RJ-45 Multi Console Cthulhu Arcade Stick Tutorial Ver.2

Tech Talk
21

Thanks rtdzign for compiling this all into one thread; this should be a handy resource. :smile:

The CUI Inc MD-80 series has 8-pin mini DIN male/female plugs and jacks and whatnot.

Search MD-90 for 9-pin, MD-60 for 6-pin, and so on. Search SD-80 for the full-size DIN versions.

What’s weird is that the in-line mini DIN plugs say they have optional “crimp pin adapters”. I have no problem finding the crimp pins, but I haven’t been able to find the adapters anywhere, so I’ve just been soldering to the tiny default receptacle piece and trying not to drink too much coffee.

I was thinking about starting a “connectors” thread, but I don’t see why we can’t have it all here if it doesn’t get too crowded. I’ve been messing with other Neutrik stuff. Their connectors are nice in that they aren’t too crazy expensive, but are pretty and well-built. There are a lot of other “fancy” circular connectors and such out there but the prices can get kinda ridiculous since a lot of that stuff gets into medical/military/industrial use and the prices go way up.

My current favorite is the miniCON series (assembled or modular). They fit up to 12 pins and can be completely disassembled for painting or whatever, and the pins can be soldered (or crimped) to each wire separately, then inserted into the connectors by hand. The connectors are pretty small; the receptacle fits in a 14mm hole.

http://imgur.com/DPRJTt.jpg

http://imgur.com/ltrhCt.jpg

I have a few pics of this in my PSX -> MC Cthulhu converter post. It definitely works well in plastic or metal cases (e.g. TE), and would probably work alright in a wood case, though due to how small it is, some material might need to be routed out inside, since the jack is a screw-on type.

The neutriCON series (assembled / modular) looks like it could work pretty well in wood cases. It maxes out at 8 pins. I haven’t tried it yet.

http://imgur.com/PJh6Qt.jpg

http://imgur.com/9Pl5gt.jpg

Their CAT6 stuff has a different RJ-45 receptacle that could fit better into wood cases (24mm hole). The square backend that accepts the cable is removable for wiring, so if the case were thin enough it should work. Right now they are pretty expensive though (~$30?).

http://imgur.com/2Ph4Xm.jpg

22

Good stuff man, been waiting on this to finally come out.

nominated.

23

Great guide! I like your workspace and 3D modeling skills.

For anyone planning on going with mini-din, the crimp pins are currently back ordered at Digi-key. Their site says they’ll be shipping ~May 2nd, though, so it’s not too long of a wait. I recommend ordering more than you need when they do come back in–if you need to redo your connection for any reason, it’s sometimes hard to reuse them. Plus, they’re less than $5 for 100, so why not.

24

Thanks for that rtdzign! I’ll definitely be making use of this information. :bgrin:

25

Wow, this is great! It was time someone updated this and put it all together in a nice little package. I would always get the wires on the gamecube cable backwards and have to redo it to make it work.

26

Why are Switchcrafts recommended over Neutriks for wooden sticks? Does that include MDF?

27

Simpler to install - Neutrik Cat5e jacks are an awkward shape.

28

Nominated for an article. Good shit bro!

29

the way a neutrik jack is mounted is like making a sandwich between the faceplate of the neutrik and actual jack with stick case in between. you would need a really thin and strong piece of wood for this to work in wood or you would have to mount it to another thin mounting plate like rtdezign did in his tutorial. you wouldn’t be able to just use long screws either to hold the 2 pieces together because the release button on the neutrik wouldn’t be able to press after mounting in a certain thickness.

the switchcraft looks to have it’s mounting plate directly attached to the jack so you could just screw it directly into the wood.

anyways, just wanted to pop in and say nice tutorial. :tup:

30

Quick question –

Can the MC Cthulu ROM be flashed to ver 1.6x on Apple Macintosh OS X or do I have to flash the PCB on a PC/Windows machine? (Aware of Bridge, yes, but I have a pre-Intel Mac right now…)

Other than that, nice to see Saturn support is firming up on the MC Cthulu!

I have three leftover Saturn connector cords from failed dual-mod projects that are going to be “fixed” for RJ-45 over the next week!

31

Better head over to the Cthulhu thread and ask that. I don’t think so though with the flasher being a windows .net application.

32

Figured it’d be Windows… Lucky me inherited a PC from my dad, though!

I can offer SOME good news, though.

I got my Saturn cords RJ-45 adapted already. Took about 75-80 minutes of work for all three. It appears that the color labeling for the wiring is consistent for Sega, Hori, and Ascii brand connection cables. Verified this by my multimeter.

Here’s the color by wire going from left-to-right by Pin Position on the RJ-45 –
White (1) Black (2) Green (3) Grey (4) Orange (5) Red (6) Yellow (7) Blue (8)

Again, this is consistent among the 3 brands of Saturn connectors I have. More good news is that the stock connector lengths are plentiful. They range from 5-feet-plus to just under 10 feet!

I just cut down the 9th wire (the Brown) so that it didn’t interfere with the other wires. Brown should be Pin Position #6 on the Saturn’s connector end – the Pin Position we were told to skip.

I still double-checked on each wiring bundle to be sure before I crimped on the adapters.

33

Ha! I do that shit every time too. You think that because it was just 3 wires it would be more simple huh?

Also added information about Din Connectors.

34

Outstanding contribution, RTdzign ! I’ve been reading the R45 mod 2.0 plus this and everything is very well explained . Will be very handy shortly.

EDIT: However, the diameter of my Neutrik connector (NE8FBV) was 22 mm rather than 24 - confirmed on Neutrik’s web site.

35

So the Switchcraft RJ-45 feedthrough would also work with plastic/metal/thin holes right?

36

It will work anywhere you can hold it in place with two screws or a small bolt and nut.

37

Also, any Cat5 cable will do right? No benefits using regular (leftover) Cat5 over Cat5e/6?

38

I use leftover cat 5 cables. They work fine.

39

Quick question: I made a cable for NES, but when I plugged it in, it made my screen go blank and my system lock up. From the looks of it, the cable was the same as SNES just with the wires for 2 and 7 switched around. Any idea what might be the issue or what wires I might have misdone?

40

I suggest that you take a multimeter and triple check the pins to the RJ-45. Also I would boot the system up with the cord already in the system and then plug the ethernet jack end into the stick. NESes are prone to reset if you slightly move the system. Also double check this instructable by Toodles himself. I suggest that you just forget about the purposes of the wires and the similarities betweenNes and Snes circuit design and treat them like totally different systems. Just strictly think of the pin numbers to the G-V rows.