Cloning the Gamecube component cable

[bobrocks95]

Ah, so I was right, it is meneerbeer's board. When mods were first coming out I weighed all my options and thought it was the best choice. Glad to see it's being sold now, hope the standalone board ends up cheaper than the Pluto.

[meneerbeer]

Glad to see it's being sold now, hope the standalone board ends up cheaper than the Pluto.

That is what I am aiming for.

I ordered slightly modified PCBs. If the new design works all right, I am going to look into selling some.

[Unseen]

Let's add another argument to the great Cube/Wii/Wii U discussion! ;)


Note that using such a setup is not recommended. The signal integrity sucks, to get a stable and flickering-pixel-freei image I had to hold up the 54MHz wire to keep it separated from the other wires and even then I couldn't get a stable 480p image.

But it was enough to capture this over HDMI:


So, the theory that the internal video bus of the Wii uses the same signals as the Gamecube is true - which means that GCVideo can use it. However, the Wii's bus uses 1.8V levels, which is barely enough to register as a "1" on an input that is meant for 3.3V signals. Fortunately, this is not a big issue - the FPGAs used for GCVideo can be configured to accept 1.8V signals on their inputs - but this requires a different bit stream. I'll probably upload the files for that soon.

To connect a GCVideo board to the Wii, you need a few pins from the AVE-RVL video encoder:

Code: Select all

64 - VData 0
 1 - VData 1
 2 - VData 2
 3 - VData 3
 6 - VData 4
 7 - VData 5
 8 - 54MHz (or TP232 next to the chip)
11 - CSel
13 - VData 6
14 - VData 7
25 - I2S_BClock  (unverified)
27 - I2S_LRClock  (unverified)
29 - I2S_Data  (unverified)

I haven't actually tested the audio signals yet, the pin numbers may be wrong!

Power (5V/GND) can be taken from one of the USB connectors. I haven't traced out the Gamecube controller inputs yet to find a good spot to connect to - a direct connection to the pad's data line on the connector is possible, but not recommended. (Edit: See below) A suitable point for connecting the CableDetect signal is also not known yet, but simply plugging in a component cable is enough to enable 480p - or you could
CableDetect - unkown, just plug in a component cable for now or connect pins 8 and 10 on the AV connector.

Next problem: Figuring out the mechanical issues of either integrating a board into the Wii or routing a (short!) cable with all signals out of the case.

Edit: The circuit for the controller data lines is a bit simpler in the Wii than in the Gamecube, but there is at least a little bit of protection on the data lines. On the RVL-CPU-60 board I used, there are four test points near the four Gamecube controller connectors, labelled TP 27 to 30. Connecting the PadData line from GCVideo to one of them should work - I can't test it easily right now. For Wiis without Gamecube ports I'll need to implement a different solution for controlling the OSD.

[BuckoA51]

HDMI Wii you say?

[bobrocks95]

Nice! I knew the day would come sooner or later! Furthers the argument that the Wii is just a GameCube in a different box too heh.

So is the 54MHz line notably more sensitive in the Wii, or would a Gamecube with the same testing/prototyping setup be just as unstable?

That was one thing I wondered about meneerbeer's board- isn't the 54MHz line in the ribbon cable bundled with all the other data line? Why doesn't that cause issues, as it's both long and packed in right next to every other line?

[Unseen]

So is the 54MHz line notably more sensitive in the Wii, or would a Gamecube with the same testing/prototyping setup be just as unstable?

It's probably about the same as in a Gamecube - the setup on my photo is way worse than anything I ever connected to a Cube and even on the Cube I had occasional problems when it was just a bunch of wires hanging out of the back of the console.

That was one thing I wondered about meneerbeer's board- isn't the 54MHz line in the ribbon cable bundled with all the other data line? Why doesn't that cause issues, as it's both long and packed in right next to every other line?

The proper way to do it is to have a ground (or power) line next to the sensitive/noisy signal on both sides. You can even see this in the pinout of an SD card, the clock line has ground and power next to it. IDE originally didn't, they fixed that when they moved to 80-pin cables.

[Gunstar]

Amazing work, Unseen!

[NormalFish]

Sorry if this is a dumb thought, but could this tech be utilized to get a 480p rgb scart signal from the wii? Afaik this is still impossible, but it would be wonderful for my set up.

[Guspaz]

Sure, that's what GCVideo Lite does for the Gamecube, and the input to GCVideo (HDMI output) and GCVideo Lite (RGB/YPbPr output) is the same.

[Seraphic]

I was looking to upgrade my GameCube to digital HDMI+Audio sometime in the near future.

Does anyone have information on Bad Ass Consoles's Digital GameCube Plug-N-Play mod and time-frame? I take it is a dongle that plugs into the Digital A/V port and combines the Digital Video/Audio and sends out over HDMI? videogameperfection.com also updated their internal mod and it is cheaper as well as maintains the Digital A/V port of the GameCube. Any thoughts on how the two mods would compare feature and quality wise?

[Guspaz]

IIRC every GameCube HDMI mod is based on GCVideo, and would have the same feature set, no?

[BuckoA51]

Indeed, though it's likely the plug and play boards won't have any of the advanced features like linedouble, OSD etc.. though it remains to be seen.

[Seraphic]

Indeed, though it's likely the plug and play boards won't have any of the advanced features like linedouble, OSD etc.. though it remains to be seen.

BuckoA51, even though you are overseas and it will likely cost a bit extra to mail my GC, I may look into your mod as it keeps the Digital A/V port and allows you to use HDMI and the Digital A/V port at the same time.
I would love to be able to compare first hand the HDMI output with my modded Nintendo D-Terminal cable that outputs RGBHV. Any idea when you will be starting production of the Version 2 modification?

[Guspaz]

Well, there's no way to get controller input via the video output port, although I could see some sort of alternative, like a micro USB port to change configuration, or a bluetooth radio to sync a controller or keyboard to operate the OSD.

Line doubling is probably less critical, since most games can be forced to 480p, and GBI can do 480p too.

There's no OSD or special features or line doubling on the gamecube component cable, and a cheaper alternative to that is really what most people want.

[Unseen]

Well, there's no way to get controller input via the video output port, although I could see some sort of alternative, like a micro USB port to change configuration, or a bluetooth radio to sync a controller or keyboard to operate the OSD.

Infrared remote?

[BuckoA51]

Any idea when you will be starting production of the Version 2 modification?

Depends when meneerbeer can get the boards to us (it's really his mod not mine), I'm hoping to sort the first batch this month.

[bobrocks95]

The proper way to do it is to have a ground (or power) line next to the sensitive/noisy signal on both sides. You can even see this in the pinout of an SD card, the clock line has ground and power next to it. IDE originally didn't, they fixed that when they moved to 80-pin cables.

So that would even allow for a decent wire length without degradation, right? I would assume meneerbeer knew that one or there'd be obvious signal problems.

I was looking to upgrade my GameCube to digital HDMI+Audio sometime in the near future.

Does anyone have information on Bad Ass Consoles's Digital GameCube Plug-N-Play mod and time-frame? I take it is a dongle that plugs into the Digital A/V port and combines the Digital Video/Audio and sends out over HDMI? videogameperfection.com also updated their internal mod and it is cheaper as well as maintains the Digital A/V port of the GameCube. Any thoughts on how the two mods would compare feature and quality wise?

Some solutions that are out now use GCVideoLite and don't support line doubling, digital audio, and some other features. BadAssConsole's internal version should support everything, no clue on the external version. Meneerbeer's board that Bucko may be selling soon should be the full version as well.

[Guspaz]

Well, there's no way to get controller input via the video output port, although I could see some sort of alternative, like a micro USB port to change configuration, or a bluetooth radio to sync a controller or keyboard to operate the OSD.

Infrared remote?

Sure, if you want to pick the simple, cheap, obvious, and effective solution

[BuckoA51]

Meneerbeer's board that Bucko may be selling soon should be the full version as well.

Yes I can confirm it's the full board with all the advanced options.

[Unseen]

So that would even allow for a decent wire length without degradation, right?

If "10-15 cm, maybe 20" fits your definition of "decent", yes. The output drivers in the Cube are probably not designed to generate a signal that is meant for long cables.

[Ikaruga11]

If I already have the GCN component cables and a display that accepts YPbPr, is it worth modding them for RGB/VGA or getting the GCVideo HDMI mod?

[meneerbeer]

If I already have the GCN component cables and a display that accepts YPbPr, is it worth modding them for RGB/VGA or getting the GCVideo HDMI mod?

If your TV has YPbPr, not really. Those are expected to vanish from TVs at some point though. HDMI is a good option then.

I do not really understand the appeal of VGA for the GameCube. The GameCube transmits a signal with 720x480 timings, whereas VGA expects 640x480 timings. Therefore, your horizontal resolution will be off and you have to correct the image through your TV settings. The same thing happens with the Dreamcast.

So that would even allow for a decent wire length without degradation, right? I would assume meneerbeer knew that one or there'd be obvious signal problems.

The clock signal on mine is indeed routed between ground and power.

[Ikaruga11]

If your TV has YPbPr, not really. Those are expected to vanish from TVs at some point though. HDMI is a good option then.

Its actually a BVM that displays YPbPr and RGB.

[vinnyguy]

I installed one, a Pluto board!!!!
And this is super exciting. I've never done such an extensive mod before. I bought the Pluto board for $69 and finally bought a decent soldering station for $120, a weller(instead of the 30watt thing I'd gotten from menards). And it's money well spent now that this works. It's touchy though - honestly I wasn't sure I'd get it working at all when I saw the solder point for the controller connection.
But here it is running on my Samsung UN32EH4003FXZA. Plus with enhanced DVI mode turned on there's audio through HDMI!

Thanks Unseen!

[vinnyguy]

EDIT: video artifacts were the result of sloppy installation not the fault of GCvideo-DVI

I started experiencing a flicker effect and occasional video drop-out with some games, most notable in smash bros melee. I found that the problems went away if I turned enhanced DVI mode off. Are others noticing these effects too? Could this be a result of my installation?
Enhanced DVI on. https://youtu.be/XfE6hSaYsJ4
Enhanced DVI off. https://Youtu.be/ALMZusp98BY

I am seeing the 'dancing pixels' in sometimes too. Is it possible to eliminate these entirely with proper installation? I'll tidy my installation if the dancing pixels can be removed altogether with proper routing of wires. But if seeing some of the effect is unavoidable I won't take the time.

[bobrocks95]

I started experiencing a flicker effect and occasional video drop-out with some games, most notable in smash bros melee. I found that the problems went away if I turned enhanced DVI mode off. Are others noticing these effects too? Could this be a result of my installation?
Enhanced DVI on. https://youtu.be/XfE6hSaYsJ4

I am seeing the 'dancing pixels' in sometimes too. Is it possible to eliminate these entirely with proper installation? I'll tidy my installation if the dancing pixels can be removed altogether with proper routing of wires. But if seeing some of the effect is unavoidable I won't take the time.

Looks like your clock line is too long or too close to other wires. Pop it open and move the wire around a bit and you should notice the effects worsen depending on how close it is to other lines.

[vinnyguy]

I will adjust the clock line and see what results. It's been said that close proximity of the clock line to the other signal wires will produce the pixel effect. What about the momentary loss of video I'm experiencing?

[vinnyguy]

I removed the upper part of the GameCube shell and all of the video problems went away. I'm guessing I've applied too much pressure to a signal wire when replacing the GameCube case. I just cleared smash bros melee once and there was no flashing pixels, no video loss and no strange video artifacts of any kind. Now I'll play the cube like this(see pic) for a while until I feel like fixing it more better.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2FI4I ... sp=sharing
Thanks bob rocks

[Elrinth]

does game boy interface work with D-Terminal cable?
i couldn't seem to get an image with my framemeister.
does game boy interface work with unseens gcvideo?
edit: nvm... i was trying ultra low latency version which doesn't work

[Guspaz]

AFAIK it should, but I don't believe the framemeister will work with the ULL version.