Ideas for HDMI socket out of ST case

[chakobsa]

I'm continuing bringing back to life my childhood STFM which I have since repaired the RAM issues, upgraded the PSU to a Mean well, added Gotek & Blitter.

Final part has been adding the incredible RGB2HDB internal board by CBMetro (which is is based on all the great work by hoglet67 & IanB) with the new audio board. All works brilliantly and I have a perfect image and audio through HDMI.

What I am looking to do is find an elegant solution to add a HDMI female socket to the case somewhere so I can just plug in a HDMI lead directly to the back of the ST. I don't want any leads dangling out the back of the case and want it to be as neat as possible. I also want to keep the original monitor port intact.

I have taken out the old RF Modulator and was thinking about using a type D (mini) HDMI socket in the existing hole somehow.

Any ideas or directions to where an elegant solution has been achieved would be appreciated.

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[alexh]

With no modulator fitted, is there not room to "dremel" the RF output and adjustor circular holes into one?

If you didn't want to dremel the case at all... captured cable?

A long HDMI cable that goes through the RF hole in the rear of the case?

[agranlund]

It's a bit involved but I filled the holes, sanded, cut out openings and then repainted my case with a matching colour.

I took out the original video port as well but even without doing so there should be plenty of room for an hdmi connector with the RF modulator gone.

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[chakobsa]

That looks fantastic and is the look i am going for with a HDMI socket. Think I am going to.go down the HDMI d socket route as I think that will fit the old RF hole. Might have to slightly increase by a few mm at most. The other rf hole I can use for the RGB2HDMI button switch.

[alexh]

@agranlund what is the PCB you're lining up there?

I'd like to do similar to my spare shorty ST

[agranlund]

@alexh The pcb itself is all kinds of terrible looking back at it, but the idea and functionality is at least sound :)

It has some other things on it as well, for sound and internal speaker, but the main point was to provide a common VGA port for both Shifter and my internal ET4000 graphicscard.

It goes something like this:
signals from Atari Shifter -> Ubeswitch clone -> VGA switch -> VGA port
signals from Internal ET4000 gfxcard -> VGA switch -> VGA port

The VGA switch IC is controlled by the GPO that normally goes to the Atari video connector, controlled by... YM if I rember correctly?
(Shifter / ET4000 output can be toggled by software is the important part at least)
I belive I picked up most of the shifter signals from the row which the RF modulator is normally connected.
And a header provides a way to connect the vga signals from the graphicscard.

[chakobsa]

Update on getting HDMI with Audio nicely out the back of the ST.

I repurposed the RF out using a HDMI D (Micro) socket. Next to it I added the RGB2HDMI single button so I can access all the menus if needed.

Exactly what I wanted so I can now just plug in a HDMI lead and plug it into any TV. Its actually plugged into a Yamaha AV amp pumping out the Max Max tunes from yesteryear! I can't get over how clear the picture and sound are!

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[Darklord]

So do you think the HDMI audio out for the RGB2HDMI mod improves
the ST's sound any? (compared to stock).

I did the small audio mod that brings the ST's sound out to an RCA
jack, then to a "smart" LG XBoom box that takes mono sound and
does simulated stereo from that.

I'm wondering how the HDMI audio mod compares to that.

Thanks.

[chakobsa]

I can't tell any difference from the analogue audio you would get from the monitor port to what is now being provided over HDMI. The sound like the picture is crystal clear. The beauty is it's now via 1 simple digital cable which can be pumped into an AVR.

[peters]

Is rgb2hdmi now doing the audio as well ?