h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Does anyone know how you would go about linking a pin-hole circuit board camera to SCART via a wireless link. I've seen a some tx/rx chips availiable that have a 10mbps transfere rate and cover enough distance what else would i need?? is it relatively easy to connect the camera circuit board & power to the tx chip and scart & power to the rx?

camera to SCART - that's easy. The output of the camera is more than likely 1vpp. The video input on the SCART is none other than 1vpp.

TX/RX chips. There are all sorts of varieties of TX/RX pairs. Any clue as to what you want to use? The camera is essentially an analogue device from an I/O point of view. You will need to convert this to data before transmitting it. You will also need to convert it back to plug it into the SCART socket.

It's (relatively) easy if you know how. What is the depth of your electonics knowledge? It wont be a question of off the shelf kit, you'll need to build it.

Liam.

I've got a fairly good understanding of electronic's (it's been a few years since i studied it......A-level Physics & and a Manufacture Engineering HND) + I have a few people who could help me out if I get stuck. So in theory i would need a camera, something to convert the signal and a transmitter, then a receiver, something to convert the signal back and then a SCART connection?

I'll have to have a look at my RS catalogue and see if i can list a few components that I could use.

Yep, that's about it. I'll have a root around in RS and see what I can find.

In the mean time update your personal space (by clicking Edit my Page). Then an ACE can come along and officially welcome you to H2G2. You can also change your name from Researcher 224044 to something more interesting by going through the Preferences link.



Liam.

I've had a look through RS and i'm having trouble identifying a cheap DAC, any idea's?

It might help if i explain what i'm trying to do.....

Essentially the idea is to mount a wireless camera on a remote control car and see if you can drive it from a tv screen, i've done a basic experiment using a B/w board camera on a long cable and it seems to work ok, but as you can imagine having a cable running from the back of the car is not ideal. Hopefully i want to try and get 2 cars running on different frequencies so that you can race them.

can you point me in the right direction, regarding the converter?

Also which way around is it, does the board camera produce an analog signal and the transmitter sends a digital signal, or the other way around?

I have seen domestic tv devices, to retransmit from the scart socket.
This must have a built in transcoder, and rf transmiter.

I have never taken one apart so do not know haw large the electronic package is?

Lightman

The camera board itself is about 3cm by 3 cm and has 4 wires running off it (i'm guessing 1 for audio, 2 for b & w TV signal and 1 for earth/neutral) it is then connected to a scart via an analog telephone connection which plugs into an adapter on the scart.

In theory could i cut the cable in two, then add a transmitter on 1 end and a receiver on the other? or would it still require something to convert & re-convert the signal?

Lets see, you have got a BW camera with four (4) leads.
You have managed to wire it up by cable.
The camera would need a supply ( to feed the thing).
My guess you have managed this, or it is driven by cypdomantic base lines ( they were last year very popular on the Andromeda rim).
The camara gives a Video signal of some kind, probably Earth based late 60's last century.
Two wires left, drop one to the ground you can minus it.
The other one is left.
Some Mega Electronic shops sell some black boxes used to
connect your video to the bedroom. Last known price was
50 of your eath coin units ( I do not remember wat major
type it was they were metal anyway).
These boxes official need a high indicisive voltage of low frequency.
You can leave this part out for your car, just use the thiny input marked -C-+ where external can be dropped to the ground.
The rectangular box of 333,333,333,333,3 molecules in length (.05 of your metric units), can be placed inside the mobius box on the back of the car.
Keep in Mind the Telluran traders will drop an eye on what you are doing and sell the transmissions you make All over this world.
Next would be to connect the signal from the camera to pin 19 (video in Scart) and drop pin21 to the ground.
It comes in handy to wipe all the pins and leads from the ground and drop them to the Min put of your battery pack.

This way you would be set up to start your own broadcast to be received on alpha CentaurII in about 4 of your years.
I will be pleased to tell some of the guys there I spoke the driver.

The four wires will be power (x2) and signal (x2).
If you don't have any documentation it may be possible to work out which wire is which.

First, the cables are usually colour coded. Red for +ve, black for -ve. White or yellow is usually signal whereas whatever is left will be the signal ground. It's unlikely there will be any audio on the camera.

Second, and this could be quite dangerous for your kit so if it breaks consider this a disclaimer, the -ve power should run (follow the tracks on the board) to a fairly thick (compared to everything else on the board) track. The +ve will usually run (again - following the track) to a component - possibly a diode to stop you from reversing the voltage.
Having found those you can try the two signal cables either way round. Though if you look carefully the signal ground will probably run to the thick track that the -ve power runs to.

Now converting the signal could be easier than I had imagined. I was in PC World over the weekend and they had a TV transmitter for home use. I didn't see if it took a video input (the magic figures you are looking for are 1vpp 75ohm). Have a look in your local Maplin as well.

Liam.