I always find it difficult to context shift back to a project I havnt worked on in a while. Even more so when it's a coding project...
Today I wanted to get back into writing some code for the CYPHER project. It is a rp2040 based text overlay for composite video. It can take a usb keyboard and add text over a video signal. It can also be connected to a computer where it shows up as mass storage so you can add new fonts to it.
This is an exciting project. I recently also build a EURORACK prototype that can interact with rgb 1vpp systems..
Today's task was first to update the sync timing because the clock was running at 135mhz which divides by 5 to 27mhz which I'd common clock for composite sync gen but then high speed usb needs clock multiple of 12mhz. Which is close 132mhz would work so it was only sometimes failing.. 108mhz is a multiple of both but I found this not to quite work. Ended up setting to 135 and adjusting the timing values to fit thud. It's not perfect sync but for now I think it's good enough.
Then I wanted to ensure that when flash filesysrem was mounted to a computer the micro did not also access it.
There's some more code things to do for the mvp but I want to wait till I'm working away from studio to do them. Instead I started testing the hardware. Spent a while tracking down a strange issue where two pins on the rp2040 were shorting. After many tests and desoldering parts and cutting traces and rewiring things I found it was a fault with the microcontroller board.. so that's weird. Will pop another board in and continue testing tomorrow or Friday. Debugging issues on first prototypes is one of the hardest parts of this job I think. I'm proud of myself for figuring this out while remaining calm and even enjoying the challenge.
Later in the evening I rewarded my self with the fun job of curating the trailers/ preshow for next week's trashpalace screening. I also needed to reencode the film with subtitles hard-coded and preshow added to start so it can be uploaded and watched online.
Oh another thing I did during the day was test some new filament for my 3d printer. I friend has asked me to print somr squid monster figures for his dnd campaign. I switched the filament and did a test print of happy Buddha which failed near the top. I found the issue was the filament got knotted. Not sure how that happens or if it comes like this.. but cutting this out and re adding it seems to have solved it printed a nice test benchy. I did decide to move the printer from under my desk to in thr cupboard since the fan noise is a big distracting for me and these squids eill be longer prints than the usual small parts I use the printer for... I'm happy to be getting more comfortable in freecad and with 3d printing in general. Feels like a nice super powerp
