Have any of you taken one of these apart? I'm curious about these versions if they merely stopped installing the Digital Video connector on the PCB or if there was actually a new PCB design. I was thinking it would be cool to do an internal VGA/Component/RGB mod to one of these buy sticking the DAC from the cable inside the case and then making the appropriate case holes for VGA, Component, RGB, and a switch.
-ud
I haven't seen inside one, but Nintendo's documentation states that they'll put a digital port in your newer Gamecube for a fee. I imagine that they simply left the port off, since it's only a matter of writing it up to standardized pins on the video encoder. Obviously, doing so doesn't account for using a different case that allows you to mount the port properly.
I had a look through some Nintendo Gamecube patents a while ago which explain the video section pretty clearly. There are even circuit diagrams though I can't remember if they included pin numbers. From what I recall, all the necessary signals which go to the digital port also go to the internal (non-RGB) DAC. If you can work out the pinouts then you'd have everything you need.
Good call, viletim. That sounds like the best plan.
-ud
Actually, Nintendo didnt add the port to the DOL-101 models if you requested it, they simply exchanged it with a new DOL-001 (older model) GameCube console instead ::)
Also, the DOL-101 does use a totally redesigned motherboard, even the small power PCB has been intergrated on this model, and there are no direct solder pads to add the Digital out port.
Having said that, as previously mentioned by Viletim the Digital out port is just the digital graphics and sound data straight from the ATI Flipper chip. Its a 'mirror image' of what the internal DAC recieves, but with an odd shaped component (buffering/interference reduction?) in between the Flipper chip and the Digital port.
Heres the patent I linked to a while back that Viletim read:-
http://www.google.com/patents?id=Rk0NAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0_0
(Page 42 has the Digital Port pinout, but theres loads more info than that!)
I would think the easiest way to do what you require would be to use a standard DOL-001 GameCube and just desolder the Digital Out port.
Please let us know how you get on, and good luck :)