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jsanpe edited this page Dec 2, 2021 · 4 revisions

Welcome to the c2c-64 wiki!

!! This wiki is still under construction !! Expect information to be moved around as the content in the wiki grows ;)

Description of the C2C-64 external connectors and buttons

Input and output connections

The C2C board has been designed so each side of board has a different well-defined purpose. In the picture above you can see the input and output connection sides. On the input side we have video input connections for Composite and S-Video. Both can be populated simultaneously, and the video source (described below) can be used to swap between them. On the output side we have the video output connections. Two different types of connectors are provided: 3 RCAs for the three channels (either YPbPr or RGsB) and 1 TRRS 3.5'' minijack. Both carry the exact same signals, but only one should be used at the same time as the outputs are not buffered.

Buttons and UART pins

The C2C board has two additional sides. On the buttons side there are 3 buttons that allow to control different aspects of the C2C:

  • Video Source: Allows to swap between Composite and S-Video inputs. Although both inputs can be connected to different video sources, only one input can be forwarded to the output at a time. When Composite video is selected, there is a Yellow led right next to the button that is switched on. When S-Video is selected, this led is switched off.
  • Menu Up/Down: When the C2C detects the presence of the optional OLED screen, these buttons can be used to navigate through the built-in menu system. To enter the menu, you will need to press both buttons (Up + Down) at the same time. When this event is registered, the OLED screen will display the menu, and the buttons can then be used to browse Up and Down the options. While the Menu mode is enabled, the video source button serves to interact with the menu (changing values and entering sub-menus). The menu mode can only be exited by navigating down to the last item called back from the root menu.

On the UART side of the board, there are 4 pins that allow to connect the board with your computer for different purposes. To this end it is important to know that the MCU works at 3.3V, so you will have to use a USB<->Serial dongle that allows setting the voltage to 3.3.

  • Updating the C2C firmware: The MCU can be preloaded with an arduino bootloader that makes it quite easy to update the firmware. You will need a 3.3V capable FTDI (or analogous) adapter with RTS signal. There are 4 connections that need to be made: Gnd and Rts go the same pins of your FTDI dongle, and Rx and Tx need to go to the opposite pin of the dongle (i.e. Rx <-> Tx and Tx <-> Rx). There will be a full programming guide in this wiki in the next few days.
  • UART-based menu: The menu system available in the optional OLED screen can also be accessed from the UART port. To this end you will need to connect the Gnd, Tx, and Rx pins to your FTDI dongle similarly to how it's explained for updating the firmware (RTS is not required, but cal also be connected). You will need a terminal emulation software compatible with the mcurses library used by the firmware (VT220 recommended). Minicom works great. Set your bps at 38400 and enable color for the best experience.
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