Scart to Extron 202 rxi

[matrigs]

I am having a hard time connecting a scart source to my Extron RGB 202 Rxi.

I made myself a Scart - Vga cable which i connected directly to the Extron, which obviously resulted in nothing as it requires a clean composite sync.

Now i made myself a sync stripper with the LM1881 chip and reconnected everything, but i still have "no signal" on the Extron. I used that sync stripper before succesfully to convert RGsB into RGBHV, as well as cleaning composite sync to use my GBS scaler with scart.

Is there anything obvious i might have missed? I assume that the extron doesn't care for sync polarity?

[Fudoh]

did you confirm the correct input pinout by trying a RGsB oder RGBHV source ?

[matrigs]

To the Extron?

I have a db15 to db9 cable according to manual and it works with my Dreamcast in VGA as well as a Laptop.

I have also a db15 to component cable which i succesfully used with a PS2.

I tried something a second ago. As the GBS has a db15 input for CGA i connected this Scart to Vga cable to it. It works with a Dreamcast, however the picture is VERY dark with a PS2. Not sure if this is relevant. When i bypass the stripper and connect composite sync directly into the GBS the picture is all jumpy (and still dark from the PS2). So i assume the stripper does its' job?

[fagin]

The 202 is a bitch - I had to wire internally (off the PCB to a DSUB15) as I couldn't seem to get a 9->15 loom to work properly.

[matrigs]

The 202 is a bitch - I had to wire internally (off the PCB to a DSUB15) as I couldn't seem to get a 9->15 loom to work properly.

How would that even be possible?

[fagin]

Rip the top off of it and get the soldering iron out..... BTW the pin configuration isn't what I expected, hence me getting dirty and rolling my sleeves up!

[matrigs]

Looks like this gonna be a looooong weekend.

How did you solve the pin configuration then internally? How did you know what pin is what in the end?

[fagin]

Process of elimination iirc. You're only talking R, G, B, S and Gnd so it doesn't take long.

[matrigs]

Guys, does the Dreamcast output clean sync in RGB mode?

[Fudoh]

through Scart you only get composite video for sync, but even in 15khz mode the DC does output clean H/V sync, so you get proper (clean) RGBHV with a VGA box modded with an added 15k/31hz switch.

[matrigs]

Is its' composite signal in any way different from other consoles?

One reason why i thought my sync stripper is working was that it worked between a GBS8220 and a Dreamcast over Scart, but then i tried and connected the composite sync directly into the GBS and it was still working perfectly? Also yesterday, for a brief moment the Extron actually synced to my Dreamcast, however i was unable to repeat that.

I tried it with the VGA box and it works flawless with the Extron. Hi-res as well as Lo-res.

[Fudoh]

I tried it with the VGA box and it works flawless with the Extron. Hi-res as well as Lo-res.

then maybe you should try to use H/V sync for other sources as well, not just C-Sync. Your splitter/cleaner IC should be able to provide V Sync as well.

[matrigs]

Problem is, that since i discovered that it didn't do anything with my Dreamcast, it seems that my lm1881 is most probably toast. I have to buy a few new ones and try again.

Sorry to be pushy, but i would have to restate my question again - is there any particular difference between the composite signal of a Dreamcast and any other source? It seems to work with the GBS as though it would have clean sync.

[Fudoh]

I don't think so. Have you confirmed that it's composite video ? Just connect the scart cable to a breakout adapter and see if you get a picture on any composite input. It could depend on the cable configuration. I haven't checked the DC's pinout, maybe C-Sync is available in addition to composite ?

[matrigs]

Okay now i have some partial success which i cannot really figure out.

One thing for sure, even with a working sync splitter connected to either the H-sync or V-sync input i still get "no signal".

After seeing this schematic:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zrixvfr5t79ps ... extron.pdf

On the scarthunter site i got curious about trying to mix the sync into the green channel. As i mentioned above SoG YUV from my PS2 works perfectly with the Extron.

Now, the weird part is - it works, but i have to set the input on the Extron to Hi-Z, and i have to use a cheap chinese PS2 scart cable. Funny thing is, that with a high-quality snakebyte cable i have, it doesn't work at all... Also, no other console works.

I think that it has something to do with ground terminations an in-line capacitors in these cables. But i don't remember anyone needing to mod his cables to make them work with an RGB.

[matrigs]

Wow, amazingly - looks like i busted my Extron.

It now works completely different depending on what input i use. Input one now rarely syncs at all, even with sources tested before. I also have no blue output anymore. Input two doesn't have green output...

I don't even

[andykara2003]

I'm having problems with my 202Rxi as well. This is an older unit than the ones I've seen on here - it has a male Dsub 9 input, not the female VGA inputs of the newer ones.

The Extron says it's receiving the signal from my RGB modded N64 and Gamecube (H 15.66K V 59.9Hz) but only the faintest glimmer of a picture.

I'm using an Arcadeforge Sync Strike.

I tried to follow Fagin's advice re taking it apart & resoldering it but this old unit is built in such a way that I can't get it apart without breaking the circuit board!

My question is: are the Extron 201Rxi and/or the 203Rxi any less prone to these problems than the 202?

[BuckoA51]

The 203Rxi I've got seems fine, but I've only used it briefly with 15khz inputs.

[andykara2003]

The 203Rxi I've got seems fine, but I've only used it briefly with 15khz inputs.

Thanks for that. The only other thing is, I've just read that these units introduce about a frame of lag. I know this is a very small amount and I'm probably being anal but the thing I love about my crt setup is that there's no lag at all. Does anyone know of a way to horizontally shift the image with no lag?

[Fudoh]

sure, just build a classic shifter: http://playoffline.wordpress.com/cable/rgbshifter/

The Extron don't add lag on my setup. At least with a lag testing device I get the same readings with and without. That's for a 164, 201 and 203.

[andykara2003]

sure, just build a classic shifter: http://playoffline.wordpress.com/cable/rgbshifter/

The Extron don't add lag on my setup. At least with a lag testing device I get the same readings with and without. That's for a 164, 201 and 203.

Wow thanks Fudoh, right to the point as usual. I've been looking for a simple circuit like that.

Great to know about the Extrons having no lag too. I'll sell my old 202 & get a newer one in the range - hopefully it'll give me less grief.

By the way - will this device http://www.syncblaster.com/RGBfaq.html

do the same RGB shift correction as the circuit? I'd prefer just to buy something rather than put it together myself (Busy, not lazy!)

[andykara2003]

The 202 is a bitch - I had to wire internally (off the PCB to a DSUB15) as I couldn't seem to get a 9->15 loom to work properly.

Did your extron have male d-sub 9 inputs?

[fagin]

I'm having problems with my 202Rxi as well. This is an older unit than the ones I've seen on here - it has a male Dsub 9 input, not the female VGA inputs of the newer ones.

The Extron says it's receiving the signal from my RGB modded N64 and Gamecube (H 15.66K V 59.9Hz) but only the faintest glimmer of a picture.

I'm using an Arcadeforge Sync Strike.

I tried to follow Fagin's advice re taking it apart & resoldering it but this old unit is built in such a way that I can't get it apart without breaking the circuit board!

My question is: are the Extron 201Rxi and/or the 203Rxi any less prone to these problems than the 202?

Eh? I have the same unit as you and performed this mod without breaking any circuit board.

[fagin]

The 202 is a bitch - I had to wire internally (off the PCB to a DSUB15) as I couldn't seem to get a 9->15 loom to work properly.

Did your extron have male d-sub 9 inputs?

Yes... it's the same as yours.

[fagin]

By the way - will this device http://www.syncblaster.com/RGBfaq.html

do the same RGB shift correction as the circuit? I'd prefer just to buy something rather than put it together myself (Busy, not lazy!)

That is a sync cleaner device..... nothing to do with image shift.

[andykara2003]

The 202 is a bitch - I had to wire internally (off the PCB to a DSUB15) as I couldn't seem to get a 9->15 loom to work properly.

Did your extron have male d-sub 9 inputs?

Yes... it's the same as yours.

Cheers - that might suggest that these are more problematic then. I'll send mine back & get a VGA version I think.

[andykara2003]

By the way - will this device http://www.syncblaster.com/RGBfaq.html

do the same RGB shift correction as the circuit? I'd prefer just to buy something rather than put it together myself (Busy, not lazy!)

That is a sync cleaner device..... nothing to do with image shift.

Thanks

[fagin]

Cheers - that might suggest that these are more problematic then. I'll send mine back & get a VGA version I think.

I meant it's the same model as yours, not that I have the same issue. There is no reason why you can't do the mod I did.

[andykara2003]

I meant it's the same model as yours, not that I have the same issue. There is no reason why you can't do the mod I did.

Sure - although since you were so good as to let me know about N64 s-video on the other thread, I might not have to bother with the Extron now I don't have the problem with my other consoles.

[fagin]