Anyone want N64 VGA?

mikejmoffitt

Mickey's Coach
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Feb 6, 2014
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This project was more or less commissioned so it took precedent over NeoVGA. I just finished designing a PCB for it:

MYVvGAd.png


IMG_1348.JPG


I'll include more details once I have a prototype ordered. The parts cost is about $80. Ouch! If the PCB works, then I can make a few minor adaptions to make it the NeoVGA PCB, so a lot of that work is completed already.
 

mikejmoffitt

Mickey's Coach
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Feb 6, 2014
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Nice! How's the install going to be for these?

Let's see - there's the 50MHz clock, the /DSYNC line, data bits 0-6, 5V, 3.3V, and Ground, so just 14 wires (as ground is wired three times). The work is pretty small, though, and depending on the revision of the system it is fine-pitch 0.05 wiring or super-fine 0.025 wiring. Not newbie material!

The board is narrow and long so it can fit to the right of the N64 PCB. I am hoping it can fit underneath the board a bit, and if not, a tiny bit of trimming of the extra ground area may be needed. Once I get a prototype in all this will be clearer.
 

undamned

Pleasure Goal
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Nice work! It seems that between 2014 and 2015 we'll have hi-def outputs for most older consoles :D
-ud
 

fenikso

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I won't lie, I don't care too much for the N64 (I know I'm in a minority here, but me and that system never clicked), but the GameCube on the other hand is a whole 'nother story. If you felt like figuring out a low cost solution so people didn't have to spend $150+ dollars on a component cable, that would be outstanding.
 

DNSDies

I LOVE HILLARY CLINTON!
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I won't lie, I don't care too much for the N64 (I know I'm in a minority here, but me and that system never clicked), but the GameCube on the other hand is a whole 'nother story. If you felt like figuring out a low cost solution so people didn't have to spend $150+ dollars on a component cable, that would be outstanding.

it exists:
https://www.oshpark.com/shared_projects/XKoWs6TP
https://github.com/ikorb/gcvideo

It's not much cheaper though. Also, you need to tap the signal from the Gamecube digital video out anyway, so you need to jury rig a plug or tap from the motherboard.
I think I did a bill of materials on it, and it worked out to like $120 each.

It would be way cheaper with a large fab run done.
 

fenikso

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it exists:
https://www.oshpark.com/shared_projects/XKoWs6TP
https://github.com/ikorb/gcvideo

It's not much cheaper though. Also, you need to tap the signal from the Gamecube digital video out anyway, so you need to jury rig a plug or tap from the motherboard.
I think I did a bill of materials on it, and it worked out to like $120 each.

It would be way cheaper with a large fab run done.

I guess I was spoiled by the relative inexpense of VGA and HDMI mods that were recently developed. I figured that with the requisite digital signals already gathered in one spot, that it would be a snap to finish the process. No doubt ignorance on my part.

As far as the port goes, I'd be just as happy with installing something more standard in its place (rather than attempting to rig something).

Oh well, rather than take this thread too far off topic, I'll leave it alone and hope someone figures out something cheaper down the line.
 
Last edited:

DNSDies

I LOVE HILLARY CLINTON!
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I think the problem with it that increased the cost was the need of an FPGA chip to decode the signal, since it's a special nintendo thing (this is handled by an ASIC of some kind inside the GC Component Cable normally)

Anyway, in the interest of keeping the thread on track, I would be very interested in this if the price is right (in and about $50).

I'm not afraid of fine soldering either.
 

mikejmoffitt

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I think the problem with it that increased the cost was the need of an FPGA chip to decode the signal, since it's a special nintendo thing (this is handled by an ASIC of some kind inside the GC Component Cable normally)

Anyway, in the interest of keeping the thread on track, I would be very interested in this if the price is right (in and about $50).

I'm not afraid of fine soldering either.

If this thing gets enough interest to get mass-manufactured and assembled, then maybe it can approach $50. Otherwise, here are the three most important parts from Digi-key:

FPGA: Cyclone 2 EP2C5T144 (the lowest end of the line): $14.70
DAC: ADV7123: $11.71
FPGA Config EEPROM: $16.96

Combine that with the PCB and other tiny <$1 items, and we've nearly reached $50 before anyone's even assembled the thing. I'd love to make it cheaper but the only way to do it is to get sketcho parts from China.

Once I see if my PCB I designed works (the first for an FPGA I've ever made) then I'll see what I can do to maybe shrink it down a bit. I can definitely pick a cheaper manufacturer, as OSHPark costs $48 for 3 of these PCBs.
 

MidnightMonkey

Loyal Neo-Disciple
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Jun 1, 2014
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825
I'm half-chubbed. It's interesting. I'd like to see a comparison between display types before considering to buy tho.
 

mikejmoffitt

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I just went to a friend's place to test on an HDTV with 480p component, and it looked great. At some point I'll take pictures of the difference between the various hookups, including the built-in Composite as a baseline.
 

gtdoering

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Apr 29, 2014
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53
I'd buy that! been looking for a good video mod for the N64 for a long time.
 

KalessinDB

Mr. Big's Thug
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Dec 17, 2013
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Maybe? I love the 480p component answer, but I personally would really want rca jacks if you could manage that. Be pretty easy if you're still around the corner from me when you do this, I gotta admit :lolz:
 
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