OSSC (DIY video digitizer & scandoubler)

[EnragedWhale]

For my amiga 1200 I go like this :
Amiga 1200 > sync strike > extron rgb > ossc av1
In av3 directly with the sync strike I got sync problem (colours going and outing specialy the blue), with this way no problem, clear and perfect stable signal

I'm going straight into AV1 and the picture is completely stable and looks awesome apart from the interference. I've got a new cable on the way as a ground/shielding issue seems to make sense to me.

[BuckoA51]

Any reason why you're using an Extron interface? They can cause noise and it's easier to notice on a noise-free device like the OSSC.

[EnragedWhale]

Remember that Amiga's PSU is earth-grounded (probably your TV too), so there may be another path for AV signal return currents. If you have an unearthed plug/splitter available, you might also want to try that.

I isolated the ground pin on the amiga's power supply (the only thing with an earth ground in the chain) and it made no difference to the interference but did introduce sync problems. Not sure what that means?

[amaradona]

What is the best way for updating the fw when you have a mac?

Spoiler

No,I wont install windows

[NJRoadfan]

If the Amiga 1200 is anything like my Amiga 4000, it should output both composite sync (DB23 pin 10) and H+V sync (DB23 pin 11&12) direct. No need for a Sync Strike or Extron. Also note that noise problems could be from bad capacitors in the Amiga. Many 1200s need all their SMD caps replaced at this point.

[kardus]

What is the best way for updating the fw when you have a mac?

Spoiler

No,I wont install windows

Google how to properly write images to a disk using your terminal and the 'dd' command. Might be able to do this as well using 'Disk Utility' app (that comes with os x) and the burn function button, although I have not used that in ages. I'm sure there are other apps out there that will achieve the same thing for you as well if you search around.

[marqs]

What is the best way for updating the fw when you have a mac?

Spoiler

No,I wont install windows

Google how to properly write images to a disk using your terminal and the 'dd' command. Might be able to do this as well using 'Disk Utility' app (that comes with os x) and the burn function button, although I have not used that in ages. I'm sure there are other apps out there that will achieve the same thing for you as well if you search around.

Yes, os x is unix so dd is your best friend. Just be careful with it to avoid accidentally overwriting your system partition(s).

[fafangus]

How about AV1 directly? Just a couple weeks ago I was playing A1200 like that one evening, and no sync/color issues in many hours.

Well my A500 is working well this way, but the 1200 is giving me interferances (I have tried 3 amiga's psu...)

Any reason why you're using an Extron interface? They can cause noise and it's easier to notice on a noise-free device like the OSSC.

I use it as a hdsub15 to scart and to have a control over the peak & gain volume
Yeah I noticed that with the neogeo (I'll hook it directly to AV1 now), but with the 1200 it isn't noticeable at all - and the interferances are gone (well if you put your nose on the screen you'll see it, like on SFC & MD & others systems )

If the Amiga 1200 is anything like my Amiga 4000, it should output both composite sync (DB23 pin 10) and H+V sync (DB23 pin 11&12) direct. No need for a Sync Strike or Extron. Also note that noise problems could be from bad capacitors in the Amiga. Many 1200s need all their SMD caps replaced at this point.

My 1200 get capkited like 3 years ago so... and it works well hooked directly with the XRGB 3
Only have problems with the mini & ossc (but resolved it)

Next week I'll provide to hook the monitor out (of the 203rxi) to my matrix and then by-pass the 203rxi, I'll have to made a circuit to hook my arcadecab (New net city) to the OSSC & the Eizo 21" crt, to see what it gives on real crt screen

[bonzo.bits]

Is anyone else going the DIY barebones kit route? If so, any tips, experiences you can share?

In the interest of encouraging or helping anyone else that is going this route, I'm gonna put some of my progress in this thread. I've not installed SMD components before, but have decent enough soldering skill that I'm willing to branch out to learn the necessary techniques.

Have so far received the kit itself, all the parts available from Mouser - except the RCA component connector, had to use DigiKey for that and the shipping was expensive as hell, at $US34 This was a ridiculous expense, but for the sake of getting a working OSSC a few months earlier (I'm ~1088 on the waitlist), I've put all rational and sensible approach on hold.

The ICs are on the way from three different suppliers on aliexpress. From some comments I've read online, I should cross my fingers when ordering from that site....

The SCART socket is on order from element14 and that will be the final component.

Provided the shipping dates are met, I should be ready to put this thing together by the end of the month.

The one part of building this thing that has me stumped, is getting the firmware on the ICs. I've asked Bucko in the VGP forums for some assistance, but may someone is shmups land has some ideas or knowledge they can impart to an eager amateur

[EnragedWhale]

Hi guys, having an issue with my Amiga and RGB modified NES through the OSSC. Both are fine through the Framemeister.

I'm getting scrolling diagonal interference patterns that speed up, slow and change direction. They are faint but noticeable on the NES in dark colors and really strong on the Amiga across the entire screen. No issues with any other console.

Would I be right in thinking this is a cable issue? Maybe a ground problem?


EDIT: for clarity

Ok so it's my DVDO edge causing the interference on the Amiga. Even if it's not directly processing the picture just being plugged in causes mild interference and if it's connected to my HDMI switch I get as much interference as when the edge is processing the picture itself. Anybody know what this means? Faultly EDGE? It causes no issues with any other console. I'm still waiting on a better scart lead for my Amiga to do more testing.

[fafangus]

Could you test the amiga on a crt screen ?

[RocketBelt]

Interference on the edge power cord perhaps? Try a cord that has a ferrite bead ( if you have one handy)?

[Tranquilite]

Is anyone else going the DIY barebones kit route? If so, any tips, experiences you can share?

While all of the advice found in the Assembly Tips doc is really good, I have a few tidbits of my own to share:

For me, the most important part of soldering SMD parts with lots of legs is the initial positioning. The more time you spend making sure those ICs are lined up just right, the better off you will be. A slightly misaligned IC makes it much harder to prevent solder bridges, and a completely misaligned IC is a nightmare I never want to experience.

Do not underestimate the importance of flux. Flux is what makes hand soldering these QFP ICs possible. I'd also like to recommend the Kester 186 flux pen (RMA) mentioned in the assembly tips.

Make sure you check continuity between ground and power fairly often during the assembly process. I lost nearly a month of weekends chasing down a short because I didn't check continuity until I had finished soldering all the SMDs. Definitely consider buying something like a magnifying visor to make visual inspection of your handiwork more do-able (I ended up buying an inexpensive visor on Amazon just to find that short).

It's really easy to break the legs on the LCD display, so be wary and don't try and force it too hard if it isn't going into place.

If your hands start shaking too much holding the soldering iron, it may be because your blood sugar is getting low and you should take a break and eat a snack. That's what helps me at least.

Patience. It's really easy to get too eager and/or frustrated and make mistakes (like snapping off one of the LEGs of the LCD display ). If this is your first time doing an SMD soldering project, then you should definitely set aside multiple evenings/weekends to work on it and take your time, as I almost guarantee that you wont be finishing this in a single sitting.

Make sure you do your work in a well-lit environment with plenty of space.

Good Luck!

[BuckoA51]

Ok so it's my DVDO edge causing the interference on the Amiga. Even if it's not directly processing the picture just being plugged in causes mild interference and if it's connected to my HDMI switch I get as much interference as when the edge is processing the picture itself. Anybody know what this means? Faultly EDGE? It causes no issues with any other console. I'm still waiting on a better scart lead for my Amiga to do more testing.

I've only seen picture noise on the Edge when I was foolish enough to put my PS2 directly on top of the unit.

[EnragedWhale]

Interference on the edge power cord perhaps? Try a cord that has a ferrite bead ( if you have one handy)?

Thanks for the suggestion, tried it to no avail.

Could you test the amiga on a crt screen ?

Don't have a CRT anymore unfortunately

[EnragedWhale]

Ok so it's my DVDO edge causing the interference on the Amiga. Even if it's not directly processing the picture just being plugged in causes mild interference and if it's connected to my HDMI switch I get as much interference as when the edge is processing the picture itself. Anybody know what this means? Faultly EDGE? It causes no issues with any other console. I'm still waiting on a better scart lead for my Amiga to do more testing.

I've only seen picture noise on the Edge when I was foolish enough to put my PS2 directly on top of the unit.

Ok I've messed about some more and discovered the noise is even there through the framemeister if the edge is powered on. It gets worse the closer I move the edge to the Amiga's scart cable. If the edge is connected to the tv the interference is strong and its positioning doesn't make a difference.

[EnragedWhale]

Hi guys, having an issue with my Amiga and RGB modified NES through the OSSC. Both are fine through the Framemeister.

I'm getting scrolling diagonal interference patterns that speed up, slow and change direction. They are faint but noticeable on the NES in dark colors and really strong on the Amiga across the entire screen. No issues with any other console.

Would I be right in thinking this is a cable issue? Maybe a ground problem?


EDIT: for clarity

Update

Turns out the interference is there on all consoles (stronger on some) and its caused by the edge. More alarmingly if I plug the edge into the same power strip as the OSSC it causes the OSSC to loose sync! Tried a different power cable to no effect. I assume this isn't normal behaviour?

[Fudoh]

I would try to exchange the OSSC PSU. After all I would guess that the Edge's internal PSU is of higher quality than the chinese PSU you got for the OSSC.

[EnragedWhale]

I would try to exchange the OSSC PSU. After all I would guess that the Edge's internal PSU is of higher quality than the chinese PSU you got for the OSSC.

It causes the same issue with the framemeister though?

[BuckoA51]

I would try to exchange the OSSC PSU. After all I would guess that the Edge's internal PSU is of higher quality than the chinese PSU you got for the OSSC.

If it's one from me then yeah it's Chinese but I did check it for noise with and without a DVDO Edge in the chain, and with an Amiga (a CD32 though).

[EnragedWhale]

I would try to exchange the OSSC PSU. After all I would guess that the Edge's internal PSU is of higher quality than the chinese PSU you got for the OSSC.

If it's one from me then yeah it's Chinese but I did check it for noise with and without a DVDO Edge in the chain, and with an Amiga (a CD32 though).

Yeah its one of yours Bucko, I don't believe its at fault.

Looking back through my posts it'd be quite easy to be confused as to whats going on

Basically everything is perfect without the edge through both the OSSC and XRGB mini.

If the edge is plugged in to the mains only with no other cables connected and reasonably close to the OSSC/Mini or scart leads it introduces interference that ranges from mild to almost unnoticeable on all systems on both the OSSC and XRGB. It seems to be worse on systems with poorer quality scart cables.

If the edge is plugged in to the mains and either direct to the TV or my HDMI switch it introduces interference that ranges from mild to severe on all systems on both the OSSC and mini. It seems to be worse on systems with poorer quality scart cables and the Amiga in particular suffers. It makes no difference if the edge is processing the picture or not, it just needs to be plugged in and connected to the TV. Putting it on standby makes no difference.

I've tried plugging the edge into every socket upstairs and even a couple downstairs with an extension cable and it makes no difference. I've tried removing all scart switches and whilst this makes a small difference for the better it get no where close to solving the problem. I've also tried several power cables with the edge with no luck. If I plug the edge into the same socket as the OSSC it starts to exhibit sync issues.

Anybody know if this problem is solvable? Thanks for everybody's help and suggestions so far.

Also should I move this elsewhere now it seems that this isn't an OSSC only issue?

[bonzo.bits]

Good Luck!

Thanks. I appreciate the advice and will be off to the shops on my lunch break today to pick up some sort of magnifying device and lighting implements. I definitely have struggled under the LED lights of my lounge room when doing previous projects....

[eric90000]

Any word on when the next batch of 500 units will be available?

[Einhandr]

Would this be overkill for a streaming/capture setup?

console -> OSSC 240p line triple -> HDMI splitter -> VPXX to Display/VPXX to capture.

I just acquired another VPXX dvdo unit and instead of retiring a unit I was trying to think of how I could integrate it into my setup for when I get my OSSC.

[Guspaz]

That setup would essentially prevent you from using scanlines on the OSSC, since scanlines should never be captured/streamed (it messes with compression on streaming, and can be added in post if required for captures). Something to keep in mind.

[Einhandr]

That setup would essentially prevent you from using scanlines on the OSSC, since scanlines should never be captured/streamed (it messes with compression on streaming, and can be added in post if required for captures). Something to keep in mind.

That I did not know. Since I have a switch matrix for SCART, would a better set up be:

Console -> switch -> OSSC 240p line triple to VPXX to display / VPXX to capture

[Guspaz]

If by that you mean you'd go right from the matrix switch to the capture VPXX, skipping the OSSC, then sure. Alternatively, just play with scanlines disabled.

[Fudoh]

I don't see the advantage. You should simply disable scanlines for when you're capturing or streaming. Since the scanlines are done in the OSSC - which is your primary processor, there's no way around that.

If you REALLY want to play with scanlines while capturing without them (at the same quality) you need to split the raw RGB signal and use two OSSC units (which is kinda silly).

I also don't see how two DVDOs would do anything useful to your setup. If you split the signal after the DVDO (or just use a capture box with a passthrough function), you're fine.

[Einhandr]

I don't see the advantage. You should simply disable scanlines for when you're capturing or streaming. Since the scanlines are done in the OSSC - which is your primary processor, there's no way around that.

If you REALLY want to play with scanlines while capturing without them (at the same quality) you need to split the raw RGB signal and use two OSSC units (which is kinda silly).

I also don't see how two DVDOs would do anything useful to your setup. If you split the signal after the DVDO (or just use a capture box with a passthrough function), you're fine.

Yeah, using two is certainly not necessary. Probably splitting the connection after the DVDO would make the most sense. I'll just leave scanlines off. I just wanted to see if I could put my extra unit to use. Guess I'll keep it in storage as a backup!

[marqs]

Any word on when the next batch of 500 units will be available?

Estimated arrival for the batch is around mid-October.

I also don't see how two DVDOs would do anything useful to your setup. If you split the signal after the DVDO (or just use a capture box with a passthrough function), you're fine.

Capture card with pass-through would be the ideal option - there's not much benefit adding a VPxx between OSSC and capture setup unless you have a picky capture card that doesn't accept linetriple etc. as-is.