PSone screen flickering a bit - how to get it (100%) stable?

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:26 pm

Wall power at the moment. Erring onto caution; will go battery power soon!

The power going into the mobos from the power supply - one wire is white stripe on black wire and the other is all black wire. Is the white stripe wire the positive and the solid black the negative please? I don't want to wire them the wrong way round!

Once I get the capacitor (I think it is coming from Germany?), I will test it and let you know the result; along with the new set of 2500 NiMH batteries coming from Hong Kong!

Should the capacitor only be connected to the terminals going to the PSone screen or should it go to both the PSone screen and the GBA Transverter?

Thanks!

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:34 pm

White is positive. Black is negative.

Some of the problem is probably due to the wall power. Switching to batteries should fix some of it, and the capacitor will do the rest.

As for where it should be conencted to, if your GBA transverter has a regulator on it, just the screen. If it doesn't, hook it up to the battery's terminals. Either way is good. But if you want to play it safe, just stick in on the terminals.

Remember: The PSOne screen can't take much more than 9 volts. Don't use ALL the batteries you get. Use some to power things like your wireless controllers!

Turbo Tax 1.0 · Post by **Turbo Tax 1.0** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 9:37 pm

it was dkap who did this before, its not on his sight anymore though

also some other guy made something called the sting ray or manta ray or something like that where he just made it so the GBA could plug into a psone screen.

EDIT: ahhh it was called the miracle ray
http://www.konlabs.com/articles_data/mi ... /index.htm

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:51 am

Kurt_ wrote:White is positive. Black is negative.

Some of the problem is probably due to the wall power. Switching to batteries should fix some of it, and the capacitor will do the rest.

As for where it should be conencted to, if your GBA transverter has a regulator on it, just the screen. If it doesn't, hook it up to the battery's terminals. Either way is good. But if you want to play it safe, just stick in on the terminals.

Remember: The PSOne screen can't take much more than 9 volts. Don't use ALL the batteries you get. Use some to power things like your wireless controllers!

Excellent, you are a diamond!

I intend to use 6 batteries (AA rechargable 2500 NiMH) to power the PSone and GBA Transverter; and 2 more of these batteries to power the GBA itself (so console will have to house 8 batteries). If I use standard AA batteries, I will have to use 5 of these and not 6 (6 x rechargables @ 1.2v = 7.2v; 5 x 1.5v = 7.5v (6 would be 9.5v and would blow the PSone).

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:09 am

Turbo Tax 1.0 wrote:it was dkap who did this before, its not on his sight anymore though

also some other guy made something called the sting ray or manta ray or something like that where he just made it so the GBA could plug into a psone screen.

EDIT: ahhh it was called the miracle ray
http://www.konlabs.com/articles_data/mi ... /index.htm

It was interesting to see what he did; it appears he modified the connection points between the GBA and PSone panel. I doubt the end result was too easy to use as it would be cramped to use the controls, awkward to hold comfortably and not easy to see the best view output from the screen. Good project though!

1) The GBA Transverter gives virtually a full screen on the PSone (the GBA adaptor is different (but does the same job), and only gives about 80% of the screen image, as opposed the the Transverter which is virtually full screen). The GBA Transverter is better, but seems impossible to buy now (I bought one when it came out fortunately). None on E-bay or internet, I could find.
2) My design will look like a big brother of the GBA, screen in middle, controller and buttons on side and below (plus shoulder buttons) - having the screen above would be hard to use and difficult to hold. Making it like a double sized original GBA seems the most sensible. Issue is making the case easy to hold yet holding the PSone board and the two GBA boards; batteries on side (4 each side?). It will need a lot of thought and experimentation and will not be easy as I need to learn how to do this.
3) I only need to use the GBA mobo - there is no need for the original GBA screen (my setup at the moment has this removed) - boots straight to the PSone screen. This will also save battery power to the 2 x AA batteries too. I can move the LED diode onto the case so I know when these batteries fade and need changing.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:07 pm

Like I said before. Don't use 8 batteries. use 6 rechargeables, and have a step-down regulator from those 6 to power the GBA. I guess that post got deleted or something. I'll blame it on the server!

From TI.com, there is a thing that drops the 6 AA's voltage down to 3.3 volts. It's in the N64 forum here:

http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=7437

Or the direct TI.com link here:

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/p ... ht233.html

They ship to Canada, I'm not sure about international. But I think they might.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:59 am

Kurt_ wrote:Like I said before. Don't use 8 batteries. use 6 rechargeables, and have a step-down regulator from those 6 to power the GBA. I guess that post got deleted or something. I'll blame it on the server!

From TI.com, there is a thing that drops the 6 AA's voltage down to 3.3 volts. It's in the N64 forum here:

http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=7437

Or the direct TI.com link here:

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/p ... ht233.html

They ship to Canada, I'm not sure about international. But I think they might.

I agree the step-down regulator makes more sense as it only needs a total of 6 batteries instead of 8; the reason I posted 8 was that I tried the web site mentioned, registered, did what the N64 site suggested, (and also tried the site directly) but couldn't get a sample, tried to buy the item instead (ho hum) and the only option it gave was to link me to Silica in the UK, who didn't seem to have the product on their site! Either they removed the option or don't like the UK!

If you (or anyone else) has this regulator for sale, please let me know - otherwise, in the absence of this regulator I have to dedicate 2 batteries to power the GBA (hence 8 batteries in total), not the best solution but I may have no choice.

UPDATE:

Maplin don't seem to do a similar part; but might have found one on RS Components (UK) - is this part suitable please? Only costs about Â£5.07, so not expensive! -comments- ?

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/searc ... &Nr=avl:uk

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:32 pm

Previous link "timed out".

To get the link for the part, the site is:

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/home. ... ningUser=N

type 5333484 on the keyword for the stock number

Is this a suitable step-down regulator product?

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:58 pm

That looks like it'll do the trick.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Tue May 08, 2007 9:21 am

Ok guys, project coming on nicely now. Let's hope I don't do something stupid and fry the thing.

I got the step-down regulator, and I also got the capacitor.

Connecting the PSone to batteries cures the flicker problem, in fact, the capacitor doesn't make any difference. I am happy, because this is what I wanted to achieve (no visible flickering). The problem must have been mains power, as it went when I used batteries instead.

Not used the step-down regulator yet, will do once I get the case sorted out.

I am in the process of making a case now, using mounting board and hot glue; then tried to use PolyMorph to make a nice plastic casing to go on top of the mounting board (card), but it wouldn't stick; so I am using polyfiller to make the case nice and smooth. Waiting for it to dry so I can sand it.

I couldn't find a Forum on BenHeck which I could upload my progress on this project, incase anyone is interested - is there a suitable Forum on BenHeck I could use??

I found the pinouts for the GBA mobo. I have hacked apart an old NES controller (very easy modding with this controller!) and connected the wires to the GBA; works fine. I needed to do this for the D-pad controller; the other buttons I placed some solder onto the buttons directly and soldered wires to them directly.

Anyone who wants this information - it wasn't easy to find on the net:

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Tue May 08, 2007 5:29 pm

Sorry about the whole "making you buy a part that didn't do much in the end thing."

Lookin' Good!

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:33 am

No problem, appreciate your advice.

Pleased you like the progression of the project.

No posting area I could see for GBA modding - would anyone like me to post a "how to guide" - if so where on BenHeck do I post it (no GBA section)!

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Wed May 09, 2007 2:33 pm

The News Section if it's a completed project or guide.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Sat May 19, 2007 3:20 pm

After all that:

I tried connecting the capacitor but believe it blew something on the PSone mobo - after a few seconds the screen went slowly to white, then off - kept doing the same - fortunately I had a second PSone screen to hand...think connecting the capacity made something go...

The step-down capacitor wasn't useful in the end- supposed to step down to 3.3v, only gave 1.35v (I need double this) - tried all combination of the pins. Anyway, still no use, connecting one set of 2500NiMH batteries to power a PSone screen and the GBA Transverter takes a massive power drain - after about 5 minutes or less of good playtime (nice stable screen) with freshly charged batteries, the screen gets increasingly very wobbly indeed - turn off the unit and then back on, no signal, leave for several seconds and all ok again for a very short while and the screen very wavy again. The batteries get very hot and the power drains from about 8v to just under 7v - can only mean the batteries are being drained very fast indeed; too fast in fact - also, if the batteries get under 7v the screen doesn't have enough power to function - image is barely visible. Keeping the GBA batteries separate so as to give the other items all the juice available.

I am having to use 2 batteries for the GBA, 6 for the Transverter and 6 for the PSone screen - a total of 14 x 2500NiMH AA batteries! Hooking up extra battery space in my box, will test it - hoping halving the drain will make all the difference - will test properly when everything is hooked up again (thought I had nearly finished my project when this problem happened!). Hoping this will cure the problem, running out of ideas otherwise. I believe the item with the greatest drain on the batteries is the Transverter; if 6 x AA rechargable batteries isn't enough consistant power (c. 7.5v), I could increase it by mixing the rechargables with normal heavy duty AA batteries (1.5v each) to a max of 9v if I need to.

update

Made top of case, it is nice. good thing I shaped it from the top of a lunchbox, I am needing the capacity of the rest of the lunchbox to house all the batteries and various electronics! Holds fine, nice to use, when project finished I will post the results. Sound is great, thanks to alternative speakers I have rigged in my mod - the PSone speakers are quite poor.

The gaming experience with such a mod is worthwhile, play is much more fun.