Summary of Video Overlay using ATmega8 microcontroller
This article outlines a project to overlay flight data (latitude, longitude, altitude, callsign) onto live amateur television video using an ATmega8 microcontroller. The author discusses two inspiring prior designs: William Cooke's AVR COG, which eliminates the need for a separate video sync chip, and Ben Gelb's MIT student design that combines the strengths of existing circuits. The author plans to detail their own implementation shortly after gaining attention from Makezine Blog.
Parts used in the Flight Data Overlay Project:
- ATmega8 microcontroller
- Amateur television system
- Video overlay circuitry
A few years ago I set about trying to design a very cheap and simple way to superimpose flight data on live video being transmitted over amateur television. Specifically, the data would include things like Latitude, Longitute, and Altitude, among other text including an identifier like my callsign.
Before I go on, I want to point out two other designs I really like. The first I found when researching how others had tried to tackle this goal. William Cooke submitted his AVR COG as an entry into the 2004 AVR design contest. What’s neat about it is that it does not require a separate video sync chip. The second design came about after a student studying at MIT contacted me. Ben Gelb, KF4KJQ, wrote me a few years about about my circuit, and I mentioned to him how elegant William’s was. With that, he then set about doing an superb job of combining all the strengths of the designs together. Therefore, I highly recommend you take a look at his page and see what he’s done.
Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007: I’ll add more on my design in the next couple days. Seeing that this page has just gotten a lot of attention from being posted on the Makezine Blog has caused me to get my butt in gear and add some content!
For more detail: Video Overlay using ATmega8 microcontroller
- What is the main goal of this project?
The goal is to design a cheap and simple way to superimpose flight data like latitude, longitude, altitude, and callsign on live amateur television video. - Which previous design does not require a separate video sync chip?
William Cooke's AVR COG design submitted for the 2004 AVR design contest does not require a separate video sync chip. - Who combined the strengths of multiple designs into one superb solution?
Ben Gelb, a student at MIT, created a design that combined all the strengths of the previously discussed circuits. - What specific data points are included in the overlay?
The data includes Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, and text such as an identifier like the operator's callsign. - What event prompted the author to add more content to the page?
Posting the page on the Makezine Blog caused it to get a lot of attention, motivating the author to add more details. - Where can readers find more detailed information about the implementation?
More detail is available under the title Video Overlay using ATmega8 microcontroller.
