Author Topic: Making an RGB amp (Read 1380 times)

soop · « **on:** May 16, 2011, 03:13:48 AM »

err, I bought some of these, but I'm thinking maybe they're a bit thick?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Breadboard-Arduino-Prototype-Shield-PIC-AVR-/140549485470?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopComponents_RL&hash=item20b966f39e

I've never really done this before, so I kind of bought the first thing I saw. Looks nice though.

I bought these to go with them: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50pcs-Red-Breadboard-Jumper-Cable-Wires-Tinned-5cm-/290562091870?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item43a6d9ab5e

Hope they work ok :/ They don't have any of those plug things...

CGQuarterly · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2011, 04:44:53 PM »

Breadboards are really for temporary stuff, like making prototypes and whatnot. If you are making an amp to stick inside a system, you want to just buy a small PC board from a place like Radio Shack. Those wires are fine, except that for like a dollar you could go to any thrift store and buy a serial or parallel cable and just harvest the wires out of it, which conveniently would be different colors.

Chris

soop · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2011, 09:39:18 PM »

Quote from: Jibbajaba on May 16, 2011, 04:44:53 PM

Breadboards are really for temporary stuff, like making prototypes and whatnot. If you are making an amp to stick inside a system, you want to just buy a small PC board from a place like Radio Shack. Those wires are fine, except that for like a dollar you could go to any thrift store and buy a serial or parallel cable and just harvest the wires out of it, which conveniently would be different colors.

Chris

Cool, thanks Chris. Admittedly I only looked on eBay, but I just bought the smallest one I could find. I guess we'll see when it gets here...

gtsamour · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2011, 07:50:30 PM »

Here's the one I made...

soop · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2011, 10:03:18 PM »

Woah, that's really useful! I'm still waiting on the breadboards to arrive, but I have most/all of the other stuff. I like those input pin things on the far ends, I didn't consider any of that. If I get stuck, can I drop you a PM? Yours look really good

gtsamour · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2011, 11:15:46 PM »

Yeah I've already used these boards in modifying PCEngines to give RGB.
Look here
http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9299.msg161486
http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9379.0

The far ends you are reffering to I got from a regular electronics shop, they're very common. Same for the board plate, you get a bigger one and you cut according to your needs.
Yes ofcourse you can PM me for info.

Charlie · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2011, 10:37:01 AM »

Ok, here's mine:

Charlie

nat · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2011, 02:51:45 PM »

Charlie, you ought to get a few more of these made and sell 'em. I bet you'd have lots of takers.

grahf · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2011, 05:17:40 PM »

Don't mind my language, but do you know what would be f*cking amazing? A PCB that would fit inside the AV Booster case. You could drill a few holes, and have yourself an OEM looking peripheral (that NEC should have made anyway).

gtsamour · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2011, 07:46:31 PM »

I see that the board also contains an amplifier cirquit for the audio channels. Is this necesary? The sound is coming out of the console loud enough, why the need for extra amplification...

What's the eprom chip base for? Flashed game's rom?

Charlie · « **Reply #10 on:** May 24, 2011, 12:36:46 AM »

If you're speaking of the RGB booster, it obviously has the R and G and B output already, so you'd probably just want the video. (unless you want the H & V sync's so you can use the VGA connection?).

The audio amps are just buffers, I wanted to protect the TG console.

Prom socket is for, ...well....proms (DUH!). Actually, if you look closely you can see the four holes in the center; these are to mount the daughter board which is intended to be a EPROM simulator for fast program development (connects to PC for download). The pins on the daughter board plug directly into the socket.

Charlie

bernielindell · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2011, 12:46:20 AM »

Yeah Charlie. If you decide to make these for sale, I am postive people would buy em. I know I would.

gtsamour · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2011, 01:19:16 AM »

I would definitely buy one too if the price was reasonable. Even if it was a simpler and smaller version of it with less jacks.

soop · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2011, 03:25:08 AM »

How big is it? And how do you make one?

Charlie · « **Reply #14 on:** May 24, 2011, 03:40:26 AM »

You should be able to estimate the size based on the DIN connector, which obviously fits into the back of the TG.

I ran this sucker on my late-model Sony monitor (on the VGA port). The result went something like this:
(exagerated to make a point):
Monitor: "I see you have properly formatted Horizontal Sync at 15 KHz"
Charlie "YAY!"
Monitor: "I see you have properly formatted Vertical Sync at 60Hz"
Charlie: "YAY!"
Monitor: "Unfortunately, I can't run that slowly!"
Charlie: "AGGH!"

The RGB and/or Composite video work great (and the audio is a given). I can run 3 TV's at the same time, if I also use the RF output of the TG itself.

Not too sure it would be cost effective to sell, though.

Don't understand the "how do you make it" question...you lay out a PCB based on the schematic, have it made, buy the parts, and populate it; just like any PCB. Or did I mis-understand the intent of your question?

Charlie