[aklug] Video out to BNC port?

James Zuelow e5z8652 at zuelow.net
Wed Nov 29 20:26:27 AKST 2017


I am trying to repurpose old hardware to serve as a digital signage 
machine.  Each bracketed number refers to the somewhat verbose command 
output under my signature.

The old hardware is an Atom powered Aavelin box that lost its hard 
drive.  The out of warranty repair was expensive, and since the machine 
was running a form of *nix anyway we're trying to replace it with a 
Concerto server, using the original Aavelin machine (with a new hard 
drive) as a Concerto client.

I'm running Debian Jessie (old-stable) because that's the version that 
the Concerto server is running and I let inertia take its course.

What I want to do is put an NTSC signal out of the BNC port on the 
back.  That is what the box did when it was running Aavelin's custom OS.

xrandr sees TV1, TV2, and TV3 [1].  Each of the displays allegedly 
supports NTSC_M, however I can't activate them.  xrandr complains when I 
try:

~$ xrandr -d :0 --output TV1 --mode NTSC_M
xrandr: cannot find mode NTSC_M
~$ xrandr -d :0 --output TV1 --mode NTSC
xrandr: cannot find mode NTSC

The video controller is an Intel i915 chip [2].

I would like to be able to just use the BNC out as a second monitor.  If 
I have to I can set up v4l2 for video out, but all of the v4l2 Google 
hits I find are for recording video, not publishing it.

Has anyone done something like this that might have a pointer? I've 
tried setting up a custom mode that approximates NTSC (you can see it 
below in the xrandr output) but that didn't take either.

Thanks!

James


[1] xrandr, showing the VGA display and the three TV displays. I'm 
hoping one of them is the BNC port:

~$ xrandr -d :0 --verbose -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 4096 x 4096
VGA1 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (0x47) normal (normal left inverted right x 
axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
         Identifier: 0x41
         Timestamp:  5941986
         Subpixel:   unknown
         Gamma:      1.0:1.0:1.0
         Brightness: 1.0
         Clones:
         CRTC:       0
         CRTCs:      0 1
         Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                    filter:
         EDID:
                 00ffffffffffff0005e35122ae030000
                 0418010368301b782a7ee5a3544da026
                 115054bfef00d1c0b300950081808140
                 81c001010101023a801871382d40582c
                 4500dd0c1100001e000000fd00324c1e
                 5311000a202020202020000000fc0032
                 323531770a20202020202020000000ff
                 00424e4d453139413030303934320021
   1920x1080 (0x47) 148.500MHz +HSync +VSync *current +preferred
         h: width  1920 start 2008 end 2052 total 2200 skew    0 clock  
67.50KHz
         v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125 clock  60.00Hz
   1680x1050 (0x48) 146.250MHz -HSync +VSync
         h: width  1680 start 1784 end 1960 total 2240 skew    0 clock  
65.29KHz
         v: height 1050 start 1053 end 1059 total 1089 clock  59.95Hz
   1280x1024 (0x49) 135.000MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width  1280 start 1296 end 1440 total 1688 skew    0 clock  
79.98KHz
         v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066 clock  75.02Hz
   1280x1024 (0x4a) 108.000MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width  1280 start 1328 end 1440 total 1688 skew    0 clock  
63.98KHz
         v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066 clock  60.02Hz
   1440x900 (0x4b) 106.500MHz -HSync +VSync
         h: width  1440 start 1520 end 1672 total 1904 skew    0 clock  
55.93KHz
         v: height  900 start  903 end  909 total  934 clock  59.89Hz
   1280x960 (0x4c) 108.000MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width  1280 start 1376 end 1488 total 1800 skew    0 clock  
60.00KHz
         v: height  960 start  961 end  964 total 1000 clock  60.00Hz
   1280x720 (0x4d) 74.440MHz -HSync +VSync
         h: width  1280 start 1336 end 1472 total 1664 skew    0 clock  
44.74KHz
         v: height  720 start  721 end  724 total  746 clock  59.97Hz
   1024x768 (0x4e) 78.800MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width  1024 start 1040 end 1136 total 1312 skew    0 clock  
60.06KHz
         v: height  768 start  769 end  772 total  800 clock  75.08Hz
   1024x768 (0x4f) 75.000MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width  1024 start 1048 end 1184 total 1328 skew    0 clock  
56.48KHz
         v: height  768 start  771 end  777 total  806 clock  70.07Hz
   1024x768 (0x50) 65.000MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width  1024 start 1048 end 1184 total 1344 skew    0 clock  
48.36KHz
         v: height  768 start  771 end  777 total  806 clock  60.00Hz
   832x624 (0x51) 57.284MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width   832 start  864 end  928 total 1152 skew    0 clock  
49.73KHz
         v: height  624 start  625 end  628 total  667 clock  74.55Hz
   800x600 (0x52) 50.000MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width   800 start  856 end  976 total 1040 skew    0 clock  
48.08KHz
         v: height  600 start  637 end  643 total  666 clock  72.19Hz
   800x600 (0x53) 49.500MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width   800 start  816 end  896 total 1056 skew    0 clock  
46.88KHz
         v: height  600 start  601 end  604 total  625 clock  75.00Hz
   800x600 (0x54) 40.000MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width   800 start  840 end  968 total 1056 skew    0 clock  
37.88KHz
         v: height  600 start  601 end  605 total  628 clock  60.32Hz
   800x600 (0x55) 36.000MHz +HSync +VSync
         h: width   800 start  824 end  896 total 1024 skew    0 clock  
35.16KHz
         v: height  600 start  601 end  603 total  625 clock  56.25Hz
   640x480 (0x56) 31.500MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width   640 start  656 end  720 total  840 skew    0 clock  
37.50KHz
         v: height  480 start  481 end  484 total  500 clock  75.00Hz
   640x480 (0x57) 31.500MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width   640 start  664 end  704 total  832 skew    0 clock  
37.86KHz
         v: height  480 start  489 end  491 total  520 clock  72.81Hz
   640x480 (0x58) 30.240MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width   640 start  704 end  768 total  864 skew    0 clock  
35.00KHz
         v: height  480 start  483 end  486 total  525 clock  66.67Hz
   640x480 (0x59) 25.200MHz -HSync -VSync
         h: width   640 start  656 end  752 total  800 skew    0 clock  
31.50KHz
         v: height  480 start  490 end  492 total  525 clock  60.00Hz
   720x400 (0x5a) 28.320MHz -HSync +VSync
         h: width   720 start  738 end  846 total  900 skew    0 clock  
31.47KHz
         v: height  400 start  412 end  414 total  449 clock  70.08Hz
TV1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
         Identifier: 0x42
         Timestamp:  5941986
         Subpixel:   horizontal rgb
         Clones:     TV2 TV3 VGA2
         CRTCs:      0 1
         Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                    filter:
         dot_crawl: 0
                 range: (0, 1)
         tv_luma_filter: 2
                 range: (0, 2)
         tv_chroma_filter: 1
                 range: (0, 3)
         flicker_filter_adaptive: 7
                 range: (0, 7)
         brightness: 128
                 range: (0, 255)
         sharpness: 4
                 range: (0, 7)
         hue: 64
                 range: (0, 127)
         contrast: 64
                 range: (0, 127)
         saturation: 69
                 range: (0, 127)
         vpos: 512
                 range: (0, 1023)
         hpos: 512
                 range: (0, 1023)
         bottom_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         top_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         right_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         left_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         mode: NTSC_M
                 supported: NTSC_M, NTSC_J, NTSC_443, PAL_B, PAL_D, 
PAL_G, PAL_H, PAL_I, PAL_M, PAL_N, PAL_NC, PAL_60, SECAM_B, SECAM_D, 
SECAM_G, SECAM_K, SECAM_K1, SECAM_L, SECAM_60
   NTSC-DVD-59.94i (0x9f) 13.500MHz Interlace
         h: width   720 start  736 end  800 total  858 skew    0 clock  
15.73KHz
         v: height  480 start  484 end  492 total  525 clock  59.94Hz
TV2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
         Identifier: 0x43
         Timestamp:  5941986
         Subpixel:   horizontal rgb
         Clones:     TV1 TV3 VGA2
         CRTCs:      0 1
         Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                    filter:
         dot_crawl: 0
                 range: (0, 1)
         tv_luma_filter: 2
                 range: (0, 2)
         tv_chroma_filter: 1
                 range: (0, 3)
         flicker_filter_adaptive: 7
                 range: (0, 7)
         brightness: 128
                 range: (0, 255)
         sharpness: 4
                 range: (0, 7)
         hue: 64
                 range: (0, 127)
         contrast: 64
                 range: (0, 127)
         saturation: 69
                 range: (0, 127)
         vpos: 512
                 range: (0, 1023)
         hpos: 512
                 range: (0, 1023)
         bottom_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         top_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         right_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         left_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         mode: NTSC_M
                 supported: NTSC_M, NTSC_J, NTSC_443, PAL_B, PAL_D, 
PAL_G, PAL_H, PAL_I, PAL_M, PAL_N, PAL_NC, PAL_60, SECAM_B, SECAM_D, 
SECAM_G, SECAM_K, SECAM_K1, SECAM_L, SECAM_60
TV3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
         Identifier: 0x44
         Timestamp:  5941986
         Subpixel:   horizontal rgb
         Clones:     TV1 TV2 VGA2
         CRTCs:      0 1
         Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                    filter:
         dot_crawl: 0
                 range: (0, 1)
         tv_luma_filter: 2
                 range: (0, 2)
         tv_chroma_filter: 1
                 range: (0, 3)
         flicker_filter_adaptive: 7
                 range: (0, 7)
         brightness: 128
                 range: (0, 255)
         sharpness: 4
                 range: (0, 7)
         hue: 64
                 range: (0, 127)
         contrast: 64
                 range: (0, 127)
         saturation: 69
                 range: (0, 127)
         vpos: 512
                 range: (0, 1023)
         hpos: 512
                 range: (0, 1023)
         bottom_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         top_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         right_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         left_margin: 15
                 range: (0, 47)
         mode: NTSC_M
                 supported: NTSC_M, NTSC_J, NTSC_443, PAL_B, PAL_D, 
PAL_G, PAL_H, PAL_I, PAL_M, PAL_N, PAL_NC, PAL_60, SECAM_B, SECAM_D, 
SECAM_G, SECAM_K, SECAM_K1, SECAM_L, SECAM_60
VGA2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
         Identifier: 0x45
         Timestamp:  5941986
         Subpixel:   horizontal rgb
         Clones:     TV1 TV2 TV3
         CRTCs:      0 1
         Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                     0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                    filter:

[2] here's the video hardware clipped out of lspci -v:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ 
Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
         Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 464c
         Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
         Memory at 90200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
         I/O ports at 20e0 [size=8]
         Memory at 80000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
         Memory at 90280000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
         Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
         Capabilities: <access denied>
         Kernel driver in use: i915

And from dmidecode:

Handle 0x000B, DMI type 10, 6 bytes
On Board Device Information
         Type: Video
         Status: Enabled
         Description: Intel(R) Extreme Graphics 3 Controller




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