VR machine 2 - rebuild

[simon_m74]

Hi All!!

I have just picked up some more VR kit from Gridrunner ( thanks mate! ).

Other than my fully assembled Virtuality machine, I now have the following.

Amiga 3000. 1 good, 1 possibly dead due to corrosion - will be tested soon.

VR Graphics cards. 3 off. 2 are required per system, so I will have a spare one after the build.

VR LAN Card 2 off. 1 required per system, so one spare after build.

VR Serial Card 1 off. Unsure if required at all ? My full VR does not have one.

1000 Series Visette. 1 off. Stand-up style, with tracking joystick and waist belt pack.

C-Format PCB. 2 off. 1 required , so 1 spare.

Drives. Various HDD, CD & Floppy. Enough for the build, plus some spare.

Tracking Boards. 1 off Polhemus. 1 off Accension. the Visette I believe, has Polhemus, so I will be using that on. The Accension will be spare.

Tracking Transmitters. 2 off Polhemus. 2 off Accension.

Tracking Recievers. 2 off unknown as of now. One in Visette, one in Joystick.

MicNet box. 1 off. Used for voice communication between players and an operator.

There are many cables too. I have sorted them out into a pile I know is required, a pile that I know is not required, and a pile that I am unsure of.

The project starts on Wednesday. I will post pictures up of the kit then. I will start with testing the Amiga / Expality computer components.

I plan to make a second system - with no shell - just a gaming chair set up really. I will use this for testing other games, networking to the other machine, and the Mic Net. Once I have confirmed all that is good, I plan to build it into a working sit-down system.

I will be replicating the cooling fan unit on my VR machine, for the new kit, as I do not have one for it.

All pics and write ups will be on this thread, as an when it happens.

Watch this space.

Simon

 

[Alpha1]

Very nice!!

 

[simon_m74]

Ol,

Any info you can give me about the Joystick setup you have would be great!

Thanks

Simon

 

[simon_m74]

Ok Guys and Gals!

Here are the pics of the kit I picked up..

An overall photo of all the new kit.

The Expality Computer - well parts of it.. The Amiga 3000, with the Polhemus Tracking board on top.

A couple of boxes of kit, that consist of Amiga A3000 spares, many cables, HDD/CD drives, and the sheet metal enclosure panels for the Expality computer.

The `Format-C`boards. Both seem to be working ok. The PSU for them have been removed. Only one of the PSU`s work at the moment though.

And finally, the Visette! Not managed to get an image on these yet, but I know they power up fine. After the display problems I had on mine, its an `easy` fix - tho not too cheap!

To replace the screens, its more than the lot of kit in total! to lets hope

All the kit is now in my garage, sorted out. I plan to start work on the Expality on Wednesday.

Although, I have not yet decided if I should make a cool fan unit first......

I will keep you all updated!

Simon

 

[trm]

Excellent! I look forward to seeing your work and hopefully it'll get me motivated to fix my pair

 

[Alpha1]

excellent - looking forward to this. When you come down we can dig through my VR stuff for the sticks

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Nice kit mate, I'll me watching this thread

 

[simon_m74]

HI all!!

Ok, here is the first part of the VR 2 build

Just a lil teaser first.... for those who loved the go they had at revival, and for those who didnt get the chance! lol

My original Virtuality in its glory! lol

Me working on the PSU for the IO Board ( the `Format-C PCB) - Gridrunner repaired it, but I noticed that one of the regulators would end up very close to a short circuit - Not GR`s problem... an original design fault!

A shot of the new position for the regulator (for -5V)

A close-up of the Regulator, now mounted on board with a cap and a resistor... all would of been `hanging loose` in the PSU!

I am bolting the regulators ( 4 here in all ) to the heat-sink.... to find out after assembly.. the PSU wont boot???

It did before I assembled it.. ???

Confused and worried that I killed both PSU`s that I had ?

Comparing both the PSU`s... I found the problem!!!

DOH!!!

all the regulators were bolted to the same heat-sink... I didnt think this would of been a problem as one of the PSU`s I had, had no heat-sink - but also no insulation.. So I just added thermal compound.

I realized that the PSU`s booted when in bits, ie- NO heast-sink!, so I insulated them all, and hey-presto! it works!!

worry over!

PSU Sorted.... Now onto connecting the Format C board up to the Amiga.....

All powered up... All LED`s on!!!

That shows that the Amiga, the Format C and the PSU for it, `should` be all fine!

Next is to rebuild the Expality Computer, and test the video output.

Updates within the next few days!

Simon

simon_m742013-06-24 12:42:57

 

[forcefulfil]

Great work Simon!
Look forward to the updates

 

[Alpha1]

This is most awesome!!

 

[trm]

Dude,

If you check the datasheets they'll let you know whether the tab needs isolating.

Have fun!

 

[simon_m74]

lol, Thanks Tim,

All sorted and isolated now!

I only checked out the reg I moved/changed...

Thanks Ol.

more to come soon!

 

[Turnarcades]

Early hours but got round to checking it Si; excellent work getting the projects underway and echoing what everyone has said here, can't wait to see it come on!

If you get this all together then imagine the potential setup at Revival 2014!

 

[IDCHAPPY]

 

[simon_m74]

All being well...

MY VR pod AND this new build will be at revival!!

I will confirm in the week if the GFX cards work....thats the first `big one`

The second `big one` will then be the tracker.

If both of those are ok, then the rest will go easy! - tho I`ll need to build a gaming seat frame thing for it...

 

[simon_m74]

Hi Guys...

Some of what I got up to Monday evening...

Starting to assemble the Expality case around the Amiga

Front, Side and CD unit in place.....

Fitting the `Format C Board...

All the Connections from the Amiga to the Format C board...

A View from above.....

And from the front...

And an overall pic. Just the side and Top to go.

Thats as far a I got, as once starting to test, I got a bit worried that the Format C PSU was getting warm and (that famous electrically ) smelly, so I shut it all off, and I have started to rebuild the other PSU I have.

Note to Gridrunner: for `ease` reasons the first PSU hooked up was the one you suspected anyway...

I will try to find time tomorrow night to replace the PSU with the other one - so then I can look into testing the video output!

I hope to have results by the weekend!

I am struggling to figure out where the Polhemus tracking PCB fitted tho, as there is so little room left in the Expality case!

I`ll keep updating as I can!

Simon

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Love it buddy

 

[simon_m74]

I have just decided to redesign the Expality case..

I was just going to make a new back panel, as this unit is an older one than mine, so it has a couple of D-plug ports, but the rest of the cables just trail through a large cut out.

The system was also for a sit down unit - so less connections for the tracker, but more for the controls.

Talking of connections, there are no connections for : credit control, indication lights, external monitor, Mic Net (microphone network), Tracker for Joysticks / Visette ( just the transmitter), LAN, Joystick/player HID, audio, and I think the list goes on! lol

Hence the rear panel definite requires a remake, but as there is not much room in the current Expailty for the Polhemus tracker board, I think I need to either make the enclosure taller OR locate the tracker externally - that `could be` an easier option, as long as I have the space for it on the ( eventual ) game chair - along with the Sega kit for Indy 500 VR

I`m hunting a racing chair set up soon for the build - once I know the VR kit works

I also am planning on NOT using the Visette that I have spare. It is a 1000 series- the same as my VR Pod. I have a much lighter slimmer 2000 series visette also... I plan to wire that one to the system instead... just I cant get an image on those screens ( yet )

Working on that as the screens are only about 1.5inch ones, and I`d need ones with a composite / CGA (RGBS) input - any ideas?

For tonight, I`ll be visiting my old school for the last time before the knock it down in a few weeks. then I`ll be home to work on the PSU for the Format C board - ready to test the GFX outputs.

Simon

simon_m742013-06-26 16:39:07

 

[Deathrow]

Ive never had a go on one of these. looks great fun though.

Great work btw

 

[simon_m74]

A quick update..

PSU changed - it gives off a slight `warm` smell, but only a hint of it compared to the other.

the smell gets no stronger nor does it seem to get warmer at all. Left on for 15 mins or so.

All voltages are fine and seem stable.

So GFX card test tomorrow I hope!

Simon