(Topic ID: 67282)

DIY ColorDMD Installation in Stern SAM (Tron)

By herg

10 years ago


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#1 10 years ago

With ColorDMD releasing the Sigma 2.2 ROM today, I had everything I needed to build a cable and finally install a blue DMD in my Tron. This is my own method, and is NOT approved by ColorDMD. They may have better suggestions.

Anyway, first you need to build a power cable. It's a 3-pin 0.93" standard plug on one end and a 4-pin 0.156" pitch on the other. I used an IDC connector since that was what I had, but you could use crimp connector instead.

Be sure to get the voltages hooked up correctly. My cable has been verified to work, so if you follow this color scheme, you should be ok. Use 18 AWG wire. Use a key plug in pin 1 of the 0.156" connector. 7 ft long is about right.

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Inside the coin door, on the right side, this connector is where the 3-pin 0.093" connector plugs in. It's the same connector as used by many other Stern mods. You might need a splitter, and the FTS-8 available at http://dkpinball.com or Pinball Life is a good option.
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#2 10 years ago

Remove the old display.
Put the ColorDMD in place.
Line it up as shown in the pictures. I lined the top edge of the bracket up with the top edge of the wood speaker panel.
Use the lower hole of each set. The topmost one would prevent you from being able to replace the translite, so don't use that one. The bottom hole lines up over the plastic guard, but you can still make it work.
Drill pilot holes, but be careful not to drill all the way through.
I reused the screws that were already there.
Make sure to reattach the ground straps.
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#3 10 years ago

...and the results. These are not the best pictures, but I wanted to show something. I can try to take some video later.

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#4 10 years ago

Other than the color, do you think it is an improvement?

#5 10 years ago

I didn't have a lot of time to play with it, but at first glance, I like it. I had one running Sigma 2.1 in a TOTAN before, and I kept it in dots mode because I didn't really like the upscaling all that much. This one running Sigma 2.2 seems like I might keep the upscaling turned on.

I mainly wanted the color, and I like the ColorDMD since there is a possibility that a multi-color ROM will be available at some point.

#6 10 years ago

Good and useful thread, but blue Xpin DMD for me. At least for this title, for now.

#7 10 years ago

Well done man. Can't wait for some color Stern games down the road from the ColorDMD crew!

#8 10 years ago

So this works with Stern games and all we are really waiting on is mounting kits and wiring?

#9 10 years ago
Quoted from John_I:

So this works with Stern games and all we are really waiting on is mounting kits and wiring?

Yeah, with the Sigma 2.2 release that was put on the website, both SAM and Whitestar are now supported.

In Randy's Expo presentation, he mentioned that this could be done. Something along the lines of:

Build this cable, be careful to not blow stuff up, mount the display, Whitestar is a bit more difficult, we'll have cables and brackets to help you soon, the ROM will be on the website before you guys get home, etc.

#10 10 years ago

I played a couple Stern ColorDMD pins at Expo this week. I didn't like them at all. Some of the DMD graphics didn't look like they converted well from dot-based to blended. Just a personal preference. I also never cared for the "eagle" graphics effects that were popular for a while in MAME arcade setups. This looks like almost exactly the same technique.

#11 10 years ago
Quoted from jeffsgames:

I played a couple Stern ColorDMD pins at Expo this week. I didn't like them at all. Some of the DMD graphics didn't look like they converted well from dot-based to blended. Just a personal preference. I also never cared for the "eagle" graphics effects that were popular for a while in MAME arcade setups. This looks like almost exactly the same technique.

I'm not a big fan of the effect either, but just FYI that smoothing mode is optional, you can pick a color and leave it looking like traditional dots. They never want to show off that mode at shows since it's more pedestrian I guess, but that's what I'd prefer!

#12 10 years ago
Quoted from Aurich:

I'm not a big fan of the effect either, but just FYI that smoothing mode is optional, you can pick a color and leave it looking like traditional dots.

The flexibility is one of their best selling points, IMO. If I don't like the upscaling, I can change it to dots. If I decide I don't like blue as much as I thought I would, I can easily change it to yellow. If ColorDMD releases a color ROM, just load it on a thumb drive. Plus, no misaligned LED modules causing grid lines. These are the reasons I went this route rather than a blue LED display.

#13 10 years ago

IMHO that would look much better as dots. Other than that having a color choice would be fantastic! It would be much better than the gridlines from the LEDs they use now.

#14 10 years ago

Here's an alternate way to mount the existing bracket in Stern games without drilling a pilot hole. Small washers can be used to provide some additional pressure on the edge of the bracket. We'll be coming out with a mounting kit later this year for SAM and Whitestar games.

WARNING: For DIY'ers... Please be careful with the power cable construction. If you reverse the connections for +12V and +5V, you WILL DAMAGE your ColorDMD circuit board.

SAM Mounting.jpgSAM Mounting.jpg

#15 10 years ago

Great work Herg. Thanks for spending the time to document this option.

#16 10 years ago

Herg is a brave soul, and we're better for it.

#17 10 years ago
Quoted from Dmod:

Here's an alternate way to mount the existing bracket in Stern games without drilling a pilot hole. Small washers can be used to get some additional pressure on the edge of the bracket.

Now, why didn't I think of that? Oh well, I plan for mine to stay in there permanently, so the extra holes aren't a big deal.

Quoted from Dmod:

We'll be coming out with a mounting kit later this year for SAM and Whitestar games.

I was just a LITTLE bit impatient.

Quoted from Dmod:

WARNING: For DIY'ers... Please be careful with the power cable construction. If you reverse the connections for +12V and +5V, you WILL DAMAGE your ColorDMD circuit board.

Yes, definitely pay attention to what you are doing. I used a DMM to triple check mine before plugging it in.

#18 10 years ago

Herg do you have any videos showing how well the animations look in either dot or upscaling modes? I've wanted to add this to our Tron ever since seeing it in our MM. The gridlines is what keeps me from considering a blue dmd, and would love to support ColorDMD in the hopes that someday we get a little color for Tron code

#19 10 years ago
Quoted from Don1:

The gridlines is what keeps me from considering a blue dmd,

Yeah getting rid of gridlines would be worth a couple hundred dollars to me. I am seriously considering this for my ACDC and STLE (when it comes). I am also banking on both of them eventually getting colored dots to download.

Looking at the original LED DMD in my ACDC Premium it looks like I would have to build an adapter cable to install it in one of my other machines that currently have a plasma display? I would probably keep one as a spare and sell the other.

#20 10 years ago

Here are two short videos from Pinball Expo 2013 demonstrating the new upscaling algorithm in SIGMA 2.2.

#21 10 years ago
Quoted from Don1:

Herg do you have any videos showing how well the animations look in either dot or upscaling modes?

No videos from mine yet. I only had about a half hour last night after installing it.

#22 10 years ago
Quoted from Aurich:

that smoothing mode is optional, you can pick a color and leave it looking like traditional dots.

Does this apply to the Williams also? Could I get the smoothing look on STTNG?

#23 10 years ago
Quoted from JimB:

Does this apply to the Williams also? Could I get the smoothing look on STTNG?

On STTNG you get color!! Personally I'd rather have color than smoothing (but they're both awesome). As far as I know you cannot turn on both color and smoothing at the same time (different firmwares, sigma vs. color)

#24 10 years ago

That would be a bonus, color and smoothing, I would buy one if it did that, hint, hint.....

#25 10 years ago
Quoted from JimB:

Does this apply to the Williams also? Could I get the smoothing look on STTNG?

Forget smoothing, fully colorized dots on STTNG is where it's at! (You can't smooth the color if that's what you're asking, but that sounds terrible.)

star-trek-color.jpgstar-trek-color.jpg

#26 10 years ago
Quoted from Dmod:

Here are two short videos from Pinball Expo 2013 demonstrating the new upscaling algorithm in SIGMA 2.2.
» YouTube video
» YouTube video

Wow, Metallica looks awesome - way better than the pinled.

When is it available for Metallica?

#27 10 years ago

Two changes I would like to see in later releases:

1. I would like to see a text indicator of each setting rather than just a sample rectangle. It is VERY difficult to see the difference between the upscaling and scanline modes while you are in the menu. It would also help for the color selection.

2. I would like more choices for color selection, maybe even an RGB value.

#28 10 years ago
Quoted from Shapeshifter:

When is it available for Metallica?

That's the whole point of this thread. If you are willing to build your own power cable and mount the display using one of the methods shown above, you can use the currently available display in any Stern SAM or Whitestar game now.

If you don't want to DIY, then:

Quoted from Dmod:

We'll be coming out with a mounting kit later this year for SAM and Whitestar games.

#29 10 years ago

Herg,
That's awesome, thanks for sharing!

I may have a NIB Blue X-Pin LED - DMD FS that was for ST-LE!

Pin - K

http://www.kimballspinballs.com/products.html

#30 10 years ago

I think there will be many similar FS threads when the mounting kits become available

#31 10 years ago

Damn you colorDMD. Just take my money. Now I have to decide what Stern will get the colorDMD treatment to start. Will stay away from White star for now. Damn you.

#32 10 years ago
Quoted from TomGWI:

Damn you colorDMD. Just take my money. Now I have to decide what Stern will get the colorDMD treatment to start. Will stay away from White star for now. Damn you.

Sorry... SIGMA 2.2 supports Whitestar too.

Mounting is a little more difficult because the video board is mounted on top of the original DMD. A new bracket, available later this year, will help with relocating the Whitestar video board.

#33 10 years ago
Quoted from Dmod:

Sorry... SIGMA 2.2 supports Whitestar too.
Mounting is a little more difficult because the video board is mounted on top of the original DMD. A new bracket, available later this year, will help with relocating the Whitestar video board.

That's what I meant. I will wait for the mount for the video board for the colordmd.

#34 10 years ago

OK, here's some videos. Dots mode, HD upscaled mode, and Scanlines mode; in that order:

Edit: The third video says it's still processing. If it doesn't finish, I try uploading again tomorrow.
Edit: ...and after about 3 hours, it looks like all three have be processed.



#35 10 years ago
Quoted from herg:

OK, here's some videos. Dots mode, HD upscaled mode, and Scanlines mode; in that order:
Edit: The third video says it's still processing. If it doesn't finish, I try uploading again tomorrow.
» YouTube video
» YouTube video
» YouTube video

I really like the HD upscale mode. It has a stylish look that is really cool. The scanlines mode still isn't available.

#36 10 years ago
Quoted from gprotein:

Good and useful thread, but blue Xpin DMD for me. At least for this title, for now.

Why?

#37 10 years ago

Where does the other end of the power cable go?

#38 10 years ago
Quoted from Russo121:

Where does the other end of the power cable go?

Sorry, I must have missed uploading that picture. It's the power connector on the right side of the cabinet, just inside the coin door. The same one that pretty much all Stern mods connect to.

Edit: I've added the picture to the first post now.

#39 10 years ago

Now that I have time to actually look at the videos, I can see that the Scanlines video doesn't really show the effect all that well. What it does is to leave alternating lines black in the areas where the image is dark, creating something that looks somewhat like an interlaced video. It's subtle, and my wife couldn't notice it in person until I had her look from about 3 ft away, leaning over the machine. As a result of the extra black lines, the average brightness is lower, so IMO, it is best suited when using bright base colors such as the white ColorDMD uses in their TZ samples. It's a bit too dark to use with the blue I have chosen here.

#40 10 years ago

ACDC in color !! please

#41 10 years ago

Thanks for clearing that up, Herg.

To me, the dmd looks a ton better than the current grid misaligned blue offerings. The brightness levels look good too. Thanks for the writeup.

#42 10 years ago

watching the upscaling vid, then going back to dots.... is hard to take. thanks for posting.

#43 10 years ago

Thanks for posting the differences. Can't make out the scanlines but I really still think I like the dots the best. Just looks "right" where the upscaling doesn't always look good for some of the animations.

#44 10 years ago
Quoted from herg:

Now that I have time to actually look at the videos, I can see that the Scanlines video doesn't really show the effect all that well.

I found a "bug" in the scanline mode for 2.2. We increased the number of output levels to support SAM but I didn't scale the scan line modulation. As a result the scan line effect is only half as intense as 2.1 and more subtle.

This will be fixed in the next release.

#45 10 years ago
Quoted from Dmod:

I found a "bug" in the scanline mode for 2.2. We increased the number of output levels to support SAM but I didn't scale the scan line modulation. As a result the scan line effect is only half as intense as 2.1 and more subtle.
This will be fixed in the next release.

Interesing.

Last night, I found that I liked a lighter blue color than what I was using when I made the videos. It matches the blue in the translite better than what I had selected before. Using this lighter base color, the scanlines show up better than in the video, and I was really starting to like them. After tweaking and comparing, I decided to leave the display set to this lighter blue and leave scanlines selected as the mode. It looks great, and I'm really glad I decided to wait for this to be available rather than using a blue LED display in my game. The flexibility is awesome.

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