Bacteria's project: "Project Unity"

[bacteria]

(copied from some posts on my forum, to bring this up to date here)


No idea how many hours making that unit took, and it's various predecessors - probably around 50 hours or so if it was totted up.

Having to make a new matrix for the connections, to make them standard (different to last one). For those who wondered before why I need 18 connections per console:

Port 1 (left)
1 Controller connection 1
2 Controller connection 3
3 Controller connection 4
4 Controller connection 5
5 Controller connection 6
6 Controller connection 7
7 Controller connection 8
8 Controller connection 9
9 GND to power the console

Port 2 (right)
1 LED power (to show switches are activated for that system)
2 Rgb
3 rGb
4 rgB
5 Composite / C-Sync
6 Left audio
7 Right audio
8 RGB/composite mode on SCART - 1-3v = RGB, nil = composite
9 GND for video

The logic:
Many console controllers have up to 9 wires inside, 1 is always ground. I set ground for the controller to (2) as default, so there are 8 remaining ones, hence 1, 3-9 = 8 connections. Had to do this before as was using 8PDT switches, so transferring same method across to keep compatibility with the Master Controller.

The PS2 has to be different - if you use system ground for video you get a bad picture image, so the ground has to be from the PS2's own ground instead. That's why there is a GND for video as it has to be tapped elsewhere to work.

My next job is to wire all these connections up for the systems already in place, so can test the system. That means wiring up the DreamCast, Saturn, PS2, NeoGeo; and cutting off the old connections at the same time. I've temporarily removed the N64 from the system as I will have to build an internal section to house the cart based systems, to make it removable if needed.

Removed that piece of board screwed to the top of the unit to keep the sides of the Unity system together as the switch/slider unit is doing that now, and it also means I can see what i'm doing inside the system now!

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No way back easily now - cut off all the cables that connected the existing console video and controller wires to the bank of 8PDT switches, need to wire them onto the new unit, which will take a while - all the connections, and making sure I don't mis-wire them or things might fry/not work.

Doing that has made my system look a lot smaller due to the space that took on my desk before.

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Good progress, spent about 3 hours on this tonight:

Wired up the slider unit, also cut the cable to the master controller so it plugs into a male and female PlayStation controller port (so the Master Controller can be detached from the base unit if wanted). Finished wiring up the system for the A/V and DreamCast, tomorrow will do my checks and aim to fire the system up and (fingers crossed) hope it all works fine. If it does, i'll wire up the Saturn next, and test again.

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Did continuity test (with my LED home-made tester, I quite like it, it's handy to use!), wires look fine; couple of minor tweaks needed to ensure both sides of shielded cables are fully grounded, then test (tonight). Will also upload a few pics too of what's been done.

[bacteria]

SUCCESS!

Had one mishap though, took a while to work it out; the DreamCast didn't show an image however I had audio, so knew things were connected ok, turned out one of the pins didn't connect to the nut that told the SCART if in RGB mode (1-3v) or composite (ground), neither, so therefore blank screen. Removed the slider (for the upteenth time to date) and used my sanding drum to sand down about 1/4mm from a couple of neighbouring nuts that were slightly elevated - that fixed the issue - DreamCast works - got as far as setting the time and date, and into a game, didn't test it totally but should be fine (will test more fully tomorrow). Only thing not working is the LED on the slider itself, no biggie and easy to fix that.

So, some pics:

The slider fully wired up:



Wired up male/female PlayStation port, so the Master Controller can be disconnected easily. Forgot to remove a RCA jack before did that :facepalm: so will have to dremel it off at some point.



Here is the back of the slider (only the DreamCast is wired up to it at the moment), labelled what console is going where (grouping by manufacturer), and the sheet stuck to the left side is a reminder of what connection does what. This project is so complex that it's too easy to forget what goes where otherwise. The wire going left to right is the one that transmits the voltage/ground to the SCART for RGB/composite mode (as referred to above).



Here is the definitive proof that the system works - my homemade multi switch system



... it's alive!

[bacteria]

Going to put this part of the project into "finished projects" for the switching unit as it is a self-contained project within the main Unity system.

Will make a thread and also transpose some pics later into a thread, tonight, when have some time.

In the interim, here is the video i've made today, my first ever HD film, and also, i'm very pleased with how it came out. I'll probably post this project onto Instructibles too as self-contained project (needed the Unity system though to prove it works). The video is instructional and covers the build concepts after all.

Hope you enjoy this video:

[bacteria]

Thought it time to update the thread with project progress!

The GameCube motherboard is complete, with the A/V wiring (RGB), fan installed, drive assembly made and the drive>motherboard extended.



This is the completed wiring - the MDF is the spacer to go into the Unity system BTW.



Here you can see it installed into the Unity system. The A/V isn't wired to the switch bank yet, the controller isn't made into a cartridge yet, and the GBA port just has the cables poking out at the front of the system as not installed either. The wood is screwed to the back plate (with the DreamCast board), so easy enough to remove. Next job will be to connect the A/V to the switch bank, connect the system to the regulators in the Unity system, and test.

The positioning has been made so the hole in the system will house a wooden box holder which will house all the other cartridge based systems, that will allow me to remove the section to get to the disc based systems easily when I need to. Got to make that assembly too. As i'm not relocating the Saturn's memory cartridge (not installed yet), the box of systems will have to be in front of the Saturn's memory cart port. Larger console boards will need locating on the right side of the system near the regulators, it's the only space for large boards.

As you see, space is rather of the essence!

[bacteria]

Fantastic - the 75ohm resistor did the trick beautifully! I have a georgeous stable RGB quality image now on the GameCube.

Going to re-install into the Unity system (4 minute job).

[SamuraiMegas]

Amazing work bacteria! How many systems have you gotten to work on your creation?

[bacteria]

So far, the DreamCast, GameCube and Saturn are wired up to work, although the GameCube needs the controller built into a cartridge and also the drive unit needs finishing; the NeoGeo, N64 and PlayStation are done but just need wiring to the bank of switches. Given the PS2 plays PS1 (via it's original hardware) and the GBA Player is proper hardware (basically a GBA made to work on a GameCube), taking the bit of wiring involved with completing the integrations as above, that's 8 systems so far that are 100% integrated or 90% integrated. 11 more to go afterwards until completion. Finished system will be 19 systems when done, all original hardware, no clones or similar. No Wiikeys, no modchips (although technically using one for SNES) and have also a chip to make the PS2 autoboot; system will use original game carts and original game discs.

When the GameCube is totally finished, i'll be making the box to fit inside the Unity system for all the cartridge based systems to reside.

[SamuraiMegas]

Damn, that's awesome. I am sure it'll be a behemoth. This makes me wonder though, how much would it sell for if you sold it (not trying to buy, I always think its interesting to see prices for homebrew stuff, for whatever reason. Like I saw a guy sold his dreamcast portable for like 700$, which made me get interested in the prices. I guess you could call it a fascination.)

[bacteria]

This Unity system will not be for sale unless someone paid an amount that was hard to turn down; talking in the order of £25k plus to take my interest, and collection only and in cash! Sure, the physical cost of the parts inside are probably £400-£600 or so (guess), however looking at around 3k hours to make it, and that's where the cost is, if someone wanted to buy then they'd have to pay for my effort/labour to make it worthwhile. This is a one-off system after all, the most comprehensive system ever built or likely to be. Building the system for my own use though, not looking to sell it.

[bacteria]

Another update guys!

I hate how camera shots make things look like prisms or rhombus shapes when they are right angled - never mind though!

Installed the first part of the internal structure, basically two strips of chipboard screwed to the Unity case sides and screwed into that a shelf of about 8mm thick board. The idea is that the cart based systems will all reside here, layered one on top of another and lightly secured into place, to allow removal of those boards, and also the whole internal box unit, so I can get to the other motherboards without nightmares.

The space here is big enough, and larger boards can go into the right section too. It will be quite snug in there for sure. You can see the GBA game cart out the front, that is going to be mounted above the NeoGeo cart and onto the underside of the "shelf".



Behind the shelf, i've got a Saturn memory card to pop into place, was no point relocating it.