I've temporarily removed the standard bootloader version because it has significant bugs that require extensive rework and testing across different SD cards to ensure users can't brick their devices.
Currently working on next version of VoidScaler and after that is done I will start working on bootloader.
This means that for some time only the sideload version will be available.
Not sure 1.20/1.21 firmware can be flashed on older OSSC revisions to be used to boot sideload firmware. If it can then it would be ideal workaround.
Versions for USB Blaster users - very good idea! I will upload .jic/.sof versions for testing.
Where it comes to next version of VoidScaler it is going well and should be a vailable in a week or so. It will include 480p support (or at least 525 line version* of 480p) and I added similar custom mode but with 1280x960 resolution for virtually lagless operation - and for PC use for 4:3 CRTs it is by far my favorite mode! At least on sharp monitors the difference in resolution when playing game or movies is very clearly visible compared to 480p. There is also number of other improvements including mitigations for 720p for jittery DACs and line blending has been added to 1080p modes including 216p/432i mode which is now default for 1080p. Vertical positioning has also been improved giving wider control range and I already started aligning all modes. I am also adding video killer circuit with basic 240p video mode generator to act as screen "saver" when there is no valid signal on input (or something went amiss in resolution detection/handling).
Only regression is luma resolution drop in "overscanned" 1080p mode. To be honest this mode wasn't very useful after 216p/432i mode was added. Also Cyclone IV cannot really handle scaling pipeline at 148.5MHz reliably so it had to go. No changes to resolution of 1080p 216p/432i mode and it will be the default for 1080p - which makes most sense it showing whole frame and even being smaller so likely the best option for 16:9 consumer TVs.
*) There is also 16:9 848x480 VESA version which has different number of lines - it won't work!
Since apparently X360 can output this mode with VGA cable there is a gaming use case so I will add it but will not be working on it now to not prolong the release.
Also where it comes to X360 and VGA port - nothing is known about possible support. I would suspect that even resolutions like 1280x720 might not work because being intended for VGA CRTs it might have different timings than HDMI/Component 720p. Of course arbitrary resolutions will never be supported by VoidScaler or at least not on OSSC. Other than enormous effort and increase of LE usage this would entail the actually limiting factor is getting valid configuration for PLLs. No known way to derive this configuration dynamically and even if there was not all ratios can be achieved. I am actually surprised that so far I managed to get all modes synchronous.
mlw700 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2026 3:10 amId still love to know if I can now update it to Voidscaler somehow. When I do a fw update using the sideload file it doesn't seem to work. Not sure if I need a different file to do it. Would LOVE a way to boot into Voidscaler and retain all the great OSSC functionality. But right now; this is fantastic!
VoidScaler cannot update firmware by itself. It doesn't have SD card support or modules for interfacing EEPROM. Flashing firmwares was the functionality of bootloader that was included alongside VoidScaler in standalone version of VoidScaler - the same bootloader and version which was temporarily removed due to bugs in bootloader.
To update to a new version once it is released you will just flash another sideload version and boot from OSSC.
When bootloader version is done it will be possible to flash VoidScaler to work without original firmware - but in this case you won't have original firmware. Unless maybe I will make it to also support sideloading to then sideload original firmware.
Otherwise keep in mind that for now only standard HDTV 720p and 1080p modes are supported. Refresh rate can be slightly different (e.g. for emulators) but still needs to be around 60Hz for your CRT to support it.
BuckoA51 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 10:02 amApparently it's not even a Mister SCART cable (has USB for voltage, not sure where I got it) so could be any number of reasons it's not working.
Is positive sync polarity a problem?
Best to check it with MISTer FPGA using HDMI to VGA DAC - or at least if it itself work with MISTer as it usually doesn't produce high enough clock for VGA DACs in direct_video=1 mode.
VoidScaler always generate negative sync on output.
VGA SCART cable should ideally have HSync connected to CSync (through resistor of unknown to me value - I don't use it in my cable) and might need for consumer TVs voltage to enable RGB - many TVs need it to engage RGB instead of Composite input.
If your cable has two resistors between HSync/VSync and CSync or some transistors/ICs then you need to switch output to RGBHV.
BTW. Next version of firmware will include mitigations for AND/XNOR external sync combiners doing lousy job generating combined sync so there should be no need to worry about these.
I mean something like XNOR doesn't align fields in 480i correctly and only some CRTs regenerate 480i sync - and even then differences to position of HSync during vertical sync can cause curl at the top of the screen or maybe even cause fields to dealign. AND combiner seems better but still causes curl in all of my CRTs... or at least where I can see it as in most consumer TVs curl is hidden in overscan and why there is general impression that something like AND or XNOR combiners are doing good job. 480i dealignment is also less visible on blurry consumer TVs than sharp monitors.
