VBXE 2

[+bf2k+]

Could this thing be utilized? (bit pricey tho').

[candle]

i've used cheaper chineese boards with success on ntsc units

the board was $34, came without a box though (i mean the case)

you'll have to convert video levels though, check if the board accepts ttl level RGB input or its expecting 0.75Vp-p signal as normal video signal

5Vp-p analog output is used in Arcade machines

[timofonic]

i've used cheaper chineese boards with success on ntsc units

the board was $34, came without a box though (i mean the case)

you'll have to convert video levels though, check if the board accepts ttl level RGB input or its expecting 0.75Vp-p signal as normal video signal

5Vp-p analog output is used in Arcade machines

 

 

Where to buy those cheap boards? How's the video quality of them compared to more "proffesional" ones?

[candle]

i've bought them on ebay, but it seems they aren't currently on sale

you may find some using "arcade to vga" as a query for ebay search

[+bf2k+]

An observation...

 

It appears that my VBXE2 machine is not compatible with the MIO / Hard Disk setup. When I try to boot it, the MIO activity light flashes and so does the RED AVR LED on the VBXE board but the machine will not come up. It boots fine with SIO devices (thru APE and Sdrive Nuxx).

 

I connected J3-2 to the pad up by the ECI port as seen in the images in the link (zaxon's setup) posted a few msgs ago because the metal shell of the crystal was too close to pin 3 of Freddie. Could this be why no MIO compatible?

Edited October 30, 2009 by bf2k+

[candle]

Mio uses D6e0 port?

if that is so, remap VBXE into D7xx page

[+bf2k+]

Mio uses D6e0 port?

if that is so, remap VBXE into D7xx page

 

I also forgot to connect the GND to J3-3. Where's a good place to get that?

[candle]

You don't have to really, its just there for shielding purposes, not that it would be required

 

any chances to see your setup?

[+bf2k+]

You don't have to really, its just there for shielding purposes, not that it would be required

 

any chances to see your setup?

 

Yes I will take a picture.

 

I moved the J1-8 D6xx wire (pin 9) to Pin 7 for D7xx.

 

BTW, my crystal is the square one = 14.31818 mhz

 

Do I have to get another one?

[candle]

you should remove the oscillator from the board, NTSC VBXE2 boards are complete, and do not require any crystals/oscillators on motherboard

[+bf2k+]

you should remove the oscillator from the board, NTSC VBXE2 boards are complete, and do not require any crystals/oscillators on motherboard

 

Will do... before I remove it, will it hurt anything to leave the xtal on the mb?

 

Remapping to D7xx solved the MIO boot problem.

Edited October 30, 2009 by bf2k+

[candle]

might fry the output of ATMega48, and will cost you a trip to poland...

[+bf2k+]

might fry the output of ATMega48, and will cost you a trip to poland...

 

So is it possible that this has already happened? (I have not connected ANYTHING to J4 yet).

[candle]

sure it is

but might be that th device will work with clock output fryed provided there will be some clock to clock the FPGA chip

you'll know when you'll remove the oscillator and connect the J6 as show on the pictures - if atari boots up, then you're safe, if not we will have to think something out

[+bf2k+]

sure it is

but might be that th device will work with clock output fryed provided there will be some clock to clock the FPGA chip

you'll know when you'll remove the oscillator and connect the J6 as show on the pictures - if atari boots up, then you're safe, if not we will have to think something out

 

I am really confused... in the pic regarding the 'option' in green, it said to move the crystal to the VBXE board if it looked like the other one with 2 leads. It didn't say anything about the removing the 4 lead crystal like I have on my motherboard.

[candle]

thats because all those pictures are for pal units

i don't have any NTSC units except 800 and 1200XL, and for those this is a diffrent story

[trub]

The A520 idea is interesting...

I successfully connected VBXE to a composite input via Amiga modulator (a Polish A520 clone)

The clue is MC1377 encoder which converts RGB into composite or s-video. The chip can also be found on some ST boards.

The VBXE RGB signals should be connected to appropriate inputs of the chip (via capacitors). Their levels must be adapted to the required level as Candle wrote above. I have done this by grounding all three RGB signals with 75R resistors. The other problem is to provide 12V to the encoder chip (Amiga video output has this). I used an external power supply but I think a DC-DC step-up converter would also do.

A520 does not have S-Video output by default, but it can be added as described here.

[flashjazzcat]

I assume the RF modulator is rendered useless by VBXE. If so, I was going to open up the RF hole in the case and fit my wide female DB15 connector in that location. Also, I take it I can just run a jumper from the monitor jack's audio pin to the relevant pin on the DB15 connector so the audio will come through the SCART connector at the other end of the cable.

Edited November 1, 2009 by flashjazzcat

[Rybags]

My understanding is that although VBXE duplicates much of GTIA's functionality, the existing video circuitry will still work as normal.

 

Of course, "normal" being the case that VBXE generated graphics don't come through your RF or monitor ports.

[peteym5]

Did you send out all the VBXE boards at once or sending them out in batches? I have not received mine yet and hope the delivery service not screw it up. I am usually at work when they arrive.

[atarian63]

have not gotten mine yet either

[candle]

I'm doing the shipment in batches - 15 at once, with day or two of

 

okay, postal confirmations are dated as follow:

 

Dan Winslow: 19.10

Cabel Clarke: 22.10

Roy E. Dean: 22.10

David Schreiber: 23.10

Bob Wooley: 27.10

Gary Ryan: 29.10

 

Europe wise:

 

Guus Assmann: 27.10

Gunnar Kanold: 27.10

 

those are only the people i didn't receive confirmation that they got the board

[flashjazzcat]

Does the SCART end require a ground wire attached for each of the red, blue and green wires? Or do we just run the ground from VBXE to the ground chassis pin on the SCART? A scart wiring diagram with special reference to VBXE would be incredibly useful.

[candle]

will do, but you have to wait a bit

i'm alone with all this, and could really use some help

in my case i would wirte all remining wires with ground - for example i've bought cheap chineese made cable 5m long, cut it at half and put the db15 connector for AOSD, when i wired it up (using separate ground for r, g and b, picture was snowy - like a bad antena reception

so i've wired up all remaining unused wires to the ground and thus provided the shielding (of course those remaining grounded wires had to be cut out from scrat side if used as an output (tv wise output that is) and this made a lot of diffrence

picture is crisp sharp, and i've spend $2 for 5m of cable not a bad deal at all

[flashjazzcat]

Is the FPGA light supposed to come on when you power up the Atari? At the moment, only the AVR light is coming on, and the SCART lead I've lashed up to the header pins is producing no signal.

 

Honestly, there appear to be so many different ways of wiring this thing up, I just hope I've done it right. I removed the crystal from the board and fitted it to VBXE. I also removed Q4 and R18 from the motherboard. Pin 1 of J6 is wired to the bottom pad Y1 near where the crystal used to be on the motherboard, and Pin 2 is wired to where the bottom leg of the crystal used to be. Most of the other joins are fairly self-explanatory, to be fair, so I don't think I could have gone wrong elsewhere.

 

The SCART explanation is insufficient for my understanding. Let me explain what I've done so far:

 

Scart pin 16 - wired to RBG selector pin.

Scart ground (chassis) - wired to ground pin on VBXE.

Scart RED IN (pin 15) wired to RED signal pin on VBXE.

Scart BLUE IN (pin 7) wired to BLUE signal pin on VBXE.

Scart GREEN IN (pin 11) wired to GREEN signal pin on VBXE.

Scart comp video (sync in, pin 20) wired to Sync signal on Atari.

 

It doesn't work. Although I have built many projects, I have no real understanding of electronic theory, so what I really require is a clear wiring diagram of a working VBXE - SCART connection. Candle, am I supposed to wire up EVERY other wire at the scart end to the ground pin of VBXE? Rather than trying to explain how it should be done, a drawing with the scart at one side and the 6 Atari end connections at the other would prevent me wasting more time flipping between pinout diagrams and photos of the VBXE board. There are far too many variables at the moment, and I don't even know if the board works.

 

...Don't worry: It's working.

 

I still think the diagram would be a good idea, so I'll knock one together tomorrow if I get time. The problem was that the LCD TV wasn't showing either of the SCART inputs on the source menu as "active" (they were greyed out). Nevertheless, when I selected one, there was the VBXE picture, looking absolutely stunning, I must say.

 

Out of chaos has come order, it would appear.

 

There must be another SCART pin which needs connecting in order for the TV to sense it as "live". Any ideas? The picture's perfect, but I'd feel better if the SCART input showed up properly on the TV's menu.

Edited November 1, 2009 by flashjazzcat