Video and keyboard interface for picaxe

[moxhamj]

Found this interesting product: http://www.tvterminal.de/index.html

Scroll down for the english version. It could enable a picaxe to interface to a standard VGA monitor and a PC keyboard. I know the keyboard can be done via an 18X, but the video is quite unique. Many of us would have old vga monitors lying around, and at worst you can pick one up at a second hand store for $10 (or even on the side of the road).

I'm thinking of all the LCD displays I am using. 16x2 works fine and then you run out of space and go to 20x4. But go much beyond 20x4 and the display adaptor above becomes cheaper than a bigger LCD.

A question for the experts - sertxd can run at 9600 with an overclocked picaxe. Which picaxes can run at 9600 baud on serin? Or (for the 18X at least), could keyin be used for this purpose?

 

[hippy]

Looks interesting; similar to what my plans are with a Propeller (PAL+NTSC+VGA). At 29 Euro, 21 GBP, 42 USD, the Propeller solution would be half the cost with some minor DIY.

Also check-out the monochrome "try before you buy" ...

http://www.tvterminal.de/tvt_mobi_2.html

At 10 Euro all-in that's quite cheap. Given it's just an ATmega it would be worth hitting Google to see what else is around if DIY inclined. I had some joy with a 16F88 but it has too little RAM and I was running from internal oscillator so not really a great solution.

As to PICAXE's supporting 9600 SERIN; 14M, 20M, 18X, 28X, 28X1, 40X, 40X1.

 

[Dippy]

Haven't you spun your prop yet hippy, you've been at this for ages
I was expecting to see a merchant button on your site by now....

 

[hippy]

It's mainly been a problem of being up against skills I don't have, circuit schematics, PCB design and production. Try as I might, no matter how easy others may say it is, I don't have the aptitude there. It is slowly progressing. Bottom line, I'm an engineer not an entrepreneur.

I wanted to do the job properly rather than say buy this, solder that, load this code but maybe I should just document that and have done with it. I would prefer to say buy this solution to do the specific job rather than say use a competitor's micro with it's implicit that's better than a PICAXE. Legitimate PICAXE Add-On sounds much more satisfactory IMO.

 

[moxhamj]

Re "As to PICAXE's supporting 9600 SERIN; 14M, 20M, 18X, 28X, 28X1, 40X, 40X1"

Thanks hippy. Great to see the 14M on that list. I've written to them (in pidgin german) to order a board. I'll do some tests and let everyone know.

 

[Michael 2727]

Cheap Monitors

Earlier this year I was looking for a cheap small video monitor, I ended up getting
one of these units for $120.00 AUD (they are re-furbished units, works great)
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/IKON-7"-DUAL-SCREEN-PORTABLE-DVD-PLAYER-MPEG4-DIVX_W0QQitemZ360079184435QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL080814094a9361
(6 days left on this one)
The satelite screen has its own Video in, Audio in (3.5mm jack) volume, ext/int(cable)
source video selector. There is one catch, the power for the satelite unit comes in on
the extension cable so it has to be sacraficed/chopped to power the unit up.
There is no readily hackable space inside the unit to include a new power socket, I've
had a look, it could be done but not easily.

I just noticed this newer model has a rechargable battery, interesting, mine is an
older model, more rounded and more like a D-shell plug/socket shape.
This may solve the power supply arrangement as the battery is most likely inside
the extension unit. Mine only has a compatrment to store DVDs, lucky me
BTW mine does not play DivX, that I know, lucky me again.
Upgrade time-
FOR SALE,,,1 x ,,,,,,,,,,lmao

Anyway it could be a cheap solution as a monitor, and you get a free portable DVD
player to pass on as a Christmas gift (wink). Or just keep it yourself.

 

[papaof2]

If a 4.5 inch monitor is big enough, this one http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-4-5-12-Volt-LCD-Color-Video-Monitor-Screen-WOW_W0QQitemZ130247155692QQihZ003QQcategoryZ32826QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 typically goes for about $21US plus shipping ($10 to US).

Power required is 12V DC at about 500ma. I can see using this with a PICAXE and using one output of the PICAXE to power the monitor only when data display has been requested ("show data" or "menu" button) and then turning the monitor off after X minutes. You might want a flashing LED to provide a "power on" indication when the monitor is off.

There is one dead pixel on the one I bought (top left corner). This monitor will be mounted between the handles of a tripod mounted video camera instead of the original on-top-of-the-camera b&w monitor. I've been a camera operator at our church for 15 years or so, and this is a concession to bifocals (putting the monitor at reading level) plus getting color for when the director asks for "the woman in the light blue dress" - which is hard to differeniate in b&w ;-)

Parts have arrived for this (plus the pump for my PICAXE controlled irrigation system), but execution is weeks away. I'm scheduled for spinal fusion surgery this week and will be very limited for the next month or so (sitting up no more than 15 minutes in 2 hours, no driving, etc). Since reading a day's worth of new posts on the forum takes more than 15 minutes, looks like I'll be a long way behind what's current :-(

John

 

[slimplynth]

Sorry to hear about that Papa, spinal fusion ... saw these video goggles on Sparkfun a couple of weeks ago, sounds like the perfect solution.

Regards

Elmo

 

[slimplynth]

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8750 forgot the link..

 

[retepsnikrep]

I've enquired about a couple of these new serial to VGA chips as well, i'll hopefully get one of each to tinker with! THye look very cool.

 

[Michael 2727]

Monitor uses

This monitor will be mounted between the handles of a tripod mounted video camera instead of the original on-top-of-the-camera b&w monitor.

Papaof2, that's exactly why I bought my unit. I bought an old full sized VHS Video
Recorder to experiment with, only had a 3/4" B&W monitor, now has 7.5" colour monitor
Good luck with the Op. Back/joint pain, my constant shaddow.

 

[hippy]

This monitor will be mounted between the handles of a tripod mounted video camera instead of the original on-top-of-the-camera b&w monitor. I've been a camera operator at our church for 15 years or so, and this is a concession to bifocals (putting the monitor at reading level) plus getting color for when the director asks for "the woman in the light blue dress" - which is hard to differeniate in b&w ;-)

B&W is often better for focus adjustment, but with reasonable resolution colour isn't much harder with practice. Experiment with placement before settling on a final position. I found that with a monitor other than on top there's a tendency for the camera to droop when looking downwards. I found it was harder to use when panning as you're not watching the screen and past the screen at the same time, especially hard if people are moving about and you're second-guessing where next in close-up. On top can also be easier if you need to shroud or box it for best viewing conditions.

Hope the surgery goes well and you have a good recovery.

 

[moxhamj]

Hmm. The Germans won't sell to Australia. Something about not being part of the EU. I'll see if I can persuade them otherwise, as this is a great product. Either that, or I'll see if we can join the EU. Half of Europe seems to have emigrated here anyway *grin* (my surgery is wholly staffed by people from the North of England).

I've got all these old VGA monitors lying around that I need to use somehow.

Good luck with the surgery. Spinal fusion is a big operation with some hard yards with the rehab, but all my patients who have had it done have been very happy with the result.

 

[papaof2]

I'm aware of how much sharper the b&w picture is for focusing (my first job was at a commercial TV station) but a new LCD monitor may be as good or better than a 5 year old b&w CRT. Since the color monitor will be connected to an auxiliary video output on the camera, the b&w monitor will still be available if needed ("Camera 2, check your focus").

I plan to do some trial runs with the color monitor in a frame with adjustable tilt to find the best angle. The final installation is likely to be a compromise between best view and fewest reflections. The monitor will need a backlight control for stage productions where the sanctuary is relatively dark, so there may well be a PICAXE in the final design with an LDR to sense light level (slow response is good as it should only respond to changes in the overall lighting, not a person in white or black costume passing by). Expect more on this project in a few months.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Surgery is scheduled for noon (EST) Wednesday.

John

 

[retepsnikrep]

This is quite interesting as well.

http://www.micro-examples.com/public/microex-navig/doc/089-pic-pal-tv

http://www.micro-examples.com/public/microex-navig/doc/081-pic-osd-superimposer

Peter

 

[moxhamj]

I'm still trying to get hold of a unit. There are some patent law issues regarding export out of the EU. Patent law seems to have gone completely mad. Hopefully I can find a solution.

 

[slimplynth]

I'll buy one and post it to you Dr_Acula if you get no joy... not sure if its legal from UK but surely no-one would care if its labeled "RF adapter PAL/VGA/NTSC" who actually checks these things anyway.

What did Australia do to get import restrictions? I'd have thought some of the people I know to have migrated to your shores should have been subject to the same restrictions.

 

[hippy]

"Patent law seems to have gone completely mad".

It sure has. Dig hard enough and there's probably a patent on, "A mechanism for aiding the movement of a transportational system by use of a rotational accessory".

It seems some countries will grant a patent for almost anything, and pay scant regard to prior art or the "blindingly obvious". That also applies to software in some places so while anyone can use a technique in one country using it in another infringes a patent and would leave anyone facilitating such an infringement open to legal proceedings against them.

Sadly the EU seems to moving in the wrong direction on patents which seem to be mere tools for extortion these days.

 

[Michael 2727]

Hippy a Dinosaur ate that patent no use digging,,,

 

[hippy]

Technically it's patented by a chap in Australia ...

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn965

It's unlikely that such a patent would stand up in court but it wouldn't stop someone trying it on if they wished. Extortion through litigation is in making it cheaper to settle than in fighting the claim, the real persuader is showing a prima facie case of patent breach then getting a judge to put an injunction on the defendant to stop using the patented 'thing' until the case is settled. Facing bankruptcy is usually a good motivator to settle even if there is no merit in the claim.

Imagine the damage that could be done to PICAXE sales if someone claimed "a method to connect a microcontroller and PC serial port using a simple resistive network". That may sound ludicrous, but it seems to be exactly what's stopping those Germans exporting their product - presumably someone claiming a patent on "a method to generate video signals using a microcontroller" or suchlike.

 

[Michael 2727]

Here is a link for an ELEKTOR project I built back in around 2003, uses PIC12C508 or 509.
http://www.elektor-electronics.co.uk/magazines/2003/july/mini-test-chart-generator.55237.lynkx?tab=4
Mini-test-chart-generator for TV PAL.
Simply uses a square wave O/P from memory, I'll have the original article
squirreled away somewhere. Probably Picaxeable, maybe not an 08M though, 18X ?

It seems Patent laws have gone whacko in the last few years.
I applied for a patent around 15 years ago "what a headache", in the end
the product was only selling slowly so I let the application lapse.
Still cost a couple of thou $AUD to that stage.

I do have a 25% share in a full patent in AU and USA, I'm not holding my
breath on that one either, it's just a peice of paper if the owner can't sell it.
(that one cost me nothing in $$$ terms)

I have to laugh every time I see a freepatentsonline URL in Google. (I wish I could
auto block them as well ) When I was doing a TAFE course in 2001 all of the 16yr
to 18yr old students were churning out 2 or 3 whacko Ideas every week and registering
them for free online. I bet none of them ever did even a vague search for previous
patents or would even know what parameters to start searching for.
I would have thought online websites like these have done a lot of damage to the real patent
system by creating clutter, confusion, junk, legally un-registerable, flawed patent ideas that
just clog up the system.
I wonder if any of them have ever been tested in court, Good Luck !

Copyright is much simpler, cheaper and less complicated but is limited to drawings,
art, songs, photographic material, written material, schematics, computer code and
a few other things.

 

[Mike GTN]

Hi Hippy,

This sounds like an excellent Propeller project to allow the PICAXE to display TV and VGA output. I had a thought of using this chip to emulate the common serial LCD controllers on the market (AXE033, Parallax, Sparkfun etc..etc..) not to take away sales as would simply be a TV based display for development purposes only. Would be a great testing aid before purchasing the actual LCD hardware for a final project.

With regards

Mike.