DigiThin - Pre-production Info

The place for discussion about the RPi add-on RB-TV modulator card developed by G4EWJ and supported by the BATC Shop
G4KLB
Posts: 244
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:46 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by G4KLB » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:44 am

Thanks Steve.
That's a lot easer to set up, Evariste has done a good job.
Note by default the PIDs are 512 Video 513 Audio.

I only edited video PID to 256 in rpidatvconfig.txt and now have 256 Video and 257 Audio.

After the initial set up, found I didn't even need to log on! it started to TX what I had previously set in the menu :D
Brilliant, exactly what we wanted.


Well Done Evariste 8-) 8-) 8-)

Colin G4KLB

g8vpg
Posts: 381
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:35 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by g8vpg » Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:18 am

Hi Colin,
I've downloaded v1.2.1 as listed in the previous posting, and written the image file to an SD card. However, I can't find rpidatvconfig.txt using either Windows Explorer or Filezilla. Where did you find it? Its in the directory RpiDATV, but you need to login via PuTTY to see it.
I've managed to get it going using a monitor plugged into the Pi video output and a usb keyboard and mouse. However, I'm stuck in French mode and when I tried to login using PuTTY, they seem to have changed the password from raspberry. The password is now TV
Answers obtained on the SQ net, but I've added them to assist others.
73 Shaun.

g0mjw
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Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by g0mjw » Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:17 pm

G4EWJ wrote:Hi Nigel,

Sorry for the delay. I don't know how I missed this last night. Here are the links to what you need.

You will also need to install the wiringPi utility from the web. http://wiringpi.com/download-and-install/

This is the RPi software that only lets you replay transport stream files rather than use the camera. I must admit to being slightly out of touch with the full software for the camera. Perhaps Noel could comment.

Brian

http://tinyurl.com/DigiThin-Hardware

http://tinyurl.com/DigiThin-dsPIC-Software

http://tinyurl.com/DigiThin-RPi-Software
Any updates on this before I start on a build?

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by G4EWJ » Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:54 pm

Ignore the DigiThin-RPi-Software and wiringPi links and use the RPi SD card image from F5OEO, which has the camera software already installed.

A ground strap from the exposed pad under the DigiThin LO input to the RPi network connector case is recommended.

Brian

http://f5oeo.fr/RpiDATV1.2.1.img.zip

g8gtz
Posts: 1733
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by g8gtz » Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:55 pm

A few more tips - these work, as I built a new one this morning.

Down load the software from the link in Brian's post and create an SD image using win32diskimager = http://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/

Connect using Putty or directly and log in:
User = pi
Password = tv

This will boot the install menu - choose English (or French). It will reboot and take a couple of minutes. If you have an si570 local oscillator, copy Brian's program using an FTP program in to the home/pi/RpiDATV directory.

Re-connect using putty or a monitor and log in again - type "cd RpiDATV"

Start the si570 on 146.5 MHz (or wherever) using Brian's command line.

Now type "./gbmenu.sh"

This will start the RpiDATV menu. It will give a status screen and by default is running in Ugly mode at 1Msymbol using Evariste's callsign in the SI.

Press return to enter the menu and to use with Digithin set the following:

select source select using up down keys and press return - hopefully you will have a camera connected, if not you need a .ts file recorded at the right bit rate for 333 Ksymbols = 460 Kbit/s.

Up down to select the camera, hit space bar and then return. Should return you to the status menu.

Hit return and now select output select
Select symbol rate and enter 333

Takes you back to the status screen - hit return and select output select again
Select output mode and hit return
Several interesting choices including BATV stream, DTX1, DATV express, direct RF on 437 = ugly mode and Digithin which is the one you want - space bar and return.

This should now be driving the Digithin card and the Digithin thin LED should be flashing at 1 second intervals.

The display on a spectrum analyser (or SDR#) etc will change from a carrier to a modulated signal.

You probably want to change the callsign using the 3rd option.

The RpiDATV program will now boot to this state every time and you do not need to connect to configure it, however you will need to autorun the si570 program.

Hope this helps

73

Noel - G8GTZ

g0mjw
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Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by g0mjw » Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:05 pm

Actually my question was not about software but building the hardware. The instructions are fairly sparse. You really need to know what it looks like before you start. A few photos would help a lot.

Mike

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by G4EWJ » Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:47 pm

There's a photo of the top here. I'll do a photo of the underside.

Brian

http://www.batc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=4142

G1LWX
Posts: 75
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:10 pm

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by G1LWX » Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:57 pm


G4EWJ
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Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by G4EWJ » Wed Aug 19, 2015 7:16 pm

Here's the underside. The lighting in here isn't very good. I'll replace it with a better one tomorrow.

Brian
100_0237a.jpg
100_0237a.jpg (130.13 KiB) Viewed 378410 times

g0mjw
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Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 am

Re: DigiThin - Pre-production Info

Post by g0mjw » Thu Aug 20, 2015 7:04 am

Thanks - that's really helped. Especially with respect to what to do with the connector

Mike

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