Want to build a Nintendo Test Station...

Culcuhain

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So it looks like I will need
1. Nintendo Power Supply (or switching) (need)
2. Wiring harness (need)
3. Monitor w/ chassis (have monitor, dead chassis for repair inbound)
4. Populated CPO (need)
5. Speaker (like ex girlfriends, I have plenty)

Ok for test equipment/tools I have
20mhz oscilliscope (I will figure it out one day)
multimeter
2 soldering irons
Schematics

I plan on building a wood bench to test things on.
Am I missing anything?
And ideas, tips? tricks? etc?
 
So it looks like I will need
1. Nintendo Power Supply (or switching) (need)
2. Wiring harness (need)
3. Monitor w/ chassis (have monitor, dead chassis for repair inbound)
4. Populated CPO (need)
5. Speaker (like ex girlfriends, I have plenty)

Ok for test equipment/tools I have
20mhz oscilliscope (I will figure it out one day)
multimeter
2 soldering irons
Schematics

I plan on building a wood bench to test things on.
Am I missing anything?
And ideas, tips? tricks? etc?

You could get a Nintendo to JAMMA adapter and then just wire your test rig up as JAMMA.
 
As others have said, it'll probably be a lot easier to just build a normal Jamma test setup and use an adapter. That's what I use. My setup has an old PC power supply and a standard Jamma harness. I just make up adapter cards to plug in other non-Jamma boards. I've got a standard 120v isolation transformer in there, but for testing Nintendo monitors I have a 100v transformer with a power socket screwed to a board that I can plug in.

To save space, I don't have an arcade style control panel - I just use a Sega Genesis controller. Front mounted buttons on the test rig provide coin and start buttons, as well as the Jamma test/service/slam switches. I use an old RGB computer monitor as a test monitor - but I can easily plug in normal arcade monitors to a socket on the back. For testing monitors, I just use an old Mortal Kombat board to generate test patterns. Here's what my setup looks like:

testrig.jpg


-Ian
 
I need to build a nice clean setup like that.... very nice.
Are the Sega controllers just straight wired? (no interface?)
Thanks! I used to have a real mess of wires and loose parts, but I built it all into that little box - took a lot of work, but it's worth it to keep it straight.

The Sega controller has 74157 chip to encode the buttons. Rather than buld an interface, I just modified the controller. I removed the 74157 and solderd in a couple of jumpers to bring the other buttons out on the extra wires in the cable. The Start button does nothing. This makes the interface now straightforward and simple - up/down/left/right/A/B/C with a common ground.

Love the old rotary desktop phone too BTW.
Hehe. Yeah, I love those phones too. I have one on my workbench and one on my desk in the computer room. Best phones ever. They always have nice clear sound quality, they never get lost, and there are no batteries to run out. Much nicer than those crummy cordless things.

-Ian
 
I like the idea of a Jamma, but my interest is 95% Nintendo. I have two other games (which I picked up Sunday) that are not Jamma...

I already have the Sanyo monitor, chassis is inbound, so I figured I could use my backup parts and build it.... Hmmmm got me thinking now. Thanks guys!!!

BTW, that is one sweet test station!
 
I like the idea of a Jamma, but my interest is 95% Nintendo. I have two other games (which I picked up Sunday) that are not Jamma...

I already have the Sanyo monitor, chassis is inbound, so I figured I could use my backup parts and build it.... Hmmmm got me thinking now. Thanks guys!!!

BTW, that is one sweet test station!

Just an FYI on switching power supplies, I know that some DK boards act flakey on them. Anthony at Quartercade and I just went through a couple that worked fine on the original supply but started showing some graphic glitches when hooked up to a switching supply. Other boards, on the other hand, worked fine regardless of the power supply used.
 
Just an FYI on switching power supplies, I know that some DK boards act flakey on them. Anthony at Quartercade and I just went through a couple that worked fine on the original supply but started showing some graphic glitches when hooked up to a switching supply. Other boards, on the other hand, worked fine regardless of the power supply used.


Yup, I find way more run flakey, than not. It's the negative 5VDC line. Donkey Kong's and Donkey Kong Jr.'s pull 1 amp on the -5VDC line because of all the ECL chips. Most switchers rate their -5VDC lines at 1 amp....some less. I'd guess, with these motherboards turning 30 plus years old....the negative 5VDC rail is probably sucking a little more than it's 1 amp rating.

Edward
 
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