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Why doesn't my ntsc mini tv work?

blueokiris

I bought an adafruit mini television from microcenter the other day and I can't get anything to display. I can power it with 5 volts, but all I can see is my menu options, nothing else. Could you help me figure out how to fix it, I don't know that I can send it back, and it was 50 dollars I don't want to lose. Here is the site it told me to look at: http://adafru.it/913 and the redirect http://www.adafruit.com/products/913.

  • 0

    Hi Dylan,

    It requres a minimum of 6V according to that URL (it contains a buck regulator which can only step-down to something lower, and some of the analog circuitry in it may require 5V). By supplying it with 5V, it may not work correctly.

  • 0

    Voltages regulators have something called "drop out"

     

    If a regulator outputs 5 volts, and it has a 1.5 volt drop out, then you need 6.5 volts or more for it to work. If your battery goes below 6.5, it "drops out" and stop working (regulating)

     

    Depends on the regulator. Some are more efficient, switching regulators and don't drop out until almost the output voltage.

     

    Most small LCD's, at least the mass market ones, are meant to be used in cars, thus they assume 12 volts and don't need to be as efficient in the 5-7 volt range.

  • 0

    Dylan,

    Go back to the Adafruit site and click on the "Technical Details" tab. You're supposed to use a 6-12V power supply with this LCD. Also look at the "Tutorials" tab. The "Using a Mini PAL/NTSC Display with a Raspberry Pi" tutorial's parts list specifies a 12-volt power supply for the LCD.

     

    Give this a try and let us know how it went.

     

    --Jeff