Extron...what's it for exactly?

[Pasky]

I see a lot of mentions of this device but not quite sure what features it has and what exactly it was made to do. Would appreciate any information anyone could provide. Thank you.

[kamiboy]

Extron is a manufacturer of electronic goods.

[BuckoA51]

You mean RGB interfaces? See http://www.videogameperfection.com/2012 ... nterfaces/

[blizzz]

As far as I know the Extron Interfaces process sync (RGsB > RGBHV etc.), increase compatibility and shift the image. They can also do some other stuff like converting 480i to 240p.

Edit: Bucko was faster.

[Pasky]

Excellent, thanks. I may pick one up.


EDIT:

They only take VGA in? Does the sync need to be separated or can you feed it composite sync? Is there any delay on the device?

[ApolloBoy]

Exactly which device are you talking about? Extrom has a whole bunch of stuff and they all do different things.

[Pasky]

Extron RGB. Seems to be several versions of them as well. Unsure which would be best. I'm basically interested in the Sync cleanup as I have a couple devices that are real picky about the sync signal that amplifying and reducing the signal is not fixing.

[Xyga]

I guess the 203rxi is one of the most desirable since it's got DB15 connectors in place of DB9, plus horizontal and vertical shift (?)

[Pasky]

Does the 202i have vertical/horizontal? I don't care about the DB9 issue has it's just as much trouble for me to make a DB9 adapter as it is to make a DB15. Do they need separated sync or do they accept composite sync? Also, any processing delay?

[Unseen]

Do they need separated sync or do they accept composite sync?

Most if not all Extron RGB boxes should accept either (as well as Sync-on-Green), although it must be "clean" composite sync and not luma/composite video instead of sync. On the output side you usually have the choice between seperate H/V sync or composite sync as the intended use for these boxes was to provide a signal with a sync signal of known characteristics, e.g. for a projection system, no matter what was connected on the input.

Also, any processing delay?

No

[Pasky]

Can the Extron 203rxi take a 480p signal as an input? The specifications dont mention any specific resolutions.

[BuckoA51]

Every interface I've tried supports composite sync input (as long as it's clean sync) and you can feed in any resolution you want to, with the caveat about 480i getting processed/converted.

[Pasky]

Excellent, thanks. I'll grab a 202rxi then. Seems to allow vertical shift the same as a 203xri minus the db15.

[Pasky]

So, I bought a belkin mini din 8 to db9 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/351208714481). I wired it up as per the extrons spec and against the xrgb mini din 8 and it works perfectly on my CMVS and Supergun and the serration dip switch fixes some of the curvy effect I was getting on some of my arcade games, exactly why I got it.

However, I wanted to have everything just run through it, so I made a female scart to mini din 8 female cable, extremely short cables infact the mini din 8 connector was just poking out of the right angle neck hole on the scart cable. Every console I plugged it into however did not work (SNES, NES, GENESIS). I have a feeling it was the scart cable but I'm wondering if someone ever experienced this. It's strange because I checked the continuity with the console plugged in and everything was good and reaching the db9 from the scart solder cup pins. I'm thinking maybe the female scart pins weren't making contact with the male pins.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[BazookaBen]

My first guess is that most of your SCART cables are using composite video for sync. The Extron RGB units require clean sync. Though I'm not totally positive, because I thought RGB modded NES' put out c-sync.

[Pasky]

No, they're all composite sync. I have a Lm1881 in the genesis and snes. The NES is a NESRGB using CS#.

[BazookaBen]

Hmmm, another possibility would be that you mixed up some of the pins when you made your adapter.

There also might be a sync polarity issue. You can adjust all that stuff with internal jumpers on the Extron.

[Pasky]

Continuity was verified, pins were not mixed or swapped. I tried the dip switches.

Has anyone used a NESRGB modified NES with an extron 202rxi? Wondering if it doesn't like filtering on the sync line Tim added to later boards. It still wouldn't explain the SNES and Genesis not working. =/

[BuckoA51]

I've used PS2 and SNES through my 203 Rxi using this cable http://www.videogameperfection.com/2014 ... le-review/ and they worked perfectly. DDSP needed to be on for the PS2 (at least while it was outputting 480i).

Mini DIN to DB9 seems a strange cable to get, how exactly have you got this all connected?

[Pasky]

Not a lot of good that's gonna do me . Mine doesn't use a VGA socket. I still think it was just the cheap shitty scart connector not getting pin contact, just want to make sure the extron is okay with the NESRGB sync filter. I know my mini din 8 to db9 works perfect because it's working great on my super gun and cmvs.

I just took a right angle female scart connector and wired the solder cups to a mini din 8. Verified the pinouts and continuity and it was good to go. Even verified continuity with the mini din to db9 plugged into it at the db9 pins from the solder cups. What I didn't check is if the console was getting through since it would have been a pain. I bought a chinese scart coupler and just gonna drill a hole into it and wire the mini din to it, hopefully the scart connector is better quality. http://www.ebay.com/itm/231318521455

[BuckoA51]

I could ask Rob if he'd wire up a DB9 version for you, he already carries female SCART to DB9 for the old Commodore monitors, but I don't know if the Extron 202's are wired the same as that?

[Pasky]

Well already bought the box. So not really looking to order anything now.

[Pasky]

Anyone have an issue with the 202rxi's causing video interference? I get diagonal lines, like power interference on my capture card and rgb monitor using it. I get no interference if I run the Jamma board straight to the tv from my supergun or to my capture card. Is there any fix for this?

[BazookaBen]

Haven't had any interference on my 201rxi. Can you take a screenshot of it on your capture card?

[Pasky]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vwvf0k8m4ebjk ... h.MP4?dl=0

You can see it the most in the blues and the sky during the cutscene. Also really well on the princess's shadow.

Download it to view in best quality, watching it via dropbox lowers the bitrate considerably.

[BazookaBen]

Yeah, I see it on the solid color backgrounds. Don't have any advice though. I use my 201rxi for 480p stuff and I've never noticed that.

[spaceape]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vwvf0k8m4ebjk ... h.MP4?dl=0

You can see it the most in the blues and the sky during the cutscene. Also really well on the princess's shadow.

Download it to view in best quality, watching it via dropbox lowers the bitrate considerably.

I've got that problem with my XRGB-3 connected to my Extron 203. Almost same thing. My interference was horizontal lines sometimes moving downward or stopping for a while if i moved the vga cables around the back of the XRGB. I also had solid vertical lines and a generally snowy picture. My interference had a greenish tint to it.

I found the only way to fix this was to move the image a couple of inches to the left with the extron until the noise was gone.

Finally i got tired of loosing so much of the picture that i in desperation found and bought an Xselect-D4 and that fixed it for me but the component sources still have a bit of noise to it and the xselect for some reason can't handle the Sega Genesis, i only get a black picture with that one.

I believed the issue to be XRGB-3 related since i tried seemingly every combination and elimination method and replacing the scart input of the XRGB with the one of the xselect was the only solution i found. But the problem with the Genesis and component material still exists though. Maybe someday i'll get a perfect setup.

[BuckoA51]

Are you getting the same interference with DDSP dip switch on and off?

[Pasky]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vwvf0k8m4ebjk ... h.MP4?dl=0

You can see it the most in the blues and the sky during the cutscene. Also really well on the princess's shadow.

Download it to view in best quality, watching it via dropbox lowers the bitrate considerably.

I've got that problem with my XRGB-3 connected to my Extron 203. Almost same thing. My interference was horizontal lines sometimes moving downward or stopping for a while if i moved the vga cables around the back of the XRGB. I also had solid vertical lines and a generally snowy picture. My interference had a greenish tint to it.

I found the only way to fix this was to move the image a couple of inches to the left with the extron until the noise was gone.

Finally i got tired of loosing so much of the picture that i in desperation found and bought an Xselect-D4 and that fixed it for me but the component sources still have a bit of noise to it and the xselect for some reason can't handle the Sega Genesis, i only get a black picture with that one.

I believed the issue to be XRGB-3 related since i tried seemingly every combination and elimination method and replacing the scart input of the XRGB with the one of the xselect was the only solution i found. But the problem with the Genesis and component material still exists though. Maybe someday i'll get a perfect setup.

Ah...bummer =/.

Are you getting the same interference with DDSP dip switch on and off?

Yes.

[BuckoA51]

Might be worth changing sync polarity (especially for you spaceape).

Worth a shot anyway.