I have decided to hack eMac's CRT (To work with any standard motherboard)

[patriciooholegu]

I've been putting together a wiki describing how to use the eMac as a CRT. I'm still learning how to
put a wiki together so bear with me. I'm still not sure what to write so any help is appreciated!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:EMac_as_an_External_Monitor

Really nice job. What exact model of arduino is the one you use?.
You think that this one should do the job:

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-630932149-arduino-uno-r3-cable-usb-_JM

(I´m able to answer my own question here. That model seems to be ok: Arduino One R3)
Seam to be that I´m going to have to learn arduino now (I´m too old for this craps)
Oh, i have tried to open those captures on logic, on every posible system i find...and it still claims to not being able to open due to version isuess. No data on theyr website about this. Maybe you are able to upload the file again?

 

[Rockyill]

Really nice job. What exact model of arduino is the one you use?.
You think that this one should do the job:

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-630932149-arduino-uno-r3-cable-usb-_JM

(I´m able to answer my own question here. That model seems to be ok: Arduino One R3)
Seam to be that I´m going to have to learn arduino now (I´m too old for this craps)
Oh, i have tried to open those captures on logic, on every posible system i find...and it still claims to not being able to open due to version isuess. No data on theyr website about this. Maybe you are able to upload the file again?

Thanks!

I actually developed the code with and arduino mega that someone let me borrow.
Once it was working I bought an ardunio uno clone because it was a third of the price of the arduino uno. It's called the elegoo uno.
I think any arduino that has i2c will work so long as you tell the development environment which model you're using(I think).
I'll do some more research to see if there is something else that can be done regarding those capture files.

 

[Rockyill]

If you have experience with programming pic microcontrollers then you'll be up and running with the arduino
in about 30 minutes. There is so much documentation that you will not have a hard time at all!

 

[Rockyill]

I had to move the wiki article to this location
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMac_as_an_External_Monitor

 

[Rockyill]

Had to move the wiki a new location because wiki articles are not for how-to guides
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_modify_an_eMac_to_use_as_an_external_monitor

Please add to this if you know stuff!

 

[patriciooholegu]

Had to move the wiki a new location because wiki articles are not for how-to guides
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_modify_an_eMac_to_use_as_an_external_monitor

Please add to this if you know stuff!

I will add to that great idea of yours but first i have to deal with the arduino experiment.
I bought one yesterday and wen it comes to my i will disassemble the emac.
Sorry about my english (That´s another problem if i digg into English wikis).

 

[Rockyill]

Your English is just fine and if there are errors, we'll get it fixed. Go ahead and write in Spanish if you want and I'll get it translated later.

 

[patriciooholegu]

Your English is just fine and if there are errors, we'll get it fixed. Go ahead and write in Spanish if you want and I'll get it translated later.

Yesterday it came the arduino nano clone i bought (us$8) and played around a little bit.
A lot of things happen since the times of old pic programming.
This arduino is so much better!

So my objective whit this project is:

The emac crt + arduino nano + a mini-itx mobo + a standard ATX PSU + a 2.5" ssd (Don't worry about room, I'm drilling and cutting the emac logicboard chassis and IT WILL FIT).

The same power button from the original emac to turn the crt and a itx motherboard.

1- pressing the powerbutton on the emac will directly short the mobo power pin (Like a standard desktop computer. I don't know how to explain better).
2- That will turn on the ATX power supply (Wait a few days for pictures of everything...The atx psu will be adapted to the original aluminum 3.5" HDD carrier on the emac.
3 - That could provide 5v to turn on crt (Pins 4 and 10)
4 - Mobo USB will turn the arduino, and the i2c protocol will do (Must cut usb power wen Off).
5 - Everything will work like a charm, and by turning of the motherboard, you will also turn of the arduino and CRT

The thing i need here is a simpler schetch for the arduino.
Also here is a question: I already succeeded on graving a i2c epprom and loading a modified EMAC edid to be 1280 x 960 at 72hz. That thing work like a charm ( A epprom at adress 50 whit the propper edid protocol, so wen plugged to a vga pc connector was detected as PLUG AND PLAY monitor whit the name "eMac CRT" and provided the desired resolution).

Since the arduino will be on the same i2c "Rail" or "wire" or wattever you want to call it: is there a way to load that edid at adress x50 on the arduino? (And not only turn the eMac CRT but also provide of edid protocol to the motherboard?

 

[Rockyill]

Were you able to get the CRT to turn on without the logic board??

let me see if I can help.

1-yes, this should work.
3 yes, this should work
4 yes, this should work.
5. great plan.

If I were you, I would fork the arduino sketch repository and pull out the parts of the code you don't need and upload your code for others to use.
With your setup , you should be able to do what you want with just the four functions.
writeToIvad <-----first one
writeToIvad <-----second one with different signature.
readFromIvad
initIvadBoard

I would probably make the arduino wait about 7 seconds upon being powered and then run the initIvadBoard after the time has elapsed.
If you need help with the sketch let me know and I can trim it down for you.

A question about your eeprom code.
Did you write the edid info yourself? If you did, then yes I believe you can code that info into an arduino sketch.
It would be a matter of listening on the i2c bus with the arduino and sending out the edid info upon the detection of a 0x50
That woule be great if you can do that! I could try and code that for you as well if you want just send or post what you have and
I'll gladly work on it on my spare time.

If you don't have the code, then I think we can probably develop it and make it happen with the arduino. If the cip can be placed on
an i2c bus then all you would have to do is wire it all in and it should work without any coding.

I am very interested to see how your project turns out!


If you learn stuff please add it to the wiki!

Good luck!!!!!

 

[patriciooholegu]

Were you able to get the CRT to turn on without the logic board??

A question about your eeprom code.
Did you write the edid info yourself? If you did, then yes I believe you can code that info into an arduino sketch.
It would be a matter of listening on the i2c bus with the arduino and sending out the edid info upon the detection of a 0x50
That woule be great if you can do that! I could try and code that for you as well if you want just send or post what you have and
I'll gladly work on it on my spare time.

If you don't have the code, then I think we can probably develop it and make it happen with the arduino. If the cip can be placed on
an i2c bus then all you would have to do is wire it all in and it should work without any coding.

I am very interested to see how your project turns out!


If you learn stuff please add it to the wiki!

Good luck!!!!!

1- I fresh installed Mac Os Leopard on my eMac, and at arriving at the desktop installed SwitchResX on it.
2- Rebooted (Because the program requested to).
3- There is a button on SwitchResX that allow you to "save edid data" so saved to the desktop.
4- I opened and edited on windows with some edid editor program: Make 1280 x 960 the preferred detailed timing, and the name of the monitor as "eMac CRT".
5- With the results printed on paper, plugged the eeprom-fake-vga (Pictures uploaded) to a standard PC and using ubuntu live CD and "i2c-tools" i writed the correct Hex code to the epprom, wile looking progress on a hdmi monitor. This video was of great help:

)

Altrough i may success on adding that epprom to the i2c rail this will be very hard to explain for other to make it (Mostly because you need to find a proper eeprom on the trash, search for shematics, solder and cut, record the edid using live CD...
Maybe it does not look like, but it taked a lot of afternoons to fully understand this edid protocol.
It will be terrific if the arduino have the edid loaded on it (I googled and only find some articles about using an arduino TO READ the edid from a monitor. Not to PROVIDE IT to a PC).
I HAVE THE eMac EDID CODE (On a pc on my house. Will upload wen i found it)
Help will be appreciated.