Customized Controller Solutions wrote: > Try the LM1889. I think that is the correct part number for >modulation on CH 3 VHF. You can get them nearly anywhere(Not Radio >Shack) that has the ECG line or the NTE line of parts. > >A good book for the principles involved in this type of a project is: > >"The cheap video cookbook" by Don Lancaster > >I just searched for the proper name of the above book. No luck finding >it at: > >Don Lancaster's Home Page >http://www.tinaja.com/ > >At 04:36 PM 3/17/97 -0800, you wrote: >> I need to output characters to a TV using a PIC, I want to use >>an external IC. What types of ICs are available to do this, where can I >>get them, what features do they have, and how hard is it to get the first >>character on the screen? >> Thanks, Phil Try searching on "on screen display" or "OSD" with companies like Philips, Toshiba etc. This should find you some of the self-contained display chips that are used to put programming info on TV screens for VCR's etc. Example part numbers (Philips) are PCA8514/15/16. These are 24-pin devices that are intended for serial interface to a micro and do all character generation etc in colour plus support genlocking for overlay onto an existing video signal. How much? Don't know - not even sure if you can buy them in one's. The data sheets mention various "mask options" which implies LARGE order quantities. However, I would assume these are used in Philips VCR's so they may be available as spare parts. This is on my "List of things to follow up when I have time" - the list is getting longer every day :-) BTW - The "Cheap Video Cookbook" and "Son of Cheap Video" by Don Lancaster make interesting reading but more in teh historical sense. They present schemes for generating video by tapping directly into the address and data busses of a microprocessor system (most of the examples are 6502 based KIM-1's - ie late 1970's). These sort of techniques are obviously impossible in a Harvard architecture like the PIC and probably unneccesary when OSD chips and the like are available. Just my opinion of course :-) Good luck - hope this info is helpful. Best regards, Dominic ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dominic Peterson Email: d.peterson@qut.edu.au Systems Analyst Ph: +61 (07) 3864 4286 Queensland University of Technology Fax: +61 (07) 3864 4490 Brisbane, Australia "Dominic is a fool and his views not only don't represent those of QUT or any of it's employees, but furthermore we refuse to admit he even works for the University, let alone that he knows anything relevant. Don't trust him and don't lend him money."