This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
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Hilary, You may not be done yet. The SONY monitor has a traditional 75 ohm termination on the composite sync line, just as it has on R, G, & B. The Amiga won't drive this well enough for the Toaster to gen-lock properly. (With such a low line level, the…
Often electrical interference will cause the same moire patterns as you see with optical interference. It's easy to check out – move cables, change computers, feed NTSC straight in.
Trent, Since you're not using the Toaster, the basic C= adapter should work fine in your application. If the lack of cable shielding becomes a problem, try some creative cable routing to try to get it away from the noise source (switching power supplies, AC line cords, disk drive motors).…
The Sync Strainer is available from dealers that buy through CEI, MicroPace, or American Software. You can also buy direct at 1 800 356 8863 (Pacific Time office hours). $59 list, discounted somewhat on the street. The Sync Strainer does the job of the basic Commodore adapter until a gen-lock…
Actually, we did all of our R&D on the Sync Strainer using the Mitsubishi Diamondscan monitor. If any monitor works with the Sync Strainer, the Diamondscan does! ___ /__) ,_ _ _ _/__) / /__/ /_ /_-' PreVue Technologies
I may have missed something earlier in this thread but I recall that you have nothing connected to the 23-pin Video Port (since you have a Flicker Fixer). The Toaster really needs to have terminations on each of the Video Port's Red, Green, and Blue lines. Without these 75 ohm…
Steve, Is this for all CG rendering or just rolls and crawls? If you have problems with all CG color fills, I would say your problem is in the software/control realm. If you're unable to fill rolls and crawls, this may well be hardware. (Toaster/Amiga hardware provides the matte fill…
Wellll, it could be that the Toaster is not getting a good lock onto the input 1 reference. As a test, remove input 1 altogether and then start Toaster. Does your system lock properly as viewed on both monitors? If the displays are still a-hoppin' and a-skippin', the only thing…
George, It sounds like the monitor is having trouble with H sync. If the 1950 is a little late in detecting H sync, it will clamp (that is, zero out the video circuitry) on active video instead of black. (Black is at zero volts, relatively speaking.) When the monitor clamps…
Dave, Your monitor is coming unlocked (and whining) when those horizontal lines appear. The big question is why this is happening. When does it happen? When you're running Toaster? What kind of monitor are you using? A single-scan, fixed-frequency unit? Or a multi-scan unit? For whatever reason, the H sync…
The Y/C Plus people make a box that takes care of the pre-roll for GPI's. They are in Topeka KS.
That's it – 8 and, optionally, 10 data lines plus one clock. Each data line and clock has an inverted signal paired with it. Therefore, those 11 pairs pretty much use up your standard DB25 connector. The remaining lines are grounds. Within the data stream, various words have various meanings.…
More accurately, D2 is a tape format based upon digitized composite video sampled at a 4x subcarrier rate (14.3MHz). Digital composite video can be sent in parallel (DB25 connector) or serially (BNC connector). While the Toaster _does_ have the digital video in about the correct format, it lacks the "housekeeping"…
Thomas, The best solution I've seen so far that doesn't involve scan doubling is monitors with long-persistance phosphors. These phosphors "hold" their photon charge long enough that there is little decay between fields. Some phosphors, though, can be so long that any reasonable screen rewrite (say closing a Workbench window)…
Erik, Yes in both cases. Pin 15 of the Amiga video port is a 3.58 MHz square wave that is just waving in the breeze. Without any load, its full 5v signal is cross-talking into its two closest neighbors, Red and Green. If only 1% of that signal is coupled,…
Thomas, You, and your dealer, are correct – the Sync Strainer is only necessary when the Amiga is genlocked. The Toaster is a good example of an ins application that would benefit from a Sync Strainer. For background information, the Amiga generally produces the vital H- and V-sync signals that…
I just had a thought: when you reboot, are you doing a warm boot (three finger salute at the keyboard) or are you doing a cold boot (power off, power on)? Many genlocks (especially the Toaster) will survive a warm boot. When Amiga sees a genlock active, it suppresses any…
Right, but at least you won't have any AT cards hogging up space where a Zorro card could go. You might ask them if they have any extension capablilities for Zorro slots.
There is a company in Gardena CA call Ambitious Technologies that offers a PC tower configured for integrating your A4000 guts. You end up with lots of power, lots of space, and lots of slots. Their numbers are: 310 532 0787 (voice) and 310 532 0785 (fax).
At this point, I would say that the Free-Run Frequency is off, perhaps way off. Jerry Hatchett recommended in another posting to run the Amiga for an hour or so to warm it up; this has the effect of analog circuit characteristics enough to let it gen-lock. You COULD try…
Nick, Try this: disconnect all four inputs to the Toaster card and then double-click Start Toaster. If Toaster _does_ work after this, then the problem is a misadjustment of the Free-Run Frequency. If you still have problems with Toaster Not Responding, then it's time to look at the monitor you're…
Dave, We at PreVue Technologies have worked out a "field mod" (OK, it's a hack) that will balance DV1 and DV2 to each other. It does require someone skilled in the electronic arts and it does mean you are modifying your Video Toaster. Basically, the mod calls for biasing DV2…
A500 System/1084 monitor
Message #146929
The 1084 scans at 15.7kHz H scan rate only. This makes it usable for only the ancient CGA display standard of about 10 years ago. Any PC you would likely encounter today will not work with your 1084. On the other hand, the 1084 is highly desired within the Video…
#C.C. Monitors
Message #146928
Creative Equipment Inc. of Miami Florida is selling a monitor called the 1962. From all reports, it's real, it's available, it's a good solution. I understand it's a tri-sync model, capable of 15.7kHz (good for Toaster), 31.4kHz, and one other H scan rate. I, too, hear of the Electrohome connection,…
What do you mean "doubled images"? Do you get two very narrow images side by side, with a black line down the middle? Or, do you get the left and right halves sort of interleaved in one, big confusing display? It sounds like the FlickerFixer is doubling the image for…
The Sync Strainer re-generates the necessary H and V sync signals for multi-sync monitors. The monitors still must be able to sync down to an H rate of 15.7kHz. And even then, you will be looking at NTSC video, complete with interlace flicker if field 1 and field 2 are…
I understand InnoVision (Broadcast Titler II, MONTAGE) is coming out with a ToasterPaint replacement called Alpha Paint. You might want to check it out with them.
One problem with disabling the "normal" 1084 interface is that you deprive the Toaster of one of its main data feeds from the Amiga. The Amiga can only communicate with the Toaster with the video port and the parallel port; there is no direct (Zorro) bus interface. NewTek puts lots…
What do you mean "all the DV channels are locked"? Except for that, do things work OK (considering)?
Yes, every rasterized image has a Vertical rate and a Horizontal rate associated with it. (Sometimes it helps to know whether an image is interlaced or progressively scanned.) Unfortunately, many computer store "sales associates" don't understand the numbers or requirements. Many also assume that if it can do, say, 31kHz…
My keyboard mostly works except that, after a fall from table height, the left ALT key went flying. (Makes it real tough to do a Toaster CTL-CTL-ALT-ALT.) With only one good switch plunger (I have the keycap), it'll be as good as new. So, what's a plunger worth? Good question.…
You're right to be careful. You really need to assess what scan rates your software needs, and this includes even the Amiga Workbench at boot up. For example, the Video Toaster runs at NTSC rates, which means a V rate of 60 Hz (easy to find) and an H rate…
Ahem, tap – tap – tap . . . is this thing on? PreVue Technologies makes a number of Video Toaster add-on products: BreadBoard: three delay lines plus two more distribution amps. Good for timing video sources in systems where there is also a downstream switcher. It also pulls off…
As for expansion chassis, Ambitious Technologies (Gardena, CA; area code 310) makes one. Essentially you move all of your A4000 guts into this hugh tower chassis that has room for drives, power to run them, and slots for everything.
No, we're not that PreVue. And we certainly wouldn't have our systems dying so visibly.
No, actually I'm with PreVue Technologies. As a filler of slots, I like to keep up with ways to get more slots. They can be reached at: 310 532 0787 (voice) or 310 532 0785 (fax) in the Los Angeles area. From what I hear from our mutual dealers, it's…
The slot spacings are the same – 3/4". The 2000 does have narrower slot openings to the outside world, though. Since you're going to a wider opening, you shouldn't have any problems. As an aside, this is exactly what Ambitious Technologies has done in order to provide a roll-your-own 4000…
Dominick, If I can infer that you have a dead keyboard, would you want to part with it? Mine is slowly dying and, between the two, I think I can get one good working unit. Let me know. ___ /__) ,_ _ _ _/__) / /__/ /_ /_-'
I'm sorry . . . er, happy to hear all is well with your keyboard.
The matching of DV1 to DV2 is done purely in hardware by soldering a bias resistor directly to your Toaster board. This, of course, violates warranties and risks some real damage to your Toaster if done improperly. The fix was developed for the original Toaster and hasn't been verifed for…
Hilary, If you end up replacing your old Amiga keyboard, I'd like to get a hold of it for spare parts. With yours and mine together, I should be able to cobble up a working unit. ___ /__) ,_ _ _ _/__) / /__/ /_ /_-'
What, exactly, do you want to match? If you want to match Background Mattes, there is a handle on that through the ARexx port. The Toaster is capable of generating 4096 different color backgrounds, providing you communicate WHICH background through an ARexx message. PreVue Technologies makes a control panel that…
No. But the 1084 is worth just about the same as a VGA monitor if you can find someone to do a trade. The 1084's have become unobtainable and are still in high demand.
You have three elements that are all suspect until proven sound – monitor, cable, and computer. The fastest method to try is parts substitution; swap out the various pieces until you find which one is faulty. If I had to guess, I would say it's the A1200.
You might want to consider the A3000T (Tower); it gives you lots of room for add-on cards as well as a scan doubler ("flicker free video"). Memory and CPU horsepower can easily be bought as you see fit. Once you talk to a few LW3D users, you'll find out about…
If you have a bright white spot in the middle of your screen, that would indicate that you lost both H and V drivers. Or, then again, perhaps something upstream of H and V blew, like your high voltage power supply. Still, it shouldn't take too much to fix it.
As I understand it, when a monitor "blows", it's usually one of the output driver transistors that popped – too much heat. You should be able to get it fixed without too much trouble. Considering the dearth of multi-sync monitors today, please do not trash your monitor. The Amiga marketplace…
To time the two machines into two Toasters, the Toast Timer is NOT going to do the job for you. In that example, you will need to delay the tape machine video going to the 2nd Toaster. This delay is essentially in parallel with the 1st Toaster; in this manner,…
I'm coming into this thread a little late, so all I caught was some mention of the Toast Timer. If what someone is after is a means of timing the Toaster to a video system, then the Toast Timer will do the trick ($298). Think of it as adding H…
With nothing connected to the Toaster's inputs, only two causes come to mind for your Toaster Not Responding message. One cause might be that adjustment screw on the side of the board. (Adjusting that one takes a lot of patience plus it almost needs to be close to working in…
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