PC Engine IFU RGB Mod?

Hi there,

I am dipping my toes in the PC Engine scene by first buying a cheap but broken CDROM2 from France that I hope to get refurbished at some point.

However I live in PAL land, and need to have my eventual setup modded to send RGB to my TV. I hope to get a PC Engine and the IFU.

Can the IFU be modded for RGB? If yes, does anyone know someone in Europe that could mod it, plus maybe repair the CDROM?

Or does the IFU actually need such a mod, and can the PCE send the signal itself and bypass the IFU but still communicate with the CDROM?

Thankyou

 

I'm pretty sure the IFU unit can be given a RGB mod so you won't need to modify your PC-Engine console. And if you ever for some reason needed to change the PC-Engine console, you'd still have RGB since the IFU is outputting it.

There are people that fix the CD-ROMs too. Usually I think after all these years one of the plastic gears tends to break.
This would be the best forum for that kind of PC-Engine focus: http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php
If you check around there you can probably find answers.

 

This all can be done. I know this, because I did it. However, I don't know anyone in Europe who could help you unfortunately.

 

Thanks guys registered at that forum, here's hoping they approve!

 

I have RGB modded original PC Engines, Core Grafxs(?), a Duo and Tennokoe 2s with THS7314 amps and all work well, but I haven't modded an IFU. If it is a similar layout then I may be able to do it, and I am in Europe (UK to be exact). It would involve making a hole in the IFU casing to install a din socket or I could hard wire a scart cable to it, but either way it will involve cutting the casing.

 

Thanks Ergot that's good to know, I appreciate if that's what needs to be done then it shall be done. Once I have all the gear I will consider my options

 

Ergot_Cholera: I'm currently having issues with my CD audio on my RGB modded PC Engine, any ideas what might be the cause?
http://www.assemblergames.com/forum...-CD-ROM-audio-crackles-with-PC-Engine-RGB-mod

Not that I'm trying to hijack OP's thread, since I'm thinking I might need to move the mod to the IFU and use it's built-in audio to solve my issue. In that case, what I find out might be useful for OP I was thinking I'd remove the video and audio RCA jacks from the IFU and replace them with three component RCA jacks. Then install a 3.5 headphone jack for the audio and use a 3.5 headphone to RCA stereo cable. This seems like the cleanest way to install the mod, as it doesn't involve altering the case too much, unless there's a small jack about the size of a RCA jack that can carry the RGB signal which I could put in place of the original composite RCA jack. I also have no idea if the current mod I have can be used for composite or not.

 

I just did this mod - turned out nice and clean
RGB inage with CD sound straight out to SCART connector

 

Hey man, could you please upload somewhere a step-by-step guide for RGB mod????? 'Cause I got an RGB amp for IFU, but it's such a pain in the ass. Bought an am from France on eBay, the seller's name is p-nauts. Thanx in advance!

 

I'm interested in this too if anyone has a step by step please do let us know.

 

Not exactly a step-by-step, but here is how someone did one (use Google translate for English):
http://www.obsolete-tears.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7231

Probably don't want to use the transistor based amp they used though, but it should give you a basic idea of where to connect everything. They also made their DIN connector with an odd pinout. Should probably pin it with the original PC Engine pinout and add R, G, and B to pins 6, 7, and 8 so you can use an original 5 pin composite cable.

 

One alternative is to install the RGB amp into the PC Engine itself as normal, but solder in some female RCA jacks into the SCART cable and plug the audio cables from the IFU into that. No need to drill extra holes into the console.

 

I haven't got a guide to do this - I just used the THS7314 amp described in this subforum and wired it into the IFU.
Loads of room in there so it's easy to install, advantage of having the amp in the IFU is that you can test unknown pc engines in it to check they work before modding them.
Nice idea to put RCAs on the SCART of an already RGBd unit tho

 

I'm modding IFUs, and I'm in Europe.

http://www.retrosampling.se/Temp/JapanSpel/Bilder/Nec PC-Engine IFU-30 (RGB Scart Mod 2).jpg

 

Fitting a scart connector there should be quite annoying.

 

Not if you want everything going out the back =)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHV6vpDgHwI

 

why use a scart connector when you can use a much smaller din socket? that way you would've saved loads of space and probably be able to route the power connector back there as well. imo that would be a much better/tidy solution ?

 

What would you do with all that space left?

The thing is, when you'r from Europe, Scart just looks stock, we don't think about it as it looks like it's always been there.

 

Personally i would rather have space saved on the back and have everything come out there instead of all the connections coming out from the side, which is a real pain for people like me. And for the scart connector i have never seen on of a electrical appliance other than dvd players

 

Hey FiddeSe, gojira? I PM'd you both, can either of you get back to me?