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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: awe4k on March 06, 2005, 06:51:44 PM
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Hi,
Is there any way to avoid manual switching between two VGA sources? These are a voodoo and AGA with scandoubler.
Thanks!
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awe4k wrote:
Hi,
Is there any way to avoid manual switching between two VGA sources? These are a voodoo and AGA with scandoubler.
Thanks!
UAE?
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KVM?
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LSD ?
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WTF?
:banana:
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DDT? :-?
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RGB? :-D
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BBQ :insane:
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B&Q
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BBW? Nooooo!!!! ;)
:banana:
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@awe4k
Genlock circuitry on the AGA chipset could probably handle it but the hardware to do that for a VGA source doesn't currently exist AFAIK. (Some cheap homebuilt scandoublers feed a VGA sync and scan rate into the AGA chipset to force it into scan-doubled resolutions.)
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@SamuraiCrow
Spoilsport! ;-)
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BLT?
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I was the idea to:
1- look for some signal in the MOBO of the AMIGA.
2- Or design a circuit that detected the presence of video in exit RGB of the AMIGA thanks to tooltype of CGX KEEPAMIGAVIDEO i.e
who can pilot the switch.
But i found this post:
"Sometime ago there was a discussion about how to manage the native Amiga
screens and the graphic card screen, both active, on one monitor.
Someone asked for a free memory location common to all Amigas to set via a
commodity that checks which screen is frontmost.
I proposed on the Picasso96 ML to use the Sel DF3 signal, by creating the
proper function inside the RTG software, to control an external switcher.
They answered me (Tobias, a P96 developer) that both CyberGFX and P96 have
such a function but realized in a more clever way: a sync signal (V or H) is
set to a costant voltage level when an Amiga native screen becomes frontmost.
But this system is depending on the chipset used by the board: normally all
those support DPMS are able to set the sync signals this way.
There are some commercial switchers available that work this way: the Javosoft
one, the Eyetech one and one for the Retina card.
Strangely this feature is not documented on the RTG manuals."
I want to investigate (but i not get time :( )if this is certain in my system.
And try to design the circuit that perform the logic levels to control any switch electronic or even add this to any already exists schema of switch contributing a compact solution to AMIGAS with RTG Monitor problem.
Any ideas are welcome.
Sorry for my bad english ;-)
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I would be VERY interesterd in an auto-switch solution, as I will have a bppc/voodoo3...
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An AUTOSWITCH.
YEP! That's what I meant. Well, besides all the funny answers, I have seen quite technical posts. I understand the technical points that they mention, but I don't have the knowledge to design and manufacture one such device myself.
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Get yourself one of these:
http://tiw-pro.web.internet.telia.com/~1698137/Datorer/bmon.html
Anyone want to translate?
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@AWE4K I have a mediator setup and to get around the small problem of manually taking out the cable from the voodoo card and fitting it back in to the scan doubler to play AGA games all you have to do is simply get a two way monitor switch box off ebay and try and get the dwitch box with 3 monitor cables.One cable from the switch box to the monitor of your choice and then the other 2 cables from the switch box going to the scan doubler and the other to the voodoo card.Now when you boot your amiga setup for voodoo out choose on the switch box which letter the cable from the voodoo to the box is like A for example and when you insert an AGA floppy disk game or click on a hard drive AGA game,Once the game starts your voodoo/screen will go blank as soon as you switch the box to B were the cable from the scan doubler is VOILA AGA game playing.As soon as you reboot don't forget to switch back to A voodoo.
This is the most easiest way of switching between AGA+Voodoo without pulling cables.
There is a couple of programs for the amiga/mediator were you can play AGA games through the voodoo with nice/sharper graphics but i could not get a full screen so i stuck to the switch box.
Hope this helps :)
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Its ez to avoid switching, just do what I do,
Use 2 monitors simultaneously.
Its great when developing AGA gamez,
u can see the game on the AGA monitor
while debugging output is on the voodoo monitor
WORKS GREAT!
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Well, becouse i have voodoo/scandoubler (micronic scandy) too, i want to create AUTOMATIC swtich between my voodoo and aga too. But, it must be a full hardware project, without any software manipulation, becouse we have boot-menu, esc-menu for bppc, boot without startup-sequence, etc. I mean it can be tons of situations when you can't run/using your 'switching programm'. So, i think it is must be looks like this:
monitor cable
|
S-W-I-T-C-H-E-R
/ \
AGA (Scandoubler) Voodoo
cable cable
Well, if we using p96, we set Picasso96 AmigaVideo option to 31khz. (for normally mp3 playing for example). It is mean, when p96 enable video board, in amiga hsync (on alice for example) we have 31khz. If we using any PAL soft (demos/games), here is 15khz. So, i think it will be work thus: If 31khz is enable - choice video board connector to monitor, if 15khz enable - choice ScanDoubler cable. Becouse scandoubler alredy fix 15 to 30mhz, we must take VSYNC from matherboard directly (from alice, or from amiga video rgb connector, or from CIA, does not matter).
So, this kind of switch will work under p96 only. (maybe cgx gave analgy options like AmigaVideo?). And it will works always. But of course DBPAL can't be using, etc. (i think with scandoubler it is does no matter too)
Well, let's to comment anybody ?:)
2Tahoe: in your link i found only some kind of swithcer for keyboards (automatic some time) and some manualy switch but in all pictures, only one video connector is present. But it's must be 3 minimum i think (for aga,for gfx and for monitor as on my little pict).
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Hello!
Maybe this can be a solution for you:
http://www.mycom.se/produkt/vga_switch_2_pc_till_1_monitor_upp_till_28160.html
BR
Jörgen Jönsson
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to jonssonj:
yes, hardware realize must be creating like on this picture, but within realize must be oriented on amiga of course(SYNC 15 or 31mhz). Here is only VGA switch, and it can't work with i think .. but who know :)
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I proposed on the Picasso96 ML to use the Sel DF3 signal, by creating the
proper function inside the RTG software, to control an external switcher.
They answered me (Tobias, a P96 developer) that both CyberGFX and P96 have
such a function but realized in a more clever way: a sync signal (V or H) is
set to a costant voltage level when an Amiga native screen becomes frontmost.
But this system is depending on the chipset used by the board: normally all
those support DPMS are able to set the sync signals this way.
Hmmm... I still see the picture that was left on my CV-PPC when I switch to PAL, but if the sync-signals were manipulated, shouldn't the monitor 'complain' (as in switch to power saving mode)?
-Paul
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..and what about connecting the AGA video out to TV tuner video in? Sorry for a little off topic
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What about video passthrough? Perhaps there's a way to pipe the Amigas video into the feature connector of the PCI video card? Personally, I'd go for dual input monitor or video switcher/KVM.
Oh and... I'm down wit O.P.P!
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I got this very issue to deal with too (Scan-doubled AGA & CV64/3D switching) and I'd like to know if there ARE indeed KVM's (of witch we only need "V"ideo here, if I understand it right) that can actually take the signal, what models and what types of hardware mods are required ?
Thanks
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I'm getting one of these (http://www.lektropacks.com/view_item.php?product=46&&category=13) for Christmas. You can use a Amiga->Scart cable to connect to the unit, plug the VGA from your Voodoo in to the computer input, and the monitor in to the VGA out. It auto senses which is being used, so as long as VGA switches off when you use 15KHz it should change over automatically. There is a remote control to switch it manually should you need to. I plan to mount the unit inside my D-Box, hack apart the remote control, and wire the video toggle button to the reset switch on the front of the tower, which currently does nothing.
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moto
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motorollin wrote:
(...)I plan to mount the unit inside my D-Box, hack apart the remote control, and wire the video toggle button to the reset switch on the front of the tower, which currently does nothing.
moto
Really cool mod indeed, keep us posted please ; Oh, and what's a DBox exactly ?
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xaccrocheur wrote:
motorollin wrote:
(...)I plan to mount the unit inside my D-Box, hack apart the remote control, and wire the video toggle button to the reset switch on the front of the tower, which currently does nothing.
moto
Really cool mod indeed, keep us posted please ; Oh, and what's a DBox exactly ?
I will do - after Christmas when I've got it :-)
Oh, and a D-Box is one of these (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=307&osCsid=4b0d3406c06fb45fb1c11fe7839a5d80) (though mine is the MKI - not sure what the difference it though).
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moto
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motorollin wrote:
It auto senses which is being used, so as long as VGA switches off when you use 15KHz it should change over automatically.
I'm sorry to be the one telling the nasty truth, but here it comes: It won't autosense between VGA/SCART inputs. However, it will detect if you are using rgb or composite in the scart connector when using scart as input, but this won't do any good in your case. The whole manual is available here: Manual (http://www.cypress.com.tw/product/pdf/CM-345S_Manual.pdf)
I was too considering this product, but since it ain't totally automagic, I'll stay eith my mediator/tvcard -combo.
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quenthal wrote:
I'm sorry to be the one telling the nasty truth, but here it comes: It won't autosense between VGA/SCART inputs. However, it will detect if you are using rgb or composite in the scart connector when using scart as input, but this won't do any good in your case. The whole manual is available here: Manual (http://www.cypress.com.tw/product/pdf/CM-345S_Manual.pdf)
I was too considering this product, but since it ain't totally automagic, I'll stay eith my mediator/tvcard -combo.
Oh well, as I said I'm going to hack the remote so I can toggle it with the reset switch on the front of the case. It's not so much hassel to press a button when I want to see the other output.
How does TV card input work for you? Does it work in WHDLoad games?
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moto
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On my setup I just use a 2 way manual switchbox( BBox (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Four-into-one-SVGA-PC-monitor-switchbox_W0QQitemZ5838852570QQcategoryZ67859QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) ), which is mounted under the slideout keyboard shelf. Granded that the amiga doesnt automaticaly swap screenmodes for me. But the switch is closer to me than when I have to pick the joypad up from the floor (where it always seems to be these days :-) )I did try the tvcard for using pal screens on the gfx screen but to be honest I didnt like it one bit and an happy enough using the switchbox and there is the option of one of these Automatic Monitor Switchbox (http://www.mycableshop.com/sku/DVS-812PF.htm)which im guessing would just be used in the same way as a manual version.
Well thats my two pennys:-D
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How does TV card input work for you? Does it work in WHDLoad games?
The quality ain't that good, but it works for whdload games and demos ok - also for old programs/games that open to native screens.