So I have just got around to making the required passthough cable for my Piccollo SD64. I installed it yesterday and its custom modes are working, phew.
But I really NEED to get a passthrough cable made as going between the native Amiga modes and Piccolo modes using monitor input swapping is a PITA.
I could do with some further guidance as I have never owned a RTG card before, and the passthrough aspect of it is unfamiliar.
Am I right in thinking that when the passthrough cable is connected and wired correctly, from the Amiga's DB23 to the Piccolo's DB9 that I should see video BOTH when the Amiga is using a native display mode AND also when its in a Piccolo mode and these both come out of the Piccolo VGA port?
In which case I can just use the VGA out on the card and I am good?
There are no jumpers needed for this to work? Its just plugin and off we go?
I am basing my cable from this page
https://www.amigawiki.org/doku.php?id=de:expansion:av:piccolo_sd64 and online diagrams of the Amigas video out port.
For my cable, here are my pin assignments on the DB23 and how they connect to the DB9 as shown in the diagram on the URL you linked to above.
Amiga DB23. Piccolo DB9
3 - Red Analogue -> 1 Red
4 - Green Analogue -> 2 Green
5 - Blue Analogue -> Blue
11 - Horizontal Sync -> 4 Horizontal Sync
12 - Vertical Sync -> 5 Vertical Sync
16 - Red Ground -> 6 Red Ground
17 - Green/Blue Ground -> 8 Red Ground (same wire)
18 - Green/Blue Ground -> 8 Red Ground (same wire)
19 - Sync Ground -> 9 Sync Ground
I have found that if I connect the Amigas DB23 pin 11(horizontal Sync), to pin 4 on the DB9(horizontal Sync), the Amiga wont boot. All other pins connected, it WILL boot, but I do not get any passthrough image through the card.
Out of desperation, I have tried connecting the wires to the DB9 both ways, with red on its top left OR top right and all other connections mirrored.
No dice so far and the DB9 is taking beating. I have it currently wired as per the amigawiki guide, with pin11(horizontal Sync) not connected, or as I say, Amiga wont boot.
Is there a bare minimum signal set I can connect to get ANY kind of passthrough working, I don't care if its mono or flickering, just ANY kind of image so I know I have the correct orientation and then I can wire in the rest.