Intografx - Completed Portable Turbografx Console!

[bacteria]

Here are some pics of the completed system, complete with a video:

Final weight: a mere 750g.

Dimensions: 215 x 135 x 55mm

All details in the video:

YouTube: YouTube link


The worklog WIP for the system is HERE

The full worklog is on my Wordpress site, along with other tutorials, please have a look! This project (IntoGrafx) and previous one (IntoPlay) are on two sections - finished project and how-to guides on my site. That is to keep sections separate for modding the console system and also making the portable.


Please note - the Wordpress site has a limit of 35 users on at any one time, so if the site is busy, please try again in a few minutes!

 

[Exophase]

Looks pretty good.

I wonder if you guys are ever going to run out of PSOne screens.

 

[Jourdy288]

Great work! What next? Portable Xbox :lol:

EDIT: BTW, did you have to do anything regarding software? If not, how would I go about something like this? Take a peek at my sig I'd love to work on things like this if it only took some soldering, etc. (carefully, of course)

 

[Exophase]

Great work! What next? Portable Xbox :lol:

EDIT: BTW, did you have to do anything regarding software? If not, how would I go about something like this? Take a peek at my sig I'd love to work on things like this if it only took some soldering, etc. (carefully, of course)

Software development is not involved, but it's a lot of electrical and mechanical work, especially to get ones that are anywhere as nice as bacteria's are. For bacteria's better mods he had to actually cut the original PCBs and locate/connect new traces between where it was cut. I imagine that this is especially difficult if those traces aren't on an outer layer.

 

[Jourdy288]

Really? Wow, thanks. I took a look at the Wordpress Blog as well as Ben Hecks website, this is the kind of stuff I'm into! I bet I could do some of this!

 

[bacteria]

Good, join the ModRetro site ( http://forums.modretro.com/index.php ) and make a portable Jourdy288!

Yes, no software needed. The board was only 2 layer so easier to locate the traces, although some of them branched two ways and both parts needed wiring to as the junctions got removed in the board reduction!

Next system? Currently working on a DreamCast (see the ModRetro forum for my WIP).

 

[Jourdy288]

Wow, nice work, I have an extra Playstation (the original) and I'd love to make it portable! That could be something of a challenge, though, taking the optical disks into consideration...

 

[Tag5]

Awesome work bacteria! I bet you've got a few more consoles to be made portable projects up your sleeve.

 

[DaveC]

Looks cool.

I was tempted to do one of these "portablizing" projects but the thing that ruins them all is the lousy screen. Those PSX screens connected to crapposite video look really really bad.

If you can figure out a way to connect through RGB then it will dramatically improve image quality.

 

[bacteria]

Yes Tag5, I have more systems up my sleeve to portablize!

DaveC - indeed, RGB is better usually. The PSone screen does RGB; and the TurboGrafx was modded to do RGB, so the image on the IntoGrafx is crisp, with good colours (as RGB).

 

[christo930]

Really? Wow, thanks. I took a look at the Wordpress Blog as well as Ben Hecks website, this is the kind of stuff I'm into! I bet I could do some of this!

I would suggest starting with an atari 2600 or channel f or something early and simple.

Chris

 

[christo930]

Looks cool.

I was tempted to do one of these "portablizing" projects but the thing that ruins them all is the lousy screen. Those PSX screens connected to crapposite video look really really bad.

If you can figure out a way to connect through RGB then it will dramatically improve image quality.

There should be a huge amount of portable tv's for sale for next to nothing since they got rid of Analog tv in the states and portable tv's usually aren't very useful for cable or a converter box! I would imagine that you could pick up a PTV with a big sharp lcd for next to nothing.

Chris

 

[gruso]

Another great result, Bacteria!

Really? Wow, thanks. I took a look at the Wordpress Blog as well as Ben Hecks website, this is the kind of stuff I'm into! I bet I could do some of this!

Hopefully you finish coding the new file archive first.

 

[Jourdy288]

Another great result, Bacteria!

Really? Wow, thanks. I took a look at the Wordpress Blog as well as Ben Hecks website, this is the kind of stuff I'm into! I bet I could do some of this!

Hopefully you finish coding the new file archive first.

:lol:
Here is a possible project:

I have a Rio Karma, last night I took it apart and put it back together. I can't get it to work, I'm not sure what's wrong. Still, that 20 gig HDD, USB port, monochromatic LCD, and headphone jack are looking Mighty Tasty right about now! Any ideas what I can do with mine? The scroll wheel is apparently broken, but the 'stick' works just fine.
I bought it secondhand.
Here is the guide I used for dissection:
http://www.schenkzoola.com/karmaopen.htm

 

[bacteria]

If the screen takes video in (A/V plug) you can use it for making a portable!

 

[Jourdy288]

Mmm, I'm not sure, will have to recheck. I just saw a small ribbon cable connecting the screen to the motherboard.

Like the one here:

 

[Exophase]

No, that doesn't take an A/V plug like Bacteria was saying. That's probably a parallel digital input. You're not going to get a console to output that.

 

[Jourdy288]

OK, thank you anyhow.