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[twistedsymphony]

I'm curious if anyone has or knows where I could find some high-res pics of the motherboard, specifically the area near the AV out. If not does anyone have their console open that could take some pics?

I'd need them to be good enough to follow traces and read chip numbers.


I'm interested because I'd like to see if the provisions exist to wire up an optical/toslink audio connection.

If it's anything like the Gamecube it might be entirely possible  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Dec 11 2006, 02:42 PM

[throwingks]

http://www.informit....a...677908&rl=1

Only thing I found.

[twistedsymphony]

thanks for the link but unfortunately the pics are too small I think I'd need the other side of the mobo as well.

[twistedsymphony]

I found

some http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-1...1-38683-49.html

They're a little glossy but I think they might work....
 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

http://memberuploads.xbox-scene.com/upload...45_58_38738.jpg

This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Dec 12 2006, 03:06 PM

[throwingks]

Good luck. I would love it if you could figure it out.

[twistedsymphony]

Ok Here's the Deal

some guy in Japan figured out a circuit for getting digital audio out of the Gamecube
http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:nintendogcda

It uses a very expensive ($43) chip for the task but it hinges on grabbing otherwise unused data from the Digital AV port on the older DOL-001 consoles.

due to the cost not many people have attempted it but purportedly someone on the DIY audio forums got it working and working well:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread....goto=nextoldest

Also according to those forums there are cheaper chips that should be capable of performing the same task, but it requires additional knowledge about the data signals that must be gathered using an O-Scope.

I have a hunch that similar audio lines exist in the Wii, and I'd love to install a Digital Audio out.

I even got an O-Scope recently, though it was from a government surplus auction and I don't have any power lines or test leads for it, and really I have no idea if it even works (but hey it was only $25) If it does I should be able to test around to find out what the data signal looks like.

I'd appreciate any help anyone here could lend. Even if I can't do this for the Wii I'd be interested in getting it done for the GC.


So A break down of what Needs to be done:

1. Determine if LRCK, BCK, and "DATA" lines exist in the Wii for audio similar to those running to the Gamecube's Digital AV port in pins 19, 22, and 21 respectivly.

2. If they do Exist determine:

QUOTE

- wether the I2S audio output is 16 or 32 bit (bck=32fs or 64fs)
- as asked before, wether the audio output is I2S, left justified, right justified, etc.
- clock polarity! find out of LRCK and SDATA changes on the rising/falling edge of BCK.

With this known, it'll be straightforward to make something like this work with a TI DIT4xxx or Cirrus CS840x chip - I'll throw a design together if requested. Only thing is, the 128 or 256Fs signal has to be phase locked to the incoming BCK or FS - which can be done with a PLL/VCXO, or even a cheap integrated IC like an ICS525.

from: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread....3719#post823719

Other things that can help

1. finding a data sheet for the TC9231N chip used in the GC circuit

2. Someone helping me get my O-Scope up and running (I've used digital scopes in the past but this one is analog and I have no idea what I'm doing  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) )

3. Poke around the Wii a bit if you've got it open and determine which chip handles the A/V output, and if there are any data lines that look like they could be similar to those in the GC.

This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Dec 11 2006, 04:35 PM

[SICKdimension]

Well, the extent of my helping is just poking around with a multimeter. I'm about to go open up my Wii again though. Here's a hi-res scan of the entire bottom of the motherboard in the meantime. I'll take a picture of the top side soon.

Hi-Res Wii Motherboard (Bottom) Scan [3.3MB]

[twistedsymphony]

AWESOME Scan!

I believe the chip that handles the AV encoding is the 64pin TQFP near the top of that picture (the same one in the picture I posted above

text:
AVE RVL
BU9055EKV
635 190

Based on the "RVL" text in the name I think this chip is made by Macronix, which is the same company that made the proprietary encoder for the Digital AV cable in the Gamecube.... Chances are this chip is proprietary as well, meaning you'd have a slim chance of finding a data sheet.

but it also  means we have a good chance of finding data signals similar to those in the Gamecube going in and out of the chip.  

[atomiX]

It's a nice project for sure. Wish I'd know more abot this type of stuff. All I did was poke around with a multimeter as well. What would be the point exactly in adding digital output? Can ProLogic be transmitted through an optical or SP/DIF connection?

[twistedsymphony]

yeah you can output pro-logic or even plain old stereo through SP/DIf.  

IIRC the PS2 only supported pro-logic for it's surround sound even though it had an optical out.

Basically since the CD there has been an internal data stream standard called "I2S" that is essentially a high bandwidth uncompressed raw digital data.

Most CD and DVD players have this available somewhere internally, it then feeds into an D-to-A converter to convert that data stream into analog outputs, or more recently it will do a D-to-D conversion and compress the data for SP/DIf.

Some newer bleeding edge stuff will actually have hookups for the straight I2S stream, which is arguably the highest quality digital audio signal you can get. SP/DIf is pretty good but it's compressed to save bandwidth, and Analog outs are a crap-shoot when the source is digital because you put the quality of the audio in the hands of the D-to-A hardware.

Basically what I'm proposing is snagging the I2S before the D-to-A converter and then adding in our own D-to-D converter with an optical and or Coaxial output.

Besides the quality improvement I'm very interested in this because the Wii will be the only next gen console I've got without an optical audio output... it makes it quite the odd-duck in my AV setup and quite annoying to work with. If every component in my system uses the same AV signals it's much much much easier to work with.  

Basically I'm running a single 4 port switch box

Input 1: Saturn/Xbox 1
Input 2: PSOne/PS2
Input 3: Dreamcast/Xbox 360
Input 4: Gamecube/Wii

Consoles on the left use S-Video and Analog Stereo
Consoles on the right use Component Video and Digital Optical

As it is now I can't have the Wii and GC on the same input unless one of them uses an optical audio connection... it throws off my whole schema  

[SR388]

lol, this is only slightly off topic, but I would have found it funny if nintendo used the same a/v connector again.  from SNES to GC, the connector has always been the exact same

it would have made getting your points pinned out a lot easier I bet

[twistedsymphony]

eh, not really.

The Standard AV cable on older Nintendo consoles (Gamecube included) didn't have provisions for Component Video out.

the 1st gen (DOL-001) Gamecubes had a 2nd AV port titled "Digital AV" that had a signal similar to that of a Japanese D-Terminal Connector.

This specialized output included the Audio data lines we're trying to find in the Wii... I think we know for a fact that it's not present on the Wii's new AV connector, the signal (if it even exists at all) would be completely internal to the console.