The Retro64 Worklog. NEWS: Finished! Got nice pics!

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:24 pm

Oh.

Oh well, maybe somebody else does.

palmertech · Post by **palmertech** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:42 pm

I do.

That thing does not have enough bandwidth to transmit a full color video signal. Simple as that.

Get a baby moniter.

I wonder how much N64 controllers draw? The N64 can supply up to 1.5 amps on the controller lines. Hope they do not draw anywhere near that.

palmertech · Post by **palmertech** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:44 pm

I do.

That thing does not have enough bandwidth to transmit a full color video signal. Simple as that.

Get a baby moniter.

I wonder how much N64 controllers draw? The N64 can supply up to 1.5 amps on the controller lines. Hope they do not draw anywhere near that.

collinE · Post by **collinE** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:44 pm

if you go to eBay and search for wireless cameras w/ audio, they're cheap, tiny, and run off 9v batteries. I'm sure that would be good for transmitting non HD video and mono audio. I guess it won't help with an N64 wireless controller. Whoops

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:35 pm

palmertech wrote:I do.

That thing does not have enough bandwidth to transmit a full color video signal. Simple as that.

Get a baby moniter.

I wonder how much N64 controllers draw? The N64 can supply up to 1.5 amps on the controller lines. Hope they do not draw anywhere near that.

Huh?!? I'm trying to get a controller signal across, not a video signal!

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:44 pm

anotherperson wrote:Stick a high impedance resistor between the power and ground terminals of the N64's controller port and try again on batteries. If there is no handshake stuff going on, it should work...

By the way I have found the controller unit to be fairly resilient to tinkering errors.

High impendance? Would that be high resistance? I'm not familiar with that word.

Should I also put one on the controller end?

What value would be good?

kasar · Post by **kasar** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:38 pm

huh?? wait a second, before all, the transmiter you are using is unidirectional?

n64 controller ----data---->> nintendo64 (unidirectional)

or

n64 controller <<data>> nintendo64 (bidirectional)

IÂ´m not sure if the n64 controller data pin is unidirectional, for example, at gamecube controller there are some bidirectional data lines.

I mean, the n64 only listen? , or also send some confirmations like : "well I recived data fine" or "reseting the controller to recalibrate original joystick position"

if it is bidirectional, maybe you can fix it using 2 receivers and 2 transmiters.

one transmiter and one receiver at the n64

and one transmiter and one receiver at the n64 controller.

maybe it will work.

IÂ´m also wondering how much those small receivers/transmiters and how many volts it need to work,the aproximate range of the device and if they crash when are 2 devices (same frecuency)

evilteddy · Post by **evilteddy** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:58 pm

Kasar got the problem right there.

That transmitter will only send one way and recieve from one direction. I think that it is very likely that there is probably some handshake things going on but even if there isn't we know that data goes from the N64 to the controller because the controller can sport peripherals like memory packs and rumble packs which would require data from the N64 end.

kasar · Post by **kasar** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:13 pm

yes, you are right evilteddy, the transfer pack accesory also definitly prove it is bidirectional, (perfect dark uses the gameboy camera accesory for put your custom face to the chars, and pokemon stadium read your pokemons from gb cart)

and obiusly, when the n64 need send a save game to the memory pack, it need send the data trough the controller, and send the read saved data request to the controller mobo hehe

try with 2 transmiters and 2 receivers, (but make sure they not send data to the wrong receiver) or just buy some bidirectional (may be expensive & hard to get)

this project is getting interesting

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:13 pm

evilteddy wrote:Kasar got the problem right there.

That transmitter will only send one way and recieve from one direction. I think that it is very likely that there is probably some handshake things going on but even if there isn't we know that data goes from the N64 to the controller because the controller can sport peripherals like memory packs and rumble packs which would require data from the N64 end.

CRAP! The ones I got aren't bi-directional?

Now I have to buy another transmitter/receiver set, but with a different frequency. That'll double the price. (And I'll have a crapload of transmitters; they come in tubes of 50!)

Neildo_64 · Post by **Neildo_64** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:22 pm

Tubes of 50? Well, you could always get it all working then sell the extras on here!

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:47 pm

Hey, bad news. I don't really have high hopes for this project anymore.

Problems: The N64 controller is bi-directional. This means that the N64 sends information to the controller as well as the controller to the N64. This is not just for the Memory pack or Rumble pack, the N64 has to request data from the controller.

The transmitters/receivers I ordered are uni-directional, so they will not work for this application. Not sure what I'll do with them now.

My best bet seems to be building a Gamecube-to-N64 controller adapter and use a wireless Wavebird controller.

Maybe I can find some cheap bi-directional chips, but I'm not sure. Any help would be appreciated.

EDIT: I just got a little more hope again! I found these transceivers (transmitter/receiver) and they are BI-DIRECTIONAL! The catch? They're $17 each! Argh! >_< This project is getting expensive! But hey! They come in tubes of 33, so that makes 16 pairs!

So there are plusses and minuses. But this looks like my best option! I need to order some of these! Arg! Ah! Ooh! I'm spazzing out! Hgfjklhfdewurehfjdkslc!

OH NO: The datasheet says that you have to set a pin high or low to put it into transmit/receive mode, it can't do both at once. I am depressed now.

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:41 pm

Yes, the data line is bi-directional, but remember that it's all over one wire... therefore, you may not need your two transmitter and receiver pairs to be on different frequencies, either.

I'm not sure of this, but you can give it a shot, anyway. Just wire up one transmitter and one receiver to the data line on the N64, and do the same with the data line on the controller and see what happens.

By the way... didn't you steal this idea from me?

I could have sworn I was the first one to have this idea and link you guys to those transmitters and receivers.

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:54 pm

Electric Rain wrote:By the way... didn't you steal this idea from me? I could have sworn I was the first one to have this idea and link you guys to those transmitters and receivers.

Kinda...

Well, I saw your thread and your ideas and I thought they were perfect. The transmitters/receivers looked like they would work, but I now realize they won't. Too bad I already ordered them... Your wavebird idea is good, too.

Here are my options:

1. Use Bluetooth modules. This could be a bit expensive and difficult to implement.

2. Use a wireless RF module that runs on the same technology as wireless internet.

3. Build a Gamecube-to-N64 adapter and use a Wavebird controller.

Option 2 is my best bet. Those transceivers are only $20 each (I'll need 2), they SHOULD be true bi-directional, and I think they accept raw data input. If all else fails, I can use option 3, but I would REALLY prefer that I don't have to do that, because it's not original hardware, and I think it's cheating.

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:16 pm

AAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!

The transmitters and receivers I ordered that were SUPPOSED to come in tubes of 50 came today. Guess what? I got ONE OF EACH. $30! What a waste of money...

Guess I'll just find something else to do with them...
And order those ones that SHOULD work.