This DIY 12-Port S-Video Switch Is Perfect for Retrocomputing
Thomas Sowell has a large retro console collection, which is why he designed this beautiful 12-port s-video switch.
Like many other hobbies, retrocomputing can easily turn into a bit of an addiction. You start with one or two computes — maybe the same models that you used as a kid — and then soon you’ve got a dozen yellowed 8-bit classics taking up all of your shelf space. After you end up with a substantial collection like that, you’ll find that you need a way to connect all of your computers to a monitor or TV without having to manually swap around cables. There are switches on the market for that purpose, but they vary wildly in quality and often only have a handful of inputs. That’s why Thomas Sowell designed and built his own 12-port s-video switch for his collection.
Thomas Sowell isn’t just using this switch for retrocomputing; he has a collection of vintage consoles and other devices (including a VCR) that have s-video outputs. But s-video is very common in the retrocomputing world for “high quality” video and that is likely what most people will want to build this switch for. This beautiful switch has 12 s-video inputs, each with their own stereo RCA audio inputs. A single s-video and stereo RCA output is used to connect the switch to a TV. The front panel of the device has a power switch, a rotary knob to toggle between inputs, and a VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) to show information about the inputs. All of the connected devices can remain powered-on, and the knob can be used to switch between them.
The easiest way to design a device like this would be to use a series of toggle switches, but that would require that you turn off an input before you turn another on. Sowell’s design provides a far friendlier user experience. It utilizes a Microchip ATmega256 microcontroller to display information on the VFD and to switch the inputs through multiplexer chips. ADG1606 16-channel analog multiplexer chips are used for the audio and MAX4315 8-channel video multiplexer and amplifier chips are used for the s-video signals. Those are all soldered onto a custom PCB that Sowell designed. The aluminum and walnut enclosure was fabricated by Hammond Manufacturing, and Sowell cut the front and back of the aluminum panel for the ports, display, and controls. He also added a matching walnut trim piece for the VFD. Finally, the aluminum was given a nice coat of black paint to finish things off. If you’re in need of an s-video switch, Sowell has made his design files available on GitHub.