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GG Platform Proto VGA-A/V Module

The GG Platform Proto VGA-A/V is an multi-IO board based upon Gadget Gangster Platform board form factor. It is a standard straight forward protyping board adaptation with the following features:

• standard Propeller based VGA circuit/connector with the Demo Board standard base at Pin 16
• two standard Propeller based PS2 circuits/connectors with the Demo Board standard Pins at 24/25 and 26/27
• standard Propeller based NTSC Composite video circuit with the Demo Board standard base at Pin 12
• standard Propeller based mono sound circuit with the base at Pin 11
• video and sound are brought out to an A/V connector (3.5 mmm stereo headphone jack) that follows the same pin out as the Propeller Backpack. RCA to Stereo adapter cables and/or dongles can be bought at any Radio Shack.
• there is access and prototyping area for Pins 0..10 which are unused on this board

Professionally fabricated double sided PCB, with plated through holes, green solder mask, and white silkscreening

Complete kit with PCB, resistors, capacitors, VGA , 2 PS2, A/V and male platform connectors

All done ordering? Be sure to check out shipping surcharges

GG Platform VGA-A/V Assembly Instructions and Tips

This is the A/V connector. It is a standard 3.5 mm stereo phone jack. As you look at it, left to right, pins 5, 4, 1 (rear), 3, and 2. Pins 4 and 3 are not used but get soldered for mechanical strength. Pins 5, 3, and 2 have bent pins. Before inserting use a pair of needle nose pliers to straighten the bends

The PS2 Mouse and Keyboard connectors. There are two. Depending on which lot of parts you get there may or may not be the two extra grounding lugs to the shell shown in this picture. These two extra will have to be carefully cut off. You have six fragile pins in a "C" pattern, if one is a little crooked they won't go in. Line up the row of 4 and then wiggle and jiggle until the others drop in. Don't force it ... have patience. It will go in!

The HD15 VGA connector. If you were driven mildly batty by the PS2 connectors, hang on to your hat! The HD15 has three rows of 5 pins each, offset from each other. The trick is to get the front or back 5 lined up and wiggle and jiggle the rest into line. The patience of a saint, while not required, is helpful. Its a matter of getting each group of 5 aligned for its row then placing one set of 5 in its holes and then wiggle/jiggle the other rows into place. Between an earlier product, the prototypes and these production boards I have done this two dozen times: fastest time two minutes, slowest time ten minutes. The thing is that the end comes fast, one second you are wondering if it will ever go in, the next second -pop- its in!

With all the connectors in place solder every pin and ground lug to the PCB

Inventory the bag with all of the discrete parts. With parts this size its easy to make mistakes and packing them is a mind-numbing task. When in doubt we put extra in to make sure you have enough to do the job. If the parts list calls for 4 and you find 5, its a bonus, BUT, do not go nuts looking for where the extra goes. On the off chance you come up short Contact us and we will send it out ASAP.

Using the parts list below and board layout to the right as a guide, we will place, the resistors and capacitors into their holes and solder. (I suggest 4 at a time; place, bend leads over, check value one more time, solder, the clip excess leads.)

Now we put the finishing touches on by adding the platform connectors if you have a PP or PPSD board already assembled, the easiest way to get the pins aligned is to insert the 1x4 and 1x16 males pins in the appropriate socket headers on the processor board, then place the VGA-A/V board onto the pins and solder. If you don't have a processor board handy, I suggest that you use a breadboard