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[dr_oldschool]

QUOTE(The Zep Man @ May 26 2005, 12:42 PM)

If you want to output VGA with only one program, why not use PBL-Metoo + VGA-BIOS which boots up your XBE?

I don't need the other features of bios, because most of the features I need are supported by nkpatcher (all except VGA actually). So I want to add VGA support to nkpatcher and I'm wondereing if it's only a matter of init-it-and-forget-it or the kernel needs to be patched (for example interrupt handler for cable insert event).

[The Zep Man]

QUOTE(dr_oldschool @ May 26 2005, 03:08 PM)

I don't need the other features of bios, because most of the features I need are supported by nkpatcher (all except VGA actually). So I want to add VGA support to nkpatcher and I'm wondereing if it's only a matter of init-it-and-forget-it or the kernel needs to be patched (for example interrupt handler for cable insert event).

[dr_oldschool]

QUOTE(The Zep Man @ May 24 2005, 07:04 PM)

Don't mind this post. Just want to report that...

The BFM-version of this bios fully works with 1.4/1.5 (Focus encoder) Xbox!

Hmm, that's interesting, .nfo says:

CODE

I wouldn't advise booting this on a Focus (or Xcalibur) console, best case
it won't work and worse case it'll poke numbers into places they really
shouldn't be! If you've got the right cable plugged in and a Conexant chipset,
you should get 480p mode on your monitor.

So does it mean that Conexant VGA code works on Focus chip?

[The Zep Man]

QUOTE(dr_oldschool @ May 27 2005, 01:47 PM)

Hmm, that's interesting, .nfo says:

[dr_oldschool]

QUOTE(The Zep Man @ May 27 2005, 07:16 PM)

I already PMed him about it. Still no reply, though.

Yep, I sent him an email asking if the source code is available - no reply either

I downloaded iND-BiOS.5001.rar and iND-BiOS.5001.VGA-junkmonkey.rar. Extracted kernel images from original ind bios and from junkmonkey's patched version with xbtool. Run IDA (The interactive disassembler) on both and compared the differences.
So now I got the vga code (changes to ind bios), just gotta figure out what the code does and how to patch retail kernel with this code from nkpatcher.

[dr_oldschool]

QUOTE(dr_oldschool @ May 26 2005, 12:11 PM)

Could someone more knowing explain what exactly the VGA bios does to output SoG VGA signal.
Does it just do initialization code or something else?

I'll answer my questions for archives. This is what I found (correct me if I'm wrong).
To get VGA SoG output with conexant chip this bios patches following places in kernel:

(1) AvSetDisplayMode() beginning:
if av_type is AV_VGA_SOG (vga sync on green cable) 'translate' asked video mode to new video mode (0x88070701 for 640x480, 0x88080801 for 720x480. it 'translates' other modes too to 0x880B0A02 and 0xA8110F01, but I don't know what these are. probably hdtv).

(2) It patches 3 encoder registers for conexant (changes 0x9C to 0x98). These are used from AvSetDisplayMode().

(3) removes one conditional jump from AvSetDisplayMode(). Haven't figured out why yet..

(4) AvSendTVEncoderOption VIDEO_ENC_GET_SETTINGS at end:
if av_type is AV_VGA_SOG 'translate' back video mode. return that we are running in hdtv mode so applications are happy.

---

Which is all pretty nice for conexant chip _and_ special VGA cabale. BUT the only patched code that's running in focus encoder case (which is what interests me) with standard hdtv cable is (3) and somehow I doubt it would output RGsB magically.

I still haven't made the vga cable, so I'll verify this when my cable is ready.. Hopefully next month (I'm not very good at soldering).

[St0mPeR]

Neet stuff. heres a question would it be ok to flash tsop with IND-bios 5001 on a v1.4 Focus box? got tha VGA cable ready and now I,m workin up tha nerv to do tha flash, any help? thx

[G0t M4xx 21]

Grrr having problems:

-V. 1.0 box, running the iND 5001.06 vga
-VGA cable without sync separator
-Dell 17 inch LCD monitor, confirmed SoG

When I have the VGA cable set in HDTV mode (2+3), the only thing that shows up is the Xenium OS menu, which is tinted green. Everything else, including the iND 5001 VGA bios gives black screen (with the little "no signal" thing coming across my screen).

When I change it to VGA mode (1+3) everything appears to work fine (no green tint), but every second or two it cuts out to black, then comes back a second later, and does this over and over again. Only thing it doesn't do this is in XBMC's menu, but if you play a video or game from XBMC, it cuts out to black at regular intervals again. When it is working however it looks great, except Halo 1 is green.

My main question is why doesn't it work in HDTV mode? I have 480p and 720p enabled, 1080i off, widescreen.

[Jameson42]

Sounds to me that your monitor doesn't support the HD resolutions...  A lot of people have problems with LCDs and xbox vga.  VGA mode will output in 640x480 progressive, which every VGA monitor supports.  HD 480p will output 720x480, and 720p outputs 1280x720.  Try connecting your monitor to a computer that can output these resolutions, and make sure the monitor will work.  You might also try disabling 720p, and seeing if anything works with just 480p.  Also, make sure your ind-bios config file has 480p flubber enabled.  

One of the hazzards of VGA mode is that more games will go green in VGA mode than in HD mode.  Halo 1 + 2 generally work fine in HD mode.

Unless your monitor is a widescreen monitor, turn off widescreen - you'll just have to resize the screen every time you play a widescreen game.  I generally leave mine in letterbox.

[G0t M4xx 21]

yeah that may be the case with tha hdtv mode... grrr only Xenium OS shows up in hdtv mode, and my monitor says its 640x480.

but i still can't figure out why the screen cuts out all the time in VGA mode. It happens in regular intervals, so it's not a bad joint in my cable or anyhting (i checked anyways). The screen will just go black then come back a second or two later. It does this in everyhting except the main menu of XBMC (but it will do it in any other sub menus, or visualizations).

I got another monitor, I'm gonna plug into that one and see if hdtv mode will work.

[G0t M4xx 21]

OK I tried it on the monitor downstairs, first in VGA mode.

Yes! The monitor is SoG. Also, it doesn't cut out every few seconds like the other one did. Maybe I can mess with the settings on my upstairs monitor. A couple of games turn green, some of those work if launched from xbmc

HDTV is still a no-go though.

Unlike my monitor upstairs, which just shows a black screen in hdtv mode, the downstairs one shows the "iND bios loading" thing (640x480), then as soon as it starts loading everything is green and really jumpy like bad tracking on a VHS player. At this point, the monitor says the input is 800x600, and remains this way no matter what resolutions I enable/disable in the MS dash.

Also, a tip I'd like to point out, is I added a set of 3 dip switches to my VGA cable, so I can easily toggle between all video modes.

Well, this VGA business was a fun little thing to play around with, but i don't really see its usefulness unless I can get HDTV resolutions into it. Damn my crappy LCD monitors. My downstairs monitor was the only one that would display right even in VGA mode, but it has composite inputs at the same res.

[G0t M4xx 21]

God i'm dumb...  

I got the hdtv working on the downstairs monitor (Gateway 16x9 monitor)

As it turns out, UIX doesn't support 480p, so the monitor was freaking out cause it didn't like the 480i (it worked fine in VGA mode though...). Same thing with the bios' ani - 480i = bad (and for some reason the monitor thinks its 800x600 @ 30hz )

So once I was able to navigate though the menus to launch XBMC, i just about pissed my pants. 1920x1080 yyyyyyeeeeeeessssss!!!!!!!!

Next thing: played Drangon's Lair 3D, one of the few games to support 1080i (I guess technically this would be 1080p, since its VGA). Looked pretty sweet, but a lot of artifacting on the screen. I believe this is because the monitor itself isn't a full 1920x1080, so it is having to downscale the image on-the-fly.

Once I disabled 1080i in the MS dash, everything looked fine. XBMC and everything else was perfectly happy at 1280x720, and no artifacting.

So all in all, I am very happy with the mod. My VGA cable looks uber-ghetto, but oh well. It works, and with a quick flip of the dip switches, I can go back to the composite output that the cable used to be. I might soon add s-video and some other cool stuff to my cable.

[G0t M4xx 21]

So a couple things:

Xbox 480P = 640x480 @ 60hz on the monitor
Xbox 720p = 1280x720 @ 60hz  on the monitor
Xbox 1080i = 1920x1080 @ 60hz on the monitor

So, am I getting true 1080p (although it appears to be scaled back down insid ethe monitor)

Also, those resolutions just seem to "normal" to me (im always hearing of 1024x768 and stuff like that) but i guess its cause I'm using a widescreen monitor.

[dfect]

I've tried the same, with some problem.

Got a 1.4 Focus box with iND 5001 junkmonkey

I've tried 4 different monitors, 2 TFT's, 2 CRT's

The TFT's wont even get pic (wont recognize any signal)

First CRT (15") runs with LM1881 sync sep chip.

Second CRT (19") runs without chip (green on sync)

Both runs on VGA-mode (1+3)

When i try to switch to HDTV-mode (2+3) they cant get any pic.

19" CRT says frequence out of range, could that mean it wont handle 1280x720 ?

All monitors runs ok in 720p with x2vga, (dash has 480p, 720p enabled)


Someone said to set 480p=1 in config, but 5001 dont handle .cfg's right?


If u have any tip or resolution to this probl. if would be glad for anything

[Textbook]

Not working for me.  I used leeloo5's guide to make my VGA cable.  Used the HD mode (switch 2 and 3 / pins 11+12 and pins 13+14).  Monitor isn't SOG, so I had to use the sync separator lm1881 chip too.  I have a v1.0 with Conexant video encoder.  With normal BIOS installed, I do in fact get video output, but it is green (expected, just confirms that my cable is ok).  Using dr oldschool's VGA patch, which only works for Focus, it eliminates the green problem but introduces a new problem.  Dark blacks are shown as bright red.  Confirmed by others who have made the same cable as mine, and acknowledged that the Conexant is not supported by that patch.  (just another confirmation that my cable is working ok, because it's behaving just like everybody else's).

Now, onto the bigger/weirder problems.  Launched iND VGA Bios (BFM) through PBL and I get "Out of Range" on my monitor.  Tested this same method (launching the BFM) using a Component cable hooked up to my TV.  Everything is green.  Tested using a composite cable hooked up to my TV, and everything is still green.  I thought this Bios was suppossed to auto-detect the video cable hooked up and switch VGA mode on or off accordingly?

Still determined, I did the tried-and-true method of installing this BIOS.  Hardmod.  Flashed to TSOP, should be guaranteed to work, right?  Nope, same exact problems as mentioned in last paragraph (out of range on monitor, green on TV).

Can anybody help me here?  I'm really out of options.  I tested on a CMV 19" TTF LCD and an eMachines 17" CRT.  I also tested with VGA mode and HD mode for my cable.  I still can't find a solution.