![ezVID Serial Video Module](http://slab.concordia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/78553.jpeg)
The ezVID is a serial video module made to be used with microcontrollers (such as Arduino) to add information to the video channel of a TV in order to write characters on it.
To use it, connect it in the following way :
Make sure you connect the ezVID to a television with an RCA input.
![RCA input](http://slab.concordia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/rcaCable.jpg)
Using it requires you to communicate with it using serial communication. Make sure you leave the correct amount of time between each command so the device doesn’t crash.
Below is a code example with comments where we do all commands, clear the screen, fill it with a background color, make a custom character and write down a message.
void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); flushScreen(); //Send command to create custom char, this should look like a little alien //place custom char in slot 0 byte alianBytes[16] = {65,0,195,60,66,129,165,165,129,129,195,189,129,129,129,126}; Serial.write(alianBytes,16); //After creating a custom char, delaying 45 seems to be the optimal amound //Data sheet says 17ms but it doesn Unless otherwise stated, this code is released under the MIT License – Please use, change and share it.
That code would give the following result :
![Code result](http://slab.concordia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/codeResult.jpg)
The complete datasheet seems to be unfindable over the internet (do not make the mistake of using the datasheet of ezVidModule v2, wich has a lot more features).
The first 7 pages of the datasheet can be found here : Datasheet p1-7. What is missing from this is below :
- Command 5:Clear screen : command code is 83 then add color code ({83, 12} would clear screen then paint background Cyan)
- Command 6:Place user defined character : command code is 85, the rest is the same as place built-in character
The timing is really important for the device to work correctly (add appropriate delay between calls).
- Reset : 17 ms
- Add User character definition : datasheet says 17ms but 45ms proved to work better
- Draw background color : 7 seconds
- Place built-in or custom character : 17ms
- Clear screen : 2 seconds or 7 if rewriting a background color