xodaraP
Legendary
I can but I don't think you want to send it across the world and back, would probably cost more than its worth - but if you can't find anyone closer I've done a couple of these now
- Thread starter 98pacecar
- Start date
sheep_nova
Grand Master
there's too much more game card need to be packed,I'll upload some more picture sooner^+^
I have all the stuff to do it. Bought the ROMs and had spares for donors. Just not comfortable with soldering those chips unfortunately.
My other two are from AMB though I didn't buy either from him directly.
xodaraP
Legendary
I have all the chips for Espgaluda I'm just waiting for the method for converting Killing Blade to become known
I converted KoV2 into Ketsui and KoVSH into DDPDOJ though. I was worried about doing it but I modded a CPS3 cart with a similar chip and it worked fine so I went for it
Which conversion are you not comfortable doing? We can swap your donor and chips for my already converted cart if you're happy to cover the shipping?
I'll need to borrow or get a PGM motherboard though, currently don't have one to playtest with haha (I'm ordering one from sheep_nova)
I converted KoV2 into Ketsui and KoVSH into DDPDOJ though. I was worried about doing it but I modded a CPS3 cart with a similar chip and it worked fine so I went for it
Which conversion are you not comfortable doing? We can swap your donor and chips for my already converted cart if you're happy to cover the shipping?
I'll need to borrow or get a PGM motherboard though, currently don't have one to playtest with haha (I'm ordering one from sheep_nova)
Let me dig through my stuff and get back to you. PGM is in a box in the closet. I can't remember which game I don't have between DOJ or Espgaluda. I THINK I'm missing DOJ.
I know I have enough chips to do two, and two Killing Blade carts spare.
So today I received my package from Sheep Nova with both one of his Espgaluda conversion and one of Lydz Espgaluda conversions.
So... first impressions of the cases/labels:
Both cases were definitely used and had scuffs/scrapes. The Sheep Nova cart had the original KOV2ND label on and came with a couple of new labels uninstalled. The print quality of the included labels is decent, and it uses photo sticker paper, though the packground image is clearly low resolution, the paper is a bit low-quality and it's hand cut.
With that said, the pre-installed label on the Lydz cart is also all of those things but the print quality/resolution is a bit worse.
I really appreciate that Sheep Nova ships the labels uninstalled, as it gives me an opportunity to clean up the case and attempt to buff out some of the scuffs. I'll probably print, cut and install my own label though.
aside from some wear the Sheep Nova cart case is in great shape and has nice, shiny screws. The Lydz case interestingly used a bottom plate from a non-transparent cart
there was also a crack in one of the corners...
and the screws were tarnished/one of them was rusty. and one wasn't screwed all the way in (though it felt if I tried to screw it in further I'd damage the case)
Final Thoughts on the case:
Sheep Nova case had a better label and was in better condition, though ultimately this might just be luck of the draw.
Suggestions for improvement:
-Use Higher Resolution artwork for the background (I think there is some nicer art in the PGM label thread)
-Use Higher quality (thicker) sticker paper
-Use a cutting machine for nice cut labels with rounded corners instead of hand-cut labels
-Use only cart cases with no cracks and use nice looking screws
-Clean and flame polish cases to remove signs of wear
I think I'd be willing to pay more for a cart that had those improvements. But as long as the cart doesn't have cracks it's nothing I can't do myself.
So... first impressions of the cases/labels:
Both cases were definitely used and had scuffs/scrapes. The Sheep Nova cart had the original KOV2ND label on and came with a couple of new labels uninstalled. The print quality of the included labels is decent, and it uses photo sticker paper, though the packground image is clearly low resolution, the paper is a bit low-quality and it's hand cut.
With that said, the pre-installed label on the Lydz cart is also all of those things but the print quality/resolution is a bit worse.
I really appreciate that Sheep Nova ships the labels uninstalled, as it gives me an opportunity to clean up the case and attempt to buff out some of the scuffs. I'll probably print, cut and install my own label though.
aside from some wear the Sheep Nova cart case is in great shape and has nice, shiny screws. The Lydz case interestingly used a bottom plate from a non-transparent cart
there was also a crack in one of the corners...
and the screws were tarnished/one of them was rusty. and one wasn't screwed all the way in (though it felt if I tried to screw it in further I'd damage the case)
Final Thoughts on the case:
Sheep Nova case had a better label and was in better condition, though ultimately this might just be luck of the draw.
Suggestions for improvement:
-Use Higher Resolution artwork for the background (I think there is some nicer art in the PGM label thread)
-Use Higher quality (thicker) sticker paper
-Use a cutting machine for nice cut labels with rounded corners instead of hand-cut labels
-Use only cart cases with no cracks and use nice looking screws
-Clean and flame polish cases to remove signs of wear
I think I'd be willing to pay more for a cart that had those improvements. But as long as the cart doesn't have cracks it's nothing I can't do myself.
First impressions of the Program PCB:
The Sheep Nova Program PCB is similar to other's we've seen before, it's a King of Dragons PCB, with some jumpers/Cut legs on the PAL, and the 322 EPROM forced to run as a 160.
The TXT/Background ROM has the power trace cut and there is a magnet wire running from the 3.3V Voltage regulator to this pin.
I like fact that that he went for a trace cut as that ends up being a lot more durable in the long run since the leg can be properly soldered to the pad. use of the existing voltage regulator is good. I'm not too keen on the use of the magnet wire especially for delivering power to this IC would have been nice to
I should note that the 322 EPROM didn't have the window covered up when I got it, I put my own sticker on it before snapping the photo. I did dump it and it's a perfect match for the Espgaluda "Bootleg" version in MAME.
Suggestions for improvement:
-put a sticker over the 27C322 window
-use heavier gauge wire for jumper wire
-modify PAL code instead of cutting pins/using jumper wires (I can't complain about this too much since we don't have a dump of the original PAL to modify)
The Lydz Program PCB is a custom PCB build specifically for this conversion.
I really like the CONCEPT of this, but the execution needs some work. Neither the main program ROM nor the PALs are socketed, the placement of the main program ROM is too high up on the PCB to be socketed, the design of the PGM cases is such that only the lower half of the program PCB can handle the heigh of a socketed DIP chip. It would be nice if this were socketed so if any bugs are found in the program ROM later, it could be easily updated. It's clear that there was a missing trace on the PCB design too due to the jumper wire on the back of the PCB.
I didn't dump the program ROM to see if it was a match for MAME since it would require desoldering, and I wouldn't even be able to socket it.
One interesting thing is It's unclear how the large IGSM SMD is routed. there doesn't appear to be any traces going to this chip on either side of the PCB leading me to believe that this PCB is multi layer.
a SMD EPROM is used for the TXT/Background ROM, it would have been nice if a socketed DIP was used for this as that would allow easily converting this PCB from one game to another. A voltage regulator is used for this IC and for the large IGS chip which is nice.
the disappointment here is that while they added placements for filter caps none of them are populated. the solder work is also quite messy on the SMD ROM and voltage regulator, though it's decent on the IGS chip.
Suggestions for improvement:
-lower the position of the program ROM and socket it
-use a socketed DIP for the TXT/Background ROM
-populate the filter cap locations
On a whole I feel as though the SheepNova cart is the superior one here. the quality of the original PCB is better and the solder work is better even though it's a modified PCB there are too many short-cuts on the Lydz PCB to make it a better option IMO. The biggest drawback to the SheepNova Program PCB is the thin wire used to power the TXT/Background ROM, if thicker wire was used there it'd make it the clearly better option.
The Sheep Nova Program PCB is similar to other's we've seen before, it's a King of Dragons PCB, with some jumpers/Cut legs on the PAL, and the 322 EPROM forced to run as a 160.
The TXT/Background ROM has the power trace cut and there is a magnet wire running from the 3.3V Voltage regulator to this pin.
I like fact that that he went for a trace cut as that ends up being a lot more durable in the long run since the leg can be properly soldered to the pad. use of the existing voltage regulator is good. I'm not too keen on the use of the magnet wire especially for delivering power to this IC would have been nice to
I should note that the 322 EPROM didn't have the window covered up when I got it, I put my own sticker on it before snapping the photo. I did dump it and it's a perfect match for the Espgaluda "Bootleg" version in MAME.
Suggestions for improvement:
-put a sticker over the 27C322 window
-use heavier gauge wire for jumper wire
-modify PAL code instead of cutting pins/using jumper wires (I can't complain about this too much since we don't have a dump of the original PAL to modify)
The Lydz Program PCB is a custom PCB build specifically for this conversion.
I really like the CONCEPT of this, but the execution needs some work. Neither the main program ROM nor the PALs are socketed, the placement of the main program ROM is too high up on the PCB to be socketed, the design of the PGM cases is such that only the lower half of the program PCB can handle the heigh of a socketed DIP chip. It would be nice if this were socketed so if any bugs are found in the program ROM later, it could be easily updated. It's clear that there was a missing trace on the PCB design too due to the jumper wire on the back of the PCB.
I didn't dump the program ROM to see if it was a match for MAME since it would require desoldering, and I wouldn't even be able to socket it.
One interesting thing is It's unclear how the large IGSM SMD is routed. there doesn't appear to be any traces going to this chip on either side of the PCB leading me to believe that this PCB is multi layer.
a SMD EPROM is used for the TXT/Background ROM, it would have been nice if a socketed DIP was used for this as that would allow easily converting this PCB from one game to another. A voltage regulator is used for this IC and for the large IGS chip which is nice.
the disappointment here is that while they added placements for filter caps none of them are populated. the solder work is also quite messy on the SMD ROM and voltage regulator, though it's decent on the IGS chip.
Suggestions for improvement:
-lower the position of the program ROM and socket it
-use a socketed DIP for the TXT/Background ROM
-populate the filter cap locations
On a whole I feel as though the SheepNova cart is the superior one here. the quality of the original PCB is better and the solder work is better even though it's a modified PCB there are too many short-cuts on the Lydz PCB to make it a better option IMO. The biggest drawback to the SheepNova Program PCB is the thin wire used to power the TXT/Background ROM, if thicker wire was used there it'd make it the clearly better option.
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First impressions of the Graphics PCB:
The Sheep Nova Graphics PCB is again from Knights of Valour 2: Nine Dragons, Like the Program PCB it uses cut traces on the power pins for each of the ROMS, but also like the Program PCB it uses magnet wire to route power across the PCB. Disappointingly Power is supplied using a series of DIODES as opposed to a proper voltage regulator.
This has some modifications to the logic IC, there's a cut pin with adjacent pin jumped to the trace, and there is also a magnet wire jumping the corner pin to a near by via. There are no modifications or anything remarkable on the back-side of the PCB.
Suggestions for improvement:
-use a proper voltage regulator instead of diodes.
-use heavier gauge wire for jumper wires
The Lydz Graphics PCB is NOT a custom PCB. I was expecting this to be custom similar to the program PCB but it's actually a PCB NO-0213T which is from Knights of Valour Super Heroes. This is really interesting because it means that the Same Graphics PCB design is compatible with all 3 cave games. it seems to me that would make designing a custom Graphics PCB (maybe even one that supports 27C322 DIP EPROMS, so you wouldn't have to do power conversion) would be a better option than converting.
This also uses the same diodes in series to drop the voltage down
This PCB design also apparently works without any modifications to the logic, there are no jumper wires or cut pins on the LOGIC IC or anything on the back of the PCB. though it does seem that one of the ICS has an additional pin tied high. One nice thing here is that decent gauge wire is being used, however rather than cutting traces the pins are all floating and they're unsupported... so not very good for durability.
Suggestions for improvement:
-design a new PCB based on IGS PCB-0568-00-GZ-B This is the late model KOVSH Graphics PCB and is really the PERFECT conversion PCB since it uses a mix of 27C322 EPROMs as well as SMD EPROMS with an integrated voltage regulator and level shifters.
OR
-use a proper voltage regulator instead of diodes
-cut traces for pins with jumper wires so they're not floating.
As for which Graphics PCB is better, this one is a toss-up. the KOVSH PCB is clearly a better donor and the heavier gauge wire on the Lydz PCB is better. However the cut traces and properly secured pins on the Sheep Nova PCB is better for durability. Neither PCB has a proper voltage regulator though, which is very disappointing.
Gameplay:
I haven't tried playing either of these yet, but once I do I'll report back if there are any obvious defects. After putting a few credits into both carts the Sheep Nova cart has some static in the audio, this is most noticeable in the "Present by Cave" voice in the attract loop. I wonder if moving to a proper voltage regulator and/or some thicker wires. While still present during gameplay it's not noticeable unless you're going out of your way to listen for it.
The Lydz cart doesn't have any audio static though some of the background art seems slightly off, as if it's not as clean as it should be. I almost wonder if it's noise being introduced due to the lack of caps on the program PCB.
I don't have an original PCB to compare to so this is in comparison to MAME.
Final Thoughts/ Which one is better?
Given what I see the Sheep Nova converted cart seems like the better choice compared to Lydz custom PCB. With that said they both have a lot of room for improvement and if some of my suggestions were implemented on the Lydz cart, it could become the better option.
If there is anything that you noticed in these pictures and the choices made with these cart conversions that I failed to mention please post it up, I'd love to hear another opinion.
The Sheep Nova Graphics PCB is again from Knights of Valour 2: Nine Dragons, Like the Program PCB it uses cut traces on the power pins for each of the ROMS, but also like the Program PCB it uses magnet wire to route power across the PCB. Disappointingly Power is supplied using a series of DIODES as opposed to a proper voltage regulator.
This has some modifications to the logic IC, there's a cut pin with adjacent pin jumped to the trace, and there is also a magnet wire jumping the corner pin to a near by via. There are no modifications or anything remarkable on the back-side of the PCB.
Suggestions for improvement:
-use a proper voltage regulator instead of diodes.
-use heavier gauge wire for jumper wires
The Lydz Graphics PCB is NOT a custom PCB. I was expecting this to be custom similar to the program PCB but it's actually a PCB NO-0213T which is from Knights of Valour Super Heroes. This is really interesting because it means that the Same Graphics PCB design is compatible with all 3 cave games. it seems to me that would make designing a custom Graphics PCB (maybe even one that supports 27C322 DIP EPROMS, so you wouldn't have to do power conversion) would be a better option than converting.
This also uses the same diodes in series to drop the voltage down
This PCB design also apparently works without any modifications to the logic, there are no jumper wires or cut pins on the LOGIC IC or anything on the back of the PCB. though it does seem that one of the ICS has an additional pin tied high. One nice thing here is that decent gauge wire is being used, however rather than cutting traces the pins are all floating and they're unsupported... so not very good for durability.
Suggestions for improvement:
-design a new PCB based on IGS PCB-0568-00-GZ-B This is the late model KOVSH Graphics PCB and is really the PERFECT conversion PCB since it uses a mix of 27C322 EPROMs as well as SMD EPROMS with an integrated voltage regulator and level shifters.
OR
-use a proper voltage regulator instead of diodes
-cut traces for pins with jumper wires so they're not floating.
As for which Graphics PCB is better, this one is a toss-up. the KOVSH PCB is clearly a better donor and the heavier gauge wire on the Lydz PCB is better. However the cut traces and properly secured pins on the Sheep Nova PCB is better for durability. Neither PCB has a proper voltage regulator though, which is very disappointing.
Gameplay:
The Lydz cart doesn't have any audio static though some of the background art seems slightly off, as if it's not as clean as it should be. I almost wonder if it's noise being introduced due to the lack of caps on the program PCB.
I don't have an original PCB to compare to so this is in comparison to MAME.
Final Thoughts/ Which one is better?
Given what I see the Sheep Nova converted cart seems like the better choice compared to Lydz custom PCB. With that said they both have a lot of room for improvement and if some of my suggestions were implemented on the Lydz cart, it could become the better option.
If there is anything that you noticed in these pictures and the choices made with these cart conversions that I failed to mention please post it up, I'd love to hear another opinion.
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not exactly,
Lydz is using a custom program PCB with a salvaged IGS custom IC alongside a KOVSH graphics PCB donor.
Sheep_Nova is using the usual KOV2 Donor.
BanishingFlatsAC
Champion
Is it normal for Ketsui to skip the IGS splash screen and boot straight to the cave warning screen?
KalessinDB
Grand Master
Mine does
BanishingFlatsAC
Champion
word
Mine too.
oneleaf86
Grand Master
Great write up TS.
I've since tweaked the PGM labels that I posted a while back and will upload them later in PDF for people to download.
I've also restored countless PGM shells and I'm sure xodaraP can attest to how nice they come up.
The trick is to give them a good scrub in warm soapy water to remove all of the "arcade dust"
Then give them a thorough going over with a magic eraser.
Finally use some form of plastic polish. I've used both Meguiars and Novus with Novus giving visibly superior results.
Then finally I'll use a little stainless steel polish on the case screws.
I've since tweaked the PGM labels that I posted a while back and will upload them later in PDF for people to download.
I've also restored countless PGM shells and I'm sure xodaraP can attest to how nice they come up.
The trick is to give them a good scrub in warm soapy water to remove all of the "arcade dust"
Then give them a thorough going over with a magic eraser.
Finally use some form of plastic polish. I've used both Meguiars and Novus with Novus giving visibly superior results.
Then finally I'll use a little stainless steel polish on the case screws.
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Thanks for the tips. I have both Magic Erasers and Novus on hand.
what number Novus do you use?
Seems white/black label is certainly possible as well:
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o286457914
Waiting for my DDP DOJ to get here from @sheep_nova and we'll go from there
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o286457914
Waiting for my DDP DOJ to get here from @sheep_nova and we'll go from there
oneleaf86
Grand Master
I use all 3
