Modifying A Generic Adapter/Scaler..

[Jdurg]

My apologies for asking what may seem like a really simple, easy question to all the hardware gurus out there, but is seemingly complex to a newbie like me.

I have my SNES connected to my HDMI Switcher via a SCART to HDMI scaler/adapter i got off Amazon for $40. It's actually not that bad of an adapter/scaler and doesn't introduce major lag that I am able to notice. However, it does have two "flaws" that bug me.

1: Even though the SNES it outputting a standard "square" shaped image, the scaler/adapter stretches this out to 16:9 no matter what i do. Don't believe I can fix this as it's being done internally in the scaler chip and I can also just click the ratio button my TV remote. Since I get up to turn on the SNES, I can just press this button on the TV when I'm up there.

2: The Adapter/Scaler is ALWAYS on. This is kind of annoying as it makes it so my HDMI Switcher won't automatically switch to the SNES when I turn it on, the red LED on the Adapter/Scaler is always on, and the device ends up putting out a decent amount of heat that will eventually shorten the lifespan of the component. I can, however, fix this I believe.

I'm looking to modify the generic box so that it will only turn on when it is getting a signal from the SNES. I think I could do this by using an AND gate and connecting the 5 V input from the SCART Connector and the 5 V DC power input on the input side, and the output side would go to the adapter/scaler board. Since the DC power input will always be on if the adapter is plugged in, and the 5V will only come from the SNES when I turn on the SNES, this will cause the adapter/scaler to only turn on when I turn on my SNES. This should solve all issues.

My big question is; is this possible? Does the 5V signal coming from the SNES stay at 5V while the console is on, or should I include some capacitors to maintain a steady voltage? The adapter box includes plenty of space for me to do this, and I have a whole bunch of parts available to use from a broken Onkyo receiver that has been providing me various electrical goodies for a few years now.

Just wanted to check with the experts first. Many thanks!

[citrus3000psi]

I don't think they make AND gates with enough current output to be able to power the device. I'd look into a relay, or a simpler idea would be to add physical switch somewhere to the box.

These boxes do at 4-5 frames of lag. So I really wouldn't invest much money into them.

[Jdurg]

Yeah, that's what I ended up doing. Went and just put an on/off switch in there.

After doing all that, I'm thinking of getting a GBS8200 board to scale, then an SLG for scanlines, then figuring out how to get that up to an HDMI connection with the least lag possible. Just can't reason spending $200+ for only one console. (My other consoles have internal HDMI mods in them).

[cdawg]

I'm interested in what you end up doing as I am looking for a similar solution. I have considered the slg-in-box but would need a vga -to-hdmi transcoder to be able to connect to the tv.

[Jdurg]

I'm interested in what you end up doing as I am looking for a similar solution. I have considered the slg-in-box but would need a vga -to-hdmi transcoder to be able to connect to the tv.

Yup, that's pretty much what I'm going to end up doing. I've got a SCART to HDMI adapter that I will likely end up using as the final step in the chain. Will just need to convert the VGA out from the SLG to a SCART input using a simple little circuit.

The SLG-in-a-box setup is likely going to be the exact same thing, but the DIY beast in me wants to make one myself so that's what I'm doing. I'll definitely let you know. I figure this will suffice until a better solution for the SNES is created.

[cdawg]

Yup, that's pretty much what I'm going to end up doing. I've got a SCART to HDMI adapter that I will likely end up using as the final step in the chain. Will just need to convert the VGA out from the SLG to a SCART input using a simple little circuit.

So you are going from Rgb scart at snes output (I assume) to the gbs board (through sync strike?) to SLG and then vga back to Scart to Hdmi?

Do you expect lag to be manageable? Im thinking of a similar setup but without the vga-to-scart on the backend and am hoping for acceptable lag. I saw at one time arcadeforge made slgHD which I assume was hdmi output but not sure what happened to that product.

[Jdurg]

Yup, that's pretty much what I'm going to end up doing. I've got a SCART to HDMI adapter that I will likely end up using as the final step in the chain. Will just need to convert the VGA out from the SLG to a SCART input using a simple little circuit.

So you are going from Rgb scart at snes output (I assume) to the gbs board (through sync strike?) to SLG and then vga back to Scart to Hdmi?

Do you expect lag to be manageable? Im thinking of a similar setup but without the vga-to-scart on the backend and am hoping for acceptable lag. I saw at one time arcadeforge made slgHD which I assume was hdmi output but not sure what happened to that product.

Yeah. My plan is to take the R, G, B, Composite Sync, +5V, Ground, Audio L, Audio R, Audio Ground from the SNES Multi-AV Out and through a sync strike to ensure the sync signal is fully cleaned. This can connect right to the GBS board without needing to convert the signal.

Once it has been processed through the GBS, the output will go through an SLG (Still deciding if I want to make my own or buy a pre-made one) then comes the conversion. I currently have a SCART to HDMI converter in my possession so the plan would be to use that, but I may also buy a VGA to HDMI adapter if it makes it easier.

Currently, my setup doesn't have a great deal of lag that I can notice, but this may differ from person to person. Mostly, I just want to make something myself to relieve that DIY itch I have. heh.

The SLG HD was actually component output, not HDMI I believe.