Author Topic: MOD - Homemade converters  (Read 7426 times)

roflmao

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #75 on: June 12, 2012, 01:54:30 AM »
Wow, that's pretty slick!

soop

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #76 on: June 12, 2012, 03:00:12 AM »
Wow, that's pretty slick!

That's really good!  Got any photos of the creation process?

Keith Courage

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #77 on: June 12, 2012, 08:25:14 AM »
How did you get the Game card into the white connector end? I have tried this before and even when I push really hard the game will not go into the slot. Did you grind it out a little?

Bernie

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #78 on: June 12, 2012, 11:41:18 AM »
How did you get the Game card into the white connector end? I have tried this before and even when I push really hard the game will not go into the slot. Did you grind it out a little?

Quote
I removed all but one ribbon cable, cut the bottom PCB to the size of a hucard, removed the pins from one side of the PCI slot and widened the slot a bit with a dremel so a hucard could fit in.  Then I cut the traces on the top PCB for the 8 data lines to rewire.  The bottom PCB needed a little plastic or tape since it was too thin to make contact in the cartridge slot without it.  It's been working great for my use in a Duo.  I don't have a TurboExpress to try it with, but it holds the hucard and plugs into the system snug enough that neither would fall out, although the ribbon cable may be a bit long.

 :lol: :lol:

Jugbug

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #79 on: June 12, 2012, 04:06:17 PM »
Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the process, but it's pretty simple, just cutting it to fit and rewiring.

How did you get the Game card into the white connector end? I have tried this before and even when I push really hard the game will not go into the slot. Did you grind it out a little?

Yeah, I used a dremel to cut/grind out a little extra room.  Unfortunately the PCI connector is just slightly thinner than a hucard.

Keith Courage

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #80 on: June 12, 2012, 07:16:31 PM »
Ha sorry, I somehow just passed right over that part when reading. I must have messed up and ate a bowl of stupid for breakfast today. Oh and by the way...Nice work!
« Last Edit: June 13, 2012, 07:00:23 PM by Keith Courage »

soop

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #81 on: July 05, 2012, 03:03:32 AM »
Helloooo.  Ok, I got a PCI thing the exact same as Jugbug's, and I have a couple of questions.

First, is there a schematic for the pins I need to swap?  I want to play US games on a PC Engine (not sure it will work both ways?)

Secondly, Jugbug, I've noticed that the curve of the HuCard means I'll either have to dremel the inside of the PCI slot, or maybe go to the second pin and dremel the connector end accordingly.  What method did you use?

Hope you can help!

Jugbug

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #82 on: July 05, 2012, 04:59:13 PM »
I don't have a PC Engine myself, but as I understand a hucard converter will work for you, but in addition you'll also need to lift and ground one of the pins on a chip inside the system.  A quick search brought up this page which explains it clearly: http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/pce/region.htm

There is also a schematic for which hucard pins you need to flip on that same page, here: http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/images/pce/original.gif

At first I was thinking of seperating the ribbon cable and doing the flip there, but I thought that might lead to problems with the wires getting pulled on, or being a bit too short, so I cut the eight traces on the PCB just below the PCI slot and rewired it there.

As for the PCI slot, I widened it so that the edge of the hucard goes right up against the PCI slot's edge.  So the first two pins of the PCI connector are not doing anything, the third pin is the first that makes contact, to pin 38 of the hucard in my case.  This works out well because when cutting the bottom PCB, leaving two dummy pins on each side of the actual 38 hucard pins makes the PCB almost exactly the same width as the hucard.  I'll post a picture of the slot with the hucard half-out so you can see how mine lines up.

Widening the PCI slot right against the side was a bit difficult since I couldn't really get my dremel down there without cutting through the slot's side, which I accidentally did a little.  I ended up sort of chiseling that part out with a small screwdriver and a hammer.


soop

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #83 on: July 05, 2012, 10:00:33 PM »
Excellent!  Thankyou very much!

*edit* didn't realise you have to lift pin 29 on a japanese console, that's a pain.  And I'm not sure why he's using those chips in the MMMonkey mod?
« Last Edit: July 05, 2012, 10:19:52 PM by soop »

thesteve

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #84 on: July 06, 2012, 08:49:34 AM »
no need to lift it,just ground it

Duo_R

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #85 on: July 10, 2012, 05:47:42 PM »
You are talking about the Duo-R console correct because the standard Japanese Duo or PC Engine does need it lifted. I have a tutorial video on my YouTube page if anyone needs a guide.




no need to lift it,just ground it

« Last Edit: July 10, 2012, 05:54:09 PM by Duo_R »
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thesteve

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #86 on: July 10, 2012, 05:51:02 PM »
i too have seen the tutorial.
i have also checked the pin on the black PCE DUO
the pad under pin29 goes nowhere

Duo_R

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #87 on: July 10, 2012, 06:10:05 PM »
Then you will be shorting 5V to ground

http://www.interlog.com/~daves/pce_info/jpncnvrt.txt

Only Duo-R and RX had no connect on pin 29. Did you try running a US game like that on a PC Engine by chance?
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thesteve

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #88 on: July 10, 2012, 06:16:16 PM »
yes i have
its also true of the GT
i had read that it was +5, but a meter proved it wasnt

Duo_R

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Re: MOD - Homemade converters
« Reply #89 on: July 10, 2012, 06:17:30 PM »
Thats crazy, the biggest modding myth for PC Engine, that info is everywhere
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