Raspberry Pi model B+ composite/RCA video/audio adapter

With the release of the Raspberry Pi model B+ the previous arrangement from the A/B of having a 3.5mm stereo audio jack and an RCA for video has been changed to a single 3.5mm jack that includes stereo audio and the composite video.

I kept reading online that the arrangement was the same and the iPod and also the Zune so there are loads of cheap cables and adapters out there that work.

After lots of searching I found a number of cables that looked like they would work, but since they were all cheap no specifications for the wiring were listed.

From the Schematic (http://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/schematics/Raspberry-Pi-B-Plus-V1.2-Schematics.pdf) the arrangement needed from tip to base is.

Tip - Audio Left
Band 1 - Audio Right
Band 2 - Ground
Base - Composite Video

It doesn't really matter if the audio connections are reversed as you could just swap the leads, but getting the ground or the composite in the wrong position means no video would be output and in the case of ground no audio also.

So, I went mad and took the plunge to buy a £2.00 adapter from eBay and see if it works.

Here it is plugged into the Raspberry Pi Model B+

RCA/Composite video adapter for Raspberry Pi B+

It covers the HDMI port which isn't a problem. As, when I'm using composite I'm not using HDMI.

I am delighted to say it works perfectly. The wiring is correct. I plugged it into a television and up popped the display from my RetroPie install. Playing Double Dragon on the big screen.

Double Dragon played over composite with stereo audio

The price was only for the adapter, but I had an RCA cable from my kids Karaoke machine, but if you don't have one handy then this one for £1.99 also from eBay would work.

Meaning for £4.00 all in you  have an adaptor for B+ to connect to composite and analogue audio as well as the required connecting cable.

I like that it is a 2 piece configuration as a composite cable can have other uses.  I spliced one before to work with an Arduino and the TV-out Library.

Gathering more bits.

Arduino & TVout Game Columns

After the little bits of coding and small videos that I have posted already I now have a working version of the classic game Columns working on an Arduino using the TVOut Lobrary to drive a composite video display.

I need to do a little cleaning up of the code, but if you want a copy just ask.  Happy to share.

Here's the usual video showing it working.

As promised now that I've tidied up the cdoe a bit here it is.

Update: 6 May 2012: Link to Code
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9935575/Code/Ardunio_TVOut_Columns.zip


Update 8 May 2012 - Added Breadboard Layout using Fritzing

Arduino Uno running TVOut on NextBase Portable DVD player

August last year I posted that I tried the TVOut library with the Arduino but didn't post a video as it was just the usual TVOut demo that I used.

Well, today I again used the standard TVOut Pal Demo but this time something of my own.
We have a NextBase dual screen portable DVD player for keeping the kids occupied in the car. Fantastic invention, would recommend to any parent who has to drive more than an hour with small kids.

While wiring it up I saw the Video port says in/out, so it is Composite, so should work with the Arduino/TVOut combo.

1 re-purposed headphone lead and a couple of resistor later and I had the Arduino outputting video to the NextBase screen.

This means the 14" portable in the garage is now redundant as this is far more compact.

Below is a short video showing it working.

I'd suspect there may be many a household with one of these lying around.  Either with the DVD player part broken or because the kids have upgraded to a Nintendo or iPad.  So, ready to become part of the tinkers box of bits.

Update: I did a bit more coding and managed to creat my own bitmaps and get them to move down the screen.  Not a major achievement but a step in the right direction.

The following video shows it.  There are 6 bitmaps all 7x7.  The program selects a random column to start and then scrolls the graphic down the screen.

Trying to build up to something actually useful.