gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thread

[Wolf_]

What changes were made between the Gcomp v1 and v1.1?

[superg]

What changes were made between the Gcomp v1 and v1.1?

One minor issue was fixed when the switch is in search mode and only some audio is connected to arbitrary input there was audio clicking sound.

[MarkVI]

Hi,

I just ordered the gcompsw but I messed up the shipping address to my (soon to be) old address. Is there any way to change the shipping address with you directly, since I could not find any way to send a message to you via paypal.

[Sunray]

Hello, new to this forum.

Pre-ordered gscartsw_lite a few days ago. I just wondered what the purpose of the Integrated Video Amp is, will that cause problems with RGB amps in mods/cables?

[superg]

Hello, new to this forum.

Pre-ordered gscartsw_lite a few days ago. I just wondered what the purpose of the Integrated Video Amp is, will that cause problems with RGB amps in mods/cables?

It should not.

[superg]

Guys, I'm snowed down with the gcompsw orders, I will be shipping those over the weekend.

[Decoryah]

Can you still order gcompsw in next week?

[superg]

Can you still order gcompsw in next week?

2/3 are purchased but I observe the slow down currently.
I'd say there is a chance that some will be available next week.

[Decoryah]

Thank you. I just ordered one now just in case. I don't want to miss a chance this time.

[Red_Army_1999]

Hi SuperG, I've ordered the gscart_lite and the gcompsw v1.1. I'd like to save on the international shipping so I'm happy to wait until the gscart_lite is ready to ship. I know you mentioned it on the sales page for the gcompsw v1.1 regards leaving a note while completing the order via Paypal but I was unable to find any note section apart from the comment box on your sales page. I added a comment there but I'm unsure as to if that has sent the details to you. Please can you confirm either way and if not were I should send the details to tie the orders together.

Many Thanks

[eric90000]

Is there any info on modding the gscartsw v3.4 so that the LPF is turned off? Or even so that you can control it with a toggle....is it as simple as shorting one of the pins on the video amp chip?

[superg]

Is there any info on modding the gscartsw v3.4 so that the LPF is turned off? Or even so that you can control it with a toggle....is it as simple as shorting one of the pins on the video amp chip?

It should be the same as disabling LPF in other mods involving THS7374 but retrorgb lifted the pin on his unit and didn't get the expected results. I personally haven't looked into it as I'm busy with other stuff and neither lite nor gcompsw have any LPF filter so at least these are future proof.

[eric90000]

It should be the same as disabling LPF in other mods involving THS7374 but retrorgb lifted the pin on his unit and didn't get the expected results. I personally haven't looked into it as I'm busy with other stuff and neither lite nor gcompsw have any LPF filter so at least these are future proof.

Ah ok I see. That's cool cheers for the fast reply. I'ts not a big issue or anything, I'll keep an eye on it anyway. I'll be running the v3.4 switch > lite switch > OSSC. It'd be very handy to just have the one LPF on the input settings of the OSSC.

[RGB0b]

It should be the same as disabling LPF in other mods involving THS7374 but retrorgb lifted the pin on his unit and didn't get the expected results.

I'd be willing to bet I made a mistake. I'll be testing this really soon and will post back.

[DirkSwizzler]

It should be the same as disabling LPF in other mods involving THS7374 but retrorgb lifted the pin on his unit and didn't get the expected results.

I'd be willing to bet I made a mistake. I'll be testing this really soon and will post back.

I successfully hooked up a toggle switch without lifting the pin. Because damn is that pin tiny.

as you can see in the MLiG review video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=998tBzpJhVo&t=14m29s . Resistor R39 connects ground to the LPF control pin. Giving a super easy solder point to work with.

The permanent-disable fix is to desolder and remove R39 (leaving that circuit path disconnected) and connect logic high voltage to the 7374 side of the resistor pads (The side closest to the "R39" text in the linked MLiG video). You can use a continuity tester to find plenty of logic high points to draw from. On my gscartsw 3.4 there was a 0 value resistor labelled R48 going into the VGA connector that served as a good continuity testing point for sources of logic high.

I wanted to put the LPF on a SPDT switch. So I removed R39 and attached one end to the VGA connector housing (continuity showed it as ground). I wanted to mount the switch on top of the sync stripper switch. I tried to solder it but couldn't get purchase on the sync stripper switch and just used kragle instead. Although, my kragle has broken loose after I knocked the installed switch against a cabinet frame. I need a better solution for that.

The switch works and you can definitely see a difference when toggling it.

[superg]

It should be the same as disabling LPF in other mods involving THS7374 but retrorgb lifted the pin on his unit and didn't get the expected results.

I'd be willing to bet I made a mistake. I'll be testing this really soon and will post back.

I successfully hooked up a toggle switch without lifting the pin. Because damn is that pin tiny.

as you can see in the MLiG review video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=998tBzpJhVo&t=14m29s . Resistor R39 connects ground to the LPF control pin. Giving a super easy solder point to work with.

The permanent-disable fix is to desolder and remove R39 (leaving that circuit path disconnected) and connect logic high voltage to the 7374 side of the resistor pads (The side closest to the "R39" text in the linked MLiG video). You can use a continuity tester to find plenty of logic high points to draw from. On my gscartsw 3.4 there was a 0 value resistor labelled R48 going into the VGA connector that served as a good continuity testing point for sources of logic high.

I wanted to put the LPF on a SPDT switch. So I removed R39 and attached one end to the VGA connector housing (continuity showed it as ground). I wanted to mount the switch on top of the sync stripper switch. I tried to solder it but couldn't get purchase on the sync stripper switch and just used kragle instead. Although, my kragle has broken loose after I knocked the installed switch against a cabinet frame. I need a better solution for that.

The switch works and you can definitely see a difference when toggling it.

All stated is correct, first modded gscartsw . Well, not the first but definitely the first that I know of with additional switch.
Do you see any changes when toggling the switch?

[DirkSwizzler]

All stated is correct, first modded gscartsw . Well, not the first but definitely the first that I know of with additional switch.
Do you see any changes when toggling the switch?

Yep! I wouldn't be able to instantly tell you whether it was on or off if I didn't already know. But toggling back and forth presents a visible change.

[RGB0b]

I tried modding the 7374 itself and ended up breaking the pin on the chip ;/ Great idea about just removing the resistor! Basically, for people who want it off, follow this and tie it to 5v, but for people who want it switchable, hook it up to a switch to toggle between 5v and ground...right?:

[Phoebius]

Hi, Superg!

Sorry if that's a naive question, but...

I'm interested in buying a gscartsw, but I'd like to combine it with a scanline generator, before pluging in my Led TV. (I don't have any upscaler)

I've seen in another thread that the SLG 3000 seems to be the best option, but it does work with VGA and not SCART.
Are you still making the gscartsw v3.4 with VGA output, and in that case would it work?

Or would another solution be possible with gscartsw_lite?

Thanks in advance.

[DirkSwizzler]

I tried modding the 7374 itself and ended up breaking the pin on the chip ;/ Great idea about just removing the resistor! Basically, for people who want it off, follow this and tie it to 5v, but for people who want it switchable, hook it up to a switch to toggle between 5v and ground...right?:

That's the gist of what I did. For people that hook up the switch, it's important to remember that hooking that pin to 5v means the LPF is off. For me that just seems intuitively backwards.
Ground = On
5V = Off

I'm not an electrical engineer at all, but I re-used R39 in my switch's connection to ground because I figured it must be there for some sort of protection purpose. I'm sure SuperG can tell me if that was unnecessary or if I should use it in both ground and 5v settings.

[superg]

I tried modding the 7374 itself and ended up breaking the pin on the chip ;/ Great idea about just removing the resistor! Basically, for people who want it off, follow this and tie it to 5v, but for people who want it switchable, hook it up to a switch to toggle between 5v and ground...right?:

That's the gist of what I did. For people that hook up the switch, it's important to remember that hooking that pin to 5v means the LPF is off. For me that just seems intuitively backwards.
Ground = On
5V = Off

I'm not an electrical engineer at all, but I re-used R39 in my switch's connection to ground because I figured it must be there for some sort of protection purpose. I'm sure SuperG can tell me if that was unnecessary or if I should use it in both ground and 5v settings.

It's safer to have the resistor there for LPF-on configuration.

[FBX]

Superg,

Sorry if this was already covered, but regarding the PS2, I heard RGB Sync-on-Green isn't compatible with sync detection switching and that you'll be making an adapter down the road.

My question is: What about RGB Sync-on-Luma? Is that in the same compatibility issues boat as Sync-on-Green, or will it work as-is?

[superg]

Superg,

Sorry if this was already covered, but regarding the PS2, I heard RGB Sync-on-Green isn't compatible with sync detection switching and that you'll be making an adapter down the road.

My question is: What about RGB Sync-on-Luma? Is that in the same compatibility issues boat as Sync-on-Green, or will it work as-is?

As long is sync has dedicated line it should be fine.

[Guspaz]

My question is: What about RGB Sync-on-Luma? Is that in the same compatibility issues boat as Sync-on-Green, or will it work as-is?

It's confusing, but sync-on-luma is talking about the source of the sync, while sync-on-green is talking about the location of the sync, they're actually talking about different concepts.

Sync-on-luma is actually still RGBS, it's just that the S comes from a luma signal instead of cvbs or some csync pin. Sync-on-green is RGsB, where there is no standalone sync signal, so the sync is both coming from the green signal, but is also carried on it.

[FBX]

My question is: What about RGB Sync-on-Luma? Is that in the same compatibility issues boat as Sync-on-Green, or will it work as-is?

It's confusing, but sync-on-luma is talking about the source of the sync, while sync-on-green is talking about the location of the sync, they're actually talking about different concepts.

Sync-on-luma is actually still RGBS, it's just that the S comes from a luma signal instead of cvbs or some csync pin. Sync-on-green is RGsB, where there is no standalone sync signal, so the sync is both coming from the green signal, but is also carried on it.

Cool that's what I figured. Just wanted to be sure.

Thanks!

[ZellSF]

Will PS2 SoG work with the gcompsw? When the PS2 starts it should activate the input since it's still composite or luma sync, but if the gcompsw needs the input to stay active and doesn't support SoG...

[Guspaz]

I think you're mixing up the two, since the gcompsw is a component video switch, and there is no standalone sync signal.

[ZellSF]

Right. No clue why I was talking about composite sync.

The PS2 when connected to component cables to the gcompsw will switch between sync on luma (green component wire) to sync on green (which according to the PS2's pinout will also be on the green component wire).

Will the gcompsw detect sync on green and forward the PS2 input?

[franckytaz]

Hi everybody. I just arrived on this topic, I'm about to buy the "gscartsw_lite". I checked some forum pages (here) and some details (at http://www.gretrostuff.com/store/) without finding all my required answers... So I ask you all for little help !


- First I want to be sure if this product is really the better way to keep the best video quality for old games consoles... I checked on the web, and I seems to be the one.

- Then my old games consoles are Master System, NES, SNES and N64 (one of each). Is the product working fine with these machines ?

- How does the autoswitch works with two consoles turned on ? (just asking)

- At last, I french (sorry for my bad english btw), so do I just have to pay 180 USD + 35 USD on the store ? (anyway to have cheaper delivery ?) Then wait about 6 weeks for the delivery, is that correct ?



Thanks a lot for some answers !



Franck

[Phoebius]

Hi, Superg!

Sorry if that's a naive question, but...

I'm interested in buying a gscartsw, but I'd like to combine it with a scanline generator, before pluging in my Led TV. (I don't have any upscaler)

I've seen in another thread that the SLG 3000 seems to be the best option, but it does work with VGA and not SCART.
Are you still making the gscartsw v3.4 with VGA output, and in that case would it work?

Or would another solution be possible with gscartsw_lite?

Thanks in advance.

Hi!
Quoting my question because it was left unanswered...