Interface Trouble-shooting, Cartridge Crashing

[PLI]

Hey folks,

I've built the interface based on the schematic on the Gameboy Genius
sight, and I'm not getting anything. One disclaimer, I'm pretty new to
this, I've only built a couple circuits in my life, but this one
seemed fairly easy.

Here's a link a photo of my interface thus far, just me trying it out
on a breadboard : http://www.billbyrne.net/pushpininterface.jpg
(Please note, following the advice I've seen on a couple blogs, I
replaced R1 with 5k6 and R2 with a 1k2. Also, the white jumper is
going to the datalink's 5V, black to ground and red to SD)

I've checked each connection with a multimeter in diode mode and it
seems like it's all good, but like I said, I'm a newbie and I might
have missed something.

Also, I've got a Pushpin cartridge that was burned for me, and I
crashes frequently, even when the datalink cable is not plugged in, is
that normal?

Thanks in advance, much appreciated.

wb

[Ove Ridé]

On 14/01/2008, PLI <painfulle...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hey folks,
>
> I've built the interface based on the schematic on the Gameboy Genius
> sight, and I'm not getting anything. One disclaimer, I'm pretty new to
> this, I've only built a couple circuits in my life, but this one
> seemed fairly easy.
>
> Here's a link a photo of my interface thus far, just me trying it out
> on a breadboard : http://www.billbyrne.net/pushpininterface.jpg
> (Please note, following the advice I've seen on a couple blogs, I
> replaced R1 with 5k6 and R2 with a 1k2. Also, the white jumper is
> going to the datalink's 5V, black to ground and red to SD)

Hello. I've been pretty inactive, so I haven't kept experimenting with
the interface. But probably you need some form of buffering. (Using
inverters)
But...
You have another problem here. Every row of 5 holes is interconnected
on a standard breadboard. Row 1, A-E are all connected. Row 2, F-J are
all connected. (There's a 5 hole long copper piece under every row of
5 holes)
For example this means: On row 20, the MIDI cables are directly shortcut.
In the same way on row 12, Ground and +5 V are shortcut. When Ground
and +5 V are being shortcut the GBC is GUARANTEED to crash and switch
off after less than 1/10 second.
With your current connection if your GBC does NOT crash within 1/10
from when you turn it on or connect the cable you know you have a
loose contact.

Rule of thumb: On a breadboard, always put IC's over the gap in the middle.

Now, maybe you're asking if the MIDI out device or GBC could be
damaged by this short circuit.
MIDI: MIDI can handle shortcircuits well, and your MIDI host is not fried.
GBC: It is possible that the GBC has been damaged by this, especially
if you've left it turned on connected to this circuit. (Even if it
appeared to be off) If nothing else, your battery is probably drained.

> Also, I've got a Pushpin cartridge that was burned for me, and I
> crashes frequently, even when the datalink cable is not plugged in, is
> that normal?

What happens when it crashes?

/Ove

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[PLI]

Ah, it was something silly.

Thanks, I replaced the battery, and the crash stopped. It was just
shutting down, my GBC's battery was probably low anyway, I popped in
some new ones, and she's all good, I tested the GBC with another cart
and there is no apparent damage to it.

Okay, so I rearranged the circuit on the breadboard, plug in my MIDI
controller (M-Audio Oxygen 8, the old one), start up the GBC, and I
hear a kind of steady "ticking". Hit start on Pushpin and in addition
to the steady tick, I hear in the background I now start hearing a
slightly different sounding tick that corresponds to my hitting keys
on the Oxygen 8! I'm in the home stretch!

There's also response to the mod and pitch wheels, but I adjust the
MIDI channel or anything else. So, on some level, it's receiving and
responding to MIDI messages, but the sounds being triggered don't vary
from these ticks, and nothing that resembles a familiar Gameboy Square
Wave, Wave Pattern or Noise. Does this sound like anything familiar?

wb




On Jan 13, 6:12 pm, "Ove Ridé" <nitro2...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Patrick Leonard]

i've put up a schematic that i have been working on. it's in another
post in the pushpin group. But as ove said you may have harmed the
gbc. for my build i opened up my boy and connected wires directly to
the pins on the gameboy this way i could see what pins where what. use
ove's sdtest if you can, this helped me in the build. i haven't worked
on my pushpin for awhile, my nintendo is my priority right now.

[Patrick Leonard]

PLI wrote:
> Ah, it was something silly.
>
> Thanks, I replaced the battery, and the crash stopped. It was just
> shutting down, my GBC's battery was probably low anyway, I popped in
> some new ones, and she's all good, I tested the GBC with another cart
> and there is no apparent damage to it.
>
> Okay, so I rearranged the circuit on the breadboard, plug in my MIDI
> controller (M-Audio Oxygen 8, the old one), start up the GBC, and I
> hear a kind of steady "ticking". Hit start on Pushpin and in addition
> to the steady tick, I hear in the background I now start hearing a
> slightly different sounding tick that corresponds to my hitting keys
> on the Oxygen 8! I'm in the home stretch!
>
> There's also response to the mod and pitch wheels, but I adjust the
> MIDI channel or anything else. So, on some level, it's receiving and
> responding to MIDI messages, but the sounds being triggered don't vary
> from these ticks, and nothing that resembles a familiar Gameboy Square
> Wave, Wave Pattern or Noise. Does this sound like anything familiar?
>
> wb
>

check your positive and negative feeds, the midi pin order, and what i
did for testing is remove the cap. even without an inverter i still got
sound from the midi activity, but you should still get one.

[PLI]

Forgive my limited knowledge here.

I may have damaged my GBC, but, I just don't think so, because, I have
since tried out my LSDJ cart on the same GBC, and that runs and sounds
fine, and they would make many of the same kinds of sounds.

On the Pushpin side, since there is a response to my playing the
keyboard, it seems like whatever translates the MIDI data to specific
sounds is either damaged or not being correctly communicated with. I
feel like it is just a case of there still being something wrong on my
interface circuit. I am going to post a photo of the revised
circuit.

In any case, if I have to get another GBC, that is hardly the end of
the world.

By checking the MIDI pin order you are referring to making sure that
MIDI 4 and 5 are running to the correct pins on the 6N138? Yes, they
are. Checking the positive and negative feeds, do you mean on the
datalink cable, the IC, or where exactly, because once again so far
everything appears to be correct.

Finally you mention an "inverter", this would be the 74hc04n that
folks are talking about, I'll get one. I don't know if I can use Ove's
SD test but I'll try it. I will look at your schematic, thanks.

wb

[Patrick Leonard]

On Jan 14, 2008 8:39 AM, PLI <painfulle...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Forgive my limited knowledge here.

I may have damaged my GBC, but, I just don't think so, because, I have
since tried out my LSDJ cart on the same GBC, and that runs and sounds
fine, and they would make many of the same kinds of sounds.

Just as a possible assumption to this, you may have damage the data link connector of the gameboy.  I'm not saying you did, just that this is where the circuits would  short out.

 

On the Pushpin side, since there is a response to my playing the
keyboard, it seems like whatever translates the MIDI data to specific
sounds is either damaged or not being correctly communicated with. I
feel like it is just a case of there still being something wrong on my
interface circuit.  I am going to post a photo of the revised
circuit.

Please do.
 

In any case, if I have to get another GBC, that is hardly the end of
the world.

Video Stores, Blockbuster, Hollywood, gamestop.  I got mine for about $10 in the states.

By checking the MIDI pin order you are referring to making sure that
MIDI 4 and 5 are running to the correct pins on the 6N138?  Yes, they
are.  Checking the positive and negative feeds, do you mean on the
datalink cable, the IC, or where exactly, because once again so far
everything appears to be correct.

The positive and negative feeds..Since i can't see where the wires are connected, what to make sure that you didn't have the main feeds switched.  As far as the old pic it looks like it's all good on the circuit side.
 

Finally you mention an "inverter", this would be the 74hc04n that
folks are talking about, I'll get one. I don't know if I can use Ove's
SD test but I'll try it.   I will look at your schematic, thanks. 

wb

Yes, this is the one i have, i bought from jameco.com if you can't find them around you.

[PLI]

It was the cable, I replaced it and it works! I have a photo of it, I
started a new thread, thanks!


On Jan 14, 11:08 am, "Patrick Leonard" <dreamt...@gmail.com> wrote: