Problem JVS I/O (USB) Board not working?

[Georgian2]

Hello,

I have an Gradius IV (Konami Hornet) game. The JVS I/O Board is connected to the USB board and is properly powered by the jamma harness. The Gradius IV itself is got it's own ATX Power supply. (only GND, +5V and +12V connected).

The JVS I/O board is detected by the game but I cant do anything with it. Test button on the game brings me to the test menu but I cant press anything.

Maybe there is something I'm doing wrong?

DIP 1 is OFF (JVS??)
DIP 8 is ON (15kHz)

Thanks a lot.

 

[Mc-Q]

the interface has optocouplers,
that implys the jamma side is isolated, so it probably needs power on another connector - what is the 2pin JST for?

 

[Georgian2]

It's the first time I try this thing. I don't know yet how this things work. I can't find an manual for it either.

DIP 6 not 1 should be for jamma or jvs. I tried it either way.
So far I noticed no activity on usb data lines. Someone told me that it is rs-485 protocol not usb. Why use USB connectors then?
My bet ist that the hornet board receives 5V from the jvs board on the sense pin and thats how it knows there is something there.

I did try other usb cable and there is an common ground too.

 

[channel27]

the interface has optocouplers,
that implys the jamma side is isolated, so it probably needs power on another connector - what is the 2pin JST for?

The adapter gets it's power from the JAMMA connector. I've got one in my Naomi -> JAMMA setup.
CN6 (top right above the black connector) is DC out not in.

I've had a few of these JAMMA -> JVS boards stop working.

@Georgian2 Have you got a Naomi to test it on?
Is it possible that the USB A to B adapter is causing an issue? Have you tried a plain USB A -> B cable?

 

[Georgian2]

The adapter gets it's power from the JAMMA connector. I've got one in my Naomi -> JAMMA setup.
CN6 (top right above the black connector) is DC out not in.

I've had a few of these JAMMA -> JVS boards stop working.

@Georgian2 Have you got a Naomi to test it on?
Is it possible that the USB A to B adapter is causing an issue? Have you tried a plain USB A -> B cable?

I don't have an naomi or anything else to test it.

I did try another usb printer cable. Maybe the thing is broken. I'll get an replacement soon and see where the problem is.

 

[Mc-Q]

it's not usb, it just uses usb connectors, the JVS standard does not pass voltage through the cable - just so you know

 

[Georgian2]

it's not usb, it just uses usb connectors, the JVS standard does not pass voltage through the cable - just so you know

Thanks for the manual.

 

[Georgian2]

A quick update.
So I lifted the pin 12(RX) and 14(TX) from the TMP90CH44 and connected them directly to the SP485CS on the hornet board.

Pin 12(RX) to SP485CS pin 4(TX) and pin 14(TX) to the SP485CS pin 1 (RX).

The JVS is detected, activity on the bus but no reaction to the controls. The optos work. No matter what I press there is the same activity on the bus, nothing changes... The TMP90 MCU must be at fault at this point.

Next will be to get an arduino to simulate the jvs board. Someone did some good work. https://github.com/NaokiS28/jvs/tree/main

 

[Mc-Q]

check the mcu clock and reset signals

 

[Georgian2]

check the mcu clock and reset signals

The MCU sends at boot the string with sega part number and some other bytes and after that just "empty data" that dosen't change anymore.

 

[Mc-Q]

check the mcu side of the optocouplers - maybe the common is missing

 

[Georgian2]

So I got an replacement today and no difference at all.

Dose it make any difference if the hornet thing is powered through the edge connector and not that squere molex type connectors? Maybe the jvs thing is somehow disabled?

The inputs on the edge connector only work if the jvs is not detected. No matter what the dip sw 6 is.

This modern things are driving me mad.

 

[channel27]

Dose it make any difference if the hornet thing is powered through the edge connector and not that squere molex type connectors? Maybe the jvs thing is somehow disabled?

It sounds like the molex JVS power inputs may provide power to something on the JVS side that the edge connector power input doesn't.
So if power is supplied to the edge connector, some of the JVS related hardware may not be powered up?

 

[Georgian2]

Maybe the game expects other type of JVS I/O controller? I have realy no idea and hope that some experts will show up withbsome infos.

 

[Retroman839]

Konami windy cabs don’t use sega io,
So I would say hornet won’t be compatible with any sega I/O
Being as Gradius only uses up down left right , two fire buttons ,,,
Surely they are comomg right off
The jamma harness?

 

[Georgian2]

The controlls work on the edge connector. No problem at all there.

Why is the jvs i/o recognised then, if it is not meant to be used or is unsupported?
This stuff is wierd I say.

 

[Retroman839]

The controlls work on the edge connector. No problem at all there.

Why is the jvs i/o recognised then, if it is not meant to be used or is unsupported?
This stuff is wierd I say.

Simply because it has enough in common to recognize it but that’s it.

does Gradius Iv use the Jvs io ?

Assuming your getting all controls for 1 & 2p If you’re getting Controll’s from the edge connector and they all work why would you want to use the io?

 

[Georgian2]

Assuming your getting all controls for 1 & 2p If you’re getting Controll’s from the edge connector and they all work why would you want to use the io?

I just want to make sure is fully working. And all functins work properly. I know i'm picky but you would't want to buy it from me only to discover that some functions are not working.

Maybe it's not meant to be used with i/o controller.

 

[Dickibow]

That I/O control board doesn’t look quite right. In my Windy2 cabinet the board is Konami branded and the game recognises it as such in the built-in test menu JVS check. I’m guessing the game doesn’t recognise that I/O board.

The control inputs go directly to the JAMMA connector with the help of a Konami jamma to JVS connector board in the Windy2 cabinet, but for simplicity the JVS connection method is much simpler and uses the USB connector directly between the Hornet and the I/O board for controls, the two audio RCA outputs for sound, and the two square power connectors (5v and 12v).

I use the JVS method on mine as it’s much cleaner and simpler, and means you can output the game at Medium res, 24kHz (which is 480p), but you need to move dip switch 8 on the rear of the Hornet to ON for that.

The VGA port you’re using should actually be the other one according to the manual, but I don’t think it matters.

I’ve attached a photo of the JVS connection setup, and the JAMMA setup taken from the Gradius 4 manual.

Also, I’ve attached some pics of the back of the Hornet working with the JVS setup (to my Windy2 cab) and Jamma using the (Supergun v2) connection to my CRT consumer TV set.

To use the Hornet’s Jamma edge connector, Konami produced an adaptor that you can see in the pic between the Supergun box and the Hornet.

If you setup with JVS, then you can run a JVS check from the test menu but the simplest way of testing your game out is to use a Supergun or similar.