Thread
Ohh, I'm bad. Core2Duo color classic.
I thought I might show my latest mod, a core2duo color classic.
Tearing down.
Soldering 15 pin VGA socket into wiring loom, required some interesting research.
Mounting new motherboard. Intel D945GCLF2
VGA modification of logic board
Drives, fan, and power supply mounted.
Adjusting slot mounted DVDRW drive.
Done, watching Hulu!!
Tearing down.
Soldering 15 pin VGA socket into wiring loom, required some interesting research.
Mounting new motherboard. Intel D945GCLF2
VGA modification of logic board
Drives, fan, and power supply mounted.
Adjusting slot mounted DVDRW drive.
Done, watching Hulu!!
8-o < . . .is rendered speechless . . . > :-x
Windows, auuugh, scary! 
Nice NetBSD candidate though. 
Nice NetBSD candidate though. She'll run OSX, but osx doesn't nativly support 640 by 480 at boot, so I've got some work to do before install.Windows, auuugh, scary!
XP was just for proof of concept, as it were, now that the hardware is together, she'll run Leo with Basilisk II for old times sake.
Nice work, but can you Hackintosh it? But I guess you can keep the Windows load Basilisk II and emulate a Mac and really confuse some people
I've already had the hardware hackintoshed. The problem is only OSX's boot support for such a low resolution.
Ho ... ly ... 8-o
Nicely done!
I gather you're running VGA into the original CC analogue board and CRT, as you didn't mention any monitor replacement. Some more details about how you added a VGA port to the CC would be very, very welcome. I hope you took extensive notes :rambo:
One query: I just googled your motherboard and it says it's an Atom CPU, not a Core2Duo?
Nicely done!
I gather you're running VGA into the original CC analogue board and CRT, as you didn't mention any monitor replacement. Some more details about how you added a VGA port to the CC would be very, very welcome. I hope you took extensive notes :rambo:
Thoughts: Boot from another monitor. Record an Applescript of you opening the Displays prefpane and changing to 640x480. Add the recorded script to Login Items. Sure, you won't see anything until boot is completed, but it's a quickie fix.
One query: I just googled your motherboard and it says it's an Atom CPU, not a Core2Duo?
That board is definitely an Atom. Specifically a 1.66 GHz, dual-core "Atom 330". I have the same board in an ultra-small chassis as my home theater PC. The "D945GCLF" with no '2' on the end has the single-core "Atom 230", which, aside from only having one core, is nearly identical.
The VGA port on mine is dead, and I could never get OS X to boot with video out over the S-Video port. I did lots of research about getting OS X on it, and pretty much everything is fully supported. But no boot-to-S-Video, so I couldn't do it. So it's running Vista Home Premium, and I use a USB IR receiver and remote for Windows Media Center. It works great for Netflix.
P.S. Intel does make a Core 2 compatible motherboard that is the same physical size: DG45FC (codename "Fly Creek".) It can even take quad-cores if you get the low-power "Core 2 Quad S" series chips. But, even with dual-core, it does draw noticeably more power than the D945GCLF2 (codename "Little Falls 2".) But the Fly Creek has enough graphical power to play Blu-ray. (And do some light gaming.)
The VGA port on mine is dead, and I could never get OS X to boot with video out over the S-Video port. I did lots of research about getting OS X on it, and pretty much everything is fully supported. But no boot-to-S-Video, so I couldn't do it. So it's running Vista Home Premium, and I use a USB IR receiver and remote for Windows Media Center. It works great for Netflix.
P.S. Intel does make a Core 2 compatible motherboard that is the same physical size: DG45FC (codename "Fly Creek".) It can even take quad-cores if you get the low-power "Core 2 Quad S" series chips. But, even with dual-core, it does draw noticeably more power than the D945GCLF2 (codename "Little Falls 2".) But the Fly Creek has enough graphical power to play Blu-ray. (And do some light gaming.)
I apologize for the misleading title, it is indeed a dual core atom board.
I chose the atom based on thermal characteristics, the space is really pretty confined, and doesn't allow for a more elaborate cooling setup. This problem is compounded by the fact that the CRT and analog board put off lots and lots of heat. When I was initially testing the unit, I had a core temp of 105 deg. Celsius! :O
As for feeding the original CRT a vga signal, I first had to make the analog board push the CRT at 640x480, this mod is well documented on the internet.
After that, it was just a matter of figuring out pinout info for the CC, which wires coresponded with RGB signals, grounds, horizontal and vertical sync and the like. I'll post the corresponding pins later in the thread.
The whole mod took me about 50 hours, the machine will eventually support an auto inject/eject iphone dock on the top, I'm working on the mechanism now. The system was build to push my audio system with iTunes and internet radio.
More mods are on the way, I want to mod, using the original display circuitry, an SE/30 for use as a text linux web-server. A touchscreen TAM is also on the prototyping board.
I chose the atom based on thermal characteristics, the space is really pretty confined, and doesn't allow for a more elaborate cooling setup. This problem is compounded by the fact that the CRT and analog board put off lots and lots of heat. When I was initially testing the unit, I had a core temp of 105 deg. Celsius! :O
As for feeding the original CRT a vga signal, I first had to make the analog board push the CRT at 640x480, this mod is well documented on the internet.
After that, it was just a matter of figuring out pinout info for the CC, which wires coresponded with RGB signals, grounds, horizontal and vertical sync and the like. I'll post the corresponding pins later in the thread.
The whole mod took me about 50 hours, the machine will eventually support an auto inject/eject iphone dock on the top, I'm working on the mechanism now. The system was build to push my audio system with iTunes and internet radio.
More mods are on the way, I want to mod, using the original display circuitry, an SE/30 for use as a text linux web-server. A touchscreen TAM is also on the prototyping board.
Very nice modification. Shame that OS X won't support the resolution. Wonder if you can get a CRT tube that will got higher than 640x480 in the same dimensions.
I've shifted in to 640x480 on my Apple Multiple Scan 17" monitor with Mac mini and OS 10.5.6
O.M.G. No words to describe this.
I think you brought this up in another thread before ... do you intend to have built-in speakers as well? Or, is this designed to feed a signal to an external system?
Uhh on my OS X I can go to 640x480 on my iMac G5's screen and its external screen. Leopard.
Mac128, The previous post was a modded plus that had to be aborted due to monitor sizing issues. The mod will utilize the original color classic speaker once I find an amp of suitable size.
To everyone mentioning X being capable of 640X480. The problem isn't that it supports it or no, but that it won't boot into it, it boots into 800x600 at the least.
Not to fear, I'll be installing X on it shortly, after all the other parts are worked out. I've found a freeware utility that should help allow 640X480 at boot.
To everyone mentioning X being capable of 640X480. The problem isn't that it supports it or no, but that it won't boot into it, it boots into 800x600 at the least.
Not to fear, I'll be installing X on it shortly, after all the other parts are worked out. I've found a freeware utility that should help allow 640X480 at boot.
Interesting, so you'll be using a low-powered external amp to drive a low-fi mono speaker for an iPod-oriented interface?
Why not just use the CC's analogue board amp to drive the speakers? Take the line level signal out of the computer and patch it into the audio input lines into the analogue board. You can also add a second speaker to the CC board for true Stereo with some slight modification.
WOW! :O 8-o
Wish I had one
Wish I had one
If you post a schematic for VGA -> Color Classic CRT, I will float you a donation AND buy a Color Classic tomorrow to do this mod.
Hi nextse7en, are you able to post the pinout schematic for VGA -> Color Classic CRT? Been trying to do this awesome mod myself. The charm is truly in keeping the original monitor.
By the way, any plans on selling your Core2Duo CC? I'm interested!!
Thanks,
Lux
By the way, any plans on selling your Core2Duo CC? I'm interested!!
Thanks,
Lux
I'm too tired to look it up. The signal pins are exposed through the motherboard connector, which will accept a VGA signal once the high-res mod is done. The pin out of the connector is available through one of the apple tech docs.
This is great! Can't believe I missed this thread 2 years ago. I wanted to do this 3-years ago, but couldn't figure out how to get VGA out of the mono monitor on my Classic. I guess I should have started out with a color Classic, but the shape of the old mono ones just reminds me more of the old days. Did you ever figure out how to get OS X to boot into 640x480?
Will OSX boot into 800x600? I seem to recall there was a mod to force the CC display to this resolution ... Which for the purposes of this iTunes implementation should be perfectly functional.
IIRC (not personal experience), the display is virtually illegible at 800×600, and it is impossible to center it in the geometry of the visible screen area. 640×480 is the highest usable resolution.
Does anyone have the pinout info? Or a link to the Apple manual that has it? I've checked every manual i could get my hands on and none go into that level of detail.
I've done the best I could connecting an ATOM mobo VGA to the CC monitor but it doesn't work (maybe I messed up my monitor in the modding process)...so if anyone can spare some additional info, I'd appreciate it!!!!
I've done the best I could connecting an ATOM mobo VGA to the CC monitor but it doesn't work (maybe I messed up my monitor in the modding process)...so if anyone can spare some additional info, I'd appreciate it!!!!
Nice one!
I once considered a similar project to a dying Classic, placing a miniITX or laptop board in it, but trying to find a 9" LCD screen* as I didn't have the confidence to poke about with the original CRT.
*( There is a bar in the university area I used to frequent which has old TVs but with LCD screens in. It works well, albeit the curved edges aren't as big a deal on a TV picture than a PC picture. Could get a monitor which had a border at smaller resolutions, a bit like some laptop screens do)
In fact, something like an Acer Aspire One has a 9" screen and a small factor intel atom board. And I have hackintoshed mine. Might be an interesting project....
Ended up selling the dying classic to a local collector, but later found a working classic 2 to replace it (and this one is definitely NOT getting gutted!).
I once considered a similar project to a dying Classic, placing a miniITX or laptop board in it, but trying to find a 9" LCD screen* as I didn't have the confidence to poke about with the original CRT.
*( There is a bar in the university area I used to frequent which has old TVs but with LCD screens in. It works well, albeit the curved edges aren't as big a deal on a TV picture than a PC picture. Could get a monitor which had a border at smaller resolutions, a bit like some laptop screens do)
In fact, something like an Acer Aspire One has a 9" screen and a small factor intel atom board. And I have hackintoshed mine. Might be an interesting project....
Ended up selling the dying classic to a local collector, but later found a working classic 2 to replace it (and this one is definitely NOT getting gutted!).
Okay I'm making progress...I've gleaned the A/B pinout from here : http://homepage2.nifty.com/frogeye/connector.html
But I've read the CC uses composite sync. Pin 9 on the a/b 40 pin connector is supposed to accept both h-sync and v-synch...does that mean I can just fuse the two VGA sync wires there? Or do I need to do some fancy VGA to RGB/C-sync conversion?
Also, how do you soft power up the CC monitor when you don't have a the l/b or keyboard?
nex7seven , we need you buddy. You're the pioneer here... I'll send you a donation for a wee bit of your knowledge!
But I've read the CC uses composite sync. Pin 9 on the a/b 40 pin connector is supposed to accept both h-sync and v-synch...does that mean I can just fuse the two VGA sync wires there? Or do I need to do some fancy VGA to RGB/C-sync conversion?
Also, how do you soft power up the CC monitor when you don't have a the l/b or keyboard?
nex7seven , we need you buddy. You're the pioneer here... I'll send you a donation for a wee bit of your knowledge!
I would suggest looking for some of the documents for the Color Classic "Takky" upgrade. Most of the links I have are dead, but I recall seeing a pinout for the motherboard edge connector.
ANother option if you pull the analog board and edge connector out of the case, you should be able to follow the pins that connect to the analog board. From there follow a bit of the circuity you should be able to find the signal pints.
You could also go the other way. Follow the pins on the logic board edge connector back to the video chip. Then with the help fo the datasheet for the video chip, you can figure out which one is which.
--Edit. Never mind. I just looked at the link you posted. That is the one I remember seeing years ago. THinking about it, the color classic might be Sync on green.
The sync-on-green circuit is fairly simple. http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sync-on-green/sync-on-green_en.php
ANother option if you pull the analog board and edge connector out of the case, you should be able to follow the pins that connect to the analog board. From there follow a bit of the circuity you should be able to find the signal pints.
You could also go the other way. Follow the pins on the logic board edge connector back to the video chip. Then with the help fo the datasheet for the video chip, you can figure out which one is which.
--Edit. Never mind. I just looked at the link you posted. That is the one I remember seeing years ago. THinking about it, the color classic might be Sync on green.
The sync-on-green circuit is fairly simple. http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sync-on-green/sync-on-green_en.php