Group Project: Building the Hedghog 405 standards converter

Hi Freya et al..

I recon 1-2 hours is about right. I'm struggling right now with programming the FPGA. It appears I need to pay a subscription to Intel. How's everyone else doing it?

You can do it for free if you just subscribe to intel, I can send the quartus13.0sp1.exe file on bigfile but it is huge at 1.85gb

PM me your email if you want to do this.

edit:

think this will work, you only need the top two boxes and the cyclone II ticked.

http://fpgasoftware.intel.com/13.0sp1/?edition=web&download_manager=dlm3&platform=windows

Blimey Lad's! one to two hours build time is fast. it takes me the guts of an hour just to mount the silicone.

There is a paid for and a free version of Quartus.
Release 13.0sp1 that Stephen has linked to is the correct release. Later releases does not support Cyclone II.
The file is huge and it is only a tiny fraction of it that is used for programing.

Frank

When  you do download the program, install it, then plug in just the blaster part and sort out the USB driver. It needs updating from the folder you just created by installing the software.

when you have no conflicts in device manager and the driver is installed, launch the Quartas software.

Select Tools, from toolbar, then programmer

To program, make sure your blaster is plugged into the JTAG port on the dev board and you have plugged in the DC power to the FPGA board. it should be flashing its three lights.

This is the LED sequence once programmed 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!ApN5zU4cheyblytBouFY1b6je2Xy

It appears the linux version doesn't let you programme the device with the free version. Bought it into work, and used the windows laptop, and bingo! Twinkling away nicely.  ? 

Hi Doz
I have no experience of the Linux version I have only ever used the windows version. But I would expect it should let you program maybe there was a problem with drivers. Well done on getting it sorted. ? 

Just for anyone that has not programed one of these before. After the programing is complete the LED's will not flash. The power needs to be removed from the board and when it is reapplied the LED's should flash.
This is because with this programing file the flash memory is programed through the FPGA. The FPGA is programed first with a program to to enable it to write to the flash memory. Then the program for the flash memory is sent to the FPGA which writes it to the flash memory.
After programing of the board is complete removing power from it erases the program from the FPGA and when power is reapplied the FPGA gets configured from the flash memory.

Frank

A good tip from Frank which saves a few ££ is to use the 40 way headers from ebay and cut to size; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10PCS-2-x-40-2-54mm-Gold-plated-Double-Row-Female-Pin-Header-40P-Y/253828767600?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 allow a good two weeks for delivery though.

I have a few spare yellow RCA sockets now if anyone needs any for a hedghog

Well, that was all very uneventful!

Just waiting for the phono sockets to arrive, and I'm done!

Slight problem with the test tone. 1KHz is intermittent, I suspect the switch.

Dodgy soldering on the test tone switch...

Sadly nothing from the video input 🙁

I'll investigate later.

Hi Doz
Well done you are almost there  ? .

Frank

Is the Test Card generated in the Hedghog?

I was a bit confused with the comment “ nothing from the video input” and a test card on the screen.

I took Andy's statement to be as he described, nothing being output when a video input source is connected.

I have not read up on the Hedghog but I imagine it might function in a similar manner to the Aurora? When there is no video input to the device to convert, the device defaults to outputting a 405 line test pattern and tone. When a video source is connected to the device the standards conversion of the input kicks in to output the 625 source as a 405 signal. That being the part which is not yet functional on Andy's Hog?

Hi.

On the front of the Hedghog there are two switches one to select test card, grey scale or 625 line input, same for audio with 440Hz 1KHz and external audio. This converter doesn't automatically switch which is handy for displaying the inbuilt test card and your own music or an external video source and the test tones.

Thanks  ? 

Posted by: MurphyV310

Hi.

On the front of the Hedghog there are two switches one to select test card, grey scale or 625 line input, same for audio with 440Hz 1KHz and external audio. This converter doesn't automatically switch which is handy for displaying the inbuilt test card and your own music or an external video source and the test tones.

Ah-ha, in which case in light of Andy's prior discovery below

Posted By Doz
Dodgy soldering on the test tone switch...

Quiet possibly the switches you mention above are the the first place to check. Soldering under the influence Andy? We'll have to send the Weller police around  ? ?  

No longer a weller man... 

If the switch was in question, then I doubt I'd get a blank raster when switched to the input. The video input goes directly to the TVP, via a filter, L1,C1,L2 etc, to pin's 1 & 3. I take it the actual switching (as such) is done within the FPGA. 

I had to re solder a few of the pins on my first FPGA headers, may be worth going over the ones in the area in question.

The video switching is done within the FPGA. In the absence of a valid PAL signal the video output goes to 50%(midgrey). This probably wont be obvious on a TV but is easily seen on a scope. Or with SW8 C and D in the "On" position the LED on the front panel will flash only if there is a valid PAL signal detected by the FPGA.
At power up the video decoder defaults to NTSC so in order for the decoder to produce a PAL signal for the FPGA a PAL video source must be plugged into Hedghog. This will cause the video decoder to switch over to PAL and will stay producing a PAL signal even if the video source is removed. In order for the FPGA to detect a PAL signal all 8 data lines from the decoder must be good. If any one of them is missing it wont detect. The fact that it is producing a good test card proves that the data clock from the decoder is working correctly.

Frank