Dreamcast Toro Box Issue (gscartsw 3.4 & Framemeister)

[Lordgriffion]

Hello,

I've been a lurker here for a long time, slowly buliding out my retro console systems, improving my video outputs, all hail Lord RGB SCART and all that. However, after scouring the internet and this forum I have a problem that needs some active troubleshooting and was hoping to get a little help

In short, I have a brand new shiny Toro box for my Dreamcast. I am looking to connect it to a gscartsw 3.4 then to my XRGB Framemeister. The Scart to DIN cable is a shielded item from retro_console_accessories and has several other systems using its path to transport video and audio to the Framemeister with excellent clarity and fidelity.

I bought a KabelDirekt SCART cable that had glowing reviews from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DY ... PDKIKX0DER

When I connect it to the gscartsw I get stereo sound on boot but no picture if I plug it into port 1 and crackly intermittent sound if I plug it in further down the line. When I go to status on the Framemeister it shows the video signal as running at 957.66Mhz!? Am I correct in assuming the cable is bad? Or is there something wrong with my DC? Plugging in Composite or S-Video works fine (Albeit at a quality I want to not endure if possible). So what do you all think is the issue here?

Thank you for your help!

[RGB0b]

Is the Toro in RGBs mode, or RGBHV? If you're going into a gscartsw, you'll want this blue button pushed down to enable RGBs mode:

[Lordgriffion]

Thank you for the help!

Unfortunately it looks like the latest batch of Toro's do not have that button, instead it is a pair of jumper headers. I assume this change is due to cutting costs.

That said, the documentation shows that you can set them to change the mode from RGBhv to RGBs but I've had no luck so far as it is unclear which of the two jumpers need to be adjusted one way or the other.

I will post a close up photo later today of the new board layout as I'm sure it could prove useful on RetroRGB once this gets hashed out

[hyne]

I also recently got a Toro box and mine also doesn't come with a button-switch for RGBS/RGBHV.

Has anyone figured how to place the jumpers to get 480p / RGBS over Scart?

[beharius]

You can find its manual on the Toro product page.
For 480p over scart you just need to change the switch to the VGA position.

[hyne]

I did look into the Toro manual and I found the info about the switch settings.

The problem is:
My Toro doesn't have a switch. It has two jumpers instead
How to set these so the Scart Port outputs 480p RGBS?

[TooBeaucoup]

I'm also curious about the jumpers as well. I have a VGA input on my TV, so I use that to play, but if I feel like recording footage, it sure would be nice to go into my Framemeister, via SCART. I can't imagine removing that button saved them more than a nickel per unit, so what a dumb idea to remove it. As if it isn't already a pain to have to remove the cover, but now we have to dink around with jumpers? Their newest manual mentions the jumpers, but the description still doesn't make it quite clear as to how it should be set. Call me stupid, but this doesn't exactly make clear sense to me. I would just take the cover off and play around till I get it, but I don't want to break something.

[beharius]

There is a manual called Toro Manual 2016, that is for the one with jumpers.
Those jumpers have no relation with the Scart output. You can set its mode via the first switch on the left side of the board.
Jumpers are only for the VGA connector. By default it's put on 1-2 for RGBHV, if you put on 2-3 it will be RGBS for the VGA connector. Scart output is always RGBS.
On the manual there is an image of the Toro with its jumper positions labeled.

[TooBeaucoup]

So... I've got two Scart cables, one I got from retro console accessories on Ebay, that they say was specifically tested for use with Toro. No matter what I do, I cannot get a stable picture via Scart when going directly into my Framemeister, via the RGB adapter, with either of my Scart cables. My Framemeister works flawlessly via RGB with all of my other systems. With the Dreamcast, I'll get intermittent sound and the picture will flicker in and out. My Toro works fantastic when using VGA directly into my TV and looks incredible. But, I'd like the option of being able to record my Dreamcast games, which is why I wanted to use Scart into the Framemeister. I've got the little black switch on the side set to RGB, but it still flickers and crackles in and out. I was going to message BBS on Facebook, but I've found that it doesn't look like they always respond to people on there. I suppose I could email them, but figured I'd try here first. Here's a video of my Toro via Scart. The Dreamcast just keeps looping the bootup, like it can't start with whatever signal the Toro and Scart cable is sending. I did get it to start one time, finally, playing Zombie Revenge, but the picture continued to cut in and out while I played and when it was actually working, it didn't look like it was running in progressive scan. It looked like I could see all kinds of interlace flicker. The VGA looks so much better when I use it.

Here's a video of how it's functioning. Maybe it's something simple and I'm just dumb, I don't know. I've got a new Toro with the jumper and not the little blue switch.

https://youtu.be/uAK80L1buZ8

[strygo]

There is a manual called Toro Manual 2016, that is for the one with jumpers.
Those jumpers have no relation with the Scart output. You can set its mode via the first switch on the left side of the board.
Jumpers are only for the VGA connector. By default it's put on 1-2 for RGBHV, if you put on 2-3 it will be RGBS for the VGA connector. Scart output is always RGBS.
On the manual there is an image of the Toro with its jumper positions labeled.

Weird. When I connected my Toro in my setup, it had issues as it was originally configured through the SCART port when displaying 480p content. When I switched the jumpers, it resolved my problem. Am I crazy or are there any other explanations?

[TooBeaucoup]

There is a manual called Toro Manual 2016, that is for the one with jumpers.
Those jumpers have no relation with the Scart output. You can set its mode via the first switch on the left side of the board.
Jumpers are only for the VGA connector. By default it's put on 1-2 for RGBHV, if you put on 2-3 it will be RGBS for the VGA connector. Scart output is always RGBS.
On the manual there is an image of the Toro with its jumper positions labeled.

Weird. When I connected my Toro in my setup, it had issues as it was originally configured through the SCART port when displaying 480p content. When I switched the jumpers, it resolved my problem. Am I crazy or are there any other explanations?

So moving the jumpers has your working correctly via Scart now, in 480p? How are your jumpers set now?

[strygo]

I switched it to 2-3. Please let me know if it resolves your problem.

[werk91]

I've seen several sources mention that this box can do 480p over Scart. So my question is has anyone tried it and what's the actual signal in this scenario? RGSB or RGBHV ? I have a monitor that happily takes 480p when its component signal (sync-on-green) but in the case of the Toro I'm not sure how it will send down the signal. Does it combine the H+V into one sync line and just sends 480p RGBS ?

[BuckoA51]

As you suspect it's sent as RGB with composite sync.

[strygo]

There is a set of jumpers (on older Toros it was a button). You can use the jumpers to switch between RGBHV and RGBS. To do this, simply remove the plate and change the jumpers. The latest manual on the Behar Bros. site has the details.

I switched it to output RGBS when I got the unit and now using 480p with RGBS works great for me. I have the Toro connected to a Hydra switch.

[werk91]

Thanks to both of you! So a PVM should be okay with this right? I've only tried 480p with YpBpR signal on my monitor so far.

[strygo]

If your PVM supports 480p, yes. I have a 1954Q that only supports 240p/480i and it can't handle the Dreamcast signal on its own. I've been using a Mimo Genius II that can downscale to 240p and it works great.

[werk91]

It certainly supports beyond 480p, I'm just used to progressive signals being carried over RGsB /YpBpR and not RGBS, that's all Guess I'll be making an order for a Toro sometime soon.