GroovyArcade Fatal error/ Configuration problem

[jlampc]

Ok here is my issue. I currently have a Mortal Kombat Jamma Cabinet that I'm in the process of converting to a MAME Machine. The Monitor works/ed fine playing the original Jamma board. My current setup is an Ivy bridge based Celeron on a H61 based motherboard 4 gigs of DDR3 and running an x800xt videocard. It is connected to a WG 7197 Arcade monitor through a JPac through the Jamma harness. Im Running Groovy Arcade Linux, the newest version I could find and after a few re installs I can get it to show me the Linux setup screen and both the Mamewah and AdvanceMenu Frontends. The Jpac is showing a sync light so the Grub setting seems to be working. but ever time I attempt to start a demo game it goes out of sync. In the Linux setup I tried a few of the monitor settings including Generic 15khz and the Arcade 15 khz, but all I get is an out of sync image. When I attempt to use the Wells Gardner profile for my monitor, and attempt to start any front end, I get the error "Fatal Error:No Screens found". There is other information and I can try and get error wise, but Its hard to read.  I am hoping that if I can correct the Fatal Error...error, I would be able to get my monitor working.

My goal is to at least get the demos to play, but Im not sure where the issue lies.. in the JPAC the software/os setup or the Videocard. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Calamity]

Hi jlampc,

It wasn't clear to me what your JPAC leds do when your monitor gets out of sync. If the LED keeps light then it's a matter of adjusting on the monitor side (hfreq/vfreq pots). On the other hand, if it's telling you there's no sync, then you need to look at the software side.

If my memory does not fail me I believe Bitbytebit reported the x800 as being the only Radeon not to work with GroovyArcade.

I think you should try editing the dotclock_min value in mame.ini:

dotclock_min 8.0

[jlampc]

Thanks a lot!  With that MAME INI change world Rally comes up aces. Leave it to me to have the one older generation ATI cards that didn't work out of box in GA. When the games tried to play the sync light would flicker to answer your question.

I've ordered a x600 from eBay to replace the X800xt.. it was under 10 bucks so it won't cost much to experiment. The one thing I keep noticing is that when I stretch the screen vertically while turning the pots, the top edge starts to break up and almost look like its folding over on itself. Right now it gives the impression of being a wide screen game .. which I can live with(black areas top and bottom). Will an x600 help in anyway with this issue?
Thanks for the help in getting to a useful point anyway. First step in many.

[Calamity]

Hi jlampc,

I don't think the x600 would help with the vertical issue. I mean it's totally normal to get black bars for 224p games, but it should be possible to stretch the picture to fully cover the screen by means of the vertical amplitude potentiometer. Maybe you're vertical shift potentiometer is badly adjusted in the first place, that's why the top border reaches the limit faster than the bottom one.

[jlampc]

I think you are right.. this is an older monitor that has had no refreshes that I know of. I was able to solve my problem overall without needing to change the dot clocks and still having games flip or go out of sync... I went on eBay and bout an X600..lol. Its like night and day..I reloaded GA, and now every demo plays , and my other games run well too.. With the right equipment GA is fantastic.. Thank you for  all your help.. oh and for anyone thinking of doing the same thing I did.. the card was under 20 bucks shipped.. so its not a huge investment.