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UGV Ultimate Gated Video Board​   (this archival information is for an older version)

Go to: NEW and Improved UGV-II Version

NTSC Users: One Simple Modification Required on the Atari Motherboard...

PictureW2 Jumper
Atari for reasons I have yet to discover, decided to put a jumper from the primary crystal oscillator's output over to GTIA's PAL Color Burst Input (pin 16). On an NTSC machine this jumper is normally installed, which is bad news for the PAL detection input on the V-Gate chip. What it means is that the V-Gate chip will think it's in a PAL machine even though it's actually an NTSC. This will have the end result of causing a blue vertical stripe on the left side of the screen, and a red stripe on the right side whenever V-Gate is enabled.

The fix is easy, and amounts to either cutting one lead on the jumper or removing it all together. in either case the jumper was never required, and there will be no detrimental effect to leave it out permanently.

On all XL and XE systems it's identified as 'W2' on the motherboard's silk screen, and is either located close to the main oscillator and crystal on an XL unit, or close to the unpopulated PAL Color Burst oscillator circuit where the 74LS74 would normally be located if it were an XE PAL machine. The 74LS74 is designated as U21 on the 65XE and 130XE, or as U10 on an XEGS.

The 1200XL is the exception to this rule, and although it too has a place for a jumper (designated as 'W10' instead), it apparently was never installed in most, or maybe all of those machines. So no modification is likely to be needed. And lastly the 400/800 series didn't even have a jumper and left the NTSC GTIA pin 16 unconnected, which is what we want.


Original Older UGV Video Board Manufacturing Files
Picture
NOTE: The Value of R16 was Updated on 3/5/2023
Picture


Order Bare Boards From JLCPCB or PCBway
IMPORTANT: Specify 0.8 mm Board Thickness


Picture
55.3 x 28.6
mm PCB


UGV_V1.3_gerbers.zip
File Size: 29 kb
File Type: zip
Download File

UGV_V1.3_2023_schema.pdf
File Size: 135 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

UGV_V1.3_2023_bom.pdf
File Size: 34 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

UGV_firmware.zip
File Size: 43 kb
File Type: zip
Download File



This firmware download contains the JOY2PIC and the standard hex Flashing files.

If you plan on flashing the PIC chip with the JOY2PIC, Do Not Install Resistor R14 Prior to the Flashing Operation.
This requirement doesn't apply to using the hex file with a PICkit programmer.

Dip switch SW1 and resistors R6 and R7 are not required if you have no need to reduce the video level down from 1Vpp.

When substituting parts, the RA Headers need to be tall.

Header J1 - Video Output
Picture
CVBS = Composite Video Blanking & Sync
Header J2 - ICSP
Picture
This header is used for flashing firmware into the PIC V-Gate chip.

It also allows turning off the V-Gate via the PDAT pin.

If the RF Channel Select switch on the Atari is no longer needed, it can be used to disable and enable V-Gate when connected to PDAT.
DipSwitch SW1 - Video Data Level Adjustment
Picture
Allows adjustment for video converters. 660mv is the Standard Video Output Level, bringing it just a tad under 1 Vpp when the Sync gets added back into the equation.
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