My composite terminal doesn't recognize Uzebox video signal

[Yana]

I've purchased in Sparkfun Uzebox AVCore Development Module and Uzebox GameCard Baseboard:
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9024
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9023

I've assembled items, connect to TV and powered device with 5V - everything is ok, I see pre-installed game from Sparkfun. But when I connect Uzebox to my Eyetop Centra eyewear instead of TV - eyewear shows nothing like there is no video signal at all. Eyetop Centra perfectly shows NTSC composite video from DVD, Nokia N900, Dingoo a320 - but doesn't work with Uzebox.

I would like to use Uzebox as the part of my wearable computer I am working on. This is why it is important for me to connect Uzebox to Eyetop Centra. Could you please help me to correct the problem.

[uze6666]

Hi Yana,

If it works fine on you TV and not on the glasses then I can only suspect one thing: the progressive video generated by the Uzebox. It's the same signal used by older consoles and works on 99.999% of TVs out there. If you have access to a NES, SNES or Genesis console, I'm pretty sure you will have the same issue. At this point, there's no quick fix unfortunately. If you are comfortable in AVR assembler, you can tweak the kernel to generate fully compliant interlaced video. Note that interlaced video can cause flickers with static, computer-based images.

What kind of usage were you looking for? Mainly displaying text or images?

-Uze

[Yana]

If you are comfortable in AVR assembler, you can tweak the kernel to generate fully compliant interlaced video. Note that interlaced video can cause flickers with static, computer-based images.

Uze, thank you for your reply. Is the Uzebox video signal frequency 60Hz? I am not familiar with AVR assembler yet, but when I was teenager I spent a lot of time with Z80 assembler, and later - with 8086 asm. I think, I'll be able to grock AVR assembler (I have manual on it)

What kind of usage were you looking for? Mainly displaying text or images?

I would like to show GPS map. Street names and other text information are just pixels on the image which you download from Google static maps - so I need show only images. As I can see, video mode 4 probably fits my task: 18*14=252 tiles. Yet another thing I need to implement - add the bluetooth to download data from the smartphone. Is that possible?

As I understand, to program Uzebox I need buy this item?
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8702
Does it work with Ubuntu?

[uze6666]

Is the Uzebox video signal frequency 60Hz?

Yes, the standard frame rate. It's only missing the half lines on each field.

I would like to show GPS map. Street names and other text information are just pixels on the image which you download from Google static maps - so I need show only images. As I can see, video mode 4 probably fits my task: 18*14=252 tiles. Yet another thing I need to implement - add the bluetooth to download data from the smartphone. Is that possible?

That looks like an ambitious project! Using bluetooth with some serial module is certainly feasible, albeit at very low speed (<15Khz) to not drop data. I think the AVCore module exposes the UART pin so that should be ok. However, transferring graphics dynamically is more problematic, as the AtMega644 has only 4K of RAM.

As I understand, to program Uzebox I need buy this item?
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8702
Does it work with Ubuntu?

Yes you will need an ISP programmer. Though I always recommends Atmels own AVRISP MKII to avoid any hassles. AVRDUDE is the program to use if you are on Linux/Ubuntu.

-Uze