Bacteria's multi-console system project : UNITY

This system is going to incorporate N64, SNES, Jaguar, TurboGrafx, Megadrive as a tabletop clamshell type multi retro console system.

Stage 1 complete:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HExg-l_knP4

 

Uploaded this a while back, forgot to post here:

Video 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PadHF6V8evY


new update:



Going to LED mod with LED strips the screen to make it lighter and see how it compares to stock. Bought the LED strips from China so will take a couple of weeks. Will be interesting, as the screen is really good, only downsides are it is thick and heavy, so the LED mod should solve that.

Been thinking about construction of this project, decided to make it layered, bottom layer to house the system switches, cable tidy and power in area; layer 2 the Jaguar, layer 3 N64, etc.

Layer 1



Layer 2



Connection to the two is by pin headers, which is for the A/V and also grounding for the system selection. All the consoles can have the voltage line, the grounding will be the switch to power the system.

Not secured the bank of switches in place yet, might see if can extend it from 5 to 8 if can.

System is modular and easy to take apart.

Going to test this and then do same for N64 section, when working fine i'll make another video to show project progress.

 

looking forward too seeing more of this and why not go from 5 to 10

 

Could do easily, however the unit would get rather thick. This system is also only cartridge based systems, also, the screen is gorgeous with RGB output but a bit muggy with composite, was thinking about adding a couple of plug'n'plays too but probably won't due to this; just keep to RGB.

 

Progress video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMr6NFuHDoc

 

I smell another masterpiece, looking forward to seeing the final product!

 

Thank you!

Going to do TurboGrafx now, an excellent system.

 

Done the region mod to an 8PDT switch, installed a back plate for the game cart to go through, and the parallel port for the Master Controller - wired half of that, more to do yet.



Region mod : USA/Europe



Japan

 

Had to use 4 grounds thanks to the Jaguar; ok, that's bad enough; turns out I need 6 as the TurboGrafx uses different ones for A and B buttons; fortunately I had 2 spare "just in case" wires for the controller so going to have to use those ones to make for 6 grounds. I'll also have to add these two extra connections for the N64 and Jaguar console sections so they will work ok too. That's the thing with multi systems, always allow contingency as something will happen to bite you in the butt during the project! Fortunately had enough redundancy in the system.

I'll get that done tomorrow and finish off the TurboGrafx, so should be able to get a video done too.

 

Nice keep going!

 

Video 4 for the project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nklq5bTopwU

 

This is freaking sick!

 

Working on the MegaDrive now, with the adaptor to let it also play SMS games. Will also do the basic 60hz mod too so shows full-screen instead of the black bar on the top and bottom of the screen.

 

So impressed by this project bacteria. Can see it's really going to pay off when it's complete. I can't wait to see the finished unit. Keep up the hard work

 

longtime lurker
this project looks awesome.
im currently tryna make a nintendo box. ill be sure to make a thread when i get to assembly.

 

Presently working with the SMS adaptor for the Megadrive, opened up the boards recently, in process of modding the board, and if it still works after that, reducing the board so it fits into a host Megadrive cartridge. All part of the fun!

 

Well, just about to rekindle this project again. Moved house now, changed jobs; my life priorities have changed, my outlook on modding and also removed my forum (for various reasons) - which has feed me somewhat in time in a positive way.

Had to work out the pinout for the controller as lost it in the house-move; done.

I'm going to butcher the old Project Unity system at some point for some of the boards in it too, may as well. This system is going to be an upgrade on many levels to that system.

Also, the old system upgraded the retro consoles into RGB outputs where could; I found a very good upscale gadget to convert RGB into HDMI; which means the systems I incorporate into this multi-system unit will all output to HDMI.

The N64 console in this system, uses the board from Otakus's site to output RGB from a non RGB console board; which can now (when i've rigged it up) will output HDMI. That same output will also output HDMI for the TurboGrafx, Megadrive, Jaguar and SNES; and if I use the boards from the old Project Unity system, I could get proper HDMI output from Atari 7800, Colecovision, and even NES, although the NES on HDMI will hardly look crisp.

When i'll get the N64 upgraded to output HDMI (my first priority), and post a video on that when done; before moving onto the other systems.

This time around rather than having a stack of console systems on top of each other, i'm going to make a console as a large plug-in cartridge which pops into a base unit (using JAMMA pins) and uses one controller, one output, one power supply. Going to evaluate exactly what systems I will include in this project too, as after all, i'm building this system for myself.

I'm keen to get this system going now, at my own pace.

 

Hey bacteria,

I had heard from a random YouTube video (from This Does Not Compute) about you removing your forum. I am happy to hear that it seems like you are experiencing positive vibes after a lot of life changes and also still plan on keeping up your creativity via your projects while working at your own pace.

 

I started off as a modder back in 2006, and ended up running a once-busy forum and devoting most of the time and energy running and administering the forum, rather than doing what my core interest which was modding. I was also keen on publicity and "making my name", which I did. The result of running a site however was, I was spending a lot of time shielding off trolls and dramas that happen on any forum until eventually the negatives outflanked the positives and it wasn't fun anymore. As a fairly niche subject forum there had been a steady but consistent downturn in membership activity (mostly thanks to smartphones) until got to the point where it was getting quiet; I always maintained the site would stay while it was popular, when there was little interest from "da internetz" then i'd close it as no point flogging a dead horse - so did.

Hack-A-Day posted a nice comment at the time: http://hackaday.com/2015/04/19/hackaday-links-april-19-2015/

Anyway, page turned, life moves on. I always work on the basis that when I make a decision I stick to it and "no regrets".

Yes, my real life is far better now. Sold my large house and moved into an apartment so means I can retire from work in 2-3 years, I currently work in a company that is down the road from where I live, so I don't have to drive to work; and it's a good job too. My relationship with my wife had taken a bit of a pounding before with the time i'd spent running the forum and modding to complete works in timescales; now I have removed those issues so therefore back to totally happy relationship again with her (which is the most important thing after all). We are a very close couple, and coming up to our 19th wedding anniversary, which is quite an achievement after all. After all, people on the internet spend too much time trying for "likes" and "hits" from random people they will never know in real life, and it is easy for that to take over from real-life relationships; and we only have a certain amount of time in a day to do things, which means priorities. It's one of the reasons I am not on any social media platform; you will not find me on Twitter, Facebook, or anything else.

Anyway, back on topic.



In the photo, you see the controller which I built before, it's a SuperPad 64 controller for the N64, as it's comfortable to use. I had gutted it before and basically rigged up contact pads to retain the original feel yet allow me to use the controller for all the systems going into this project. The SCART > HDMI gadget is present, which will be incorporated into the base unit; and the console sections, to which so far I had made for Jaguar (Wolfenstein 3D only), MegaDrive, TurboGrafx and N64 to date, are all but prepared as functionality.

I have decided it would make sense to make a base unit which at the back will take power and also output HDMI to my large 65" television; at the front will be the system on/off switch and also the port for the controller. The base unit will also incorporate any services/electronics which can be shared between the various console systems. Each console section (including controller board of course) will be housed into a box which will resemble a large cartridge, which will connect via a 56 pin JAMMA connector to a port on the base unit, for it's power input, video/audio and controller output. Game cartridges will insert to the rear of the console "cartridges" on the base unit.

The advantage of doing the system that way is it will save a major headache with multi-switching to select between each system and also make the end product considerably smaller and flatter. It means I can make the system look attractive, not functional (like Project Unity was).

This will in effect be a step up from my Project Unity in many respects and I know I can easily complete this project as already have the knowledge of how to do it. I now need to plan out the sizing for the sections and planning how I want the system to look.

I am only on 3 forums, however when I have updates worth posting i'll tend to post them here as I like this forum the most.

 

Wired up a SCART socket so can interface with the various console units built to date, to make things easy. Just need to set a step-down regulator to 3v for the RGB mode in SCART (pin 8 as I recall on the SCART port), and will be ready to test what the N64 is like modded to RGB output then converted to HDMI upscaled output. Should be able to do this tomorrow or certainly over the weekend; will be interesting.

First time i've used a soldering iron since around October last year; shows the project is running now at least!

Ordered some JAMMA connections from ebay, to convert the consoles into cartridges to plug into the base unit (not made yet).

Question for you guys - do you want posts to show the system build as it progresses, ie reasonably detailed, or just highlights when each milestone is achieved in the project? (ie detailed information or highlights/summaries?)