NTSC MiniMig

[Crom00]

For anyone that doesn't have a commodore or 3rd party montior with a 31/15.17 klhz and 50 hz capability you will have a hard time getting Minimig to work.

Most all modern LCD/VGA displays (even multisystem units) display VGA signals starting at 60hz.

I went to local shops in a Northeastern USA major city that caters to european immigrant popluation. They specialize in multisystem tv's/ LCD's I tried the MiniMIG on 4 multi-system LCD's the supposedly supported 50hz and they did not work. The shopkeepers were actually pretty amazed at the MiniMIG and it's homebrew origins.

So I imagine users worldwide will have these problems unless they have an aging Commodore display to use with it.

The whole spirit of MiniMIG is Amiga redone for the 21st century. IF we need to use ancient 50hz monitors for Minimig well that's not going to cut it.

SO this is not really an NTSC issue, it's more of a modern monitor issue. 60z insures compatility with modern LCD's and crt's.

Don't we want to have this on our HDTV's next to the xbox, Wii and Ps3? That's my plan.

So who can execute the changes? Who is willing to do so?
and what's it gonna cost?

[Crom00]

So far I tested this on:

2 Pyle 20" lcd multisystem
1 Toshiba 15" multisystem
1 sony 32" multisytesm
1 sampo 17" multisystem
Dell 1901 fp

Hanns g 22" (this one was hopefull becuase it does all major games consoles in 480i unsing the dvi port)

I tried an old Commocore 2002, but I was using a HD15 to db9 cable with a gender changer. Believe this was a cable issue.

Reason being that  I tried to use a 23 pin to 9 pin male with a 9pin to VGA hd15 connector to display super 72 and VGA modes on my a1200 connected to a dell and hassg monitor with and no luck.

Trying to source a 50hz VGA monitor in the usa. Unless I get a 1950, 1960, 0r 1942, I can't test this further.
This unit it the same unite WhiteB just assembled and posted on YouTube.

He luckily had a compabile VGA monitor he have bought previously to use with a 50hz scan doubler on his A4000.

This is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to test before I commit thousands of $$$ to manufacture these.

A 60hz version makes so much more sense now.

[whiteb]

I hope you have not fried any components on the Minimig by seeing if 6V would work ?

[Crom00]

Nope. I have a +5 volt, 2amp unit I purchased specifically for this.

If the unit was fried would it even power up? Would there be a burning smell?

[whiteb]

Crom00 wrote:

This unit it the same unite WhiteB just assembled and posted on YouTube.

He luckily had a compabile VGA monitor he have bought previously to use with a 50hz scan doubler on his A4000.

This is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to test before I commit thousands of $$$ to manufacture these.

A 60hz version makes so much more sense now.

yerp.  Trusty DiamondView 1770H.  Best AU$9 I ever spent, and i see there is one in Queensland for a pick up price of AU$4. (Less than a day remaining).  Ever thought of moving to Australia ??  :lol:

[whiteb]

Crom00 wrote:
Nope. I have a +5 volt, 2amp unit I purchased specifically for this.

If the unit was fried would it even power up? Would there be a burning smell?

 But I do recall you asking me if a variable Power supply that only had 4.5, 6, 9 and 12V would work ?

[color=ff0000]I got one of those siwtchable ac-dc power supplies.  with 4.5,6,9 volts dc switchable power.

There is no 5 volt setting , will the Mini-Mig work if
I set it to 6?
[/color]

It may make a burning smell, it may not.  Depends on the component.

Another thing, is that a device *MIGHT* support 50hz, but does it support 50hz at 31Khz. which is where yo need the compatability chart from the actual manual, instead of a sales person just saying.. "Yeah Yeah this unit supports 50hz" just to get a sale.

[Crom00]

Yep that was beore I had the Mini-MIg in my hands. Once you adivsed the power had to be 5 volts I got a 5v version from Radio Shack.

That 4,4.5,6.8 thingy is still in the box.

Have left the 5 votl power on for a few minutes all lights were on no problems.

[whiteb]

Okay, another thing that comes to mind, is the MMC properly inserted ?

Did you push it in, until the socket made a sort of "Click, Click" noise.  That is the MMC locking into place.

Because several things will cause no screen to be displayed (apart from a dicky video cable) is.. No MMC, or missing files on the MMC.  Case sensitivity is not an issue with file names, as long as the relevant files are named right, minimig1.bin and kick.rom, also make sure that the file names are EXACT, we all know how windows loves to rename filenames with ~1.  In windows it may look okay, but double check in DOS (or dos prompt) for any 8.3 name irregularities.

like minimig~1.bin or something stupid. (Amiga had done it correctly from Day 1).

[adolescent]

Although monitors might say they don't support 50Hz, they might.  My old Shuttle XP17 tft shows 31kHz/50Hz (scandoubled) output but shows a warning message.  All I have to do is cycle the power and the warning message goes away until I switch modes again.

[JimS]

Crom00 wrote:
Have left the 5 votl power on for a few minutes all lights were on no problems.

Can you borrow an oscilloscope? Then you could determine if any video was being generated. Also, I believe that burn-in test disk I sent you had a sound test. Is there a way to autoboot that disk without seeing the PIC menu? At least you cold tell if it's booting.

[whiteb]

How does he tell the minimig what ADF to load ?

He needs video to get the minimig menu up to select the ADF to mount it before it Boots.

I was thinking of asking if he has access to a 'Cro' (oscilloscope) to check the outputs.  But that is not a piece of equipment usually found in the average family garage/shed.

[whiteb]

adolescent wrote:
Although monitors might say they don't support 50Hz, they might.  My old Shuttle XP17 tft shows 31kHz/50Hz (scandoubled) output but shows a warning message.  All I have to do is cycle the power and the warning message goes away until I switch modes again.

Ahhhhhh TFT, if you check EAB and threads here, they are littered with people running Scan doublers on TFT.

It also doesnt help that the cable he has, he suspects to be faulty as it did not display a picture from his A1200.

[Crom00]

I have a multimiter, that's about as complex as I've got.

[Crom00]

Also for production, they're going to need 50hz VGA mointors for debug and testing. A pain in the but I'm sure they'll charge accordingly for. LOL!

[JimS]

whiteb wrote:
How does he tell the minimig what ADF to load ?

I guess I had the notion that it was like a real amiga and would autoboot from df0. Oops. ;-) Might be a nice feature for later...  any adf named df0: or dh0: gets booted.

I was thinking of asking if he has access to a 'Cro' (oscilloscope) to check the outputs.  But that is not a piece of equipment usually found in the average family garage/shed.

Maybe not an average shed, but someone attempting this....
Another test might be to touch the tip of one of those pc amplified speakers to HSYNC or VSYNC. I doubt if I could hear 15khz, but 50, yeah...

 

[whiteb]

JimS wrote:

whiteb wrote:
How does he tell the minimig what ADF to load ?

I guess I had the notion that it was like a real amiga and would autoboot from df0. Oops. ;-) Might be a nice feature for later...  any adf named df0: or dh0: gets booted.
 

Yeah, would be good.  Dennis You reading this ?