XRGB mini - RGB setup issues

[Zer0-2k11]

Hey everybody,

I am currently having some issues with my RGB Scart Setup and im in need of help.
Setup and everything was working great but some reason today it stopped working.

My setup
XRGB Mini (Using stock AC adapter from Framemeister)
8 Pin Mini Din to Euro Scart (Regular - No LM1881 - Retrogamingcables.co.uk)
2x Bandridge 5 way Manual Scart Switcher (Daisy Chained)
Console Scart Cables (Retro_console_accessories @ ebay)
Scart cable to connect from bandridge to xrgb (Ebay - http://www.ebay.ca/itm/400598428557?ssP ... 1439.l2649)
Scart cable to connect both bandridges (Same as the ebay link above)


Today i turned on my Saturn to play Street Fighter II in capcom generations and the XRGB mini was having a hard time displaying the picture.

It didn't say "No Input" but was on a black screen and no sound (No input on the TV side?). So i tried to connect the saturn directly

into the mini and the screen was cutting in and out every 2 to 3 seconds and when the picture was displayed in that short amount of time

the screen was jumping. So i tried to bump up the Sync level to about 23, and the picture stopped cutting in and out but the screen was

still jumping, it wasn't getting better than that. So i figured it might be the 8 pin mini din to euro scart adapter failing of some sort so i took my JP21 mini din cable

that came with the mini and rewired it to euro scart and the picture is solid, no problems. So i then attempted to hook up my

bandridge switch box and the same issue happened except no picture at all. It was doing the "black screen and no sound thing" again.

Afterwards, i tried to hook up just the 1 scart switcher to see and still the same issue.

So far what i'm thinking it might be is:

- The Scart cables from ebay to connect the bandridge to XRGB mini

- 8 pin mini din to euro scart adapter

- The Bandridge scart switchers

- 8 pin mini din port failing on the XRGB mini?

I'm kinda lost on why the setup stopped working all of the sudden . help is greatly appreciated

*Edit*

Just bought 2 of these scart cables here, hoping using the 1 will fix the issue and use the other one for my Hanzo + Kenzei setup. They're made by Profigold too (Bandridge): http://www.ebay.ca/itm/380488770311?ssP ... 1439.l2649

I also bought a IXOS short scart lead (0.75m) to daisy chain the switch boxes: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/380313230536?ssP ... 1439.l2649

I also bought a new euro scart to xrgb adapter too here just in case: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Micomsoft-XRGB-M ... 2ece956f82

[EmperorZelos]

Does it have syncstrike in it? the XRGB scart part

[Zer0-2k11]

Does it have syncstrike in it? the XRGB scart part

No, just a regular passive euro scart to mini adapter and using 1.10 firmware. I'm really strongly suspecting the cheap scart leads though because it was fine with the consoles directly connected to the mini, but when i hook it all back up while using the cheap scart leads to connect the switch boxes to the mini, it starts to give me issues again. Today i hooked everything back up again to the switch box and was working perfectly for a little while then the issues started occurring again.

[Retro Access]

It's most likely those cheap SCART cables.

1 meter is a bit of a long distance for using for a patch cable too. You're sending that signal down a lot of lengths of cable and plugs and you'll always lose quality and integrity of the signal.

A good idea is to cut out the 1m patch cable and the 8 pin din adaptor and bring it down to one male SCART to 8 pin din. Plug the bandridge straight into the xrgb mini.

So, having the requisite parts there, you could take a SCART plug off the 1m cable and solder that to the 8 pin adaptor.

Remembering of course that the pin out will differ from the regular console to SCART plug. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART

You want to use the "output" pin out ie composite=pin 19 not 20, audio on 1 and 3.

That's assuming your male to male patch cable is a solder type. A lot of them aren't.

If you want, I can adapt my cables on ebay to male instead of female plugs. A few people have asked for that.

The longer your cable hookups, the more likely you are to see problems.

In my experience, the first thing to go with xrgb mini is often sync.

The xrgb is not very tolerant of a weakened sync signal. It sounds like this is even the case with newer firmware. Especially given you have to manually alter the sync range.

An lm1881 circuit might fix it, but then you have voltage problems from the 5v line going through lengths of cable too. If you measure it you'll find there's always a drop in voltage. With bandridge it's significant because for some reason there are two diodes in it that cause an extra voltage drop (a customer told me about this, I don't have that SCART switcher.)

You could use an el1883 sync stripper (runs off 3-5v).

OR you could simply cut down on the cable lengths and hopefully fix the loss of sync issue without having to use sync stripper circuits and the like.

[Retro Access]

Oh man you'll be that guy in Canada then who bought the 8 pin adaptor off me.

I already mailed it.

My first advice would have been to use a male plug on that and cut out at least one of the patch cables.

Wish I'd caught this sooner I would have done that for you.

[Zer0-2k11]

Hi, Retro Access

It's ok, dont sweat it .

I don't think i can be bothered to mess with those 1m cables after the inconvenience those caused me already.
I didn't know you take special requests. Since i already bought a few cables already and shipping everything back would be quite a bit (It says you already shipped the adapter), I'm thinking of using the IXOS cable (Which is perfect length to how everything is set up) to connect the mini to the scart switch box and use one of the Profigold cable for my Hanzo + Kenzei (Dreamcast VGA Box + Sync Combiner with female scart output) and keep the other around for a spare. Would you be able to make a 0.30m (1 Foot) cable to daisy chain my 2 scart switch boxes or shorter if you think it can pull it off? They are just stacked on top of each other.

[Retro Access]

I can throw something like that on ebay, or I can sell it here (I only recently noticed the feedback counts under the profile!)

I had some of those listed on ebay. A male to male patch. I experimented a lot with buying various patch cables hoping for resale but they were all soldered pretty badly, so I ended up resoldering them anyway. So I threw up my hands on that score and just made my own.

So it could be any length required really.

This was the listing : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 1244381312

I can throw that back on ebay if you like, or sell it here. Not sure how that feedback system works.

That is such a crappy listing. Request from a customer and I put it up using my phone. Loads of typos.

[EmperorZelos]

using an external powered syncstripper helped me alot with weak signals

[RossallB]

@Zer0-2k11

Did you get to the bottom of your XRGB Mini issue?
I am having similar issues with my XRGB mini RGB in port, it was working fine but now nothing seems to sync, and I get no picture from that input.
The other inputs on the XRGB Mini seem to be fine

Any information would be great, I have already returned it to Japan once at considerable postage cost and the replacement does the same thing.

Its very strange as it all used to work fine, I am running 1.10 firmware and have tried rolling back to previous firmwares and still no joy.

[Fudoh]

I am having similar issues with my XRGB mini RGB in port, it was working fine but now nothing seems to sync, and I get no picture from that input.

sounds like a loose ground connection on the adapter cable you're using.

[Zer0-2k11]

Just a quick update, It turned out it was either the adapter or the cheap eBay cable (It was most likely this). I replace them both at the same time and now the setup is working perfectly again. Thank you everybody for the help.

[McCracAttack]

FYI those SCART switches have some weird power/grounding issues with the 5th port. If you run into any more gremlins (like console lights coming on randomly) unplug the 5th ports. For future reference I mean.

[eightbitminiboss]

FYI those SCART switches have some weird power/grounding issues with the 5th port. If you run into any more gremlins (like console lights coming on randomly) unplug the 5th ports. For future reference I mean.

Can be fixed with slight modification of the switch.

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=49746