How to digitize the VGA output using FPGA?

Test01

unread,

Sep 18, 2011, 10:49:30 AM9/18/11

to

I would like to know if there is a development kit and documentation
available to digitize the VGA siganls to create the a digital video
fram using FPGA.

I see lot of fpga applications that generate VGA output but I am
looking for an application that can take VGA input. This may require
external A/D converters.

Thanks.

scrts

unread,

Sep 18, 2011, 11:57:16 AM9/18/11

to

"Test01" <cpa...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b686ac06-9a75-4bd4...@w8g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...

Check here:
http://www.analog.com/en/analog-to-digital-converters/video-decoders/products/index.html
http://focus.ti.com/paramsearch/docs/parametricsearch.tsp?family=analog&familyId=375&uiTemplateId=NODE_STRY_PGE_T

Test01

unread,

Sep 18, 2011, 2:06:12 PM9/18/11

to

On Sep 18, 10:57 am, "scrts" <mailsoc@[remove@here]gmail.com> wrote:
> "Test01" <cpan...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

>
> news:b686ac06-9a75-4bd4...@w8g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>
> >I would like to know if there is a development kit and documentation
> > available to digitize the VGA siganls to create the a digital video
> > fram using FPGA.
>
> > I see lot of fpga applications that generate VGA output but I am
> > looking for an application that can take VGA input. This may require
> > external A/D converters.
>
> > Thanks.
>

> Check here:http://www.analog.com/en/analog-to-digital-converters/video-decoders/...http://focus.ti.com/paramsearch/docs/parametricsearch.tsp?family=anal...

Thanks for the link. More importantly, is there FPGA development
board with this analog chips that I can use for development purposes?

Ideally I am looking for a board that can take in 15 pin VGA connector
as input. This iis analog RGB signs get converted into 24 bit digital
output and is fed to the FPGA with DDR3 interface.

Test01

unread,

Sep 18, 2011, 2:35:41 PM9/18/11

to

On Sep 18, 1:06 pm, Test01 <cpan...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Sep 18, 10:57 am, "scrts" <mailsoc@[remove@here]gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > "Test01" <cpan...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:b686ac06-9a75-4bd4...@w8g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>
> > >I would like to know if there is a development kit and documentation
> > > available to digitize the VGA siganls to create the a digital video
> > > fram using FPGA.
>
> > > I see lot of fpga applications that generate VGA output but I am
> > > looking for an application that can take VGA input. This may require
> > > external A/D converters.
>
> > > Thanks.
>

> > Check here:http://www.analog.com/en/analog-to-digital-converters/video-decoders/......

>
> Thanks for the link. More importantly, is there FPGA development
> board with this analog chips that I can use for development purposes?
>
> Ideally I am looking for a board that can take in 15 pin VGA connector
> as input. This iis analog RGB signs get converted into 24 bit digital
> output and is fed to the FPGA with DDR3 interface.

There hardware from bittec/altera at this link that takes in DVI 29
pin connector. It seems to include analog RGB signal inputs also. So
in that case DVI connector is superset of VGA connector And this
particular board can digitize the VGA video. In other words I should
be able to use this board as a reference board. Does that make sense?

http://www.bitec.ltd.uk/hsmc_dvi_1080p_csc_c120.pdf

Thanks for your help.

backhus

unread,

Sep 19, 2011, 1:52:44 AM9/19/11

to

On 18 Sep., 20:06, Test01 <cpan...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Sep 18, 10:57 am, "scrts" <mailsoc@[remove@here]gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > "Test01" <cpan...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:b686ac06-9a75-4bd4...@w8g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>
> > >I would like to know if there is a development kit and documentation
> > > available to digitize the VGA siganls to create the a digital video
> > > fram using FPGA.
>
> > > I see lot of fpga applications that generate VGA output but I am
> > > looking for an application that can take VGA input. This may require
> > > external A/D converters.
>
> > > Thanks.
>

> > Check here:http://www.analog.com/en/analog-to-digital-converters/video-decoders/......

>
> Thanks for the link. More importantly, is there FPGA development
> board with this analog chips that I can use for development purposes?
>
> Ideally I am looking for a board that can take in 15 pin VGA connector
> as input. This iis analog RGB signs get converted into 24 bit digital
> output and is fed to the FPGA with DDR3 interface.

Hi,
there are some Boards available from Xilinx. e.g. the ML506.
This board provides the 15pin VGA in and a DVI-I for output purposes
(Analog & Digital).

Of course, this board is not cheap.

Have a nice synthesis
Eilert

Morten Leikvoll

unread,

Sep 19, 2011, 4:02:47 AM9/19/11

to

"Test01" <cpa...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:5c7fd64e-6027-4e2b...@o15g2000vbe.googlegroups.com...

>There hardware from bittec/altera at this link that takes in DVI 29
>pin connector. It seems to include analog RGB signal inputs also. So
>in that case DVI connector is superset of VGA connector And this
>particular board can digitize the VGA video. In other words I should
>be able to use this board as a reference board. Does that make sense?
>http://www.bitec.ltd.uk/hsmc_dvi_1080p_csc_c120.pdf

I would strongly avoid the digitizing process if you can. If it is
acceptable for you to work with digital (DVI/HDMI or Displayport), I would
recommend that. The process of correctly digitizing an analogue video signal
is hard to get right because finding the correct sampling frequency and
phase is difficult and often a manual process. Some of the problems you will
meet (especially at higher VGA resolution) are:
-sampling frequency can not be directly decided without visual trial and
failure
-digitizing phase is cable length sensitive
-bad SNR (pixels are not square at analogue level. Transmission lines are
more critical than for analogue viewing).