Show Off Your Build

i think Ben should build either a ps4 or Xbox one laptop

Here's my challenge for Ben:

Dear Ben,

For a while now I've been looking for a way to modify an NES Zapper to work on modern televisions. After a lot of research, i think i have figured out exactly why it doesn't work. Unfortunately, however, i am just a computer science student with only very basic experience in working with electronics, so i do not know how to even begin implementing a solution. I was hoping you would be able to help.

As you probably know, the Zapper works by having the entire screen go black save for the targets, at which point a photo diode senses whether or not it is pointing into the light. However, this is actually accomplished by a multistage process which i will outline below:

1) The NES redraws the screen completely black for one frame. The Zapper checks to make sure no light is detected before proceeding, preventing any accidental readings from other light sources (this is why pointing it at a light bulb doesn't work).

2) The NES redraws the screen with only target #1 illuminated for one frame. The Zapper checks for light, and the Nintendo determines if the player has hit target #1.

3) The NES redraws the screen with only target #2 illuminated for one frame. The Zapper checks for light, and the Nintendo determines if the player has hit target #2.

4) This process repeats for all targets on screen.

The obvious issue with modern televisions is that they tend to upscale the image, resulting in a slight delay that messes up the precise timing required for this sequence to work. Another potential issue i have read about is the nature of the photo diode itself. I have heard that Nintendo opted to use cheap photo diodes that only detect the infrared light coming from the CRT, thus preventing it from working on modern televisions, however i can not verify this.

I was hoping that you would be able to come up with a creative solution to this problem that even someone as inexperienced as me would be able to follow (maybe even make an episode out of it ).

-Andrew

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3tBk-LYyzo

nes monitor - Why doesn't Duck Hunt work on plasma or LCD screens? - Arqade

EDIT: Someone on youtube has been working on a solution to this problem, but it has been a year since they last updated so i have no idea if they ever finished it. If you have any doubt that this is possible, here is a video where he shows his working prototype: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D624JADDOw

EDIT 2: A possible solution i have considered would be to connect to the expansion port on the bottom of the nintendo using an ENIO board to allow the gun to directly interface with the 2A03, but i have no idea how i would implement this or how it would actually work. It would probably need to tell the game to flash the targets on screen, then wait until the gun can determine whether or not it is pointing at a target before advancing to the next bit of code.

Hey just watched your video with the wasd foot pedals. I thought It related to a raspberry pi project I recently completed. I also had to come up with a way to send keyboard keys via usb, but I used a little little more hacked together method than the teensy. Watching your video makes me think the teensy may have been a better method. Anyway check it out in my element 14 blog.

(http://www.element14.com/community/people/dripfree/blog/2014/03/21/retro-raspberry-pi-case-with-a-real-classic-feel)

Tony

Hi Christy,

Thanks for a great site!

I'd like to throw Ben a challenge!

Cheap 6dof Motion Simulator for VR headset.

I like this concept:

http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/prototype-6dof.5045/

With a nice bucket racing seat, VR headset, FF wheel and pedals or hotas system it would be as close as we can get to a holodeck at the moment.

Thanks, Tino.

Ben I dare you to replace the iPhone's screen and put it in a 30 inch TV with touchscreen added to it and have a 30 inch iPhone 5s

Ben doesn't seem to be here.

That's OK, soon this page will be in my browser history, and then a bit later, I will clear my browser history.

the xbox holder was actually pretty cool

I'm building a laptop out of an old Toshiba Libretto and a Raspberry Pi. So far I have the electronics working. Next step is getting everything to fit!

You can follow my progress at my build log here: Restoring My Libretto

i did a couple of those one with a pi and one with an odroid c-2....battery,computer,3.5 inch 1080 p lcd hdmi touchscreen. they are very cool and can run android or linux distros.