Problem with ArcadeVGA and WG monitor resolutions

[collywobbles007]

Hi,

I am running Lincade with an ArcadeVGA card and a Wells Gardner 7700 arcade monitor. I have the system booting up into the Lincade menu and can run a couple of the default games okay: Gridlee (256x240) and Poly Play (512x256).

However, none of the others will display - they are "out of range" according to my monitor which just shows the usual out or range flickery stuff.

I have configured Lincade to use a CGA monitor at 15.75KHz and generated the video modes. I'm not sure why hardly any of the modes seem to be supported. Is there some other setup I need to do to get this monitor to work?

The graphics mode limit for the monitor is 640x200 as far as I can tell from the details on Happ Controls website: http://www.happcontrols.com/monitors/49054800.htm

At a loss - so any help appreciated!

[ahofle]

What games specifically go out of range, and what resolution is MAME using for them (add -verbose to the command line to see)?

[Ummon]

Read my sig cw.

[Kevin Mullins]

Read my sig cw.

Playing retro-games is like making out. Why would I wanna complicate it with life?

 

[collywobbles007]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I've read through the articles (which I have read previously) and will have another look at my setup. I know Lincade runs AdvanceMAME but part of my problem is that if I try to run any of the advv advcfg programs from the Linux command prompt I get framebuffer errors.

Anyway, what I don't really understand is that setting a CGA 15.75 khz monitor and generating the video modes should at least give you a basic setup without any need for further configuration.

I have to admit that I haven't tried it with a large cross section of games so I will copy over some other common roms, note their required resolutions and try those to see what happens. Lincade comes with some the free ones. From memory: Gridlee, Poly Play, Berlin Wall, Robby Roto and a few others.

I think there is a way to access video setup from the Lincade menu screen so I will give that a go when I get the chance.

If not, I may have to try a Windows setup with advanceMAME - though I don't believe it is supported any more whereas Lincade is on-going.

[Ummon]

From what I've seen, Lincade has been dormant a while.  Note, I pointed you at (the upper part of) my sig because there is ample and current information in the wiki to get a comprehension of scanrates, etc. In any case, in a methodical manner, say from low to high, try a bunch of golden age game resolutions. Note, running vertical games in horizontal orientation may be out of sync. It depends on the game and if Advancemame can create a correct modeline (albeit with some kind of adding or subtracting of lines) for your monitor. For experience, flip the rotation accordingly on one of those to see how it looks.

Read my sig cw.

Playing retro-games is like making out. Why would I wanna complicate it with life?

 

<hands spread>  Ahh. Well...

[collywobbles007]

I have discovered why the games are out of range - it is because advmame is trying to run them at 25khz (my multisync PC montor kindly informs me of the khz it's trying to display) even though I've configured Lincade as a 15.75 khz CGA monitor and generated the video modes.

I have also followed the instructions in the Lincade HOWTO on creating modelines and tried entering those values as instructed (for some reason the monitor goes into a 1024x288 mode in xvidtune) - 15.75, generated modeline etc - I then generate video modes and games end up running at PC frequencies!

I've tried this with a standard ATI card and the ArcadeVGA card with the same results. I can't figure out why it won't generate the correct modes for my CGA monitor.

I think I'll have to switch to a Windows cab - is that what most people use on here? Windows + AdvanceMAME?

[shiloh]

I think I'll have to switch to a Windows cab - is that what most people use on here? Windows + AdvanceMAME?

I believe that the most common setup is windows and the standard mame build or mameui. Since you have an ArcadeVGA I dont think there is additionnal value in using AdvanceMAME.
although I never played with Advancemame. I am using an ArcadeVGA and cabmame and I get pretty much all resolution needed for 15khz games

[Kevin Mullins]

I know Lincade runs AdvanceMAME but part of my problem is that if I try to run any of the advv advcfg programs from the Linux command prompt I get framebuffer errors.

I don't know diddly about either system ..... but is there a global .ini for AdvanceMAME that you could manually adjust without using the cfg programs ?
(like opening with NotePad or something)

Since you have an ArcadeVGA I dont think there is additionnal value in using AdvanceMAME.

If I recall correctly from reading other stuff.... the newer ArcadeVGa is capable of higher resolutions (ie PC res) so just because you are using one doesn't mean it won't try to change resolutions if "something else" is telling it to do so.
Just sounds like to me that AdvanceMAME is still trying to use other resolutions that the monitor itself is not capable of. (which you seem to have figured this already)

[collywobbles007]

I've now tried this with a good selection of games - in fact, quite a few work as is. It seems that the video generation used in Lincade doesn't quite create all the correct modes for a CGA monitor - at least not for mine.

I then discovered lmrc (http://lrmc.sourceforge.net/) - which is what Lincade is supposed to use - to generate the modelines that weren't working. It gave different modeline results from the Lincade auto generated ones. So, I entered the new values instead into the relevant xorg.conf_cab and advmame.rc files and...they work!

lmrc is a great little utility if anyone needs to find correct modelines for AdvanceMAME.

 

I should add that this has nothing to do with the ArcadeVGA card as I did all this using a standard ATI Radeon 7000 to rule out any possible problems with the ArcadeVGA card.

[Ummon]

Hey, everyone note that AN ATI CARD worked with Advancemame. My 7000 did, too.

cw, did you run advcfg before running games? - meaning, ideally, you need to have a device_video_format line. If you just set clock values, Advancemame will try to work within the constraints it senses in your monitor, but this can be kind of loopy and can give weird results. At least you got it working, but it's good to know all how the thing works. I actually have an Advancemame tutorial for Windows lurking around (not sure if it's in the wiki...), and though some of the names are different in Linux, I'd bet the process is essentially the same.


kev: Advancemame has only one configuration file, in rc format.