I RGB modded my Super Grafx

gtsamour · 02/21/2011, 03:57 AM

I decided to go on with modding my beloved Super Grafx console, and I must say I'm more than satisfied with the results.
It totally worths all the effort, and since this console has the best Ghouls and Ghosts game, I love playing it with the best possible picture quality.
Here are some pictures...

/supergrafx.jpg

/imag0045k.jpg

/imag0046p.jpg

Brand new electrolytic capacitors and new jack 8-din so that there are enough pins (the original had 5 pins).

/imag0047gh.jpg

The RGB and VSync amplifier I made from the following schematics.

/pcergb.jpg

/imag0048t.jpg

/imag0056r.jpg

Greek translation of Bikuriman world
/imag0057kz.jpg

/imag0061dt.jpg

/imag0053u.jpg

/imag0055jz.jpg

grahf · 02/21/2011, 05:04 AM

Really nice work on the PCB.

gtsamour · 02/21/2011, 05:12 AM

Thanks.
I've constructed 4 of the amplifier pcbs and i made them as compact and easy to install as possible. Pulled all inputs in one side and all outputs on the other.

My Core II is next, then my Turbo Duo.

ps
I found its much easier to pull the needed signals from the expansion port (internally) compared to the chip itself. I reffer to the PCEs that have one that is.

esteban · 02/21/2011, 07:48 AM

Nice.

You had me at GREEKROMS.

gtsamour · 02/21/2011, 08:18 AM

Yeah

Its a team that translates japanese only games to Greek.

SignOfZeta · 02/21/2011, 09:46 AM

Nice install.

NecroPhile · 02/21/2011, 10:47 AM

Well done; that's a very clean looking install.

SuperPlay · 02/21/2011, 03:34 PM

Very nice mod and good work :-)

Platinumfungi · 02/21/2011, 05:23 PM

Love the installation on this! Great job

nat · 02/21/2011, 10:27 PM

I had no idea there were Greek translations of any PCE games.

gtsamour · 02/22/2011, 12:12 AM

There are some translations in Greek on PCE games indeed (keith courage in alpha zones, klax, puzznic, shanghai, WB in monsterland), I only care about WB in monsterland though since it was my childhood love

http://www.greekroms.net/english/staff.php

Thanx guys,
yes I'm one of those cases that like to make everything clean and neat looking

I will post my Core II mod too when its ready. Its pretty much the same process as on this one...

termis · 02/22/2011, 09:32 AM

Awesome. Looks great, too.

Man, I really wanna see someone do a proper region mod on the SuperGrafx, with proper switching on pin 29 of the Hu6280 and all.

SignOfZeta · 02/22/2011, 12:38 PM

Looking at the SGX PCB...dang, that is one extremely sparse PCB. Obviously designed by the TG-16 guy.

Opethian · 02/22/2011, 03:09 PM

geia sou!!! awesome work man!!! Do you happen to have Adventure Island or Dynastic Hero in greek?

gtsamour · 02/23/2011, 12:14 AM

No man, I'm sorry... Only keith courage in alpha zones, klax, puzznic, shanghai and WB in monsterland were translated in Greek on the PCEngine.

Patches (and not actual roms) that translate the original roms can be found at http://www.greekroms.net/english/staff.php

SuperPlay · 02/26/2011, 10:43 AM

Do you have a picture/layout of your amp board (front/back) that you could share?

If you have that would be of a great help.

Thanks

gtsamour · 02/28/2011, 12:18 AM

They layout schematic of the amp is already posted in my initial pictures.
The front of the amp is visible on my previous pictures. When i have the time I'll take a photo of the back and post it.

gtsamour · 02/28/2011, 10:22 AM

/dscn0272r.jpg

SuperPlay · 02/28/2011, 11:28 AM

Thanks gtsamour :-)

I was trying to create the layout using standard track veroboard and was wondering how you managed to get it so compact ;-) Now I see that you are using a spot pin style of board.

gtsamour · 03/03/2011, 06:41 AM

Well, its not compact enough... I don't seem to be able to fit this thing into my Core Grafx II, this console is too small and there's just not enough space in it

I have to think of something... I hate to have to install the amplifier externally as part of the RGB- Scart cable.

incrediblehark · 03/03/2011, 07:48 AM

very very nice work! Clean and professional looking. As for the coregrafx, have you tried mmmonkey's amp method? http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/pce/amp.htm he just uses 3 transistors in the scart cable. I wonder how picture quality compares to your amp. (haven't tried it yet myself)

gtsamour · 03/03/2011, 12:36 PM

Yes I've seen this 3 transistor amp. I've also read that there is a danger of wrecking the video out chip of the console if you don't use the whole resistors-capacitors-transistor cirquit.

incrediblehark · 03/03/2011, 03:38 PM

AH! Thats good to know, i was planning on going that route myself because it seemed the easiest but now I'm hesitant to try it out.

gtsamour · 03/04/2011, 12:22 AM

I'm not an expert in electronics, (i merely copied a simple cirquit) but I remember that it had to do something with the impedance of the cirquit needing to be 75 Ohm, which isn't the case in the 3 transistor amp mod.

fraggore · 06/11/2012, 03:45 PM

that's a very tidy bit of work there.

CPTRAVE · 06/13/2012, 02:01 AM

Wow! Good job would love to see that in person.