RGB Mod coming soon

[zapiy]

So this is going to be a separate box that allows various consoles to be connected via for RGB out?

[retromod]

So this is going to be a separate box that allows various consoles to be connected via for RGB out?

no it is a small PCB in SMD with enclosure inside a console. reason is that we can not deliver a separate box as this requires WEEE registration and many other qualification for each countries. On the other side you need some "signal" improvements before entering the RGB converter stage which depends on the specifics of the used console. So it is only available as internal solution. But as price tag is fairly low  ($50) including all features this is not really a problem, isn't it?

[zapiy]

I am confused with the image as it shows a coleco and intellivision not a seta mega drive?


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[retromod]

I am confused with the image as it shows a coleco and intellivision not a seta mega drive?


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the sega megadrive alrready have RGB signal onboard, so no need for a converter...
the atari stand for Y/C signal type of consoles (like all Atari consoles) and the Coleco stands for R-Y/G-Y/B-Y (color difference signal) consoles like Intellivision and Coleco (and many other like MSX). sorry for the confusion.

native RGB consoles like Jaguar, Megadrive etc. do not require this mod.

[zapiy]

What's SMD then?

[retromod]

What's SMD then?

the form factor of the PCB and components. Surface mounted.

[zapiy]

Small mother board?

[retromod]

Small mother board?

the current mod's uses specific small components near SMD size. The sega mod and specially that pure number of functionality lead to a size which is problematic to fit into those machines. So using SMD components makes them smaller as single components have only half the size in comparison.

that's why switching to smd make sense beside the price advantage as SMD components are quite cheaper.

the megadrive delivers RGB out of the box - even if those output is ugly in comparison to other RGB consoles. that's why I use the output directly from the graphic-chip instead of the connectors on the back of the console (a normal user would use a RGB cable only). Despite that the megadrive is a RGB console not needing a mod to generate a RGB output video picture, it need it only to get a "good" RGB signal 

[retromod]

I just recognized that most of the single MCU based operations like Stereo Surround and OSD menu can be combined into a more powerful MCU. Advantage is that the design will be smaller, easier and finally cheaper.
this also shorten my roadmap to the all-in-one mod fully based on one MCU at the end 

[retromod]

These days I found an old RGB circuit diagram in a book which is dedicated to the Atari 2600 consoles. Funny as you can not find those information in the internet. Seems books are still not outdated  :19:

[retromod]

The found circuit outlines a very easy and quick way of RGB implementation which attracted by attention. Another circuit deals with a clever way to get the right colors on the fly in bypassing FPGA or any other custom chip and after some brainstorming I'll give it a try to integrate both circuits/idea into one solution.

If it fails I will continue with the already selected prototype in using a custom chip. If it is successful then this will simplify and of course reduce the target price significantly. So a final solution for $20 would be possible and might be usable for other consoles as well which also influences HDMI integration of course.

[zapiy]

Looking forward to seeing more on this fella.

[retromod]

RGB it is definitely the next on the list. First for Coleco/Intellivision as low hanging fruit, then for Atari consoles.
first prototype is running but requires some tweaking to get an improved picture over s-video. parts of the solution are ~$20. I will give it a try with the found circuit or better principle out of the book so may be price drops to $10 if it is possible to fix the side effects of it. picture is much better than first common solution so it would be really great getting it up and running the right way.

[guest5553]

Looking forward to this RGB mod for sure, for Intelli, Coleco and 7800!

Just checking, it will be available as a kit to self install?  (living in Australia makes shifting consoles around the world rather expensive).

Cheers and thanks for your hard work 

Edit - NTSC & PAL?

[retromod]

it is not a kit. We can't sell kits as this is against local and foreign regulations. As a company you can't start soldering or selling without following rules. For example we can't offer our famous Coleco Powersupply in the US as an import require having a local representative. Else we risk that the item is dumped during import inspection and we are blocked for further business.

Same for PCB's. We can't offer locally or in other countries as it require in having a certificate which is of course expensive. So we must follow the legal way and delivering internally.

The upcoming mod might allow playing NTSC games on PAL consoles as the chipset support that feature. The HDMI mod will definitely allow that but may require - depending on console - alternate source clocks (for example on Atari 7800).