XRGB-mini Framemeister

AkibaDecker · Post by **AkibaDecker** » Sat May 03, 2014 4:07 am

jessiewonka wrote:
Here are pictures of the setup. As expected, it's messy.
Nice, thanks for sharing! How did you come up with the power solution for that mini adapter? I'd love to see a video of how you did that.

Fudoh, do you know if he implemented the same solution you're suggesting?

Oh, that was how the cable (SCART to XRGB) was sold!

jessiewonka · Post by **jessiewonka** » Sat May 03, 2014 4:21 am

AkibaDecker wrote:
jessiewonka wrote:
Here are pictures of the setup. As expected, it's messy.
Nice, thanks for sharing! How did you come up with the power solution for that mini adapter? I'd love to see a video of how you did that.

Fudoh, do you know if he implemented the same solution you're suggesting?
Oh, that was how the cable (SCART to XRGB) was sold!

Ahh -- from retro_console_accessories on eBay? Mine from them has no power coming off it, instead I think drawing power directly from the mini.

Well, let's see what happens tomorrow when the AC adapter comes for the Kenzei. If that doesn't fix it, and I'm thinking it may not, then I'll have to either figure out Fudoh's suggestion, or try another mini adapter.

beharius · Post by **beharius** » Sat May 03, 2014 5:59 am

This mod can solve it, I think...
jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/images/tuts/lm1881-spst.jpg

Here one part of the switch will output cleaned Csync(for other consoles) and the other part will output the normal untouched csync coming from the Kenzei.

Hanzo/Kenzei can't provide enough voltage for that lm1881 circuit. Also pin8 is not wired on the circuit, only pin16. I will test it with an AC adapter. Still no need to use lm1881 with the Kenzei setup.
If that mini din cable requires voltage from the pin8 then it won't work, Kenzei or the cable needs to be modified.

AkibaDecker · Post by **AkibaDecker** » Sat May 03, 2014 6:33 am

jessiewonka wrote: Ahh -- from retro_console_accessories on eBay? Mine from them has no power coming off it, instead I think drawing power directly from the mini.

Well, let's see what happens tomorrow when the AC adapter comes for the Kenzei. If that doesn't fix it, and I'm thinking it may not, then I'll have to either figure out Fudoh's suggestion, or try another mini adapter.

I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure I bought the cable because of much earlier posts in this thread

if they aren't selling it at the moment, might not hurt to ask if they can produce one again.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Sat May 03, 2014 7:24 am

Hanzo/Kenzei can't provide enough voltage for that lm1881 circuit. Also pin8 is not wired on the circuit, only pin16. I will test it with an AC adapter. Still no need to use lm1881 with the Kenzei setup. If that mini din cable requires voltage from the pin8 then it won't work, Kenzei or the cable needs to be modified.

I assume it's pin 8 since pin 16 usually only carries a voltage of 3V or less, while pin 8 gets the full 5V. But anyway, if the Kenzei's circuit board doesn't have pin 8 connected, this makes it just easier. This would really just require a short cable bridge from the +5V pin on the bottom of the power connector to pin 8 of the onboard scart connector. Problem solved.

@jessiewonka: this would be the same as powering the the LM1881 on it's own.

beharius · Post by **beharius** » Sat May 03, 2014 8:42 am

From the switch's middle leg to the pin 8 can solve it.

jessiewonka · Post by **jessiewonka** » Sat May 03, 2014 7:17 pm

I'll paste here what I wrote Yossi, could be helpful if anyone else runs into this issue.

The AC adapter came today which obviously did not solve it. But it did make the Kenzei’s light much brighter! One strange thing though: even with the AC adapter, the Kenzei still doesn’t seem to turn on (no light) when run through my SCART switch. Hopefully it’s just the mini adapter’s sync stripper to blame again?

So it sounds like there are two options, if I understand this correctly:

a) The Kenzei could be modded with the solution you and Fudoh mentioned in the forums.

or

b) The mini adapter cable with the stripper could be modded with a switch, so the chip could be bypassed when using the DC.

I’m unsure which to choose. Modifying the Kenzei just to appease my silly adapter seems like overkill. I could come across this issue again one day, so maybe I should just have the switch added to the cable.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Sat May 03, 2014 7:24 pm

Modding the Kenzei is easier. It's really just one cable, two soldering points. Adding a switch to a Scart header involves much more work.

jessiewonka · Post by **jessiewonka** » Sat May 03, 2014 7:27 pm

Fudoh wrote:Modding the Kenzei is easier. It's really just one cable, two soldering points. Adding a switch to a Scart header involves much more work.

Yeah, I think you and Yossi convinced me.

Retro Access · Post by **Retro Access** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:09 pm

I can indeed sell that adapter with the piggyback power cord for the lm1881 again.

I have the components in stock and I will list some tomorrow.

If you need one just throw me a message on ebay.

BuckoA51 · Post by **BuckoA51** » Mon May 05, 2014 12:44 am

Great news Retro Access! I highly recommend them, with that adaptor on my Mini I haven't had to touch sync level once, nor have I had any problematic systems.

jessiewonka · Post by **jessiewonka** » Mon May 05, 2014 6:53 am

Retro Access wrote:I can indeed sell that adapter with the piggyback power cord for the lm1881 again.

I have the components in stock and I will list some tomorrow.

If you need one just throw me a message on ebay.

Great, thank you. Wow, what an all-star thread!

arovane · Post by **arovane** » Mon May 05, 2014 9:01 pm

Ok so I finished modding my euro multimega into a region-free multimega, and it still is out of sync with the mini

The Multimega mod is a very interesting one, allowing you to switch from 50hz to 60hz by a small pressure on the reset button, and if you press longer you change region (US-JAP-EUR), and it works with both CD's and cartridges. And it accepts 32X. This is now a god-like machine.

Problem is that the mini won't sync with NTSC regions, or at list it loses sync very quickly. But, as with the Pal Megadrive, no problem when I switch in a Pal 50hz signal. But yeah, who wants to play in Pal. Anyway, very weird. I'm going to receive a EuroSCART to Framemeister with LM1881 (the one I have hasn't LM1881), I hope it will solve once and for all the sync issue.

Something entirely different now: I've keep an eye on the thread about the Dreamcast -> Hanzo -> VGA Cable -> Kenzei. I have a Dremacast with UMSA and VGA box. How does that differ? Is using the Hanzo with Kenzei a much better option?

BuckoA51 · Post by **BuckoA51** » Mon May 05, 2014 9:07 pm

Use a raw sync cable that should sort things out if the sync stripper does not.

Something entirely different now: I've keep an eye on the thread about the Dreamcast -> Hanzo -> VGA Cable -> Kenzei. I have a Dremacast with UMSA and VGA box. How does that differ? Is using the Hanzo with Kenzei a much better option?

Picture quality wise it's exactly the same.

arovane · Post by **arovane** » Mon May 05, 2014 9:19 pm

BuckoA51 wrote:Use a raw sync cable that should sort things out if the sync stripper does not.

Thanks for your answer

Pardon my ignorance but... what is a raw sync cable? you mean this one: http://www.ebay.fr/itm/US-seller-Genesi ... 258b6f592b

BuckoA51 wrote:Picture quality wise it's exactly the same.

Then I don't get why some people would like to spend more money on two devices instead of just one.

Retro Access · Post by **Retro Access** » Tue May 06, 2014 1:27 am

jessiewonka wrote:
Retro Access wrote:I can indeed sell that adapter with the piggyback power cord for the lm1881 again.

I have the components in stock and I will list some tomorrow.

If you need one just throw me a message on ebay.
Great, thank you. Wow, what an all-star thread!

Yeah sorry about the delay on it, hardly anybody sells female line plugs (well, nobody does) so I have to find good power extension cables instead. I ordered a lot this time so I should have them up consistently from now. Made male versions too for those with the problematic SCART switch boxes.

darcagn · Post by **darcagn** » Tue May 06, 2014 7:55 am

Retro Access wrote:
jessiewonka wrote:
Retro Access wrote:I can indeed sell that adapter with the piggyback power cord for the lm1881 again.

I have the components in stock and I will list some tomorrow.

If you need one just throw me a message on ebay.
Great, thank you. Wow, what an all-star thread!
Yeah sorry about the delay on it, hardly anybody sells female line plugs (well, nobody does) so I have to find good power extension cables instead. I ordered a lot this time so I should have them up consistently from now. Made male versions too for those with the problematic SCART switch boxes.

I was actually going to ask you where you were getting yours, as I was thinking about making something for the Framemeister that require power. In my research last night, I found that MCM Electronics sells the female line plugs alone, but eBay has them for cheaper as extension cables, but I'm guessing you're already sourcing them from there.

BuckoA51 · Post by **BuckoA51** » Tue May 06, 2014 9:21 am

Then I don't get why some people would like to spend more money on two devices instead of just one.

Can your UMSA toggle between 15khz and 31khz modes from your Dreamcast? Nope didn't think so.

darcagn · Post by **darcagn** » Tue May 06, 2014 9:52 am

BuckoA51 wrote:
Then I don't get why some people would like to spend more money on two devices instead of just one.
Can your UMSA toggle between 15khz and 31khz modes from your Dreamcast? Nope didn't think so.

It's the Hanzo that does the switching, not the Kenzei, so really the UMSA would perform the same function of the Kenzei at a cheaper price...

BuckoA51 · Post by **BuckoA51** » Tue May 06, 2014 12:33 pm

Indeed but the two devices in question are the Hanzo and Kenzei. You buy the Hanzo for 15/31khz compatibility then the Kenzei for XRGB Mini compatibility. Also there's no reason I know of that a Kenzei won't work with a regular Dreamcast VGA box, I thought Kenzei was cheaper than the UMSA anyway.

darcagn · Post by **darcagn** » Tue May 06, 2014 1:46 pm

After double checking the prices, they're about the same, but since the Kenzei has more functionality, yeah, it's definitely the better route to go.

However I'm still a bit disappointed that there hasn't been a non-DIY simple solution to this yet. I did modify my VGA box for 15/31KHz and RGBS-out for the Framemeister, I was hoping the Kenzei would be a singular unit to replace my messy custom box with a nice manufactured box. I think I'm going to run to RadioShack later today and pick up a small little project box and whip up something nice from scratch and not all hacky like my VGA box.

beharius · Post by **beharius** » Tue May 06, 2014 2:31 pm

I can't release everything at the same time...

BTW Kenzei has a nice bonus feature:
Scart to RCA RGBS or vice versa pass-through conversion
so you can connect a scart cable to the Kenzei to get separate RCA RGBS outputs for connecting to a monitor/converter (e.q Sony PVM), opposite is also possible.

You can use Kenzei directly on professional display with separate BNC jacks for RGBS(like Sony PVM/BVM)

As seen on TV:
http://i.imgur.com/whtq4U7.jpg

arovane · Post by **arovane** » Tue May 06, 2014 2:58 pm

darcagn wrote:
BuckoA51 wrote:
Then I don't get why some people would like to spend more money on two devices instead of just one.
Can your UMSA toggle between 15khz and 31khz modes from your Dreamcast? Nope didn't think so.
It's the Hanzo that does the switching, not the Kenzei, so really the UMSA would perform the same function of the Kenzei at a cheaper price...

Ok but isn't the UMSA suppose to let through whatever you feed it automatically? Don't see the need to toggle between 15khz and 31khz manually... Now that I think of it, my -crappy- VGA box is able to output what they call "tv signal" and "PC signal" with a switch. I guess what they mean by that is you can chose between 15khz and 31khz, don't they? True though that my combo "chinese VGA box" + UMSA is not as sexy as Hanzo + Kenzei but hey... Maybe when I'll have some extra bucks

btw I just received the Scart with LM1881, Multimega is now playing perfectly on the mini, in whatever mode I chose. Still a minor glitch though: It won't play through the scart switcher like my other system does. I guess I'll have to buy that Raw sync scart cable afterall.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue May 06, 2014 3:02 pm

Don't see the need to toggle between 15khz and 31khz manually...

you don't have to toggle anything on the UMSA or the Kenzei.

The switch on the Hanzo has a different purpose. If you set it to 31khz (like any other VGA box) games like Bangaioh won't boot anymore. To make those non-VGA-compatible boot you set the switch to 15khz. It's not the same as your standard VGA box (VGA <-> TV).

BuckoA51 · Post by **BuckoA51** » Tue May 06, 2014 4:09 pm

btw I just received the Scart with LM1881, Multimega is now playing perfectly on the mini, in whatever mode I chose. Still a minor glitch though: It won't play through the scart switcher like my other system does. I guess I'll have to buy that Raw sync scart cable afterall.

SCART switches are notorious for that kind of thing, switching to raw sync will likely not solve it I'm afraid.

arovane · Post by **arovane** » Tue May 06, 2014 4:28 pm

BuckoA51 wrote:
btw I just received the Scart with LM1881, Multimega is now playing perfectly on the mini, in whatever mode I chose. Still a minor glitch though: It won't play through the scart switcher like my other system does. I guess I'll have to buy that Raw sync scart cable afterall.
SCART switches are notorious for that kind of thing, switching to raw sync will likely not solve it I'm afraid.

Yeah I know, but the scart switcher I have is powered, and it works with all the other consoles I have except the MD. Found out that all the other consoles switched on the CRT TV automatically when powered, except the MD, so maybe it has something to do with the quality of the scart or the pins... Worth the try I think. At least I'll have a better cable.

airs · Post by **airs** » Tue May 06, 2014 7:51 pm

arovane wrote:
BuckoA51 wrote:
btw I just received the Scart with LM1881, Multimega is now playing perfectly on the mini, in whatever mode I chose. Still a minor glitch though: It won't play through the scart switcher like my other system does. I guess I'll have to buy that Raw sync scart cable afterall.
SCART switches are notorious for that kind of thing, switching to raw sync will likely not solve it I'm afraid.

Yeah I know, but the scart switcher I have is powered, and it works with all the other consoles I have except the MD. Found out that all the other consoles switched on the CRT TV automatically when powered, except the MD, so maybe it has something to do with the quality of the scart or the pins... Worth the try I think. At least I'll have a better cable.

Are you using a male-male scart to connect your switch to the female scart end of the cable that has the LM1881? Or does that cable have a male scart end? If its the former, maybe that cable isn't fully wired? Maybe take some time to test with a multimeter.

arovane · Post by **arovane** » Wed May 07, 2014 11:39 am

arovane wrote:Are you using a male-male scart to connect your switch to the female scart end of the cable that has the LM1881? Or does that cable have a male scart end? If its the former, maybe that cable isn't fully wired? Maybe take some time to test with a multimeter.

Yes I tried it is fully wired, but thanks

By the way, I heard someone over here made an overlay for the mini remote, is that correct? If it is then I would love to get one of those!

I'm also interested in the Hanzo after hearing so much praise about it. Beside it is soon time to change my vga box. But how can I order one, and what's the price? Is there a web site dedicated? didn't find anything on the net.

TillDawn · Post by **TillDawn** » Wed May 07, 2014 2:13 pm

arovane wrote:By the way, I heard someone over here made an overlay for the mini remote, is that correct? If it is then I would love to get one of those!

Yes, see this Ebay listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XRGB-Mini-Frame ... 35cbc7149d

I recently ordered one, it's quite good.

keropi · Post by **keropi** » Wed May 07, 2014 3:29 pm

^ I ordered one as well before even getting the framemeister

, it's mandatory

shmups.system11.org

XRGB-mini Framemeister

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)

Re: XRGB-mini Framemeister (now available !)