CRT Emudriver + Hantarex Polo 25

[Justus]

Hi. I have  two fresh installation of XP (SP3). First one with ATI 6.5 orig drivers and 15kHz soft works great on my Hantarex Polo 25 arcade monitor (JPAC). Problem is MAMEUI
or MAME32 don't work wthfull speed. If speed is 83%, scrolling is really smooth but sound is choppy ad repeats voices.

The second installation with Calamity's drivers and GroovyMAME I can't get good picture to crt. Very bad flickering and I can see four times every figures.
I have tested settings arcademonitor_15 and H9110 but no succes. Installation is made like GrooyMAME to dummies says.

Any ideas what to do?

(working setup uses resolution 800 * 600 which can't be selected with Calamitys drivers)

Br. Justus

[Calamity]

Hi Justus,

I'd say the drivers aren't properly installed (picture x4). Give us some details of your non-working setup (video card, XP 32 or 64, Emudriver version, etc). Also, consider following my installation mini-guide on the main GroovyMAME sticky thread. Then post a log of a non-working game, this will give me a lot of information (see how to get lots on the mentioned thread).

[Justus]

Hi Calamity,

thank You for answer. Hw is JPAC and Radeon 8500, software XP 32 (fresh) and SP3. What is emu-driver? I have software packet: crt_emudriver_6.5_1.2_xp32_multisync.rar
and vmmaker_1.3c_arcade_osd_1.3b.rar. I'll check the list but my game should be quite "common" fron early 80. Ms Pacman, Xevious, Up'n down

[Justus]

and 147 & 149 GroovyMAME

[Calamity]

Ok, check here how to get a log (Reporting problems. How to create a log): http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,135823.0.html

[Justus]

Hi,

I got desktop working right. I chose "as blind" the lowest (biggest) resolution and I got
stabile picture. But when mame starts pictre is unreadable. Here are log-files for some games.

One time I got (can't remember settings) SeaWolf2 working with good picture, but no anyore.

Br. Justus

[Calamity]

First, you didn't create the modes right with VMMaker. You need to make vmmaker.ini point your MAME excutable in order to create the modes and run VMMaker again. Leave the default settings just as they are when you download VMMaker (MonitorType = "CUSTOM").

Second, the modes appear out of sync because you need to adjust the hfreq potentiometer on your monitor's board a little bit. But before doing this, edit mame.ini and set 'monitor generic_15'. Once you have everything up and running, we'll see if you can select something better.

[Justus]

Hi,

now I have original vm.ini and mame ini. (groovyMame 151 VMMode 1.3c) and working patches.
After VMMode screen is totally unreadable. I attached picture of the screen.
How can I change mode where Windows boots first (safetymode)?


Br. Justus

[Calamity]

Hi Justus,

If you have access to your monitor board or remote control board, adjust the potentiometer for H-FREQ (just a little bit).

[Justus]

Hi,

it didn't help. Any other ideas?

[Calamity]

Hi Justus,

You need to make sure you've selected a 15 kHz resolution. Boot with an LCD monitor, and use Arcade_OSD to select 640x480@60i (Set as desktop resolution -> keep).

Also, post here the Modelines.txt file inside the VMMaker folder, so I can check.

[Justus]

Hi,

I attached screen picture from my second partition too (made with soft 15 kHz) to show
that my monitor is OK ;-)

Resolution change didn't help, same looking screen than before. Is there any file where is
located videomode when Windows boot. So I could directly chance it if I boot with second
partition.

[Justus]

In Safetymode I couldn't see than couple of videomodes, Windows basics I think

[Calamity]

Hi,

I attached screen picture from my second partition too (made with soft 15 kHz) to show
that my monitor is OK ;-)

Resolution change didn't help, same looking screen than before. Is there any file where is
located videomode when Windows boot. So I could directly chance it if I boot with second
partition.

The desktop resolution is stored at the registry, not in any file you can edit. Only way to change it is by directly switching to that resolution from inside the OS, no way you can do that from the other partition.

Your modeline list looks good. You should be switching to this modeline (in your list):

Modeline "640x480_60 15.62KHz 59.95Hz" 12.980 640 664 728 832 480 482 487 521 interlace -hsync -vsync

I'm wondering what could be wrong.... Are you sure you selected "KEEP" after setting the resolution for the desktop? (default option is "REVERT" which, obviously, reverts to the previous state.

Try entering Windows in safe mode, with the arcade monitor connected via JPAC, not the LCD. Press F8 on boot and select VGA boot, that will use 640x480@60Hz 31kHz, you'll see a split screen with the JPAC but hopefully still possible to work with. Then in Screen Properties, manually select 640x480 and Apply. I think it's possible to select 640x480 in Safe Mode from the properties dialog (not when you are in normal mode that the minimum is 800x600). So apply and reboot. That should force Windows into booting at 640x480, which at the same time will activate our modeline.

If that still doesn't work, connect an LCD right when you get the garbled video as shown in your picture (just disconnect the JPAC and connect the LCD, without restarting. On the LCD's OSD you should see the resolution or frequency that is being output, that will give us some information.

Anyway, it must be something silly, it should work.

[Calamity]

In Safetymode I couldn't see than couple of videomodes, Windows basics I think

Yes, this is normal, as the driver isn't loaded.

[Justus]

Great, now I have working desktop.

Signal wasn't 15 kHz. I switch cables to Lcd and I got stabile picture.
So I could use ArcadeOSD to choose resolution. But working resolution for
desktop is  768* 576, why? If I choose 640, 480 I see flickering picture with four times
every objects.

My second partition's resolution is 800 * 600 and good picture.

But what I shoul still do? When GroovyMame 151 starts, MAME mainwindow have
same effect (flickering and four objects).

[Calamity]

It could be the H-Freq potentiometer.

Please, try 664x496 from Arcade_OSD, just to make sure.

[Calamity]

BTW, your card is ancient, I have never tested one of those. Which versions of the Catalyst drivers are you running on the other partititon, with Soft-15 kHz?

[Justus]

664 * 496 didn't work.

Second partiton drivers should be 6.5.

Yes my card is very old. I have tree old card 8500, 9800PRO and ASUS 7600GS.

I got the best picture with 8500 and 15 kHz soft so I chose this one.

Can you tell why this same card in the other mobo got worse picture?
AGP -speed was same.
Working setup is Asus mobo with Athlon 3200 and other setup was Intel mobo with 3.0 P4

[Justus]

Here is sample picture and logfile from seawolf 2.
It was the first to choose, I couldn't read menu text in MAME main menu

[Calamity]

Aha,.... I think I know what's happening. Adjust the V-Freq potentiometer, not H-Freq as I thought.

You probably have it adjusted for 50 Hz, because you were using 800x600@50i in the other partition. You should find an adjustment that covers 50-60 Hz properly.

[Justus]

Thank You very much.

You really know what to do.

Now I have great picture.
I didn't have a glue what to do anymore and I was very hopeless.

Br. Justus

[Calamity]

That's good! Your last picture was the key.

[Justus]

Now I have new problem.

Wife is angry because I don't heard anything because I'm playin great old games ;-)))))

[Justus]

Hi,

I have couple of question about settings. What can cause for example games Poleposition 2, Hyper Sports etc. messy bars in the left side of screen (attached picture)? And same games are streched like to "widescreen". Can I somehow change one game's resolution?
Can I create ini-file for one game?

[Calamity]

Hi Justus,

Those messy bars are definitely not modeline related, they are either a problem with emulation itself, bad dumped roms, or simply your video card getting old. Try starting that game with the option -dotclock_min 8.0

Regarding the "wide screen" effect, that's due to the fact that many games are natively 224 lines tall. You need to adjust your monitor accordingly. Check this: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=134915.0

You can create specific ini files for each game, and place the options you want inside them. These will override the ones in mame.ini. You can specify the resolution you want the game to use, even a raw modeline.

[Justus]

Thank you for information.

How can I do *.ini file for one game?
Manually or with some command?

[Justus]

And question about Terminator 2. How it can be mirrored with arcade monitor?
It's normal with laptop ;-)

[Calamity]

That problem with Terminator 2 was fixed long ago, make sure you're using the latest version of GM.

Regarding, ini files, just create them with Notepad.