

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cKndjX ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bwypDA ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cEdEQi ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cEQcyO ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cJNLd6 ... p=drivesdk
Last edited by freakaftr8 on Sun Feb 23, 2020 8:27 pm, edited 5 times in total.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

While I have it apart I went ahead and sanded down and painted that nasty bezel. I chose dark walnut. Next is sanding and painting the metal cover maybe a dark grey.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

Dark walnut was a bad idea. Repainted Pvm-20n6u dark graphite front bezel. Currently modifying the front panel to press the newly installed Line A and RGB buttons to be able to switch back and forth. its getting there.

Also got in the IC401 BA7604N line switcher and installed. waiting on the audio MUX IC.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

Where I'm at now with the bezel and the cutouts for Line A and RGB.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bSD9ic ... p=drivesdk
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

And we have RGB on a SSM-20N5U! Dont mind the blur, I'm carrying over a shared signal that's still connected to my arcade NEO GEO monitor. just tapped into the JAMMA for the test.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1boYkXf ... p=drivesdk



Better pic here. Connected to a dedicated RGB from a trophy hunting arcade game.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ccAyno ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cd8BG3 ... p=drivesdk
Last edited by freakaftr8 on Mon Feb 24, 2020 4:50 am, edited 3 times in total.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

All parts needed for the upgrade:

ON A BOARD
3 SMD. 1 surface mount capacitors location c310, c311 and c312.
2 10ohm 1/4watt resistors location R030, R032
1 MC14052BCP location IC401
1 BA7604N location IC402
3 Jumpers cut at locations JW401, JW402 and JW403

ON Q BOARD
6 75ohm resistors (2 per channel, one side soldered together tied to the input wire of R, G and B, other side of one resistor tied to ground, other side of one resistor tied to the input pin of R, G or B at CN1303

Sync wire soldered to the EXT SYNC pin of the missing CN402

Your audio will be added to the audio pin on CN1303

GROUND OF INPUT soldered to ground pin on Q board CN1303 (PICK ANY OF THE 3)

That's it!
A fully switchable line A composite/Svideo and RGB input PVM!

( you could add your line B if wanted it will need some wiring into CN402 Svideo and an extra pushbutton for that)


Some time and patience and about 30 to 35 bucks involved including my SCART connector on order.
freakaftr8
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by freakaftr8 »

Finally finished the SCART mod! What a chore.
Also used a few convergence strips and aligned perfectly.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qDmGBT ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qMv4xP ... p=drivesdk
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kitty666cats
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by kitty666cats »

Looks good, hells yeah! Way better than spending a mint on whatever the hell some people are asking for 20" PVMs nowadays *barfs*
Flyhighc172
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by Flyhighc172 »

Would this work for a sony pvm 20n5u?
laikmike
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by laikmike »

Flyhighc172 wrote:Would this work for a sony pvm 20n5u?
Yeah it Should work, they have the same Q- board and A-board but for your size model.
002
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Location: QLD, Australia

Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by 002 »

Hey there!

First of all, thank you very much for your excellent breakdown of what's required for this mod. After much procrastinating and scouring the internet for resources, I have done the major part of the mod on my SSM-14N5A. For anyone looking for the manual for the SSM and all of its variants, you can get it here. It's an invaluable resource and is text searchable, so you can look for component locations (e.g. 'R032') and it will take you straight to the part section where it details which models require which parts. The only thing I have left to do now is to hook up the sync wire and figure out what I want to do with the audio situation, but the main thing is that the monitor turns on and I can toggle the inputs and see the additional options in the menu for RGB.

The trickiest part for me was definitely adding the SMD ceramic capacitors at C310, 11, 12- they are so fiddly and small, and my lack of experience with SMD soldering did not help. I thought I'd be able to manage it with the iron but I ended up finding much better success with my cheapo heat gun instead.

Pic of it switched on in RGB mode:

Image
Ryeno
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Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2019 6:50 am

Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by Ryeno »

002 wrote:Hey there!

First of all, thank you very much for your excellent breakdown of what's required for this mod. After much procrastinating and scouring the internet for resources, I have done the major part of the mod on my SSM-14N5A. For anyone looking for the manual for the SSM and all of its variants, you can get it here. It's an invaluable resource and is text searchable, so you can look for component locations (e.g. 'R032') and it will take you straight to the part section where it details which models require which parts. The only thing I have left to do now is to hook up the sync wire and figure out what I want to do with the audio situation, but the main thing is that the monitor turns on and I can toggle the inputs and see the additional options in the menu for RGB.

The trickiest part for me was definitely adding the SMD ceramic capacitors at C310, 11, 12- they are so fiddly and small, and my lack of experience with SMD soldering did not help. I thought I'd be able to manage it with the iron but I ended up finding much better success with my cheapo heat gun instead.

Pic of it switched on in RGB mode:

Image
I followed the service manual and added the missing parts onto the Q board. I had to RGB mod 6 sets so I ordered the OEM parts from UTSource and the BNCs from digikey.

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/det ... =348107413
Roboplodicus
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by Roboplodicus »

I hope this isn't too much of a necro but is this mod viable with a SSM-N1U? http://www.mediafire.com/file/ytohm708f ... U.pdf/file that is the service manual
002
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by 002 »

Roboplodicus wrote:I hope this isn't too much of a necro but is this mod viable with a SSM-N1U? http://www.mediafire.com/file/ytohm708f ... U.pdf/file that is the service manual
Yes, you can do it. Some resources:
  • A comprehensive RGB mod would be populating all components as per Keith Gable's documentation on recapping and modifying SII chassis sets here - check the 'Information' and 'RGB Mod' sheets.
  • A quick RGB mod would be based on the documentation in this very thread (or my GitHub documentation here), plus reading the comment from 'gksmach' on this thread where he mentions the variations on the quick RGB mod required for the N2 (SII) chassis.
tongshadow
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by tongshadow »

Does this mod support sync on composite on N1/2 models?
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NewSchoolBoxer
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by NewSchoolBoxer »

That's a 50 ohm BNC connector. You want 75 ohm for video. With 50 ohm, you get an impedance mismatch that causes 0.17 dB / 4% power loss and the reflected wave can cause a little more interference. Small but I expect it's noticeable.
jeffez
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by jeffez »

This is great, i might try this on my 20N6A at some stage

Edit : i just realised mine is a 20N1A so maybe this isn't for me
tongshadow
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Re: Sony SSM-20N5U RGB mod!

Post by tongshadow »

tongshadow wrote:Does this mod support sync on composite on N1/2 models?
Ok, after a grueling week modding my SSM-14N1U I can confirm sync on composite works as sync, it doesnt have to be CSYNC/Raw-sync like I've seen people say.
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