BRG_DB7_-_DB25

I just finished the diagram for the SNES interface. It uses two 4021 8-bit shift registers and a DM74LS138 Demultiplexer. The demultiplexer was neccesary because only 8 pins are available for output on the parrellel port, and the SNES controller has 12 buttons. Here’s a screenshot of the diagram, again done in gEDA on my eeepc:

You may want to click the image to get it in full size. Next I think I’ll do the Saturn interface diagram. It should be simple, just two 74hc157 multiplexers, and maybe a demultiplexer if there arn’t enough output pins. Anyways, I think I’ve done enough for today. Time for a break.

EDIT: Just noticed the wiring going into the snes connector is wrong. Happened when i mirriored the connector, just forgot to flip the connections. I’ve gone ahead and corrected it, although I may or may not upload a new screenshot for it tomorrow (now is time for sleep), it’s not really that big a change.

BRG_DB25_Ver01

I just finished a diagram of the DB9 – DB25 genesis interface. I will admit, I am no expert when it comes to EDA software, or EDA design standards, and thus I imagine if anyone who is were to view the following diagram they would find it quite amusing:

As you can see, a lot of the connections cross over one another. I’m guessing that by EDA design standards they aren’t suppose to do that. However, once I go to etch the board it’s a simple problem to solve (etch paths on both sides of the board, and solder a few wires on there if things get desperate).

gEDA update

The last few hours have been quite the learning expreience.

I’m now fairly fimilar with gEDA. I think I can pump out some pretty decent diagrams tomorrow, however, tonight was consumed with trying to create my own symbol for gEDA. It has a lot of built in symbols for a lot of diffrent ICs, but none for the 74hc157 (although, it did have the 74157), so I had to make my own. It was nice though, I think I learned a lot.

But for now, I am very, very tired any must sleep.

gEDA

So I mentioned in the first post that I was going to try drawing a few diagrams on my mouse-less eeepc. We’ll just call it a fruitless endeavour and leave it at that.

I have however began playing around with gEDA(LINK), and hopefully will have produced some diagrams with it soon.

How the project began

In this post, I thought I’d share how the original “Beyond Genesis” came to fruition. But before I jump in and begin on the store, here’s a little background info.

In the years leading up to 2006 I had always entered the local science fair, won gold, went to the regional science fair, and won silver. Came close, but never won the gold and made it to nationals.

Now, in 2006, I had decided that for my last year of high school I wasn’t going to compete in the science fair. I was rather content with this, until a week before the science fair my science teacher (Mr. Mayo) started asking me (almost daily) to enter the science fair (because there were only two other projects entered from the senior grades that year, both of questionable quality. A horrible turn out, obviously). He told me that I could even re-enter an old project without any improvements (something not otherwise allowed), he just really wanted at least one good project in there.

I considered his proposal for awhile, and at the time was beating around the idea of interfacing a console with a computer (not as any kind of project, just as something to do for fun). So, during an Enterprise class, I wrote up the concept of the project, and drew a few sketches.

Now, sitting around in a gym all day having people walk around and stare at you while you sit fiddling with your project, and occasionally coming over to ask you redundant questions isn’t exactly my cup of tea. So, later that day I spoke with Jake (at recces, as I recall) and asked him if he’d like the partner up with me for the science fair.

So, over the course of the following week we spliced together a 9-pin serial connector and a 25-pin parallel connector, and wrote a sloppy little program in VB to control a Sega Genesis. The write-up, I believe, was probably done the night before, and the day of the science fair, B, C, and START (buttons on the genesis controller, that our interface was suppose to replace) weren’t working, and we didn’t really know why at the time. So, we worked around these flaws– we played Sonic The Hedgehog (A game that only requires the directional buttons, and A).

Also, the local fair was handled a little differently this year. Instead of being an all day thing, you had to attended class, and when you were going to be judged you would be pulled from class to be judged. Of course, myself and Jake would have none of this. Using my influence as school uber-nerd, I spouted some techno-babble, explaining that we’d need to work on our project before the judging. So, we got to hang out in the Chemistry lab all day, doing very little (aside from playing Genesis games, that is.)

It was during this period of doing nothing that I got kinda bored, and started playing around with the program. I ended up writing the orignal functions to handle macros (something that would later become a focus of the project).

Needless to say, we won the science fair with a half working project, that wasn’t even that impressive to begin with (the project got more impressive, trust me).

Regional write up

I was just looking through some old files pertaining to the project, when I found our old writeup we used for the regional science fair. I believe this was written the night before the regionals (in a rush, obviously), which was also when the macro support was added to the program. Here’s a link if anyone is interested in reading it: Click here

Actually, this reminds me of a number of amusing anecdotes related to the project. I think I’ll create a new category for them, and post some later. They’re full of nerdy fun, I assure you.

Introductions, and project specs.

INTRODUCTION

Good day everyone. I intend to keep this introduction short, so here goes. In 2006, myself (Alucard Nikitich*) and Jake Slaney, created a project known as “Beyond Genesis”. The project won gold at the local and regional science fairs, and silver in the national science fair (Which was held in Quebec that year).

Now, after winning silver at the nationals, that seemed to be the end for “Beyond Genesis”, in spite of the fact that the project was no where near completion. But now, two years later, I have returned to the project in hopes of not only completing it, but improving on what has already been done as well.

As for this blog, it’s more a way for me to keep track of the work being done on the project, than a medium to share it with others (although I don’t discourage people from reading it if they find it amusing/entertaining/interesting etc).

*Obviously not my real name, but it is the name I registered for the National Science Fair under, so I intend to use it in all materials relating to this project to avoid confusion.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Anyone not involved in mine or Jake’s lives in 2006 would obviously have no idea exactly what “Beyond Genesis” is all about, so for their sake I will include here a brief explanation of the project:

Beyond Genesis was a project to interface a game console (in this case, a Sega Genesis) with a computer. Essentially, we soldered a 9-pin serial port connector to a 25-pin parallel port connector, and wrote the software to provide the genesis with input through this cable. This approach was however flawed, and we later soldered a 74HC157 multiplexer into the mix. The program itself also included some nifty features such as voice control, macros, and TCP/IP based remote control.

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

Once the project ended in 2006, there were still a number of avenues left unexplored. For one, we wanted to expand the scope of the project by creating interfaces for other consoles (both older, and newer than the Genesis). Also, the program’s coding was a mess (but for good reasons, I assure you) so this time, the code will be much cleaner. Also, the job done on the hardware interface was very 80’s hacker-esque (which is a nice way of saying “god-awful”.)

What I have in mind as of now, is this:

• The hardware interface will be in the form of a box. The box, on it’s frontside, will feature (female) controller ports for all supported consoles. The back will feature a female parallel port (later to be replaced by USB) connector. One would simply connect a male-to-male parrellel port connector from the box to their computer, and a male-to-male connector from the box to their game console.
• Every interface will have it’s own, rigidly separated circuity inside the box. Only one interface will be operable at a time. Later, possibly in conjunction to the move to USB, more than one will be operable at a time.
• The program to control the interface will be written in C/C++ and ported to all major OSs (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows).
• The program will feature macros, voice control, and remote TCP/IP functions (and any other neat ideas I come up with, or are suggested to me.)

I’ll end this post here, but I will elaborate on most of this later. As for now, I’m going to try drawing a few mock-diagrams of the new interface box on my eeepc without the aid of a mouse.