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CBS ColecoVision Secam RGB connector pinout Hack *updated*

Coleco Vision RGB Hack

ColecoVision RGB Hack:

Photo from #3 to #6 explain how to hack the RGB output signal inside the console.

ColecoVision RGB connector pinout:

__________________________________
\ o1  o   o3  o   o5  o   o   o8 /
 \  o   o   o   o   o13 o   o15 /
  \____________________________/

Pin Signal

 1  Red Output
 3  Green Output
 5  Blue Output
 8  Ground
13  Composite Synch
15  Audio Output (very low volume)

Scart RGB pinout:

   ----------------------------21
  _| 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 1 |
 |                            |
 | 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2  |
  ----------------------------

Pin Signal                     Signal level

 1  Right Audio Out
 2  Right Audio In
 3  Left Audio In
 4  Audio Ground
 5  Ground (blue)
 6  Left Audio Out
 7  Blue input                 (0.7V, 75ohm)
 8  Function select/AV control (9.5-12V = AV mode, >10kohm)
 9  Ground (green)
10  Reserved Data
11 Green input (0.7V, 75ohm) 12 Reserved Data
13 Ground (red) 14 RGB Blanking
15 Red input (0.7V, 75ohm) 16 RGB switching control (1-3V = RGB mode on, 75ohm) 17 Ground (sync signal) 18 Ground (RGB switching) 19 Composite Out 20 Composite Input (Synch) (as in 1Vpp video signal, 75ohm) 21 Common ground (shield)
  1. Mr.Zero
    June 16th, 2009 at 20:25 | #1

    Thanks .. many many thanks.. your info are very precious.

  2. August 5th, 2009 at 18:37 | #2

    Are you from San Diego?

  3. August 5th, 2009 at 19:22 | #3

    @Zashkaser

    Nope, i’m from Italy ;-D

  4. David
    November 9th, 2012 at 14:44 | #4

    I have a French Colecovision and am currently trying to sell it on Ebay. Is it possible to obtain a adapter lead to allow the machine to output to a normal 21 pin SKART ?

  5. November 12th, 2012 at 00:33 | #5

    @David

    Hi David, you need the RGB Scart (secam) cable, it works Only if you have a Colecovision with RGB pinout on the rear side (photo #2)

  6. Rui
    January 15th, 2013 at 03:32 | #6

    Hi first of all thanks for sharing this with us. And so after viewing these pics I thought you would be capable to help me here… I have the same model as described; it is a French colecovision with that video output but I can’t manage to get any sound from it. Right now I’m using it in Portugal does this matter? My region is pal-b.

    Thanks in advance

  7. Stephane
    September 23rd, 2014 at 23:30 | #7

    Hello! :)

    Why did you take ground, composite synch and audio output from the mainboard when everything is there on the D15 audio-video output?

    I just opened my console, it was a pain but I don’t want to use RF anymore. I’m french with a french console. It seems some version was sold with a SCART lead cable, not mine!

    I don’t think that same original SCART lead cable could work with my console. And they are not cheap on Ebay, better to buy the console again but with the cable…

    I think I need to do that mod, but I did that lead cable done in ASCII, straight from the console 15 pins output to a SCART (I found D15 connector on ebay) and got only sound.

    Kind regards
    Stephane

  8. Ale
    May 11th, 2015 at 19:50 | #8

    Ciao,
    mi potresti dire come applicare questa modifica dei Component RGB anche al Colecovision Italiana (quella con solo l’ RF out)
    Grazie

  9. May 11th, 2015 at 20:41 | #9

    @Ale

    Ciao,

    Questa modifica funziona Solo con il Colevo vision SECAM RGB. Non funziona con le altre versioni. Il chip video che viene utilizzato nella versione SECAM e’ diverso dalle altre versioni.

  10. Ale
    August 19th, 2015 at 02:26 | #10

    … che chip video avrebbe la PCB 91206?…sono curioso..

    Preciso che la versione PAL in mio possesso è come la tua “Francese” 91162 Rev.D, ma al posto di avere quello schedino di comversione PAL/SECAM (per poi andare a quello strampalato connettore con un groviglio di fili per poi andare in Scart TV) ha il sinto RF che miscela tutto (e dunque esco col cavo antenna)…quindi le tue supposizioni potrei confermarle… e aggiungo che se le tue foto della Rev.D illustrano la scheda così come l’hai trovata appena smontata: mi sembrano saldature postume : un adattamento in corsa (non certo un progetto “industrilale” ben fatto come con la 91206) quindi la cosa avvalora di più l’ipotesi tua…e che potrei cavarci fuori un RGBS dalla Rev. D…

    PS: mi hanno lasciato perplesse quelle saldature sui pin del connettore frontale di espansione (fili nero, grigio, vede, blu, marrone)..se mi dici dove vanno sullo schedino SECAM… GRAZIE

  11. October 27th, 2015 at 19:44 | #11

    Amazing! Its truly amazing paragraph, I have got
    much clear idea about from this post.

  12. Sunn
    February 14th, 2017 at 08:35 | #12

    Hi, is this mod for the French peritel Colecovision? Did you do this mod to get better sound volume out of the French Scart Colecovision?

  13. February 14th, 2017 at 12:29 | #13

    @Sunn

    I have made this mod only because i have lost the SCART RGB Cable (peritel(scart)/french)

    Audio and Video quality are absolutely the same.

  14. zahn
    December 9th, 2017 at 05:20 | #14

    Is it possible to grab RGB signal from an NTSC machine that has an RF box only? I have been able to mod it to use composite video, but, do not know where to grab the RGB & sync signals from on this board.

    Thanks!

  15. Geekngame
    February 4th, 2018 at 02:34 | #15
  16. Skitprat
    March 16th, 2020 at 19:31 | #16

    Hi Geekngame, I know it’s been 2 years since your post (sorry for the digging), but I’d love to get your tutorial somehow ! Your site is now private unfortunately and I really need to build this cable. Thanks for your help !

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