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[Cascade FX]

#21

Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / NEC PC-FX Homebrew (Alpha) - C...

Last post by gameblabla - 10/06/2024, 06:08 PM

Cascade FX

Here's a 3D sofware rendered puzzle (Tetris) game for the PC-FX (and also Casio Loopy but i won't say too much about it ) !
This is an early alpha build with only arcade mode and a mostly empty "Puzzle" mode that will get more content later.
Press A to rotate the piece and dpad to move it around.
All of the puzzle pieces are actual 3D models, nothing is being faked or prerendered !

Video

Video comparing the two versions (PC-FX and Casio Loopy)

Download
https://github.com/gameblabla/CascadeFX/releases/tag/0.1

On real hardware you have two options :
- Burn it on CDR with imgburn. (make sure you use gold rated CDRs and a decent burner)
- David Shadoff's dev cartridge (In which case, you won't get any CDDA music)

Changelog

Code Select Expand

0.3 (PC-FX only)
- Fix game breaking bugs
- Fix puzzles and added more
- Minor enhancements

0.2 (PC-FX only)
- Improve rendering of 3D models (still not quite perfect for cube at titlescreen though)
- Improve speed for Cube at titlescreen
- Improve text rendering (not using VDC fonts anymore)
- Improve speed during ingame
- Forcing Vsync (not that the game exceeded 60 FPS but it's good to have)


#22

Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC-Engine Duo-RX CD-Rom Is...

Last post by SkyeWelse - 10/05/2024, 01:52 PM

Great! Thanks for the information, Keith. I'll definitely try to order a new lens soon and consider giving the install a try. If it looks like too much I'll send you a direct message and maybe we can work something out. I'm curious though what you would consider a good price. I see that they are kind of all over the place. Some places have them for under $20 including shipping, but some have them go all the way to $45. Then there are some that have full replacement enclosures that looks pretty much plug and play for about $50 to $65. For a few bucks more.... maybe that's the way to go? Hmm.

I can usually handle soldering well enough as far caps and the like, but SMDs are a little troublesome for me and certainly I'm not familiar with CD-Roms. I have a non-working CD-Rom in my FM Towns II MA model with no idea how to really fix it, so I've never seen the system it in action before sadly even though it turns on and displays a picture...

Thanks for your help.

-SkyeWelse 

#23

Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC ENGINE DUO "PLEASE SET ...

Last post by Keith Courage - 10/05/2024, 06:27 AM

"Please set disc" can be caused by a lot of different things. A bad lens, bad lens cable, poorly adjusted potentiometers, a bad potentiometer, a stuck gear, a weak lens motor, a bad trace, bad/shorted via hole connection, faulty chip on the board, etc.....

So if your positive the Lens is fine and the lens adjustment potentiometers are fine, then I would start by looking at the Via hole connections just to the right of the CD loading light. The 47UF caps typically leak there and can short the vias.

#24

Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC-Engine Duo-RX CD-Rom Is...

Last post by Keith Courage - 10/05/2024, 06:22 AM

I actively do repairs and mods for these systems. You can send my way if you don't want to fix yourself.

An HOP-M3 lens is what you'll need. Unfortunately it can be hit and miss with replacements found online. Fortunately all sellers guarantee the lenses sold. So if you get a bad one in the mail, they will just send you another one. I can't necessaily recommend one seller over another.

I typically order off of Aliexpress but there are many options on ebay as well.

#25

Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB: 2 PC-Engine two-button Co...

Last post by farankoshan - 10/05/2024, 03:50 AM

WTB: 2 PC-Engine two-button Controllers, with turbo switches.

I recently bought clear replacement cases, and I just wanted to swap out some old controllers for new cases.

Anyone from the US, Japan, AUS, or the UK who can help a fellow PCEFX member out? 

#26

Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC-Engine Duo-RX CD-Rom Is...

Last post by SkyeWelse - 10/04/2024, 10:21 PM

Thanks Keith! I appreciate the advice. I took a look at the two black 16v 1000uf caps that are closest to the regulators and I'm getting roughly 12.45v in both of them so yeah, I think you're right in those caps seem like they are operating fine. I'm still puzzled a bit with the guide I linked to above suggesting the the read outs of the pots ABC measurements for the RX aren't anywhere close voltage-wise to what I'm seeing when I test, so I'm wondering how I would best calibrate all the pots if the voltages aren't matching up.

I have checked the continuity of the wires going to the lens and can confirm that both connectors seem to show good connectivity for the red and white wires and there isn't a short from what I can tell, at least not from those wired connections at least.

I guess that would just leave the lens replacement as the next logical step. I'll check the guides here to see which lens is recommended for replacement, but if there is one more recently available that is easy to install I'd love to know about it! I took a look at the lens that is there and it looks like I can mess it up if I don't know what I'm doing, so definitely want to follow a guide there if possible.

By the way, if for some reason I can't get this repaired myself, who all do you recommend to fix these up? Is someone offering that as as a service these days who is pretty well known and trusted?

Thanks again for your reply!

-SkyeWelse

#27

PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: TG-16 Manual Scans

Last post by NightWolve - 10/04/2024, 06:54 PM

What do you think happened? You think it was showing how rushed these ports and releases were being churned out in the US towards the near end of the TG-16's life in the US?

Yeah, all of the above. They were rushed, had to totally rely on human editors to catch typos like that as built-in Grammar/Spell Check didn't exist just yet in Word Processor publishing software (whatever was used to design/publish magazine/manual/booklet pages back then, early 90's).

#28

Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC ENGINE DUO "PLEASE SET ...

Last post by elartur77 - 10/04/2024, 12:13 PM

Something to try which might sound weird, but I come across maybe 1 duo a year with an issue where it has to be used for 3-4 minutes before a disc will start working sometimes on a cold start. I would assume this is caused by a bad trace or connection on the board but I haven't been able to figure out where.

Anyways, just for the sake of trying it, Just hit run to start up a CD over and over again for about 5 minutes and see if the DUO magically starts reading discs again.

Thanks Keith for your reply, I'm going to try your recommendations..

Just to add, I did some other tests:

-I washed and cleaned the whole board inside a plastic container with IPA and a toothbrush (now the board looks like new)

-I replaced some caps that I knew were low quality.

-I kept playing with the pots.

-Tested with diferent power supply (original and a generic one)

But after all this, it still shows "PLEASE SET DISK"

And then I was lucky enough to get another DUO which worked great and I did some tests, the pickups on both lasers worked great on the new DUO, and both lasers didn't work on the old DUO, only "PLEASE SET DISK" showed up on both..

So the problem is definitely the old board.

But I can't detect anything wrong with the board by eye, no corroded vias, leaking caps, no dark areas, etc. I checked all around the laser and under the board but nothing, I don't know where to start..

Or maybe is power related that why I tested with diferent power suply and the voltages of the regulators was 5v output..

Which part of the board should I check that could give me "PLEASE SET DISK" if anything is wrong?

Thanks

#29

PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: TG-16 Manual Scans

Last post by farankoshan - 10/04/2024, 05:07 AM

Did you guys ever notice that New Adventure Island's manual has some strange typo and grammar issues?

Check out page 8-9, the heading reads "Be Sure You Know How These Items"

That's it. Hahaha! Was there a slip in quality control? This late into the conversion efforts, did TTi staff start getting sloppy? Hahaha! That heading ends so abruptly.

Huh, you're right, never knew about it! The correction would be something like, "Be Sure You Know About These Items" or maybe with more words, "Be Sure You Know How To Use These Items" ?

And then at the back cover, the word "Adventure" is spelled "Adventyure".
 

Hm, another one...

What do you think happened? You think it was showing how rushed these ports and releases were being churned out in the US towards the near end of the TG-16's life in the US?

#30

Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC-Engine Duo-RX CD-Rom Is...

Last post by Keith Courage - 10/03/2024, 10:42 PM

Don't bother with a Recap! DUO-R and RX systems never need it. The only Capacitors that are sometimes known to fail are the 2 1000UF capacitors right by the 7805 voltage regulators(big heat sinks).

It's the Black DUO systems that get faulty capacitors.

The issue with your DUO is probabaly a weak/bad lens. Lots of times you can just adjust the V102 potentiometer to get it reading again but sometimes replacement is needed.

Also, check to make sure all wires to the lens are good. Lots of times the Red or white wires can short out from movement overtime.