VGA Built In

Unph@zed · Post by **Unph@zed** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:30 pm

Ok, so we've all seen the VGA built into the DC. Does anyone know how to actually pull it off? Tutorial, anyone?

Nintenter · Post by **Nintenter** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:33 pm

I saw a tut a while back on how to make a ghetto VGA.

Edit: http://www.dcemulation.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=16172

*cough* Edit again: This diagram is even better: http://www.geocities.com/imhill/dcvga.htm

Mikey1109 · Post by **Mikey1109** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 10:17 pm

id really like to do this for the hell of it. can someone explain it a bit better. never really learned anything from that post, and i dont understand the diagram.

Jaded JAaron77 · Post by **Jaded JAaron77** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 7:32 am

that diagram involves using some chip, but the instructions in that thread don't.....do you need the chip or not, what does it do?

Synlor · Post by **Synlor** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 8:16 pm

The chip is necesssary for some monitors. Right now I have made a PC board with all the parts necessary and put it in my dreamcast. Everything works right, except the board is too big to fit anywhere. So I redid my design and made it about half the size smaller. I have yet to make a board from it though as I don't want to waste a whole sheet of photo paper on it. Once I get around to getting some other PC board made, I'll have guides at my website (in my sig) for internal vga box and an internal coders cable. I work slow though, so it may be awhile, though I am to the point where I just need to print off the pattern and remake the board, but still, I'm lazy and that takes some time

Mikey1109 · Post by **Mikey1109** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:06 pm

cool, cant wait.

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:12 pm

kewl, id like to build vga into my dc

riva16 · Post by **riva16** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:53 am

See me, i would be cramming every part right by another to make it as small as possible. I don't understand the digram either, so it doesn't matter.

riva16 · Post by **riva16** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:55 am

I take that back... I'm mainly confused at the switch, and the IC. All the lines are crammed by each other and have a "mixy" feeling to my eyes.

Clarkbar · Post by **Clarkbar** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:25 am

I know making your own is cool but would it not be easier and maybe better to purchase a vga adapter and fit it in the dc. The one I have is compact and has rca jacks too.

Synlor · Post by **Synlor** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:06 pm

Riva, their is a bunch of stuff on the board itself that takes up the space, so thats why. I'm used to a somewhat "comfortable" area on my PCBoards, but the size needed (and like the one I have designed now) everythign is next to eachother. I suppose I could reduce it a bit by say.... taking out the pads that connect the headphones from the main board itself..... but that wouldn't be enough significance to matter. I like having everything coming out of a central location, in this case the board itself. Maybe a double sided pcb would fare better size wise? I'm exploring that possibility right now......

Kamjin · Post by **Kamjin** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 6:09 pm

Riva,
What parts are you confused on?

It's possible to get it all in there..
but you're either using a tiny PCB or..

I've got VGA, and serial in there,
I used smt caps, and an smt buffer,
and used wirewrap wire to do the connections,
for the serial I used the max3233ec.. I think that's the
part, it needs no caps, they're internal, and it's an smt also.
The vga part..
i soldered wires onto the caps, and they went to the
connector, wires on the other side went to the db15.
the caps themselves are stuck in electrical tape
and are under the shielding, did the exact same for
the buffers.
RS232 did the exact same thing.

So the chips are literally taped so they don't short
and then taped on the mainboard.

on the back of the DC, I used one of those serial
connectors that go in a pc slot, lined it up
right be hind the gdrom, and used a dremel,
put the screws in, then made the perfect cut
in the plastic, did the exact same cut right
under, I had to shave the connectors to fit
(as well as the cables), but they fit right
behind the gdrom.

Is it worth it... not really.. It's good as a "look at my DC"
type mod.. but took too long to actually do..
and always had a problem with the wires breaking
when closing it up.. not to mention i've busted the
spdt switch several times when luggin the dreamcast around
better off ordering from jandaman.. $10 for the vga box
it's got all the outputs.. except scart.. but i think he sells
a scart for $3..