5X-Y-Z SCART Adapter Goes Open Source

Kyle from Kytor Industries has made the 5X-Y-Z SCART adapter open source. The adapter is still available as a finished product for $35, but anyone who wants to build one can now use the released files under the CC BY 4.0 license.

The idea is refreshingly simple: it changes the direction of a SCART cable when connected to a RetroTINK 5X setup. For desks, shelves, and tight retro corners where cable routing can get awkward, that small change can make the back of a setup feel much cleaner.

The adapter plugs straight into the SCART port. Its 3D-printed shell includes small supports that place it at the same height as the RT5x, so the port is not being pulled down or stressed. If you plug and unplug SCART cables often, it may also be nicer to put that wear on the adapter instead of the RT5x port itself.

Performance should be transparent, since this is only a passthrough adapter and has no active circuitry inside. In a Super Mario World test using a SNES RGB SCART cable with sync over composite video, the direct connection and the connection through the Kytor adapter produced essentially matching screenshots, with no visible interference added by the adapter.

Because there is no signal processing happening, the adapter does not add special signal limits. Composite video over SCART can still be used if that is part of your setup. For anyone who wants existing SCART cables to point toward the back, or who simply wants a replaceable port in front of the RT5x, the 5X-Y-Z is a neat little fix.