Add Video & Audio to your Microcontroller Project

7 Segment LED displays are useful for displaying numbers and bitmap LCD's can do simple graphics, but sometimes a real, color video output is the easiest way to go:

• Composite video (a.k.a., RCA Jack) is ubiquitous, and works with 3" - 60" displays
• 640x480 color screen lets you display complex information, graphics, charts and animations
• Composite is inexpensive, easy to program, can run with a small memory footprint, and uses cheap cables

This instructable is for the ProtoPlus, a circuit board I designed to add video and audio connections to the Propeller Platform. Because the Propeller already has video generation circuitry on the chip, generating video is very simple.  I used the rest of the space on the board to include a 240 hole 2-row / 3-row prototyping area and audio connection.

I use slightly longer pin headers than normal so it can be connected on top or below the Propeller Platform.  I also marked the traces in the prototyping area on the silkscreen to make it easy to see how the traces are connected.  The ProtoPlus is available as a kit on Gadget Gangster.

The Propeller can output PAL or NTSC, here are a few samples of what can be done:

Fancy Graphics



Really Fancy 3D Graphics (You have to watch this one!)


UI / Information Display

Step 1 FAQ

What is the ProtoPlus?
It's an expansion module for the Propeller Platform, it lets you connect video and audio to your Prop and has a prototyping area.

What does it work with?
It's set up to work the Parallax Propeller, it will fit on top (or below) the Propeller platform, or you can drop it on a breadboard.

Will it work with Arduino or PICaxe?
No.  Arduino and PICaxe simply aren't fast enough to generate video on their own, they need a 'helper' microcontroller dedicated to video.  The tellymate is one such tool I'm aware of, although it is B/W, text-only.

NTSC or PAL?
Up to you - the Propeller is perfectly content to generate either signal.

Comments

[johnpoole]

sweet, another toy for me to learn how to play with

[wjsteele]

It appears that your instructions and pictures show two different resistor configurations.  R2 is the 560ohm resistor, but the picture is showing the 270 instead (and vise versa) according to the instructions and the silkscreens.

If you follow the images, you'll have two swap pins 13 and 14 in your video setup.  If you follow the written instructions, it'll work.

[Gadget Gangster]

You are correct, I accidentally swapped them when taking photos. You should follow the written instructions.