Introduction -
Alright, folks, here it is, a fully consolized CPS2. And when I say fully consolized I don't mean with some monstrous external power supply and DB 15 connectors that require custom joysticks or adapters. I'm talking about a setup where everything is "off the shelf."
The core elements of this project are: Power, Video, and Controls:
Power - Internal DC/DC converter. An off the shelf laptop charger supplies this board with power which is then converted to proper voltages necessary to run everything inside.
Video - [NTSC] Composite, S-Video, and low resolution RGB+S (no component). Uses a standard off the shelf Playstation A/V port cable.
Controls - 2 Player XBOX 360 and PS3 controller support. Yes, you just plug and play.
Photos of one of my prototypes:
![th_DSC07928.jpg]()
![th_DSC07925.jpg]()
![th_DSC07923.jpg]()
![th_DSC08337.jpg]()
![th_DSC08335.jpg]()
Location Tests -
Devastation 2011 - Phoenix, AZ (early prototype, hard-wired controls)
![th_DSC07913.jpg]()
Evolution 2012 - Las Vegas, NV (prototype, USB support)
![th_DSC08205.jpg]()
This is It! 2012 - Tucson, AZ (prototype, USB support)
![th_DSC08316.jpg]()
F.A.Q. -
Ordering:
General:
Video Related:
Spinoff Products -
Look forward to some spinoff products regarding the USB host, such as USB to DB-15. Based on some interest, I'll also be making available the internal DC/DC converter so people can use those in their own consolization/supergun projects! When those are available, I will update this post with a link to a separate thread.
The rest of this thread is a work log from early in the project up to the present...
Alright, folks, here it is, a fully consolized CPS2. And when I say fully consolized I don't mean with some monstrous external power supply and DB 15 connectors that require custom joysticks or adapters. I'm talking about a setup where everything is "off the shelf."
The core elements of this project are: Power, Video, and Controls:
Power - Internal DC/DC converter. An off the shelf laptop charger supplies this board with power which is then converted to proper voltages necessary to run everything inside.
Video - [NTSC] Composite, S-Video, and low resolution RGB+S (no component). Uses a standard off the shelf Playstation A/V port cable.
Controls - 2 Player XBOX 360 and PS3 controller support. Yes, you just plug and play.
Photos of one of my prototypes:
Location Tests -
Devastation 2011 - Phoenix, AZ (early prototype, hard-wired controls)
Evolution 2012 - Las Vegas, NV (prototype, USB support)
This is It! 2012 - Tucson, AZ (prototype, USB support)
F.A.Q. -
Ordering:
Spoiler:
Q: Can I pre-order one of these now?
A: I am not opening up pre-orders for this quite yet. When I am ready to order parts in bulk and build these in batches, I will likely open up for pre-orders. Until then, hang tight and when I am ready to release these to the public, this post will be updated with a link to a sales thread.
Q: If I can't pre-order, can I get on some sort of waiting list?
A: I really just want to focus on getting to full production before I worry about who was in line first. I have no intention of limiting production on this, so Lord permitting, there will be plenty.
A: I am not opening up pre-orders for this quite yet. When I am ready to order parts in bulk and build these in batches, I will likely open up for pre-orders. Until then, hang tight and when I am ready to release these to the public, this post will be updated with a link to a sales thread.
Q: If I can't pre-order, can I get on some sort of waiting list?
A: I really just want to focus on getting to full production before I worry about who was in line first. I have no intention of limiting production on this, so Lord permitting, there will be plenty.
Spoiler:
Q: What region/color B Board (Game Cartridge) will run on the UD-CPS2?
A: The standard compatibility for the UD-CPS2 is US/Blue and JP/Green (and RENTAL/Yellow, as far as I know). If one desires to play ASIA/Grey or SA/Orange games, a custom order can be placed for a unit which is compatible with (only!) one of those.
Q: I already have a laptop power supply. Can I save money on my order and just use mine?
A: No. I'd rather you start with a setup that has already been guaranteed to work than spend any time trying to figure out why power supply x isn't working properly.
Q: I already have an A Board. Can I save money on my order and just send you mine?
A: Yes. You can save $20 off of your order by doing so. If you do the math on the cost of shipping vs. what you are saving, it makes sense to just keep your A Board. The only instances I can recommend sending me your A Board are: 1.) I am out of A Boards, 2.) you would like an ASIA/Grey or SA/Orange compatible system, or 3.) you want an absolutely mint condition A Board and you happen to have one.
Q: Will this still work on an arcade cabinet?
A: No. The intent of this device is to reach outside of the arcade savvy audiences, so no effort has been made to retain those functions.
A: The standard compatibility for the UD-CPS2 is US/Blue and JP/Green (and RENTAL/Yellow, as far as I know). If one desires to play ASIA/Grey or SA/Orange games, a custom order can be placed for a unit which is compatible with (only!) one of those.
Q: I already have a laptop power supply. Can I save money on my order and just use mine?
A: No. I'd rather you start with a setup that has already been guaranteed to work than spend any time trying to figure out why power supply x isn't working properly.
Q: I already have an A Board. Can I save money on my order and just send you mine?
A: Yes. You can save $20 off of your order by doing so. If you do the math on the cost of shipping vs. what you are saving, it makes sense to just keep your A Board. The only instances I can recommend sending me your A Board are: 1.) I am out of A Boards, 2.) you would like an ASIA/Grey or SA/Orange compatible system, or 3.) you want an absolutely mint condition A Board and you happen to have one.
Q: Will this still work on an arcade cabinet?
A: No. The intent of this device is to reach outside of the arcade savvy audiences, so no effort has been made to retain those functions.
Spoiler:
Q: I'm tired of lugging around a heavy CRT TV to gatherings/tournaments. Being able to hook this up to a monitor would be a huge convenience. Is there any way to have Component Video available for this?
A: Not natively. You could run the UD-CPS2's RGBS output through an RGB to Component transcoder (like this) to output 240p Component Video, but any HD monitor (that actually supports 240p) must upscale that resolution in order to display it. Upscaling inevitably adds lag to your setup, therefore (non-HD) CRTs are the lag free display of choice for this system.
Q: I would like to stream/capture video from this unit. Do you have a recommended setup?
A: In the realm of standard resolution, the highest video quality for the least amount of hardware headache is certainly S-Video. By simply running S-Video and Stereo Audio to a distribution amplifier (like this or CE Labs AV 400SV) you can run both the player setup and stream/capture setup at excellent quality with fairly little extra hardware/cabling.
Q: Will this output PAL video?
A: No. There are no immediate plans to add PAL support.
A: Not natively. You could run the UD-CPS2's RGBS output through an RGB to Component transcoder (like this) to output 240p Component Video, but any HD monitor (that actually supports 240p) must upscale that resolution in order to display it. Upscaling inevitably adds lag to your setup, therefore (non-HD) CRTs are the lag free display of choice for this system.
Q: I would like to stream/capture video from this unit. Do you have a recommended setup?
A: In the realm of standard resolution, the highest video quality for the least amount of hardware headache is certainly S-Video. By simply running S-Video and Stereo Audio to a distribution amplifier (like this or CE Labs AV 400SV) you can run both the player setup and stream/capture setup at excellent quality with fairly little extra hardware/cabling.
Q: Will this output PAL video?
A: No. There are no immediate plans to add PAL support.
Spinoff Products -
Look forward to some spinoff products regarding the USB host, such as USB to DB-15. Based on some interest, I'll also be making available the internal DC/DC converter so people can use those in their own consolization/supergun projects! When those are available, I will update this post with a link to a separate thread.
The rest of this thread is a work log from early in the project up to the present...