Harvey,
Also if all the data is digital as well it would be a nice to have to be able to dump out a screen cap to flash somewhere. The good news is there quite a bit of space available once the tube is gone. To add a few boards.
Zen
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-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected] <
[email protected]> On Behalf Of Harvey White
Sent: Tuesday, November 2, 2021 10:51 AM
To:
[email protected]Subject: Re: [TekScopes] Curve Tracer CRTs
If I were to try that, I'd first look at flash a/d converters, at least
8 bits if not more. That gives you a digital output of the X and Y channels (scale input first!). For an FPGA, I'd suggest (for
experiments) getting one that fits the FPGA tools you already have (XILINX OR ALTERA), and one that has about 50K or more gates, the more the better. The X and Y inputs specify which dot on the screen to set, and if you have that in a delayed queue, which dot to erase if you want persistence on the screen to be variable. You'd want a microprocessor to talk to the display to set up scale factors and draw gridworks or whatever you decide to do, and an overall control of the display.
At this point, it would be a color display.
Harvey
On 11/2/2021 10:35 AM, garp66 wrote:
hi Walter,
I have been thinking about a possible replacement video display panel for the Tek 576 CRT :
It would require some cpu or processor ( A/D, logic, etc.) to translate, format and communicate the Tek 576 info to the LED or LCD display.
Perhaps an FPGA or other ( Arduino, or Rasp Pi with A/D shields, etc. ) ??
I am trying to look at, and understand some of the possible video processor IC's that might have some functionality that could be tapped to aid in this sort of a ' converter" but am not familiar with modern ones.
Anyone have any ideas ?
A]
I am aware of the NEC 7220 IC, and am just starting to look at that
for a possible shoe-horn type of use ( ? )
cle/21122304/jon-peddie-research-vol-1-no-1-nec-pd7220-graphics-displa
y-controller-the-first-graphics-processor-chip
-hack
B]
Epiphan has some interesting video frame grabber converters ( typically converts VGA, etc. ) that might be of use, but how to kludge them into the Tek 576 CRT signals ( ? ).
.... but does not seem to have any input for an x-y O-scope type of
signal set ( ? )
Perhaps some hidden function in an Epiphan VGA2USB LR or other unit ?
C]
It would be nice to have a table or list of all of the Tek 576 CRT
signals, and their voltage ranges that are applied to the Tek 576 CRT,
-- if anyone has such ?
{ >>> if so, can they post it in the Tek 576 file page, ... perhaps labelled CRT display specs ?? }.
D]
Some time ago, I had posted the finding about the eBay Seller of the USB-Tek 576 contraption: { ** below }
That USB- Tek 576 post developed ~ 80 posts by the members of this group, .... and had some good tips, descent ( ! ) and other info.
**
/g/TekScopes/message/162844?p=%2C%2C%2C20%2C0%2C0%2C0
%3A%3ACreated%2C%2CTek+576+USB%2C20%2C1%2C0%2C69490299
Clearly, tapping into the Tek 576 and display, via USB into a laptop *might* be a good solution to failing CRT's in Tek 576 units, to extend their life.
I still think this would be a valuable asset for a Tek 576, with an ailing CRT, and would provide the ability to save, massage ( via MaLab, or other math programs ) and compare Tek 576 CT data files.
Must be some way to tap into the 576 CRT signals !!
rick
