So I added a new port on the Turbo Express

[Duo_R]

Added a controller port to the Turbo Express. Used a TG sized connector as a test but it will end up with a Duo connector.

When plugged in onboard controls are disabled, haven't tested a turbo tap yet

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[turbokon]

Cool, can't wait to be able to take my composite vid out modded turbo express to my brothe's house and get some bomberman action!!

[thesteve]

cool
did you resolve the power save function?

[Drakon]

Awesome mod!  Any schematic?  Also turbokon was it difficult adding composite video?

[Duo_R]

Schematic coming very simple to do actually. And will post a video of it in action.

I still need to composite vid mod but i also want svideo on this one.

[thesteve]

do the mod as S-Vid and mix for composite

[Duo_R]

Steve isnt the TE missing the entire video circuit
 Need to build from scratch right?

[Duo_R]

As far as saving games? Still working on it

cool
did you resolve the power save function?

[thesteve]

no.....the system will power off the screen if the controller isnt used

[Duo_R]

No i havent, does it still do that with new LCD installed?

[thesteve]

the way i wire it, yes
it can easily be disabled, but i like it

[Duo_R]

So after inactivity just the 5v line is disabled that goes to the stock screen?

[thesteve]

yes, and the inverter shuts off

[MottZilla]

When plugged in onboard controls are disabled, haven't tested a turbo tap yet

Sweet, it'll be pretty awesome playing 5 player Bomberman while on the bus! =)

Seriously though, so controller port and planned AV output to make it a portable and home TG16 system? That is pretty cool. Really portables like that should definitely be outfitted to allow for home console play. The PSP was disappointing that it first didn't have TV output, then it did but you still had to use the PSP as the controller and then finally you could use a PS3 controller with the PSP GO but you couldn't play UMDs. Silly.

[Duo_R]

As far as svideo isnt the TE missing the entire composite video circuit?

[turbokon]

Awesome mod!  Any schematic?  Also turbokon was it difficult adding composite video?

Not really, I think the hardest is modifying the earphone input to take both composite vid and stereo sound.

As far as svideo isnt the TE missing the entire composite video circuit?

As steve discovered, the 6260 can already do composite natively.  Just knowing to tap into the right pins with the right resistor values.

[thesteve]

As far as svideo isnt the TE missing the entire composite video circuit?

actually the encoder is mostly there, just disabled

[Duo_R]

I think both NEC and Sony selfishly did not want these to be home console replacements, Nintendo has done the same thing with no AV outputs natively.

Good thing that people like TheSteve and others are here to take care of things like that. Just took us a while :-)


Its awesome how we all share our discoveries here and collectively are improving our NEC consoles
 

When plugged in onboard controls are disabled, haven't tested a turbo tap yet

Sweet, it'll be pretty awesome playing 5 player Bomberman while on the bus! =)

Seriously though, so controller port and planned AV output to make it a portable and home TG16 system? That is pretty cool. Really portables like that should definitely be outfitted to allow for home console play. The PSP was disappointing that it first didn't have TV output, then it did but you still had to use the PSP as the controller and then finally you could use a PS3 controller with the PSP GO but you couldn't play UMDs. Silly.

[Duo_R]

Here is the video of the controller port in action (and a look at the battery mod).

[HercTNT]

Personally it blows my mind away that you guys can do this kinda stuff. Duo, loved the video demonstrating the battery mod. Now all you need is Steve's tv out and you got a full on console. Next step is battery backup and cd connection 

[Drakon]

Personally it blows my mind away that you guys can do this kinda stuff. Duo, loved the video demonstrating the battery mod. Now all you need is Steve's tv out and you got a full on console. Next step is battery backup and cd connection 

A spinning cd drive running off of batteries would eat through the batteries in record time most likely.  Also you'd need to rebuild the expansion port.  Heck if you're going through all that trouble it would be easier buying a cheap pc engine and portablizing it.

[turbokon]

Yeah, there are so many smart people with the likes of thesteve, duo-r and others. I have so much to learn.

[wilykat]

What's next?  built in CD system for portable CD games?

[HercTNT]

exactly hehe

[Duo_R]

Hey they made a portable Saturn, it could happen... lol

[HercTNT]

Oh i believe you. I'm an unashamed cheerleader for the incredible amount of talent in these forums. You got guys making homemade flash carts, brand new hucards, doing voice overs, adding new screens, batteries, controller ports to portables, etc.........  One of you is gonna attempt it one day just to day you did. Until that we are all grateful for the hard work everyone has done to make the turbo so much better in every way.

[Duo_R]

ok so got some requests on how to wire this one up, it is actually pretty simple. Note - wire colors have no relevance, just to make it easier to see each line.




Also for the controller to properly work we need to connect Ground and 5V line as follows:

5v connects to controller pin 1
Ground connects to controller pin 8





I can show you later where I grab the 5V line, it is from the large voltage regulator on the same side as all the ribbon cables. Ground is also available on the same side.


Make sure you pay attention that the ports shown are the female connector.
 

[Duo_R]

One more thing - it isn't even necessary to direct solder to the chip, there are actually little via points that you can tap to, right next to each of the pins. You can actually see the lines run to these small little points. Grab your ohmeter to check it. I can post pics later.

And Herc thanks for the kind words!

[Drakon]

Wow that's insanely simple.  I must say as a modder the pc engine is probably the best system to mod, it's a very straightforward system with hardly any issues or interference.   Every other classic console I modded I had to deal with some sort of video or audio intereference.  With the pc engine the audio needed a little bass boost and amping but atleast the picture is pixel perfect.

I suppose you just probed where the controller connector traces went to and discovered there was no components in between the connections and the chip?

[Duo_R]

yeah it is actually really simple. I looked into this years back, but when I saw the non-standard IC on the controller board I backed off thinking it wasn't possible. I tried measuring where the lines went to knowing they connect to the HU6280 but could not trace them. I recently checked again and realized that there were some parts (like resistors) in between and that is why I couldn't measured. After doing the Sega Nomad controller mod, I just applied the same method, and bypassed the chip. It worked just like the Nomad mod.

Wow that's insanely simple.  I must say as a modder the pc engine is probably the best system to mod, it's a very straightforward system with hardly any issues or interference.   Every other classic console I modded I had to deal with some sort of video or audio intereference.  With the pc engine the audio needed a little bass boost and amping but atleast the picture is pixel perfect.

I suppose you just probed where the controller connector traces went to and discovered there was no components in between the connections and the chip?

[Drakon]

Wait you know how to add a controller port to the nomad?!  I want that schematic!!

[Duo_R]

check it out, I haven't done a schematic yet but it is a similar concept:

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?msg=240644

[turbokon]

Should that pin 22 from hu6280 be 23??

[Duo_R]

nope it's 22, the diagram is labeled a little funny, pin 24 almost looks like it is labeled pin 25. I always recommend checking the chip, it is marked at the 40 and I count backwards.

[turbokon]

Gotta, thank:)

[Duo_R]

Here are the via points

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Note my pin 26 had a little corrosion nearby so yours won't look like that. You can see the trace that connects to pin 26 if you look carefully. This makes it super easy to solder

if it is hard to see, the vias are left to right: 32, 31, 26, 25, 24, 22

[Drakon]

smeh I'd probably solder to the surface mount resistors they connect to.  Looks like one of them connections to a 0 ohm resistor haha.

[Duo_R]

For pin 26 I actually connected to the HU6280 side of the resistor and it worked great

[Duo_R]

Where do you see a 0 ohm resistor?

[turbokon]

Got it working with a duo tap. My girls are playing bomberman!!! More testing is needed though but seems to be working.

[turbokon]

The screen goes blank after five minutes of play. Had to push the onboard controller to activate it. Will have to disable that battery save feature.

[Duo_R]

Good.to.know, i wonder if just the screen times out? Need to tap a different 5v line

[Duo_R]

And congrats and glad u got to test the duo tap! Thats awesome!

[esteban]

Got it working with a duo tap. My girls are playing bomberman!!! More testing is needed though but seems to be working.

HOT DAMN! Awesome, awesome, awesome.

[turbokon]

Thanks, I"m pumped right now. The external display on the big screen also went blank.

Anyone knows where is the relay that's disable the screen?

[Duo_R]

Yeah we need to kill that

[esteban]

Added a controller port to the Turbo Express. Used a TG sized connector as a test but it will end up with a Duo connector.

When plugged in onboard controls are disabled, haven't tested a turbo tap yet

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I missed this earlier! I saw turbokon's but not yours (oh, the injustice).

I love this mod.

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[Duo_R]

Its all good! :-) i got a video of the mod too. We just need to disable the power save function now. I think the signal cones from the controller board but hopefully not

[turbokon]

Yes, duo-r is the first to try this:)

My next step is to modify the tv turner input and use it as a housing for the duo mini-din 8 female connector.

[Duo_R]

ok not disabling the power save mode but I found a solution:

if you hold down a button on the built in controls the screen won't disable. I played a game for 10 minutes, the screen didn't go out. I did the YS III trick, and taped down the select button (I used a small object to hold it down).

this is temporary but not ideal long term, so what I plan to do is setup a special pin that will make contact with the Turbo Duo controller when plugged in so it will ground the select line. This will prevent the screen from going out. With select held to ground it doesn't effect the controls at all, the onboard controls are disabled anyways (don't worry hitting start won't reset the game).

That will work unless we figure out how to prevent that from happening. Obviously the built in controls is sending a signal to shut things down. If we could narrow down what line is doing that we may figure out what needs to be disabled. But worse case scenario there is a solution.

Thanks, I"m pumped right now. The external display on the big screen also went blank.

Anyone knows where is the relay that's disable the screen?