Hello everyone,
I'm new here. I set myself building a scandoubler for some of my computers which will double the horizontal frequency of their output signal. I did some research and now I have an idea about the whole project, but I need some advice to select the PIC and I hope you can give me some valuable advice.
Let me tell you more about the project. Well, actually the computer in question is an Amiga, which some of you may be familiar with. It outputs an analog RGB signal at 15.625 (for PAL versions) or 15.75 (NTSC) KHz. The RGB signal is generated by a video decoder from a 12 bit signal (4 bits for each color). I have examined some amiga schematics, and found out how to access the raw digital signals. The signal will compose of at most 720 pixels, coming as 12 bits of serial data, followed by a HSYNC signal at the end of the scanline. So what (I think) I have to do is,
listen to incoming scanline, copying every single pixel to RAM.
when a HSYNC pulse comes, Send the signal in the RAM to a DAC, at double (31 KHz) frequency, two times. At the same time listening to the next incoming scanline.
A scanline consists of 720 pixels at most, so I'll have to read 12 bits of data 720 times in a 15~KHz window, and I think I have to operate at something ~22MHz (I may have done the math wrong here). I also need a RAM that's capable of operating double this frequency (since sending will be at double speed).
I need 3 four bit DACs for the output, which is least of my concerns at the moment, but if it can be handled inside the Pic it would be great.
So far I have dealt with only 16F84A's, to build some homebrew keyboard, **broken link removed** interface converters for the Amiga. But I think this project exceeds the capabilities of the 16F84. I probably need a pic that can operate > 50 MHz.
another question is, is there a pic which could hold 720*2*12bit s of data in its own RAM ? or should a use an external Ram ? (and what could that be ?) If I need to use external Ram, maybe I can divide the receiving signal and sending signal processes between two pics.
Since the RGB signal is 12 bits, I'ld like a Pic with 24 I/O pins. Hmm 26 when I think about the HSYNC. Actually, it's also probably possible to use a MUX and share I/O's with amiga output and RGB input, but that's still require some pins to drive the MUX, so 14 I/O minimum I guess. Usage of external ram will probably increase this number though.
I'm open to all suggessions, many thanks for your time.
I'm new here. I set myself building a scandoubler for some of my computers which will double the horizontal frequency of their output signal. I did some research and now I have an idea about the whole project, but I need some advice to select the PIC and I hope you can give me some valuable advice.
Let me tell you more about the project. Well, actually the computer in question is an Amiga, which some of you may be familiar with. It outputs an analog RGB signal at 15.625 (for PAL versions) or 15.75 (NTSC) KHz. The RGB signal is generated by a video decoder from a 12 bit signal (4 bits for each color). I have examined some amiga schematics, and found out how to access the raw digital signals. The signal will compose of at most 720 pixels, coming as 12 bits of serial data, followed by a HSYNC signal at the end of the scanline. So what (I think) I have to do is,
listen to incoming scanline, copying every single pixel to RAM.
when a HSYNC pulse comes, Send the signal in the RAM to a DAC, at double (31 KHz) frequency, two times. At the same time listening to the next incoming scanline.
A scanline consists of 720 pixels at most, so I'll have to read 12 bits of data 720 times in a 15~KHz window, and I think I have to operate at something ~22MHz (I may have done the math wrong here). I also need a RAM that's capable of operating double this frequency (since sending will be at double speed).
I need 3 four bit DACs for the output, which is least of my concerns at the moment, but if it can be handled inside the Pic it would be great.
So far I have dealt with only 16F84A's, to build some homebrew keyboard, **broken link removed** interface converters for the Amiga. But I think this project exceeds the capabilities of the 16F84. I probably need a pic that can operate > 50 MHz.
another question is, is there a pic which could hold 720*2*12bit s of data in its own RAM ? or should a use an external Ram ? (and what could that be ?) If I need to use external Ram, maybe I can divide the receiving signal and sending signal processes between two pics.
Since the RGB signal is 12 bits, I'ld like a Pic with 24 I/O pins. Hmm 26 when I think about the HSYNC. Actually, it's also probably possible to use a MUX and share I/O's with amiga output and RGB input, but that's still require some pins to drive the MUX, so 14 I/O minimum I guess. Usage of external ram will probably increase this number though.
I'm open to all suggessions, many thanks for your time.