yogi
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
m00dawg wrote:

I was thinking something similar actually. I already have an op-amp based circuit I built for better audio output so I already have a panel on the back. If the sync solution was small enough, could just bust out a MIDI connector on the back and call it done.

That sucks about needing to crimp though...bleh...crimp terminals and some glue solves that problem though I guess.

Newer cables may be different, don't know. But size wise we'er talking about a dip 8, a dip 16 and a dip 18, xtal and a few caps and resistors; on a proto about 1.5 x  2.5" May be a little bigger on a PCB.
I built the V1 on a Dontronic's SimmStick 18pin PIC board I had on hand, it's 2x3.5" but wastes some space. And I did a Midi thru with a 74HC00,  could just have the PIC echo any in coming byte for Midi Thru and loose the 'HC00.
Should fit in a NES, there is so much space in that case!
yogi

uXe
Offline
Melbourne, Australia
yogi wrote:

You know, I have been kicking around the whole issue of 'the cable'. Finding a source of NES cables is like impossible, so that leaves recycling old (new ?) controllers or extension cables.  I had noticed at INL's site he has CD4021 pulls from his USB mods so he may have cables also ( will have to ask him).

But then I was thinking of a internal mod with just a ribbon cable to the port 2 motherboard header. Downside is you can't move the interface to another NES and may interfere/disable a GamePad on port 2. For my case atm, I have a cable setup for prototyping but once it's done, I think I'll do a internal install. Would also cut down on extra gear, like in your case.

On a side note about the cable, you can't solder the wires in the (original) cable, so you have to use crimp connectors. They used a copper foil/nylon conductor, like a lot of headphone cables do. Don't know about  after market GamePads.
Just a thought
Yogi

I went through the same thought process when designing the FamiiDI shield, and that's why I decided on a standard DB15 connector (DA15 if you want to get technical) - one of my NES's has the DB15 mounted and wired directly to the Expansion Port pins on the motherboard, like this:

http://www.retrorealities.com/retroreal … hp?tid=190

The other big advantage of this is that because the connector follows the Famicom Expansion port standard I can hook up all the funky old Famicom Expansion peripherals!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ni … y_Computer

uXe
Offline
Melbourne, Australia

Another thing to keep in mind when emulating a NES controller by recycling the controller cable, is that you will need two extra resistors to make it work on a PAL NES:

http://retro.mmgn.com/NES/Forums/Nes-Co … Conversion

DSC
Offline
uXe wrote:

Another thing to keep in mind when emulating a NES controller by recycling the controller cable, is that you will need two extra resistors to make it work on a PAL NES:

http://retro.mmgn.com/NES/Forums/Nes-Co … Conversion

This has already been done to every MCTRL as well as ciclone chips installed into all carts so they will play on any console worldwide.

yogi
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
uXe wrote:

I went through the same thought process when designing the FamiiDI shield, and that's why I decided on a standard DB15 connector (DA15 if you want to get technical) - one of my NES's has the DB15 mounted and wired directly to the Expansion Port pins on the motherboard, like this:

http://www.retrorealities.com/retroreal … hp?tid=190

The other big advantage of this is that because the connector follows the Famicom Expansion port standard I can hook up all the funky old Famicom Expansion peripherals!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ni … y_Computer

Thats a good idea,  much like the ENIO interface board. Good option.
yogi

yogi
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
uXe wrote:

Another thing to keep in mind when emulating a NES controller by recycling the controller cable, is that you will need two extra resistors to make it work on a PAL NES:

http://retro.mmgn.com/NES/Forums/Nes-Co … Conversion

OK I have seen these Rs and included them in my design, but didn't know it was a PAL issue. good to know!
yogi

m00dawg
Offline
Texas

Yep, indeed it should! I've consumed some space in there for the op-amp stuff. I now use an almost totally SMD board to save on size. It ends up not sounding as good as my through hole version (largely because the through hole requires a beefier power supply) but still offers nice clean audio out while stuff offering some protection to the CPU itself.

At any rate, I have some room to spare so I think an internal solution should be quite doable. Likewise, having to use crimp pins isn't that big a deal - just about 10 minutes of work (I'm slow at that stuff wink )