BegasSyncGenerationReplacement

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Bega's Battle (and Cobra Command, Road Blaster) Sync Generator Replacement

Data East laserdisc games such as Bega's Battle have only been able to work with a very specific laserdisc player, the Sony LDP-1000A. This player is very rare and very old. We need a way to use alternate laserdisc players with these games so that they do not become extinct when the original player dies.

What is this modification?

TLDR: This modification allows one to use non-original laserdisc players with games that run on Bega's Battle hardware.

BegasSyncGenPic.jpg

More detailed: Bega's Battle, and games that share the same hardware (Cobra Command [dedicated] and Road Blaster) came with an on-board Sony video sync generator ship that the Sony LDP-1000A laserdisc player would sync up to. Most laserdisc players (and Dexter) do not have the ability to sync to an external source, which made it difficult to upgrade the laserdisc player to something that was not a LDP-1000A. The Sync Generator Replacement PCB solves this problem by replacing the original Sony chip with a solution that gets the video sync from an incoming video signal (provided by the replacement laserdisc player).

Where to buy

Coming soon...

Laserdisc Player Compatibility

This modification's primary target is Dexter ( http://www.laserdisc-replacement.com ). Other Sony laserdisc players may work but these are unsupported.

Video showing this mod working with Dexter: https://youtu.be/KARLqDgCxM4

Features

Backward compatible

This modification strives to be 100% backward compatible with the original Sony chip so that the Sony LDP-1000A can still be used if desired. See the 'how to use' section for details.

Fully reversible

This mod is fully reversible. You can revert to the original chip at any time using the adapter PCB shown here.

Sony cx adapter.jpg

Caveats

Jitter

The computer generated graphics will have some constant jitter. I am a perfectionist and tried to minimize this as much as possible but it's still there. In my opinion, it's unavoidable.

Here is a detailed video showing what I'm talking about: https://youtu.be/5ckdEGpz46o

Other Sony players are unsupported

Dexter is the primary target for this project and the only supported option for this modification.

Although I confirmed that the Sony LDP-1450 seems to work with Cobra Command, I have not done extensive testing. I also have not tested with Bega's Battle or Road Blaster.

Video showing this mod with Sony LDP-1450: https://youtu.be/y-G0AS5UzZQ

How to install

Option #1 : Do It Yourself

This will require desoldering an existing chip and soldering on two new sockets. If you do not have a desoldering gun and previous experience, this process may be quite difficult and/or risky.

Here is a video showing how to do it: https://youtu.be/_zhSSuDMjps

Option #2 : Have me to do it for you

For $50 to cover my labor, I'll do this work for you. You cover shipping/insurance both ways. I will need the VDO-1 board, which is the bottom PCB. This PCB must work before it gets to me. I do not have the expertise to troubleshoot or fix problems with this board. I will test the board before performing any work on it to ensure that it works.

My shipping address is shown at http://www.rulecity.com . Please contact me ahead of time ( http://emailme.ownby.org ) to make arrangements.

How to use

To replace Sony LDP-1000A player

This game communicates over serial port at 1200 bits per second. Dexter users need to make sure their firmware is updated (as of early 2023) and set their player mode to "Other".

If you have it configured correctly, an LED will blink green.

BegasSyncGenHowto.drawio.png

To continue to use Sony LDP-1000A player with the new Sync Gen PCB

Just make sure that nothing is plugged into the Sync Gen PCB's BNC connectors and it will function as if it was the original Sony chip. An LED will blink red.

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