Dimahoo with graphics issue?

Shivan128 · Jul 8, 2012

Hi, I am having an issue with my Dimahoo setup.

I am using the following items:

1 Supergun with composite/component output
1 Dimahoo PCB with A-Board.

When I hook this up to my LCD, I get sound and garbled video output, similar to what you used to get in the 80's when you try to watch a cable channel you did not pay for. I've tried all (4) of my LCD TV's, all with the same symptom. As this is my first PCB, I dont have any extra A-boards or superguns to debug with. I've opened the kit up to reveal the a-board pins, but do not see any physical damage.

Has anyone encountered an issue like this before with cps2 games? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Xian Xi · Jul 8, 2012

What Supergun are you using?

Tyranix95 · Jul 8, 2012

What vide edcoder card is in the super gun (Jrok, GBS, NeoBits)?

And what ports are you using--composit, S-Video, Hi-Def?

What kinda TV?

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

I will open the supergun up and find out what kind of decoder it's using this evening. I bought this off someone so it was not through a commercial website, nor was it self-built. I tried both composite and component outputs on the supergun to each one of my lcd tvs, LG 47LH50 is the main TV I use in the living room. The others are more generic (Dynex, Sharp) 42" TV's in the guest room and bedroom. One option I had not tried yet was S-Video output from the supergun, as I do not have a cable readily available. I am going to try the supergun/pcb out on a CRT to see if that works, as I've read that 15kHz sync is required? Not sure if my LCD TV's actually have that capability.

voltronbadass · Jul 9, 2012

Do you have a local friend with a proper cab so you can eliminate the dimahoo as a problem?

Tyranix95 · Jul 9, 2012

JROK encoder(s): V3.x & v4.x

GBS-8220 encoder

NeoBits encoder(s) > Misc.

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

voltronbadass said:
Do you have a local friend with a proper cab so you can eliminate the dimahoo as a problem?

I don't have anyone locally here in Boston. If anyone around is nice enough to help out, I'd appreciate it. The video encoder is a neo-bitz .. looks like the board rev is 2.2. As I said, I'll try the CRT route also just to verify that the supergun and pcb work, as I'm sure they probably do! If it doesnt pan out, then I'll probably lean towards help from others in the area to try to isolate the problem. If there are any other ways to either isolate the video output from the supergun w/out a CRT, or verifying output from the PCB itself, I'd be open to trying that.

bustedstr8 · Jul 9, 2012

You can test it on my cab here in Stoughton.....as long as you bring an iced coffee with you.

Xian Xi · Jul 9, 2012

Shivan128 said:
I don't have anyone locally here in Boston. If anyone around is nice enough to help out, I'd appreciate it. The video encoder is a neo-bitz .. looks like the board rev is 2.2. As I said, I'll try the CRT route also just to verify that the supergun and pcb work, as I'm sure they probably do! If it doesnt pan out, then I'll probably lean towards help from others in the area to try to isolate the problem. If there are any other ways to either isolate the video output from the supergun w/out a CRT, or verifying output from the PCB itself, I'd be open to trying that.

The Neobitz works great with CPS2 via Component video so it's either the board or the wiring of the supergun. If they installed a sync cleaner (all SGs should) flip it on.

Tyranix95 · Jul 9, 2012

@S8: When you power the game on:

Does the game work? That is: Does the DIMAHOO play blind (with out a picutre on the TV)? Can you hear any game music and game souds (like coin-up, start game, caracter seleect, level theme music, shot and bomb souds, etc.)?

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

Xian Xi said:
The Neobitz works great with CPS2 via Component video so it's either the board or the wiring of the supergun. If they installed a sync cleaner (all SGs should) flip it on.

Thanks for the info... I do not believe there is a sync cleaner in this supergun.
Edit: I just found a thread on this forum about adding a sync cleaner on a neobitz board, looks like the components were soldered onto the board (correctly) with it jumpered to "always on" mode. One difference I noticed in the resistor for the sync cleaner is that the value is 650k, and not 680k Ohms... doubt that would make such a difference in the output ?

Tyranix95 said:
@S8: When you power the game on:

Does the game work? That is: Does the DIMAHOO play blind (with out a picutre on the TV)? Can you hear any game music and game souds (like coin-up, start game, caracter seleect, level theme music, shot and bomb souds, etc.)?

Sound is fine and I can move around in the game, it's just that the video is distorted.

Tyranix95 · Jul 9, 2012

Find an S-Video Cable and try the S-Video Jack.

Also, Try a CRT (tube) TV.

So far, it sounds like a sync. problem.

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

Tyranix95 said:
Find an S-Video Cable and try the S-Video Jack.
So far, it sounds like a sync. problem.

This is what I'm thinking too... Going to test this out on a tube tomorrow.

Xian Xi · Jul 9, 2012

Shivan128 said:
Thanks for the info... I do not believe there is a sync cleaner in this supergun.
Edit: I just found a thread on this forum about adding a sync cleaner on a neobitz board, looks like the components were soldered onto the board (correctly) with it jumpered to "always on" mode. One difference I noticed in the resistor for the sync cleaner is that the value is 650k, and not 680k Ohms... doubt that would make such a difference in the output ?

That 650 is for the RSET pin, I've actually used an LM1881 with nothing on that pin and it still worked. Shoot a video if you can so we can see the problem.

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

Xian Xi said:
That 650 is for the RSET pin, I've actually used an LM1881 with nothing on that pin and it still worked. Shoot a video if you can so we can see the problem.

Sorry for the delay, had some dinner first. I posted the video of my problem on youtube here: http://youtu.be/peWf4yx5l-c

Tyranix95 · Jul 9, 2012

I saw the vid. Looks like the Top board (aka the DIMAHOO board) is working OK.

Do you have any other CAPCOM CPS1 or CPS2 games?

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

Tyranix95 said:
Do you have any other CAPCOM CPS1 or CPS2 games?

This is my first board of any kind.

Tyranix95 · Jul 9, 2012

Ok, with CPS2, most, if not all, the RGB and video sync stuff happens on the bottom board (aka the "A" board or system board). (And on CPS1, it's split-up between the bottom "A" board and the top "C" board.) When you add a SuperGun to the mix, then you add a Video Encoder card and a TV to the mix.

Anyway, your next task(s):

#1) Try your CPS2 board in a JAMMA cab. If the picture works fine, then that menas your "A" board is working fine.
#2) Try your SuperGun setup with S-Video. See if it's a setup issue.
#3) Try your SuperGun setup with a CRT TV. Again, see if it's a setup issue.

See if one of these work.

Tyranix95 · Jul 9, 2012

I'm going to check the sync chips on my DIMHAOO top board.

---------------------

I don't see the same problem as you when I remove any one of the three "video" chips on the Top board.

So, work with the bottom board, encoder card, TV hook-ups, and TV for now.

Xian Xi · Jul 9, 2012

Shivan128 said:
Sorry for the delay, had some dinner first. I posted the video of my problem on youtube here: http://youtu.be/peWf4yx5l-c

Looks exactly like a dirty sync signal. Who did you buy the supergun from, I saw someone on racketboy with I think the same supergun.

Shivan128 · Jul 9, 2012

Xian Xi said:
Looks exactly like a dirty sync signal. Who did you buy the supergun from, I saw someone on racketboy with I think the same supergun.

Bought it from a guy off the shmups.com trade forum.

I'll give the CRT a go first, but how does one go about cleaning up a dirty sync signal... is that coming from the encoder?

Xian Xi · Jul 9, 2012

Comes from the board. Can you snap a pic of the encoder both sides? On the V2.2 it had a production problem where the sync bypass is always on.

bustedstr8 · Jul 9, 2012

Definitely looks like a supergun-sync problem. You can still bring me an iced lattè though :drool:

ChuChu Flamingo · Jul 10, 2012

Like others said try with a CRT.

Lots of these LCD CRTs have a hard time with 240p especially when using Component. They think it is 480i and try to deinterlace causing either no picture, flickering picture, and all other sorts of stuff.

I notice you're using composite, so even still these flat panels often times can't sync to arcade boards without a external scaler (neobitz doesn't count).

Shivan128 · Jul 10, 2012

Xian Xi said:
Comes from the board. Can you snap a pic of the encoder both sides? On the V2.2 it had a production problem where the sync bypass is always on.

Overview of the board: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/imag0093stq.jpg/

Sync cleaner top side: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/189/imag0094mf.jpg/

Sync cleaner bottom side: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/imag0095rq.jpg/

I've gone ahead and verified with a voltmeter that the traces that needed to be etched (pt 4-5 on J1 in the sync circuit mod tutorial, and point 5 trace going down) out have been correctly performed, as they do not provide continuity when I measured them.

One more thing, I tried the composite output to an old sony CRT here at work and I did not get any video output. As this is only one CRT, I will try one more after work. After that, I'll try with bustedst8 (hope you like Dunks!) to rule out the pcb/cps2 board.

Question: Is there a schematic somewhere for the neobitz pcb?

Dimahoo with graphics issue?

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