I have some new experience. I found a "source" on the web with company batches for the RTD2660 for various dies. I first checked if any of them would run on my matrix. After flipping a dozen or so batches through my flash, one started up that gives a better picture than the original one. It has a different menu and no manual scaling of any image parameters or OSD. On VGA the setup is automatic and effective. On AV nothing is adjusted. The image from contemporary sources is correct, Colour reproduction is better on AV (?).
And now for the most important thing. None of the batches I checked opened on the Configuration Program. Out of curiosity I tested one batch each from a group of different resolutions and types. A total of up to 30 bins.
The conclusions are obvious. I think the author owes us an explanation of how it really is with this Configuration Program.
The conclusions follow. I think the author owes us an explanation of how it really is with this Configuration Program.
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I agree. I've been going through a few forums on the subject. This programme really does not work for everyone. And as it turns out, there are many versions of this board, with not all being suitable for change. This week I will check my "iron" in this respect. The last time I did this was quite a while ago.
Andrey. I too have read the statements in many different sources on Russian forums. Although it is more difficult for me, because I don't understand all the phrases from the Russian technical dialect, and the Google translator in general gets silly. Valerium writes that the board model doesn't matter "green" or "blue" they differ in peripherals and each RTD2660 works similarly. My experience so far confirms this. I already have three softwares that I upload to my flash and they work just fine.
I am not a computer scientist. But the route I have taken to get these programs working leads to several conclusions. Disclaimer, I am not an expert, these are just my guesses.
1.Soft will only work if it is dedicated to the matrix in question, or if it is from a different matrix but fits it. It is hard to tell when the matrix I (you) own is "no name" and the only thing that matches is the number of pins on the tape.
2.I believe that all the softwares that Configuration Program opens are already properly prepared by their author(s) beforehand. I think so because I was tempted to open the two posted Pretty Codes, in the software buffer for my RT809F programmer. In the ASCII editor, I found there the MY PANEL names, available in the said configuration program, and which I did not find in the softwares from my board. I think they are not in the other firmware either. What this means is that the author of the program did indeed decode the soft for this board, but in order for the configuration program to open it, he placed tags accordingly in the soft itself.
3.The author of the program (Valerium) and a few others have uploaded some batches to the board, developed for several dies (there is a file with 7 mods), which submit to processing, no others unfortunately.
It's a pity that for some reason "outsiders" can't register on ZX-PK, because I would have asked the authors directly for answers.
I have one more idea, but I won't have time to experiment until tonight.
It's been a few days, including the weekend, and silence here. 17 people are watching.
I'm writing this so that no one is fooled into thinking that snap.... and everything works.
I spent the whole weekend, testing different batches and different settings with negative results.
To start any fun with the RTD2660 software, in my case PCB800099-V.9, it takes a bit of preparation to know that what is uploaded to the flash is uploaded correctly and without interference. On Russian sites, which are the main source of material used by the author of this topic, the vast majority want to make a USB-enabled programmer by force. This brings a whole lot of trouble. Also, using an Arduino as a programmer, doesn't always work.
As I've written before, I still keep old laptops, and even one desktop, with old Windows, mainly 98 and XP. For programming I use the printer port (LPT), for which I made a simple programmer, with a logic level converter from 5V to 3.3V. The software for this programmer is in a zipped file attached by the author and this works. You can download a newer version from the web, which has more modern flash in the library, but it is also possible to program on the old version. Of course, the program works in DOS. Although it is supposedly compatible with 98 and even XP. I haven't tried it. In DOS you only need to know the basics of the program syntax, the rest is in the programmer's directions. It works, it works well, every time with no misrepresentation.
Now the thing to consider is what kind of matrix I want to connect. I bought the first matrix off the shelf, the cheapest one. The matrix connects directly via TTL and works immediately. It is likely that the uploaded software supports several matrices available on a "well-known portal". I also connected a matrix from a LP150X06-A2 laptop via LVDS, because I had one. Of course I converted the original cable so that it could be connected to the board and fired up the inverter, as it was still a fluorescent matrix. I fed the supply voltages from an external power supply, just in case I didn't screw up the board if it turned out that more current was needed.
If someone wants to use their own matrix, they need to see first how it is controlled, by TTL or by LVDS. Not many batches for the RTD2660 support both types. One has to find software for the type one has (the best way), or after the main die catalogue data try the most similar batch.
For the small matrix, after TTL I have 3 different batches that work. The only thing I haven't checked is the HDMI input, but that's not relevant for now. For the matrix from a laptop I also found a batch and it works very nicely too.
However, we are talking all the time about firmware dedicated to the RTD2660. The Configuration Program or, as its author called it, Conftool, was created to modify the batch, so that the matrix could be controlled with other codes, so that the image parameters could be processed, especially for the so-called retro computers, ZX-SPECTRUM, ATARI etc., which worked on low resolutions with different line and frame frequencies than today's computers.
Demo batches in Pretty Codes are included with the program. Several others can also be found on the ZX-PK, including one that includes settings for up to 7 matrices.
Here a note of caution. These are not universal presets, but dedicated to the matrices the program's creator had available.
The first thing I noticed is that they are dedicated to LVDS mode only, so experimenting with them in TTL mode won't do anything. Only temporary matrix flares.
The only plus of the configuration program is that it opens the batches, posted by the author, but that's the end of the fun. I tried to configure the batch, in terms of my matrix, according to the manufacturer's specifications and this did not help. I have tried all sorts of different settings and nothing. The matrix remains dark. Hence the conclusion. For my matrix, I need to be able to configure a batch dedicated to it, which already works, and not some first-of-its-kind that has the same resolution specified. Although I am not saying definitively that this cannot happen. In my case, however, it did not work.
Why can't you configure the batch read from the board, or the firmware available on the net for the matrix you have. The answer is in the ZX-PK forum. I quote the translation of the statement of the creator of the program kol Walerium : "To do this, it is enough to add some tag strings to existing data structures"! But I came to this conclusion before, only that I had no confirmation.
For me, this is already a higher school of thought. Of course, I'll try to get some knowledge of how it's done, but if I'd known all this before, as I've written about here, I wouldn't have bothered.
Sorry.
I find it strange that a few readers immediately said that there was no point, because you can find ready-made solutions. Others have tried and failed. I am sorry. When I find a new board I will continue to experiment and maybe find a solution.
Andrey!
There is nothing to apologise for here, but it speaks well of your personal culture.
I suggest you talk to your compatriots, from the ZX-PK forum, especially the author of the program. Maybe he can give us a hint, because they don't want to register me on this forum.
I suggest you talk to your compatriots, from the ZX-PK forum, especially the author of the program. Maybe he can give us some hints, because they don't want to register me on this forum.
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I have written in Telegram to the Administrator. I am waiting for a reply.
Let me summarise, although this is not my article.
After a few days of experimenting with the "Configuration Program", I can already say that:
- the program does not configure ANY fimware for PCB800099-V.9, nor for any other boards
- all available bins, available in Pretty Codes and on the ZX-PK forum, there are 6 in total, although some of them are duplicated under different names, one batch, which has 7 different mods, for 7 different input signals, have the SAME common program controlling the matrix, coming from a DELL ST2320L monitor, M2NN61A6ERKL, 1280x800, 1 channel, 8 bit. All subsequent batches are identical, except for some values in the 'Configuration Program' in the MY PANEL tabs. All these batches ( actually one) are opened and configurable by the program. However, the program is not protected against misconfigurations and in many cases it simply crashes or works badly.
- each batch has only the VGA input and LVDS output active, the other inputs, i.e. AV1,AV2,HDMI and TTL output are inactive, the configuration program does not edit them
As I wrote, I tested a 1024x768, 1ch,6bit matrix. The matrix on this firmware board runs great. The bins that are intended for 1ch,8bit have wrong colours, although the image is quite correct (but this is understandable). Therefore, I think that if someone wants to use a matrix from an old laptop or monitor, there are a lot of firmware bins on the web and surely something can be chosen, and one should remember about the right LVDS cable for the matrix.
My matrix also started on this batch, but not on its basic resolution, but on the basic resolution of the configurable batch, i.e. 1280x800. It was necessary to change a few parameters in MY PANEL, even against logic, but the correct image appeared, slightly shifted to the right and of course of too large size, OSD appeared, practically all functions worked from the MENU, except for the colour adjustment (bargraphs move, but the function does not work). The colour is wrong, but this is because the batch controls 1ch,8bit and the matrix has 6bit. And nothing can be done about it anymore. Not much can be adjusted in the setup program itself either, because the bin immediately dumps.
It has to be said honestly, that the configuration program works, but in a very narrow range, with the author's bins and matrix from 1280x800 upwards (but I don't know this for sure and I won't check anymore), 1ch,8bit.
The discussion revolves around the challenges of connecting retro computers to modern displays, particularly focusing on the use of laptop matrices and the RTD2660 module. Users express concerns about the compatibility of newer monitors with older graphics modes, particularly those operating at 15 kHz, which were common in retro computing. Some participants mention specific models of monitors and TVs that still support older connections like VGA, SCART, and RCA. There is also interest in building custom monitors using available components, but concerns about the practicality and cost-effectiveness of such projects are raised. Additionally, users share experiences with various adapters and configurations for retro computing setups. Summary generated by the language model.
