SNES Computer [SNESpc]

Let's Make Robots Projects Showcase
21

Hah, using my SNESpc for this post again, and it’s still in 640x480 mode.

Well, seems the motherboard’s manual lied to me as there was no CD included. A quick google search turned up no video drivers for the VIA Epia M10000 board…

Anyway. I finished the reinstallation, used some different monitor configurations… When it came to monitor information, I picked the “medium” option, and told it that the monitor is best used at 1024x768, but I’m still stuck at 640x480.

How do I change what X is configured for? Lol, the only way I currently know how to change video driver settings is to reinstall the whole thing, and I’m not willing to do that a third time. :laughing:

Also, I’m having trouble getting my SNES controller to USB converters to work. I mean, when I do a dmesg I can clearly see that they’re being recognized, but the Joysticks bit in Control Center doesn’t recognize them.

[code]Possibly relevant bit of dmesg:

usb.c: registered new driver usbdevfs
usb.c: registered new driver hub
usb-uhci.c: $Revision: 1.275 $ time 09:50:48 Aug 17 2005
usb-uhci.c: High bandwidth mode enabled
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xd400, IRQ 11
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xd800, IRQ 12
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xdc00, IRQ 10
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 3
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: v1.275:USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver
ehci_hcd 00:10.3: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0
ehci_hcd 00:10.3: irq 5, pci mem f8979000
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 4
ehci_hcd 00:10.3: USB 2.0 enabled, EHCI 1.00, driver 2003-Dec-29/2.4
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 6 ports detected
irda_init()
uhci.c: USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver v1.1
pci_hotplug: PCI Hot Plug PCI Core version: 0.5
shpchp: acpi_shpchprm:get_device PCI ROOT HID fail=0x1001
pci_hotplug: PCI Hot Plug PCI Core version: 0.5
pciehp: acpi_pciehprm:get_device PCI ROOT HID fail=0x1001
hub.c: new USB device 00:10.1-1, assigned address 2
usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod 0x6666/0x667) is not claimed by any active driver.
hub.c: new USB device 00:10.1-2, assigned address 3
usb.c: USB device 3 (vend/prod 0x6666/0x667) is not claimed by any active driver.
hub.c: new USB device 00:10.0-2, assigned address 2
usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod 0x46d/0xc501) is not claimed by any active driver.
usb.c: registered new driver hiddev
usb.c: registered new driver hid
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 723
input: USB HID v1.00 Joystick [Super Smartjoy 2] on usb2:2.0
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 1669
input: USB HID v1.00 Joystick [Super Smartjoy 2] on usb2:3.0[/code]

See there at the end? The Super Smartjoy 2 is the converter. So it’s being recognized. Do I have to add it into fstab and mount it? It’s been a while since I’ve had to add new devices. :laughing: I don’t really see anything there that I can use to mount it.

I’ll poke around on google a bit more and get my emulator(s) downloaded. Hopefully I’ll remember how to add a new program without having to bother you. :smiley:

22

Xconfigurations help … .

home.comcast.net/~dckrinke/apr_02_linux.html

also if you have more than one resalution open to you, You can use the alt-ctrl +/- (On the number pad) to flip through what open.

there are manual configs that can be done to the /etc/x11/XF86Config file but that is getting to the advance tweaking.

you wont mount the controller … You only moung devices that are some type of storage (CD / Floppys / Hard Disk)…

Since I have not used linux with the SNES controller. I dont know the answer to that.

package installation is with apt-get

**** since I am working from 7am thursday - noon friday because of a mass data conversion going on at work. I will add my laptop drive to my mini-itx board and see if I can figure out what might be going on. when I head home and get setup there for the night. ****

23

Thanks. The site helps; I’ll try to get into the config when I get back home to the SNESpc. Heh, and I’ll remember the shortcut for when I actually have more than one resolution available. :wink:

Ok, the mounting guidelines make sense. The SNES controller converter is just a standard HID device; it requires no drivers. So it’s just like a regular USB joystick (one that needs no drivers), I assume. I don’t actually own a USB joystick, so I can’t test Debian’s autodetection with one.

Will I need to add it to /etc/fstab, or is that also just for storage devices?

Oh, here’s the information page for the adapter.

Thanks! I really appreciate your help!

24

/etc/fstab is for the file systems. So not it not needed there.

I am guessing xrandr is still only reporting that 640x480 is the only valid mode for your on-board video.

No problem on the help.

25

That is correct. During set up, I even specifically told it that the monitor should be set to 1024x768, but the only option is still 640x480.

Heh, I’m so close to having this working. But I still have to figure some things out:

Change resolution to 1024x768
Get TV out working
Figure out how to install emulators
Get SNES controllers working

I think the TV out not working is somehow tied in with the resolution being stuck at 640x480, but… I really don’t know. :laughing:

I searched in apt (or aptitude, whichever has minesweeper to play) for the emulators, but I couldn’t find them… I did find this, though:
packages.debian.org/stable/source/snes9x
So doesn’t that imply that I should be able to find them using apt?

26

yes, that means you should have access to the SNES emulator for Debian.

can you post your /etc/X11/XF86Config file?

that way I can see what settings your video card has.

I also think I have a friend that has the M1000 board, he did set up a TiVo system on it with MythTV. I will also ask him if he had any problems with the video card. (he used SuSe on his install)

27

Hmm… I searched for it but couldn’t find it… I’ll try again tonight.

As soon as I get home I can post it, thanks.

28

The Mirror or installed ftp you are pointing to with apt-get might not host those files.

I am in the middle of the debian install now.

I am installing
Desktop
File server (Need to access my NFS/SMB servers)
database (Yes for a test I dont need this … but I am thinking on what I want to do with my Robots as well)

29

this is what I am getting after an install

Graphic was VIA like you did.

what I would like to see is the /etc/X11/lXF86Config-4
this is the part I am intrested in.

Problem might be in the auto detection of your monitor.

30

The problem is the video driver. The video driver on VIA’s website for linux only supports Suse, Mandrake, and RedHat; no Debian support.

So I’m migrating over to Suse. :laughing:

I should be able to start working on the computer with Suse in a few days. Hopefully it’ll work.

Malatory, thank you for all of your help! I really appreciate it!

In the meantime, I’ll be working more on the physical properties of this project. I’ll post images and more information when I get home to my camera.

31

Once you get back in the linux side … Let me know. I can help out with that.

I am just a small linux junkie :slight_smile:

32

Project Update

Ok, I got the controller-interface done last night, and luckily for those interested, I have pictures documenting the whole thing. :smiley: As usual, click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl01.jpg
Here’s one of the Super Smartjoy 2 SNES-to-USB controller adapters. I purchased two on ebay for fairly cheap, figuring that they could be hacked to fit in my case.

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl02.jpg
Well, what do you know. Once you open the huge grey case, the actual board is tiny! And there’s tons of extra board and a connector that can be taken off. The USB cable also needs shortening… it’s much longer than I need for this project.

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl03.jpg
Here’s the board neatly trimmed up, next to one that’s not. See how much space wasn’t needed?

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl04.jpg
This little USB cable will fit in the SNES case much better than that long one!

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl05.jpg
I’m re-using the original controller plug strip from the SNES case. That way I won’t have to figure out some way to mount the ones from the adapters snugly in the case. Plus I like using the original parts as much as I can. Makes me feel a bit better for gutting the SNES in the first place. :smiley:

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl06.jpg
Here’s the trimmed board soldered onto the controller plug strip. The next adapter board will have to be mounted upside-down to match the plug.

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl07.jpg
Finally, the whole controller mechanism is completed! Yes, I tested the controllers, and yes, they work perfectly. In this image, the light grey faceplate is attached to the controller plug strip.

snailkeeper.com/images/projects/snesputer/thumbs/ctrl08.jpg
The insides of the SNES case are still a bit cramped as I haven’t yet modded the back of the case. Things should be better after I mount the motherboard in properly. In any case, you can see the USB cables plugged into the extra USB ports in the upper left of the image. You can also see my nice blue hdd-access light. :laughing:

As usual, feedback is welcomed. Let me know what you think!

[size=75]PS: Oh yeah. As my soldering skills are not quite up to par for this project, my father so nicely did it for me, while I hovered nearby being nervous and taking pictures. =D[/size]

33

Snailkeeper, could you possibly cram even more stuff into that little box? :neutral_face: How about dual geforce 7800s? :laughing:

34

Heh, I doubt I could fit that. However, I am thinking about adding a wireless network adapter. :smiley:

35

Well, you have to have wireless internet :slight_smile:

So… As I understand, you gutted out the insides of the poor SNES. Put in computer parts and are going to be running linux and a snes emulator and play snes games?

36

You make that sounds like its a redundant work … I am sure she will be able to play more than SNES games one it. :slight_smile:

add a web server and she will be able to host a small web site as well with the network adapter.

Snailkeeper: Another idea for removing the extra uneed ables in that box.
Most external HDD encolsures that I have used have removeable HDD ribon cables that are a couple of inches long.

example: On page 2 of this review 1st pick has it in and 2nd pic has it removed (as I switched it to use SATA drives).

[size=75]at least you has someone that good with soldering do the hard part[/size]

37

OMG! Thats so amazing. You gotta get a pattent and sell them world wide, and then, YES MAYBE THEN WE COULD…DARE I SAY IT…RULE THE WORLD!!!

cool 8)

38

You and Malatory are both correct. Your understanding is, in fact, the original reason why this project was started. As I get further along I am really seeing the potential this little computer has for other things. It’s really pretty nifty. =D

39

Take over the world with SNES computers? Not likely, but I appreciate your enthusiasm. :wink:

Just wait 'til I get it working. =D

40

I like it :smiley: