SNES not working on my XRGB mini

[CrystalUnclear]

Hey there. This is my first post here but I've seen quite useful topics regarding the Framemeister in here before registering. However, I've been looking if someone has a similar problem to mine but I haven't found any. I've been trying to get the SNES to work with my Framemeister but no progress at all. All I get is 'No input' in the screen but there is audio which is even weirder. I even tried my other SNES (I have a modded SNES mini to output RGB and the original model) and both of them had the same issue. I use the GameCube's official RGB Scart cable by the way and I do have the European Scart adapter for the Framemeister and it's working just fine with my Dreamcast. I also tried to update the firmware with my 32gb micro SD card (for some reason no SD card came with the XRGB) by doing exactly what the guides in the wiki says but everything is unchanged and the firmware version is still 1.08

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[mickcris]

have you tried to adjust the sync level on the xrgb-mini? Default is 9 but you may need to increase it for your setup.

[CrystalUnclear]

have you tried to adjust the sync level on the xrgb-mini? Default is 9 but you may need to increase it for your setup.

Just tried to do that actually but no level worked

[mickcris]

have you tried to adjust the sync level on the xrgb-mini? Default is 9 but you may need to increase it for your setup.

Just tried to do that actually but no level worked

deleted incorrect info

[CrystalUnclear]

have you tried to adjust the sync level on the xrgb-mini? Default is 9 but you may need to increase it for your setup.

Just tried to do that actually but no level worked

Are the SNES's you are trying to use PAL? If they are NTSC, that cable will not work.

They are NTSC but the cable works just fine on my TV with both of them

[mickcris]

Never mind then. I thought the gamecube cable was for PAL consoles only and would not work with NTSC. I guess that is only for SNES cables.

[Shining]

The adapter you are using, does it have a sync stripper built in or is it a passive one?

[CrystalUnclear]

The adapter you are using, does it have a sync stripper built in or is it a passive one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micomsoft-XRG ... 1194541007 this is the one I'm using

[Shining]

Hm, that's weird. My official GCN RGB cable + US SNES (1CHIP) has worked with that same adapter even since lower firmwares. However, i've had a lot of issues with this cable and other adapters.

[mickcris]

That adapter is your problem then. I had issues with this same adaptor and removed the sync stripper from mine.

Looked up the connector and I think you need voltage connected to pin 8. The gamecube cable does not do this on an ntsc console. You can modify it to work if you want.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ ... m#gamecube

So either connect the wire (before the resistor) going to pin 16 in the scart head too, instead of the wire already connected to pin 8 or remove the sync stripper from the adapter. See the diagram above the gamecube one for the NTSC SNES to see how it should be wired.

[CrystalUnclear]

That adapter is your problem then. I had issues with this same adaptor and removed the sync stripper from mine.

Looked up the connector and I think you need voltage connected to pin 8. The gamecube cable does not do this on an ntsc console. You can modify it to work if you want.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ ... m#gamecube

So either connect the wire (before the resistor) going to pin 16 in the scart head too, instead of the wire already connected to pin 8 or remove the sync stripper from the adapter. See the diagram above the gamecube one for the NTSC SNES to see how it should be wired.

I went to the "safe" route and spent the extra cash for the adapter and one of the solutions is removing the sync stripper. Kind of a bummer if you ask me but thank you for your help. Greatly appreciated!

[mickcris]

That adapter is your problem then. I had issues with this same adaptor and removed the sync stripper from mine.

Looked up the connector and I think you need voltage connected to pin 8. The gamecube cable does not do this on an ntsc console. You can modify it to work if you want.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ ... m#gamecube

So either connect the wire (before the resistor) going to pin 16 in the scart head too, instead of the wire already connected to pin 8 or remove the sync stripper from the adapter. See the diagram above the gamecube one for the NTSC SNES to see how it should be wired.

I went to the "safe" route and spent the extra cash for the adapter and one of the solutions is removing the sync stripper. Kind of a bummer if you ask me but thank you for your help. Greatly appreciated!

Yeah, I did not know when I bought mine that it would not work with some of my consoles. At the time retro_accessories was not selling one without the stripper I think also. You either need to bypass or power the stripper. Installing a switch in the scart head, to turn the stripper on and off, would work also. Or buy an NTSC SNES scart cable or a passive adapter.

[CrystalUnclear]

That adapter is your problem then. I had issues with this same adaptor and removed the sync stripper from mine.

Looked up the connector and I think you need voltage connected to pin 8. The gamecube cable does not do this on an ntsc console. You can modify it to work if you want.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ ... m#gamecube

So either connect the wire (before the resistor) going to pin 16 in the scart head too, instead of the wire already connected to pin 8 or remove the sync stripper from the adapter. See the diagram above the gamecube one for the NTSC SNES to see how it should be wired.

I went to the "safe" route and spent the extra cash for the adapter and one of the solutions is removing the sync stripper. Kind of a bummer if you ask me but thank you for your help. Greatly appreciated!

Yeah, I did not know when I bought mine that it would not work with some of my consoles. At the time retro_accessories was not selling one without the stripper I think also. You either need to bypass or power the stripper. Installing a switch in the scart head, to turn the stripper on and off, would work also. Or buy an NTSC SNES scart cable or a passive adapter.

Will an NTSC SNES Scart work with the European or the Japanese adapter? Also, can this by any chance be the cause of me running my NTSC SNES with a UK power supply and/or my Framemeister running with a UK power supply as well? That might be completely irrelevant but my knowledge is limited with this

[mickcris]

You can get either a jap21 cable or a euro scart cable (whichever you prefer). The NTSC refers to the console side of the cable. Im not sure about the power supply but probably not an issue since you said the consoles work on your tv. Your issue appears to be that the sync stripper in your adapter is stopping your sync signal as its not getting any power from the PAL gamecube scart cable you are using.

I assume you are in the UK so these would be some choices:
non-sync stripper version of adapter
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/euro ... -sale.html
and NTSC SNES cable:
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html

Retro Accessories (in the US) seems to be out of the Euro Scart version of the SNES cable but has the JAP21 listed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Nintendo- ... 1070884096
and the adapter without the sync stripper:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micomsoft-XRGB- ... 1034395522

[CrystalUnclear]

You can get either a jap21 cable or a euro scart cable (whichever you prefer). The NTSC refers to the console side of the cable. Im not sure about the power supply but probably not an issue since you said the consoles work on your tv. Your issue appears to be that the sync stripper in your adapter is stopping your sync signal as its not getting any power from the PAL gamecube scart cable you are using.

I assume you are in the UK so these would be some choices:
non-sync stripper version of adapter
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/euro ... -sale.html
and NTSC SNES cable:
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html

Retro Accessories (in the US) seems to be out of the Euro Scart version of the SNES cable but has the JAP21 listed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Nintendo- ... 1070884096
and the adapter without the sync stripper:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micomsoft-XRGB- ... 1034395522

Correct, I'm in the UK. So if I get http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html should I go for Composite Video or Composite Sync? I'm guessing this one will have a higher probability of working with the adapter that has the sync stripper in it

[mickcris]

You can get either a jap21 cable or a euro scart cable (whichever you prefer). The NTSC refers to the console side of the cable. Im not sure about the power supply but probably not an issue since you said the consoles work on your tv. Your issue appears to be that the sync stripper in your adapter is stopping your sync signal as its not getting any power from the PAL gamecube scart cable you are using.

I assume you are in the UK so these would be some choices:
non-sync stripper version of adapter
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/euro ... -sale.html
and NTSC SNES cable:
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html

Retro Accessories (in the US) seems to be out of the Euro Scart version of the SNES cable but has the JAP21 listed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Nintendo- ... 1070884096
and the adapter without the sync stripper:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micomsoft-XRGB- ... 1034395522

Correct, I'm in the UK. So if I get http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html should I go for Composite Video or Composite Sync? I'm guessing this one will have a higher probability of working with the adapter that has the sync stripper in it

That one should have voltage on pin 8 in the scart head so it should work, as long as its wired correctly. I assume it will be since they also sell an adaptor with the sync stripper in it. The gamecube cable you are currently using would have 12v on pin 8 if it was connected to a PAL gamecube but connection to that pin on the SNES is CSYNC.

I dont think it should really matter about the sync too much. The stripper is making the composite video into composite sync. Composite sync may not work on some devices I have heard but the xrgb-mini should work with both.

The description of their adaptor with they sync stripper shows why its not working with your cable:
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/mico ... ipper.html
Power requirements
Requires a EuroSCART which is wired for +5 to +12 volts on pin 8 to power up the LM1881 sync stripper circuit. Please see SCART circuit diagram below. - See more at: http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/mico ... BYtHH.dpuf

[CrystalUnclear]

You can get either a jap21 cable or a euro scart cable (whichever you prefer). The NTSC refers to the console side of the cable. Im not sure about the power supply but probably not an issue since you said the consoles work on your tv. Your issue appears to be that the sync stripper in your adapter is stopping your sync signal as its not getting any power from the PAL gamecube scart cable you are using.

I assume you are in the UK so these would be some choices:
non-sync stripper version of adapter
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/euro ... -sale.html
and NTSC SNES cable:
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html

Retro Accessories (in the US) seems to be out of the Euro Scart version of the SNES cable but has the JAP21 listed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Nintendo- ... 1070884096
and the adapter without the sync stripper:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micomsoft-XRGB- ... 1034395522

Correct, I'm in the UK. So if I get http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html should I go for Composite Video or Composite Sync? I'm guessing this one will have a higher probability of working with the adapter that has the sync stripper in it

That one should have voltage on pin 8 in the scart head so it should work, as long as its wired correctly. I assume it will be since they also sell an adaptor with the sync stripper in it. The gamecube cable you are currently would have 12v on pin 8 if it was connected to a PAL gamecube but connection to that pin on the SNES is CSYNC.

I dont think it should really matter about the sync too much. The stripper is making the composite video sync into composite sync. Composite sync may not work on some devices I have heard but the xrgb-mini should work with both.

The description of their adaptor with they sync stripper shows why its not working with your cable:
http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/mico ... ipper.html
Power requirements
Requires a EuroSCART which is wired for +5 to +12 volts on pin 8 to power up the LM1881 sync stripper circuit. Please see SCART circuit diagram below. - See more at: http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/mico ... BYtHH.dpuf

I just purchased http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/supe ... -sale.html with the Composite Video and EuroScart options. I have my hopes up on it but even if for some reason it still won't solve the issue, I still appreciate what you put up with. So thanks again

[mickcris]

No problem. Im 99% sure it will work.

[AdamBlue]

Bumping this thread as I may have a related issue (minus the XRGB mini):

I bought the similar cable from above - snes euro with csync. Worked great on my XM29 Plus. Then one day, it stopped. I still got sound, but the video was wavy and scrolling vertically. My Genesis is on the same switcher, and it was fine. Tried the SNES cable without the switcher, and still nothing. The next day I tried it again and my SNES was working fine! I didn't understand why. I then later went back to play, and it was back to wavy scrolling picture. Sometimes, as soon as I turn on the SNES, it would quickly flash white or red. But, always audio. Other consoles work, and SNES continues to do fine with S-Video.

I'm stumped with this. It works, doesn't, then works again, then doesn't?

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions on this.

[CkRtech]

Bumping this thread as I may have a related issue (minus the XRGB mini):

I bought the similar cable from above - snes euro with csync. Worked great on my XM29 Plus. Then one day, it stopped. I still got sound, but the video was wavy and scrolling vertically. My Genesis is on the same switcher, and it was fine. Tried the SNES cable without the switcher, and still nothing. The next day I tried it again and my SNES was working fine! I didn't understand why. I then later went back to play, and it was back to wavy scrolling picture. Sometimes, as soon as I turn on the SNES, it would quickly flash white or red. But, always audio. Other consoles work, and SNES continues to do fine with S-Video.

I'm stumped with this. It works, doesn't, then works again, then doesn't?

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions on this.

Kinda sounds like you have a loose ground in your cable, imho.

[AdamBlue]

Bumping this thread as I may have a related issue (minus the XRGB mini):

I bought the similar cable from above - snes euro with csync. Worked great on my XM29 Plus. Then one day, it stopped. I still got sound, but the video was wavy and scrolling vertically. My Genesis is on the same switcher, and it was fine. Tried the SNES cable without the switcher, and still nothing. The next day I tried it again and my SNES was working fine! I didn't understand why. I then later went back to play, and it was back to wavy scrolling picture. Sometimes, as soon as I turn on the SNES, it would quickly flash white or red. But, always audio. Other consoles work, and SNES continues to do fine with S-Video.

I'm stumped with this. It works, doesn't, then works again, then doesn't?

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions on this.

Kinda sounds like you have a loose ground in your cable, imho.

Thanks for the response. Retro Gaming Cables asked for pictures of the scart end opened and I've sent those - just waiting to hear back and then I can confirm.

[AdamBlue]

Images just in case:







Look alright?

[RGB32E]

Images just in case:



Look alright?

Other than:
1. The lack of shielding
2. The exposed resistor wire (could short to the exposed RGB lines)
3. The single ground connection on pin 18
4. The cheapie caps
5. The mysterious blue heat shrink conductors that connect to..?

It looks ok.

[CkRtech]

Pretty sure I ordered a cable from them like 6 years ago and had a similar problem. It was a loose ground connection at the SNES plug.

[AdamBlue]

OK, thanks again. I'm sure they'll send me a replacement once they've seen the pics. Do you guys recommend any other place to buy SNES RGB cables?

[eightbitminiboss]

Retro Console Accessories: http://www.ebay.com/sch/retro_console_a ... pg=&_from=

I have never had a problem with her cables.

[AdamBlue]

Retro Console Accessories: http://www.ebay.com/sch/retro_console_a ... pg=&_from=

I have never had a problem with her cables.

That's where I got my Genny cable from - but she didn't have any SNES at the time. Now they are there!

[trunk]

Retro Console Accessories: http://www.ebay.com/sch/retro_console_a ... pg=&_from=

I have never had a problem with her cables.

That's where I got my Genny cable from - but she didn't have any SNES at the time. Now they are there!

I can back this too. Amazing cables. Worth every penny. SNES Audio buzz is pretty much gone. Especially on my rgb modded snes jr. It was unplayable with a cheap cable.

[AdamBlue]

I got the new cables in, and I'm still seeing a problem. It still looks out of sync, but not in the same way the other cable looked.

I'm not sure how my Genesis can be fine, but multiple SNES cables fail (yet, it has worked for a week).

One strange occurrence was the Genesis being out of sync, but I could never reproduce it again. I always hear this monitor requires a sync tripper, but Genesis works and SNES has worked. Not sure if that's related.

Any thoughts?

[Ed Oscuro]

Sounds like the new connector should be cracked open once again.

I don't mean to derail your thread, but we really need to have a "stay away from Retro Gaming Cables" thread with all the shoddy work we've seen from them over the years. That cable posted before is just unacceptable - even if you get an "as designed" sample there are still some glaring flaws as RGB32E pointed out.

I would say return it and buy from somebody else, like eBay's "retro console accessories" (I don't mean to be a shill here - I'd recommend others if I knew of any).

Edit: I was notified that I wrote the wrong supplier name here. I also realize that I don't wish to specifically have a boycott mentality against any supplier - rather I think the relative quality of each supplier should be known so that people can figure out where to spend their money wisely. Yes, from what I've read it's probably still the case that Retro Gaming Cables is not the best on quality.