Bacteria's project: "Project Unity"

[AmishSamurai]

For the disc-based systems, your best bet is a PC case with an assload of disc drives. For the cart-based ones though, what about a sort of "hub", with all of the cartridges sticking out parallel to the surface, and the controller ports and power button up top?

[CRTGAMER]

All systems to use ONE controller. That will be a hard part of the project. Interchangable parts as needed too.

If you only could stick to digital. Analog of various systems requiring different potentiometer resistance maybe difficult to overcome with resistors added for a given system. I did a "three-way switch" for PSX digital only, PC PS2 keyboard and 2600-C64. Zaxxon Arcade Stick buttons wired to IDE connector then plugged into one of three IDE jacks, each in turn wired to related PCB controller.

[Josh]

How are you planning to do memory cards for the Disc Based systems? Just slots sticking out of the sides or something?

[bacteria]

Make all the memory cards uniform, then will look integrated into the casing.

[Ziggy]

For the cart based system, I assume you'll have a bunch of cart doors on the top of it. But what are you planning on doing for the disc based system? The PS2 and Xbox have side loading drives which is great, but the other systems are all top loading. Any plans?

[CRTGAMER]

I imagine you could use one drive if it could be made compatible to read all the different disc based games.
Copy protection schemes of the boot sectors and wire hookup requirements?

[bacteria]

Different CD based consoles work differently; for example, the DreamCast (so I read) reads outer to inner as opposed to inner to outer; I think the GameCube reads backwards (?), some run single speed some double speed; etc.

For CD based systems, if they pop out with side loading drives, great, otherwise i'll mod old PC CD drives to work on the CD consoles so the drive unit side loads.

Each system will need its own side loading drive, so there'll be a bank of them; probably 2 x 4 or 2 x 3 or similar.

It's going to take a lot of planning at the case making stage to make the whole think look lovely, and be practical too.

[bacteria]

Spent a long time today reducing the SMS motherboard, relocating capacitors, cutting the board, relocating parts, testing: system works fine, RGB modded - not bad for a 20 year old console.

Will spend some time tomorrow opening up a second SMS console for the worklog video.

Only thing I couldn't manage was relocating the cart slot, couldn't get the cart off the board, so going to have to butcher the other SMS I have to get the cart slot off to use.

A couple of pics for your delectation:



RGB:



RGB modding is achievable easily as it uses the CTX chip - I recognised it from my work before on the TurboGrafx:



You can of course tap the composite off the chip, however as always, composite is ok, but RGB is better. Diagram above shows both video options.

The SMS is the first of many consoles i'm preparing for this project. Going to post videos for each one as to what to do. Need to do more research on the SMS, for interest. Taking each project console in my time.

[bacteria]

Original board was 190mm x 150mm

Got it down to 165mm (longest point) x 130mm, could get it down to 155mm x 130mm if wanted with some more relocation.

The SMS board is reduced, capacitors relocated; cart slot relocated with 7.5" long wires. Works on RGB and audio (was RGB modded). Been a good modding couple of days!

SMS board is completed, got a couple more things to work out then make the next video for it.

Works fine.

[CRTGAMER]

Its alive! Bwah ha ha ha! You sir, are a mad scientist! Envy your capabilities!