Blast city Vga

FixitFelix

Ive got everything setup on the pc end with the arcadevga i picked up here, and since the jpac has a male connection and ive no male to female vga, i was just wondering can i just go straight into the vga input on the side of my monitor??
I ve tried it but the picture is just scrambled??
Maybe there is something else i need to do before the picture will clear??

Cheers Lads

o1s1n

I think you need to adjust the monitor resolution on a Blast City manually.

Is it possible your Arcade VGA is set to a lower arcade res and the Blast is on high res?

Be really careful, you could damage the monitor if that's happening.

TechnoFreek

On my cab I have the cab Vga cable plugged straight into the pc gfx card.

I'm running everything at 31k only - Windows, mame and Jpac.

I don't use an arcadevga anymore bit when I did, after the drivers installed you were given the option to select your resolution. Think that program is called trisync if you need to run it again.

FixitFelix

I ran the arcadevga software and set it for multi 15- 31hz, is the blast city not auto sync? I've tried the different dip switch settings over in AO but still just black screen with scrambled white

o1s1n

I definitely remember reading somewhere that Blasts had manual syncs on them. I think there's little dip switches on it somewhere.

Any chance you have a jamma board just to test out the monitor for the moment? (as the issue could currently be either the monitor or the PC)

TechnoFreek

What resolution do you have the pc set to?
What jumpers have you set on the Jpac?

FixitFelix

I've no board but was working perfect a few weeks ago and hasn't been touched since

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

What resolution do you have the pc set to? What jumpers have you set on the Jpac?

the pic is set on 640x480

TechnoFreek

Yeah, not sure if they're auto sync or not. Mine is but I still run everything at 31k, fake scanlines.

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

the pic is set on 640x480

30hz or 60hz? Is 30 15k and 60 31k. I think.

You'll must likely have to adjust image pots as well. V sync in particular.

TechnoFreek

Also how do you know the resolution is640*480?
I think Windows remembers different resolutions for different monitors so setting 640*480 on your pc monitor first might mean it doesn't stick when you hook up the cab crt.

o1s1n

FixitFelix wrote: »

I've no board but was working perfect a few weeks ago and hasn't been touched since

So the arcadevga was set up fine to the VGA in on the monitor and everything worked fine? Has anyone knocked off the cab at all?

Then it's either as Technofreek said, something to do with the PC now booting up in the wrong resolution or or maybe one of the sync pots need a bit of adjustment (but it would be a bit odd if it hasn't been touched since it was working)

I'd be getting my hands on a jamma board and testing it out if I were you.

TechnoFreek

I'm not sure all blasts are auto sync. I'd try get everything running at 31k first.

My v sync always needs a tweak swapping from pc to pcb and back.

As does h size, h pos, v size and v pot!

But v sync to get a stable image!

TechnoFreek

I think that arcadevga 15-31k option is intended for Windows to run at 31k. Then when a mame game loads it switches res. To 15k in most, if not all cases.

Front ends and other emus look better in 31k

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

30hz or 60hz? Is 30 15k and 60 31k. I think.

I'm nearly sure it's 60 hz,I'm not there right now to check but I dint remember seeing an option for 30??

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

I'm nearly sure it's 60 hz,I'm not there right now to check but I dint remember seeing an option for 30??

That's ok. Then you're at 31k. Now put one jumper on the Jpac on the 31k pins.

Then just need to figure out the monitor.

Should be getting somewhere then.

I'd be aiming to have all elements at 31k at first or 15k if you prefer. At least until you have everything up and running. Switching resolutions on the fly is an extra layer of complexity.

Rerun that arcadevga utility too and select 31k only.

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

That's ok. Then you're at 31k. Now put one jumper on the Jpac on the 31k pins.

I know there is a pin on 15k and 31k on the jpac should I take the 15k one off?

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

I know there is a pin on 15k and 31k on the jpac should I take the 15k one off?

Yeah. I would.

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

Yeah. I would.

Cool week try that when I get home

TechnoFreek

I think using both pins is to get a stable image during boot and for 15k monitors only.

Keep us updated. I'm sure the answers are in this thread.

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

I think using both pins is to get a stable image during and for 15k monitors only.

TechnoFreek wrote:

Keep us updated. I'm sure the answers are in this thread.

Cheers mate

FixitFelix

well I don't what you said with the jpac and I getting a picture is just as fuzzy as anything I've attached a pic here, anything else I should try?

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

well I don't what you said with the jpac and I getting a picture is just as fuzzy as anything I've attached a pic here, anything else I should try?

But is it fuzzy when it gets to Windows desktop?
What appears there. Check the resolution.

I wouldn't be too worried about the boot screen. Mine isn't Crystal clear either.

Desktop is though.

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

But is it fuzzy when it gets to Windows desktop? What appears there. Check the resolution.

TechnoFreek wrote:

I wouldn't be too worried about the boot screen. Mine isn't Crystal clear either.

TechnoFreek wrote:

Desktop is though.

Yeah everything is fuzzy,about ready to quit this.
I've checked the settings on the pc monitor is 640x480 60hz,jpac jumper on 31hz

TechnoFreek

Have you got a pic of the desktop? Just out of curiosity.

You're almost there. Don't give up just yet!

TechnoFreek

If you load a game in mame does it look blurry?
At 640*480 resolution.

Then try 640*240 resolution. Is the desktop still blurry?

FixitFelix

I'll give it a try, I can't see what I'm doing to launch mame haha I'll have to launch it first then fire up the blast city

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

I'll give it a try, I can't see what I'm doing to launch mame haha I'll have to launch it first then fire up the blast city

That's blurry so!

Enable remote Desktop?

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

Enable remote Desktop?

Yeah sure can

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

Yeah sure can

That what I do now. Use an app called remote rdp on my android phone

FixitFelix

Getting a little closer this is what I'm getting now, the image is overlapping and it is also wavy??

FixitFelix

Image

TechnoFreek

Getting near the limit of my knowledge.

Are you at 640*240 resolution to produce the above

FixitFelix

No 640x480
the above was miles off

TechnoFreek

You could try going at 15k now and see what happens. Rerun the trisync tool. Set the monitor and Jpac to 15k.

See how things look.

FixitFelix

will try it tomorrow have had enough for tonight
thanks for all your help

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

will try it tomorrow have had enough for tonight
thanks for all your help

No bother. I wasn't straight forward for me either and I had a total headache when I switched to an ati card with the custom crt_emudrivers.

Try stick with it as its worth it.

FixitFelix

will do mate cheers

PaulPriest

I have an almost identical setup here: Blast, ArcadeVGA and J-Pac. Haven't spent much time with it (moved PC from 15kHz NAC). Have 15kHz working fine through the j-pac (which is all I want frankly, aside from frontends) , but 31kHz only through VGA, and only if I take the ArcadeVGA out of the equation.

First things first - does it have an MS-2930? or a MS-2931/33. The latter are the auto-switching. All are tri-sync.

You can feed it a 15kHz/31kHz signal via the JAMMA or VGA. The j-pac however doesn't allow for 15+31kHz at the same time, setting those jumpers together does something else (controls the 31->15kHz sampling iirc), so if you want that you'll need to go the VGA route.
I'm fairly sure the ArcadeVGA has builtin video timings for some of the low resolutions, and ignores various tools like soft15khz or cabmame.

FixitFelix

Yeah I have an ms2931, did you do anything with the mini dip switches in the CP, what I intend to do know is
run arcadevga as 15k only
vga straight into blast city monitor
set jpac to 15k
and see if this works.

Did your blast, arcadevga and jpac work straight off the bat??

FixitFelix

well that didn't work finished with this now

o1s1n

How about a swift kick?

If you're around the Dublin/Wicklow area I can give you a loan of a 15k arcade board if that's any use?

FixitFelix

I'm in D.6 if that's any use, haven't a clue what's going on

TechnoFreek

At 15k did you try the Vga cable plugged into the Jpac? 15k jumper on.

Trisync utility set to 15k only?

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

At 15k did you try the Vga cable plugged into the Jpac? 15k jumper on.

TechnoFreek wrote:

Trisync utility set to 15k only?

I haven't plugged into the jpac yet as I've to get a male/female vga

yes I've tried with the trisync utility set to 15k only and get nothing

TechnoFreek

I think 15k might have to go through the Jpac. It has to go over the jamma connector.

I'm not 100% on that though.

I feel pretty sure your issues are all resolution and frequency related.

It has to work, there are only so many possible combinations.

FixitFelix

TechnoFreek wrote:

I think 15k might have to go through the Jpac. It has to go over the jamma connector.

I'm gonna get a proper vga and try it into the jpac and see how I get on

TechnoFreek

Also if you change the jumpers on the Jpac while everything is powered on. It will have no effect. Just plug out the usb cable powering it and plug it back in.

Also how many Vga ports does your arcadevga have?

Just some more stuff to consider.

FixitFelix

It has 1 vga and 1 dvi, ye I turned over the jumper when it was powered down

TechnoFreek

FixitFelix wrote: »

It has 1 vga and 1 dvi, ye I turned over the jumper when it was powered down

Cool. So you can switch the jumpers on the fly too, just have to unplug and plug back in the usb cable

FixitFelix

Yeah well give it a go
Thanks for all your help mate