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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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 )