Euro Scart RGB to VGA for capture

[Pasky]

Recently bought a datapath RGB E1 card, trying to capture my consoles with it but running into an issue. I made a female scart to VGA cable.

I've got it with the following pinout:

Red -> VGA PIN 1
Green -> VGA PIN 2
Blue -> VGA PIN 3
CSYNC -> VGA PIN 13
GND -> VGA PIN 5 (Confirmed it's got ground on the outside of the VGA connector as well with continuity test).

I am getting no Signal on both my X-Capture 1 and Datapath Vision cards when I use this cable and I don't understand why. Csync is supposed to go to VGA H sync pin correct? I'm using a VGA -> DVI adapter that came with the X-Capture 1 but I just can't figure out why it isnt working when I've checked multiple times that the RGB/S lines are going to the correct pins. I'm trying with and without a LM1881 and still get no signal on both cards using a SNES/GENESIS.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Pasky]

Reading the Datapath E1 manual it says it accepts composite sync... I'm guessing it takes it on C4 of the DVI connector as is standard.

Can the USB3HDCap take Composite sync? That would explain why it doesn't work on that at least.

[RGB0b]

Try ground on pin 6, not 5...or both.

My USB3HDCAP requires csync and even has issues with TTL sync. If you can add a sync stripper to the SCART-to-VGA cable you made, that would be best. I know its expensive, but the sync strike will also do exactly what you need: sync stripper plus "VGA-style" output.

[Pasky]

Try ground on pin 6, not 5...or both.

My USB3HDCAP requires csync and even has issues with TTL sync. If you can add a sync stripper to the SCART-to-VGA cable you made, that would be best. I know its expensive, but the sync strike will also do exactly what you need: sync stripper plus "VGA-style" output.

I'm trying with and without a LM1881 and still get no signal on both cards using a SNES/GENESIS.

Please read.

5/6/7/8/9 all have continuity with each other so it doesn't matter which I put it on. I'm at a loss at this point. I'm going to try the Extron and if that doesn't work...fuck it.

[RGB0b]

I built the exact same thing and use it all the time with my USB3HDCAP. I'd double check the continuity from your console's csync to pin 13 of the VGA connector. Also, I'd double check ground - both the continuity of pin 6 and ground from the outer shielding of the SCART connector.

[Pasky]

Ya, it's strange. I even verified with my oscilloscope that CSync is getting through to 13 on on VGA, as well as R/G/B. GND has continuity, I just don't understand at this point. I'm really at a loss and the only thing I could come up with is it expects H/V sync separately. Someone had mentioned the USB3HDcap and X-Capture 1 want H/V sync and only the PCI-E version accepts Csync, but I have no idea how true that is so ya...

I even plugged the VGA I made into my extron and it sees the signal just fine and even output it to my RGB monitor. No idea what's up.

Does the sync strike output H/V and seperate the C Sync signal? Perhaps that's why it works? *shrug*

[RGB0b]

Wow, that's really weird. I wanted to triple check, so I just tested my USB3HDCAP with the VGA-out of the gscartsw and I can verify a few things:

- Switching betwen RGBHV and RGBs makes no difference. When the gscartsw is in RGBs mode, it only outputs sync over VGA pin 13, just like the cable I made myself, confirming compatibility.

- SNES works with the sync stripper both off and on, but Genesis requires the sync stripper turned on.

- I'm using the 1.1.0.129 driver and the Stream Catcher software it came with.


If you figure out what the issue is, please post...I'm really curious now.

[RGB0b]

I wanted to double check this, as I use so many different combinations of equipment and wanted to make sure I wasn't confusing something else. I just confirmed though - I tested an unmodified Genesis 1 with both the sync strike and just a basic SCART to VGA cable I made and both work fine with the USB3HDCAP. Either something's wrong with your cable (no offence), or the USB3HDCAP.

This is bugging me, both because I'm a nerd who wants to know the answer and because I always talk about that capture card. If there's an incompatible hardware or firmware revision, I'd really like to know to warn people. If you live in the US, I'd be happy to lend you my SCART to VGA cable to test. LOL, I'll still send it to you if you live outside the US, but you'd just have to help out with shipping

[Pasky]

I found the issue this morning actually, for the consoles it was because I had forgotten I had put a 75 to ground along my setup path because the xrgb wasn't terminating properly when I used passive outputs with my rgb monitor, I noticed my scope said the Vpp of the sync signal was 1.1 (really low). Removing the 75 to ground there allowed consoles to sync.

The issue with my arcade stuff was I had a 220uF capacitor on the sync line coming out of my super gun, removing that solved the issue with arcade games.

Thanks for trying to help, appreciate it, glad I got it sorted out.

[RGB0b]

Okay, cool...that makes sense. Glad you sorted it out!

[ShadowofBob]

Sorry to bump such an old thread but was running into similar issues on my Startech USB3HDCAP device. I have a custom VGA to female scart wired up like yours and am running into the issue where 240p can't be recognized. Did you just add a 75ohm resistor between sync and ground in the Scart to DSUB15 adapter cable?