PulseVU for Wii

PulseVU for Wii

December 7th, 2006, 21:24 Posted By: wraggster

New Mod coming soon for the Wii, heres the info:

Will the PulseVU interfere with the normal operation of the light bar?
No. Whenever the Wii wants to use the lights, the PulseVU is completely disabled and the Wii has full control.
Will this damage the LEDs over time?
LEDs are designed to be able to turn on and off rapidly, and are designed to last 100,000 hours. The PulseVU does not put the LEDs under any strain.
Can I do this through software, or must it be a hardware mod?
Until the software on the Wii is hacked, which may never happen, or may be years away, it is not possible to make software for it. So unless Nintendo releases an update to do these features, you'll have to install the hardware mod.
Can I return my Wii to Nintendo if there's a problem after installing this?
By opening any device, you void its warranty. To install the PulseVU, you must completely dissasemble the Wii, thus voiding the warranty. You should only perform this mod if you know what you're doing, because if you damage the Wii in the process, Nintendo most likely will not help you and you're stuck with an expensive doorstop.
How can I install a PulseVU into my Wii?
We will be selling manufactured units at this site by the end of the weekend, for just $20. If you're a programmer, you can instead build your own with the soon to be released source code and schematics.
Is the installation hard?
Not at all. Some soldering skills are required as there are 8 simple wires to solder to the motherboard. The small chip can be attached directly to the motherboard with double-sided tape. Installing this device will however void your warranty on the Wii.
The fade looks a bit flickery in the video. Is it really like that?
No. Because of the slow frame rate of the video, the camera picks up on the PWM used to dim the LEDs. To the human eye, it is perfectly smooth. Actually, the Wii's LED control is a bit flickery though.
What happens when there is no audio?
The PulseVU stays dim for 4 seconds between audio signals. If it receives no audio for more than 4 seconds, the lights turn completely off until it gets an audio signal again.
What if I want to turn off the PulseVU manually?
You can hold in the Reset button on the Wii for 4 seconds to turn on or off the PulseVU. You can do this whether the console is on or off, but be aware that if the console is on, it will reset.
What is the PulseVU made of?
It uses an ATtiny45, a NPN transistor, and a few passive components. The slightly commented AVR Assembler source code will soon be released along with the schematics.
Will you have more mods for the Wii?
Probably. We will also release guides on how to make easier mods, like how to make the light bar always on.
Can I have different colors on the light bar?
Yes, if you replace the existing LEDs. There will be guides here explaining how to do that later.
Will you release the PulseVU for other consoles too?
We certainly will. The Xbox and Xbox360 versions are just around the corner. There will also be a universal version that can be used in other devices too, such as a PC.

For more information and downloads, click here!