RGBtoHDMI RGB2HDMI RGB TTL to MDA Hercules CGA EGA to HDMI HD Video Converter

Features

• The product is brand new and has pixel perfect output, it looks like an emulator output.

• It supports CGA, EGA, MDA, and Hercules graphics input

• HDMI output at full HD 1920x1080p (goes up to 2560 x 1440)

• English on screen menu

• No frame drops, repeats or tears

• Very low lag (4ms)

• Easy to select from many computer profiles (see list below)

• Optional scanlines

• Open hardware, open source!

This board comes with cabling for MDA, CGA, or EGA (db9).

However, the board supports many classic computers, just make a cable for your system (if you are familiar with this project, this is the list for digital output. If you wish to use analog output, I will have an auction for an analog adapter system in the future. Again, this auction is for digital systems like IBM PC CGA or EGA)

RGBtoHDMI will support: Acorn Atom, Acorn Electron, Acorn Teletext, Amiga, Apple IIc (digital interface), Apple IIe (digital interface internal pickup), Apple iiGS, Aquarius, Atari ST, Atmos, BBC Master, BBC Micro, BBC NuLA, Camputers Lynx, Colour Genie, Communicator, Commodore 128 (80 column), IBM PC and compatibles (MDA/CGA/EGA), Olivetti Prodest PC1, Oric 1, Laser 128, Macintosh 128, SE, Classic, Master 128, RML 480Z, Sam Coupe, Sinclair QL, Spectrum 128 or +2, Tandy 1000 and many more...

Technical Overview

The RGBtoHDMI interface converts the "digital" RGB video signal from vintage computers like the BBC Micro or PC MDA/CGA/EGA to HDMI or DVI compatible with most modern TVs/Monitors. The interface comprises a Raspberry Pi Zero and a specially designed Hat containing a small CPLD. Custom firmware on the Raspberry Pi, in conjunction with the CPLD, is able to correctly sample each of the supported video modes to give a pixel-perfect rendition. The HDMI output is locked to the input so there are no frame drops, repeats or tears and it also has low lag of around 4 milliseconds (less than a quarter of a frame.

One unusual feature of the converter is optional integer scaling where one original pixel on the computer is scaled to an exact number of lcd pixels without using any interpolation filtering. This results in the low resolution output from real hardware looking as clean and sharp as sources output at the native resolution of the lcd.

Packing includes:

• 1 x HD Video Output Converter Board (PC) (includes the raspberry pi zero)

• Includes DB9 ribbon connector for connection to Tandy 1000, IBM PC, or any CGA, EGA, MDA, or Hercules output.

• SD Card

• 5V Micro USB Power Adapter

• Output from the PiZero is on miniHDMI, so I am also including a miniHDMI to HDMI adapter. All you will need to supply is a regular HDMI cable to connect to your TV/monitor.

Attributions: License under the GPL 3.0, this is open source hardware and files can be found on github hoglet67.