RGB Output
Was there ever a device available for the 48 that had a RGB output ?
As an alternative , what about using a pc monitor (iirc these have seperate sync h+v) , i do remember an article written for bbc micros that explained how to seperate these (internally) and get it to work on a pc monitor.
Just thinking 14 / 15 inch monitors are peanuts now and it would be great to use one of these instead :D
As an alternative , what about using a pc monitor (iirc these have seperate sync h+v) , i do remember an article written for bbc micros that explained how to seperate these (internally) and get it to work on a pc monitor.
Just thinking 14 / 15 inch monitors are peanuts now and it would be great to use one of these instead :D
Post edited by spider on
Please visit the JetSet Willy & Manic Miner Community
Comments
Hi Spider,you might be right there,i remember reading about the same thing at the time.One guy on e-bay was selling his specturm and monitor and another e-bay seller was just selling a monitor,so u just might find a bargain monitorwise on e-bay,u never know;-)
It has been discussed here zillion times.
I have project for RGB out from 48K on my site. It will be probably not good for you. Finding such converter is not easy today - read: E-bay.
PC monitor will not work with Speccy. Forget it. Problem is in very different scan frequencies.
What may work is some (old) monitor for Amiga, Atari ST or C64.
Think so. Problem is though, stuff that uses the edge connector also pick up loads of noise and so the picture is never really much cop. Best to take the outputs directly from ULA or just use composite video.
Found this:
GB MONITOR ADAPTOR
Adapt Electronics / £36.95
If you've considered using a colour monitor because it'll give you clear letters and graphics plus sharper, brighter colours, then you're going to need an adaptor. This is because the Spectrum doesn't have a Red/Green/Blue video output that most normal monitors use. The RGB interface by-passes any circuitry inside the monitor, so it can directly control the television tube. That way it eliminates the 'fuzz' and background lines found on most tellies. The new version from Adapt shown here now includes a through bus and should work with all monitors.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27paw4/yr18/yr18_20.htm
ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/hardware-adverts/SpectrumRGBOutputModule.jpg
It looks to take 4 inputs:
+12V
-12V
Monitor signal
GND
(says - eg. Spectrum 128 Pins 2&1 on din socket)
Output is then
-V
V
-H
H
GND
Video
Someone could have this for the cost of p&p
www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
www.sellmyretro.com
Yes i remember reading ages ago that certain ones wouldnt display the bright colours properly... I think there may be a way around it as probably its like the later models where they had a bright signal output, this may need changing via circuitry somehow to be encorporated into the actual rgb signals.... Think SU maybe (?) had some hardware tech article years ago with a simple diagram on this problem.
The pinkish colour i think on white is too much voltage (unsure!)
I've got some Microvitec CGA monitors in my garage which ought to work with 128 Speccies.
Amazingly enough I managed to find, via skillful googling, someone who had tried unsuccessfuly to sell a load of monitor service manuals back in Jan. Amongst that lot was the service manual for this very interface. So 2 quid has changed hands and its in the post!
I will get my RGB one day!!
I use one of these with my Viewsonic LCD Monitor as I have not got an old TV. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XGA-TV-BOX-Watching-TV-and-Play-Video-Game-on-TFT-5821_W0QQitemZ270080410115QQihZ017QQcategoryZ3761QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
I have not tried it with RGB.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LCD-TV-Tuner-XGA-Box-TV-DVD-Games-console-on-TFT-PC_W0QQitemZ110114372400QQihZ001QQcategoryZ72401QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I think zeem has right answer. First monitors obviosly weren't designed for bright colors, so this adapter ignores it.
Sadly no , it was something i read years and years ago in a magazine. It was one of these things that just suddenly re-occured to me again.
Pretty sure it was just three or so diodes and resistors on each line to connect the bright signal to each though (to vary the intensity of the colour)
:)
Couple things may couse ignoring of bright:
1: Usage of TTL monitor (or monitor in TTL mode (as some CBM models have analogue and TTL too)) - without special bright control line on adapter
2: Usage of adapter which ignores bright of Speccy 48K
3: bad combination of previous 2 - Bright aware adapter on TTL monitor instead analogue
I saw somewhere scheme for adapter UVY-RGB with some TTL chips and comparators, and it ignores bright. But is not simple - has some 10 chips.
It made me to design different circuit - analogue based, with adjusters for each color:
http://www.ppest.org/zx/uvyrgb.htm
It is of course for analogue monitors, or TV with Scart input. And if solder input lines directly to ULA will get much ccleaner picture than via edge-connector.
No need for GAL or EPROM programmer! :D
Only on prototype board, what will be not nice.
I don't have time and equipment to make PCB for it.
But, if you find another 9 interesting people, I can order PCBs from local manufacturer .
I can see you can handle analog electronics quite nicely... I simply hate it, being more leaned to digital.
One question about your YUV->RGB: What sync timimgs does it use?
I have N-PAL here at Argentina, which is 50 Hz vertical, 15625 Hz horizontal. Don't know about your country.
Thanks,
Marcelo.
http://gwearmouth.googlepages.com/box.JPG
The RGB pin outputs look standard so it will probably work with other monitors.
Surprisingly, I have never used it. The TV input gives a good picture and satisfied me for the last 23 years. I am waiting for the right moment. Although I have a TV licence, I was raided by the Home Office back in 1985 for having a second TV. :-)
First time out of the box for the photoshoot.
Thorn EMI Ferguson also made ZX Spectrums and Interface 1s and the QL.
It is surprisingly neat. It works with Interface 1 and has a through connector. It connects to the MIC socket for sound through the MC01 TV. It has a fixed RGB cable and a composite output. Also it has a GREEN switch which cuts out red and blue for a relaxing display when wordprocessing. That'll be Tasword II then.
I also recently bought a Hauppage Win TV 900
http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_hvr900.html
This is a neat device that works with any PC/portable with USB2.
Just stick your Spectrum TV lead in one end and plug the other end into the USB port and the software does the rest.
Of course this requires your PC in the equation but if deskspace is a problem then it is ideal.
Capita, who took over from the Home Office to catch TV licence dodgers, are giving me grief about this device and threatening a raid. I say, Bring it On chaps.
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.
I'm number 1 interesting person!
What kind of prices do you get for a run of 10 boards? I presume they accept gerber files.
'cos ULA has basically analogue out, we must use analogue electronic for it.
Timing in adapter is made pretty primitive. You can fix problems with changing value (slightly) of C7. It will work with your N-PAL. We have here, in Europe same scan frequencies (and your Speccy is same, except PAL encoder crystal freq, what is not in function when use RGB out).
Adapter could work with 60Hz too, with some 20% smaller C7. But I even don't know what outputs Timex has. (just thinking).
Yes, they want gerber files.
Price depends from size, hole number, is it single or double-sided etc.
100 cm2 is about 8 euros if is double-sided, I think. Maybe little more for only 10 pieces.
The ts2068 has composite output for monitor and TTL RGB available at the edge connector. All that is needed is a synch generator, for which the technical manual shows a circuit on page 57. No bright on the RGB the way it is though.
The edge connector has composite video, analogue sound and RGB.
I don't know what the Portuguese Timexes have on their edge connectors.
Write games in C using Z88DK and SP1
Probably means I should move completely to SMD, my boards have lots and lots of holes! (I'm thinking of making a RAM replacement board with modern SRAM for the Speccy, since 4116 and 4164 chips are getting harder to come by, a piggy back board which will have a 32kbyte SRAM and the requisite address demultiplexing logic to turn the RAS/CAS back into a straight address).
Pages 10 through 14 (TC2048 service manual from W.O.S.) show diagrams and explain how the Timex's color and video circuitry work. If the diagrams don't provide enough information, I could try to translate those pages.
I'm number 2.
Saso