What do you use to interface jamma arcade controls with consoles? CRT Video?

[burn_654]

Hi there, I was wondering what routes have people used to interface consoles such as original wii (possibly over gamecube connector) and ps2 with a jamma harness? I think Ultimarc used to offer an adapter for gamecube controls but last I checked it was long gone.

Are there any more elegant solutions or products than just straight up pad soldering hacks?

Also...video input. I use a jpac for video from my mame pc - any neat way to pipe appropriate console rgb into that? Maybe over some form of hacked vga cable...I know the ps2 can output rgb, but the ntsc wii can only do component. Is scart to jamma a thing?

Thanks for any input!

[Howard_Casto]

Honestly I play console games with the original controllers as that's how they are meant to be played.  Three are rare exceptions of course, but barring that....
There are various gamecube adaptors out there so that would work, or you can just hack up a gamepad, or madcatz and hori have ready made arcade joysticks for most systems. 

It sounds like the type of consoles you want to interface to an arcade monitor aren't particularly suited for an arcade monitor.  Older consoles sure.... they run @ 240p so you aren't going to lose any detail hooking it up to a 480i (or less) 15khz monitor.  The ps2 and beyond output 480p or higher, meaning you are going to get a degraded signal. 

It would be easier for us to help if you post specific games you want to play rather than the consoles in general. 

I can give you the short answer though.... hooking up consoles to an arcade monitor can be a bit of a mess.  Most of the older ones are capable of 240p 15khz which is good, but often the rgb pins aren't actually hooked up, so you have to hack the console, or the only sync like is the composite line, so you need a sync stripper, ect.  Just to give an example on the Nintendo side of things:

Nes:  Composite only
Snes:  RGB but a sync stripper is often needed.
N64:  Svideo only unless you hack the pcb and add a rgb amp as well as hook up the rgb pins.
Gamecube:  Very akward to get rgb again without hacking or an expensive cable..... many games output to 480p
Wii:  Rgb might be technically possible, but I've yet to see an adaptor sold for it... 100% of the games are 480p
Wii U:  Uses the same multi-out as the Wii, so it might be possible, but most games are 1080p. 

The Sega side of things is a bit easier, but a sync stripper might also be needed. 

The playstation consoles are a mess.  The PSX can do rgb just fine, the ps2 can do it but only half the games support it and that's about it. 

[burn_654]

I'm pretty aware of *most* intricacies of rgb and component - I've modded an snes to component, genesis rgb output with a homemade transcoder circuit to component, turbografx rgb mod etc.

So I guess my question is more along the lines of - is there's anything prebuilt and designed to take say a scart rgb output and make it suitable for an arcade monitor? Does scart 240p rgb at 15khz from say, a genesis, play well with arcade monitor rgb? Or does it need an amplifier/buffer?

I mean I could just *make* a cable to go to the rgb lines on my monitor but is the signal safe like that?

That's interesting that ps2 has issues with rgb output...I run mine over 480i y/pb/pr component into a sony trinitron and haven't had a problem with a single game. I mean component is modulated rgb but still. Granted, I can't run any games at 480p with that tv at all but very few I own supported it...I think the God of War games do and some of the Guitar Hero games do. I'm interested in the ps2 in particular because of the Time Crisis series and other lightgun games on the system that should go well in a crt cabinet - and those games I wouldn't have to worry about control panel hookups.

Original Wii is a strange beast - you can actually get 240p and 480i as well as 480p out of the thing over component. Games only do 480i and 480p but homebrew like emulators can do 240p and it looks very nice for older system emulation if you have a pvm monitor etc.

[Howard_Casto]

I'm not familiar enough with every console to give you a definitive answer one way or another.  The short answer is 240p 15khz is an ideal resolution for most standard monitors, so in theory it will work and it certainly wouldn't hurt anything to try.  That refresh rate is the most important thing and anything 15khz and under 250 vertical lines should display just fine. 

Keep in mind though that doesn't mean you won't have to tweak the monitor's settings to get the screen centered, ect.... 

Also keep in mind that the newer consoles probably don't output a 15khz signal.  You are going to need a converter box most likely.