FL2K_2 : a fork of the osmo_fl2K project.

Turns FL2000-based USB 3.0 to VGA adapters into low cost DACs.

For more information on sorce see https://osmocom.org/projects/osmo-fl2k/wiki

This project fork is primarily for use with playing TBC files the following is for that use case. but it can also be used as a remplacement of the osmos-fl2K thanks to all the new QOL feature added.

FL2K TBC Player

A Simple TBC playback utility, currently only CLI (Command Line Interface)

This will later be both GUI/CLI.

What is a TBC?

Its a digital Time Base Corrected lossless 16-bit video file thats in 1 file for Composite streams and 2 files for S-Video streams.

How do I get a TBC file?

Via VHS-Decode (Tape Decoding) and LD-Decode (LaserDisk Decoding) or CVBS-Decode (Composite Decoding)

You can also genarate an TBC file from normal video using ld-chroma-encoder

Ware you can buy the FL2K and adapters

The FL2K Link 1 / Link 2

VGA to RCA Aliexpress

VGA to BNC Male/Female Amazon UK / Amazon USA

Setup

Standardised Cable Config

Composite

Red - Right Audio

Blue - Left Audio

Green - Composite Video

S-Video

Green - Lumanace Y

Blue - Chroma C

Red - Mono/Mono Mix Audio

Windows

Download and install the stock driver FL2000 Stock Driver

Then select and replace the driver with libusb-win32 (v1.2.6.0) using Zagig Driver Tool

Simply download the latest Windows Release.

Decompress the .zip file.

For GUI users

Open the fl2k_2.bat file.

For CLI users

Open an CMD Window and then open the directory your files are in, copy the path and add cd to the start example:

cd C:\Users\harry\Desktop\fl2k

Once inside use arguments as stated below example:

fl2k-2.exe -u -s pal -G16 -tbcG -G example.tbc

Linux

Download Dependencies

sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0-dev libsoxr-dev libsoxr0 libsoxr-lsr0

Install the libusb and soxr headers if not already present

git clone https://gitea.osmocom.org/sdr/osmo-fl2k
mkdir osmo-fl2k/build
cd osmo-fl2k/build

Build with CMAKE

cmake ../ -DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON
make -j 3
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

Before being able to use the device as a non-root user, the udev rules need to be reloaded:

sudo udevadm control -R

&

sudo udevadm trigger

Download The Player

git clone https://github.com/vrunk11/fl2k_2.git fl2k-tbc-player

Add soxr.h

Copy soxr.h in include folder can be downloaded here

To enter into the install directory use CD

cd fl2k-tbc-player

Compile the player with:

sudo ./compile.sh

Run the software with:

fl2k_file2

This will output the help commandlist if not given an argument.

MacOS

Support yet to be Implimented.

Usage

As its an VGA R-G-B adapter so there is 3 ADC's

To play a file on an ADC channel you do -R for red -G for green and -B for blue

For the Samplerate/TV System you can do -s ntsc or -s pal

Currently to make tbc playback possible you need to do the 16 to 8 bit conversion with:

-R16 for red -G16 for green -B16 for blue

Also needed is removal of the extra line on each frame:

-tbcR for red -tbcG for green -tbcB for blue

Standard Oprational Commands

For windows just use fl2k_2.exe

Composite output on the red channel:

Linux:

fl2k_file2 -u -s ntsc -G16 -tbcG -G example.tbc

Windows:

fl2k_2.exe -u -s ntsc -G16 -tbcG -G example.tbc

S-Video output with Luma on the green channel and Chroma on the blue channel:

Linux:

fl2k_file2 -u -s pal -G16 -tbcG -G example.tbc -B16 -tbcB -B example_chroma.tbc

Windows:

fl2k_2.exe -u -s pal -G16 -tbcG -G example.tbc -B16 -tbcB -B example_chroma.tbc

Commandlist

-d device_index (default: 0)

-readMode (default = 0) option : 0 = multit-threading (RGB) / 1 = hybrid (R --> GB) / 2 = hybrid (RG --> B) / 3 = sequential (R -> G -> B)

-s samplerate (default: 100 MS/s) allows you to change TV System -s ntsc or -s pal

-u Set sample type to unsigned

-R filename (use '-' to read from stdin)

-G filename (use '-' to read from stdin)

-B filename (use '-' to read from stdin)

-R16 (convert bits 16 to 8)

-G16 (convert bits 16 to 8)

-B16 (convert bits 16 to 8)

-tbcR interpret R as tbc file

-tbcG interpret G as tbc file

-tbcB interpret B as tbc file

-CgainR Control Chroma Gain Level (using color burst)

-CgainG Control Chroma Gain Level (using color burst)

-CgainB Control Chroma Gain Level (using color burst)

-resample resample the input to the correct output frequency (can fix color decoding on PAL signal)

Possible USB Issues

You might see this in Linux:

Allocating 6 zero-copy buffers
libusb: error [op_dev_mem_alloc] alloc dev mem failed errno 12
Failed to allocate zero-copy buffer for transfer 4

If so then you can then increase your allowed usbfs buffer size with the following command:

echo 0 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/usbfs_memory_mb

Falling back to buffers in userspace Requested sample rate 14318181 not possible, using 14318170.000000, error is -11.000000

When the end of the file is reached you will see in CLI:

(RED) : Nothing more to read

Also, to enable USB zerocopy for better I/O stability and reduced CPU usage:

echo 0 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/usbfs_memory_mb

And reboot. This was added to the kernel back in 2014. The default buffer size is 16.

Based off the osmo_fl2K project software.