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Hey,

I am a fan of the region mod switch for Turbo Duo and TG-16 systems. However, I am at a crunch for space for my Turbo Express and wondering if anyone still has a region mod board they could sell since I don't have much interest in making my own using IC's. Let me know.

Or if someone else has a suggestion on where to locate a region switch on a Turbo Express I am all ears.


-Duo

I just built one yesterday for my Duo.  I could possibly make you one if you're interested.  Its only about $6 in parts to make.  Takes about an hour to do right.  If its for an express tho, I'd probably like to find a slightly smaller breadboard than the one I used, it had some extra holes on each side.

This is what It looked like..

/modchip.jpg

Sounds good, I take no one has the ones that Graph and Dlite used to install?

The D-Lite ones were definitely smaller, which might make all the difference. Sorry, I was stupid and only bought one, which I've since installed.

If you take you're time you can do it without a board. I started one and I just stacked the chips on top of each other and wired it up. Just haven't gotten back to it to finish it yet.
I think I got the idea from a female modder from the UK, what was her handle???...

Pcenginesales. Is she around?

Quote from: Duo_R on 10/12/2010, 11:02 AMPcenginesales. Is she around?

She is, here and on eBay. I just bought about 5 AV cables from her and they arrived in 4 days and were of better quality than OEM.

so no one has any of the region mod boards I take?

I don't thing anyone has any of the super slim professionally made units.  I am going to try and make one the will fit a TE myself.

heres a circuit that should make the board half the size.
note there two unused channels on this chip that could be used for a latch circuit.
note the short leads to board, long to cart.

pce1.gif

Nice work steve!!!!  =D>

Now ill look into sourcing those chips and makingup a board to test it out.

im gonna want a few myself for the te's
I may be able to make it switchless as well

Hmm looks like I can only find ssop or tsop ics... I prefer through mount ic (dip?) Since I know how go solder them.  Guess its time for some surface mount tools :lol:

i use a standard temp controlled iron on them.
you just wet the pads with solder, place the chip and heat the legs for reflow
works for non PBG surface mount IC's, transistors, resistors, diodes ect

PS if u get a solder bridge, just wic off the excess

Anyone have a link to a data sheet for those chips? I'm wondering if ssop versions would be small enough to be put in place at the connector....

(ie, assuming the board is small enough, could we cut the lines and solder them on the mod-board and get the whole assembyl to sit in the space between the pin side of the connector and where the connector mates to the pcb. Okay, maybe that's not real clear either, but -I- know what I mean :)

I think this is the correct IC, or close enough anyways....

http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/164792/TI/SN74CBT3383C.html

its not quite the same one i had, but its close enough
same family
yours has better specs

here's another schematic utilizing the remaining pins for latch and reset to allow swap after boot fail.

with a little more info I should be able to make an auto mod trigger circuit, to work with this one.

a switchless would be simple from here.

pce2.gif

Having looked at the data sheet, my original idea won't work. There might be enough space to put a pcb with a chip on it between the card housing and the bend to meet the main board, but there certainly isn't enough to put a board with two chips. However....

I got to thinking about this. Assuming you cut the connector pins right at the bend, and cut the pins back a little on the connector side, it -might- be possible to use through holes for the vertical pins, and pads for the horizontal ones. This would allow you to mount the mod board off the end of the card connector (eliminating wired connections) IF there is enough empty space behind the connector. And, if the bus switch chips are on the bottom of the board, it shouldn't have the problem of sticking up too high.

Just my 2 cents. Would be neat to see, though.

we are talkin one SMT chip on a smaller board.
two for switchless

heres a concept express switchless.
the unused inputs need to be grounded.
we may be able to use the other gates to complete autodetect

express.gif

Sorry, don't make it around here as much as I'd like anymore.

I have some little PCB's I got from DLite (if I remember right...) still hanging around... they're like, 3/4" square?

just an update.
im still waiting for parts to start testing the proposed chip.
today i was probing around on a TG16 and confirmed the controller page and video bus become active only after a successful boot, making boot detection possible.

auto1.gif

Quote from: thesteve on 05/01/2011, 11:06 PMheres a concept express switchless.
the unused inputs need to be grounded.
we may be able to use the other gates to complete autodetect

Awesome if it works!

i have started on my express

exp1.jpg
exp2.jpg exp3.jpg

and

exp4.jpg exp5.jpg

the switch chip works perfect.
the control circuit need work

switchless mod success

select.jpg switchless logic.jpg 

wow awesome steve  =D> =D> =D>


that is like some sort of magic!

the working schematic

SWITCHLESS.jpg

thesteve

So how does the switch happen exactly? is it a keypress?

*Edit*
Nevermind I see how it works now...

in short yes its a key press.
hold select during power up

switch mod on a duo running Sapphire

switched mod.jpg
switched.jpg 

Very nice steve!!   I'll be looking into getting some custom pbcs made to utilize that chip instead of the old 4551 design.

dont ground 2-5 as they are useful for the switchless version, and likely others.

Quote from: thesteve on 05/29/2011, 01:33 PMdont ground 2-5 as they are useful for the switchless version, and likely others.

They could be used to switch LEDs too couldn't they?

i just had a thought
the switchless circuit can use a switch without any mods whatsoever

So no more having to drill a hole into the system to have a region switch installed? All you would have to do is hold or not hold the select button during boot up? That is badass

You've got it keith!!  Steves design is fantastic!

Quote from: thesteve on 05/30/2011, 06:25 PMi just had a thought
the switchless circuit can use a switch without any mods whatsoever

wha? lol

Here's a little preview of the mod chip design so far... TINY TINY TINY!

Only 0.8" x 0.6" x 0.25"!

/MicroMod.jpg

Wow, this is pretty awesome.

see if you can get that on a 0.010 thick board

0.062" is the cheapest solution.   0.03125" almost doubles the price.  0.010" is not available from this manufacturer.

you could have a cutout in the board that the 4001 sits top down in, or use the smaller 3383 chip and put both on one side

the smaller package chip is about half the size and will easily fit both chips on one side

Ok I'll look into that! :P  This thing's gonna be so tiny lol.

tiny is what we want.
space constraints have been the biggest install issues from what i have read.

There is plenty of room for a larger chip behind the battery tray, you just have to run longer wires to get to the hucard slot.  That's how I've done expresses in the past.  Heck you saw the pics of people installing 8PDT switches there before!  #-o  If we cant get a good tiny chip to work, then we might have to consider going with a larger (and more user friendly / pretty) chip that just mounts behind the battery tray.

we could also do a 2 part circuit usind the switch chip on one board and another board to control it.
make it one peice that snaps apart if needed.

boards are built, tested and for sale.
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=10112.0

here is a concept mod
SWITCHLESS 2.jpg