16 replies to this topic

[monstermind]

ok im wanting to build a card that will accept at least 4 inputs(video) and output to one video wire .like a video switchbox but i need it to switch them through a screen that appers when the card is turned on,it would be a basic 5 button screen,4 buttons activating the video inputs and one for options.i could probly do the screens in visual basic but im not sure where to start on finding such a card or programming it for that matter. any ideas?,id like 3 of the inputs to accept hdmi and 1 to accept comp vga

[dargueta]

I believe that would require writing a device driver, which as far as I know is impossible in Visual Basic. You'll need to learn C and Microsoft's WDK stuff for that.

[monstermind]

ok ill look more into those for a base.but what kind of card should i start with,and what kind of brain should i use? .the card will be independent by that i mean it plugs into a small power supply and everything is stored on the card itself and when plugged into the tv and turned on will display a selection screen,when you select which system you want it to run...any ideas

[dargueta]

Okay, now I have a better idea of what you want. This is not trivial. I strongly recommend you learn a more low-level language, at least C++, and familiarize yourself with basic hardware design before you venture off into things like this.

How much programming experience do you have? Maybe I can point you in the right direction from there.

[monstermind]

not much really.vb is only language ive messed with(not very often).but i pick up on things pretty quick,im trying to design this card for a homade multi-system arcade machine i came up with,but ive got no idea on where to even start on writing the program,and again the matter of what kind of brain to use,and how to flash the program onto the brain.if i cant find a premade card for what i need ill breadboard everything untill i can find a better solution,thanks for the help so far

[dargueta]

How much of this arcade machine do you have designed? And by "designed" I mean more than sketches on the unused side of a napkin.

[monstermind]

lol ive got about 20-25 pages drawn up,(alot of them are exact part schematics for the box).but ive got my controller switchbox designed,3-4 different custom controller boards drawn up,basicly i know almost exactly how i want it .i could even do this without making that card but it would make my work look bad(even if noone ever saw it i would still know lol)

[dargueta]

Hm. But you don't know what processor you want this to run on?

[monstermind]

well i know what the arcade will run on,the card will only control which video output to use.when you turn on the machine the card is the first piece that actually turns on,it brings up the video selection screen,you select which system you want to run and it switches to the corresponding video .ive got everything down exept for the video switch card

[dargueta]

I'd integrate the card into the system and just write a boot-up routine for the main processor that does that. That's how PCs work.

[monstermind]

when i say system im meaning ps3,xbox360,wii and pc.as all 4 will be in the machine.i could run it through the pc that will be in the machine but wouldnt it require the pc to be on and loaded before i could switch video signals?.i could be wrong

[dargueta]

I'm utterly bewildered now. You want to route all four of those to the TV?