PSP TV

[Blazinkaos]

Hey guys i was surfing through youtube and i found this video take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OtL7ZaRZsE&feature=related

Now idk if anyone has seen this video but i sure havent and that is pretty cool and looks very easy except to get the stuff idk.
I just wanted to share this and see your guys comments on this.

[Blazinkaos]

If i'm not mistaken they allow you to watch the psp screen on a normal tv by decoding the signal hi-jacked straight off of the lcd zif connector.

Yes your very right on that. Yea i didnt know production was ceased for it looks like a very nice product and if it is or some on the market i would get it. Something nice to have to watch and play games on the TV you kno.

[Blazinkaos]

Yea that in american dollars is out rages  yea probably i wonder if anyone has mad forums for it and the supplies and cost.

[Blazinkaos]

Yea you describe it good I just need find these stuff and pics of what they look like and the pin point where i solder and see if it turn out the way its post to.

[ApheX]

if i'm honset, it's not worth the money. i've seen one of these mods and the amount of problems it cause was stupid. i remember seeing awhile ago someone made a adapter that goes into the headphone socket and allowed you to view the psp on a tv that way (correct me if i'm wrong). i can't remember where it was posted but it seemed easier to make and use.

[VoX]

TV output via the serial/headphone port on the PSP Phat is impossible, This thing is great for a breakout/prototype PSP, Too bad they stopped making them

[ApheX]

it's a shame but in the end if you want to play your psp games on a big screen then you'd be better off getting a slim. with the CFW plug-in for full screen gaming it's so worth the extra money.

[Blizzrad]

I've never seen the PsP2Tv in person, but from what I have read, one of it's biggest flaws is that it interlaced the video after the D/A conversion by cutting out horizontal lines, resulting in a lower resolution image and making the text difficult to read. I'm guessing they did this to maximize compatibility (with most people still having standard definition TVs.)

The only other non-software methods I have seen for PSP video out (that don't involve cameras and mirrors) are the VGA schematics created by Spectroplasm on the lan.st forums. I have been trying for months to figure out how he was able to get displayable sync timing from of the unusual output of the PSP, but nobody else seems to know.
   
Thanks for the links Alien_X, here is another for the PsP LCD ZIF connector.

There are a few sites that still have it,  but they are asking for about £70 which is a bit excessive in my opinion, and to be honest you could make your own system of fpcs and zif connectors to piggyback off the raw signals from the controls and lcd screen for less than the PSP2TV retail price.

Very true, I have recently been working on this to build a breakout board for a spare motherboard that I have. While it takes some time and effort, it won't cost you nearly as much (if you are only looking to get the raw signals). I'm not sure about soldering to those Digikey FFCs though, the copper-conductor type used for the PSP LCD and UMD connection have a very high melting temperature and work well for soldering, some FFCs I have tried will shrivel up if you get a soldering iron anywhere near them.

Here are a few pics from an early test of the LCD breakout adapters.

[PspKicks316]

They stopped production of it because it was a piece of crap...
Very, very, nice work Blizzrad, that's awesome.

[folklord36]

wasnt it also for watching tv on the psp but only brodcast in like japan?

[gr8npwrfl]

Blizzard there are two ways to get sync from the PSP.

First off are you trying to do composite video or component video ?

If you are trying to get composite video you need a 3.58 Mhz color generator signal.

The circuit is very complex to build and the layout is critical.

But I know there are several converters around that are fairly cheap.

First take your output from the signals and buffer them. You can then send them to a multisync
type computer monitor through the VGA port.

Then the next step would be to get hold of a vga to tv adapter. This will allow you to feed the
signal to the composite input of a TV.

See then if you are happy with the picture quality. I have seen about all of the converter
systems that were hardware based, I dissected a PSP2TV adapter.

The problem is color shift with the 3.58 Mhz color oscillator. If it is not synced correctly to the
data stream you get color shift and ghosting.

This is why Sony made the their adapter for the PSP2000 component video.

I have worked on many of these circuits. If you have any other questions just ask.

[Blizzrad]

Thanks for the help gr8npwrfl, I have been trying to wrap my brain around this for some time now and it really helps to have the input of an experienced engineer. I think it would be best for the signal to be RGBHV or RGsB so it will display on a VGA monitor, and not have to be interlaced. Not many people have HDTVs, but VGA monitors are very common, and RGBHV is the closest to the format already used by the PSP.

I have seen similar projects which use FPGAs/framebuffers and very complex circuits, but in the case of SpectroPlasm's final schematic there is only one tiny IC (HI-1178 aka CXD-1178), no additional components, and only requiring use of the +5, GND, clock, chip enable, and 24 digital RGB input pins.

I can't find any information regarding sync generation in the HI-1178 datasheet, (the word sync isn't even mentioned) but I guess it outputs RGsB by default since this is implied in the thread, and there are only three RGB output lines shown in the schematic. SpectroPlasm also says this regarding the HI-1178 in the thread:

"I think it's easier to use the chip tbh since it double as a built in sync doubler too (it regulates the hsync to be compatible with the output host signal)."

The problem here is that the HI-1178 is impossible to find, so a different DAC would have to be used instead, although without more info on the HI-1178, it is difficult to determine what to replace it with.

[gr8npwrfl]

Ok, if you go back to his article and just a few comments under it. You will see that the timing is all based on pixel count. But if you read a little more into it you will realize that they are talking about composite output with front porch, back porch and timing interval.

If you put a logic analyzer on the lcd outputs you will see there is a signal for horizontal and vertical retrace.

They are just not labeled as that on the pins. If you don't have access to a logic analyzer then what you need is an Oscilloscope. If you don't have one you can buy a probe unit that turns your PC into a storage scope. When you are working in this stuff you can't just make guesses. Like they
say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Now if you calculate timing on the LCD signals you will need either a tripple d/a or three d/as. The part he was using is only available overseas. It is still available in Japan. It is just very hard for us
to get here.

But I will give you an idea. Do you know anything about CPLD arrays?

Zilinx makes some very very nice ones that are very low cost. The software to develop them on the
PC is free. The jtag programmers start at about $60.

The individual parts are under $5.00. Designing with CPLDs are not the scary thing everyone makes them out to be. If you can hook up chips to make something you can design a CPLD.

They also have libraries that do all sorts of functions that are premade so you just plug them in and they work. A lot of what you are attempting to do is already in the library.

On certain CPLDs have the d/a converters as library modules already made for you.

You could build your entire interface and all the timing, circuit inverters and drivers all in one chip.
The real big advantage is only you have the source that makes it work. You can give out the binary
file so people can build it themselves but you can copywrite the source and control it so someone else can not make money off your labor.

I am giving all the sources and pictures away for free on the USB Host/Mass Storage project. The new board I am designing, I am copy writing. Not that I want people to have it, just so some crook does not come along and steal the design to make a profit.

BTW. I have the same stupid ugly green anti static mats you have in your pictures. YUCK !!!!!!

EDIT:
The HI part is Intersil the cxd part is Sony.

Harris makes the same part. I have tracked some down for you. They are in stock in Florida

Here is the URL

http://parts.americaii.com/PartDetail/b54eb517084255186f8e65dffc24a112/HI1178JCQ

or here in China

http://www.chinaicmart.com/series-HI1/HI1178.html

They run about $6.00 to $7.00 a piece.

Also the same part is in all PS2 playstations. Just ask here for someone with a broken playstation
and I think you will get one right away.

If you have trouble finding parts let me know. I have a friend that can find just about anything for me.

PspKicks: Just because you make some fansy shmansy wireless hard drive mod doesn't give you the God-given right to double post. Stop.

noah03ark: i think mr. pspkicks is going down a bit harsh. double posting is against the rules, and if you find yourself in a situation where you do it by accident again just copy text from one and modify the other to combine them please, it would save mr. psp so much grief, and we can continue to see some great work from you

[DaveBere]

Blizzrad I have alot of dead ps2 motherboards. If what gr8npwrfl says is true(not that I doubt him) I can pull a few and send them to you.

[Blazinkaos]

nice Blizzrad i new you would come along and show use something bout this..
and your really good solder abilities..
thanks Alien X once i get a day of from work ill take a look at those pics and see what i can do..

[Blizzrad]

Thanks again for all the help, lots of information here, I sense a looong post brewing... 
I hope we are not derailing your thread with all this Blazinkaos, we can start a new one if that is better.

Ok, if you go back to his article and just a few comments under it. You will see that the timing is all based on pixel count. But if you read a little more into it you will realize that they are talking about composite output with front porch, back porch and timing interval.

What type of composite output are you referring to? Sync? Video? If we are looking at the same post in the thread, you are referring to the timing breakdown comparing standard 640x480 VGA to the LCDs 480x272 res. If I understand correctly (probably not), the vertical and horizontal blanking intervals take place for a set number of pixels (or clock cycles) after all the visible pixels are drawn for each line and frame. The front porch is two clock cycles following the rising edge on hsync, and the back porch is two clock cycles before the falling edge. Horizontal blanking then occurs for 41 cycles while hsync is low resulting in 525 cycles per horizontal line when added to the 480 for active video. Vertical blanking and front/back porch is similar but occurs for much longer because it counts in full horizontal lines. So, two for front porch, two for back porch, 10 for blanking, and 272 for active video amounts to 286 total vertical lines. I don't have access to an oscilloscope or logic analyzer, so I am just looking at the H/Vsync waveform diagrams in the datasheet on page 13. I have been looking into USB scopes and logic analyzers recently because like you were saying, I can only fly blind for so far with all this before I really have to see what is going on at the logic level. Do you have any recommendations on equipment? The Logicport looks like a nice logic analyzer, the scopes I have seen have a vast price and performance range.

Zilinx makes some very very nice ones that are very low cost. The software to develop them on the PC is free. The jtag programmers start at about $60.
The individual parts are under $5.00. Designing with CPLDs are not the scary thing everyone makes them out to be. If you can hook up chips to make something you can design a CPLD.

Thanks for the CPLD recommendation, I didn't realize they were so inexpensive. There is some good information in the Sparkfun forums about using various programmable logic devices with this specific LCD. Sparkfun sells these LCDs (with an optional touch panel) as displays for hobby projects, so there are several topics about driving them with FPGAs/CPLDs (kind of the reverse of this, but still useful info). I have also seen open source Verilog code for adapting custom resolutions for VGA displays, but my programming experience is currently limited to a crude grasp of C and microcontrollers (something quite different I have read); although if the libraries already contain the necessary functions, then it will be much easier, I will definitely read more about this.

Thanks for also tracking down sources for the HI-1178, the only catch with distributors like these is they will probably expect purchases to be made in larger quantities, as I don't think it is very cost effective for them to to deal with individual small orders. Do you think it would be worthwhile sending an RFQ for a single chip to the distributor in Florida?

Also the same part is in all PS2 playstations. Just ask here for someone with a broken playstation and I think you will get one right away.

Blizzrad I have alot of dead ps2 motherboards. If what gr8npwrfl says is true(not that I doubt him) I can pull a few and send them to you.

I also saw this mentioned in the lan.st thread, but as far as I know this is not correct. The earlier versions used a similar looking (48 pin QFP), but very different CXA3525R chip along with the SC44728 to handle the video encoding. On the later models this was all integrated into a single much larger chip (CXM4000), and something else in the slim versions. I could certainly be wrong about this, but I have some of the service manuals and have seen lots of different motherboards, but have never seen the CXD-1178 in a Ps2.

Thanks anyway DaveBere, that is very nice of you to offer. By the way, are you the same DavBere from the old (now extinct) DMS forums? If so, your work is legendary man! I learned how to solder from reading those old posts, you made wire routing into an art form.

[PspKicks316]

Holy crap D: You're like an expert on this. I think you probably should make a new thread on all this. I think it deserves it XD Haha. Amazing job...wow.

Hey Blizz, wanna post some links that that person from the DMS forums work? Whatever DMS means...

[gr8npwrfl]

Ok,

Bliz like I said in the PM. The Texas Instrements part does exactly the same thing
as the Sony part.

If you want I can modify the schematic for you so you can use the TI part.

That way anyone that wants to do the mod you are working on won't have
a problem trying to find an obsolete part.

Just let me know as I have designed several video systems when I used to
design video game consoles.

[Blazinkaos]

lol Hey its cool man dnt worry bout Blizzrad you helping thats what we all do.

I think you probably should make a new thread on all this.

But if ppl want to make a new thread go for it im just curious on how to do all this something i would like to try out.