RetroTINK 5X Pro User manual

!
RetroTINK-5X Pro
User Manual
Revision 1.0
May 1st, 2021
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of1 13

!
Introduction
The RetroTINK-5X (RT5X) is an advanced video scaler for connecting retro consoles to
modern HDTVs. Multiple input options: component, SCART RGB, composite and S-video are
accepted. The standard definition processor in the RT5X is capable of decoding NTSC, PAL
and PAL-60 formats. The component and RGB ports can digitize analog high definition video
up to 720p and 1080i. The custom scaler engine is implemented on a FPGA, enabling low-lag
operation with outputs up to 1440p.
Specifications
a Due to chipset limitations, 720p and 1080i input resolutions are sampled at 4:2:2. All others
are oversampled to achieve the equivalent of 4:4:4 chroma resolution or greater at the base
sampling rate.
Input Connections
YPbPr, Y/C, CVBS, SCART (CVBS and RGB), Stereo Audio
Output Connection
Digital Video Connection
Input Resolutions
240p, 288p, 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720pa, 1080ia
Encoded Standards
NTSC, PAL, PAL-60 (PAL-M, PAL-N, NTSC-443, SECAM enabled but
untested)
Deinterlacer Modes
Motion Adaptive, Weave, Blend, Bob, Linear and CRT Simulation
Output Resolutions
240p, 480p, 720p, 768p, 1080p, 1200p, 1440p
Latency
Approx. 0.25 frames in frame lock, 0.25 to 1.25 in triple buffered mode
Power
< 800 mA over microUSB
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of2 13

!
Caution - Read Carefully Before Use
1. Only use SCART cables that provide sync using 75 ohm terminated luma or composite
video or buffered/attenuated CSYNC. Use of unbuffered TTL CSYNC is expressly
prohibited and may result in incompatibilities and/or damage. Under no circumstance is
RetroTINK LLC responsible for the use of improperly designed SCART equipment.
2. Only use the RetroTINK provided firmware update tool for USB updates. Attempts to flash
the device using alternate methods, such as directly via the ICD pins on the PCB, may
result in device malfunction and damage. Under no circumstance is RetroTINK LLC liable
for failure due to improper firmware flashing.
3. Use a high-quality USB power source capable of supplying at least 1 A of current to your
RT5X. Low quality USB power supplies may result in device malfunction and/or video
noise. It is also important to use a good quality USB cable. Poorly manufactured cables
drop voltage under high currents, which may result in video noise and device malfunction.
4. The RT5X is a high quality video scaler with minimal processing, such as artificial noise
reduction, to accurately reproduce the original signal from the game console. For good
results, it is imperative that high quality cabling is used to avoid noise and interference.
We generally recommend HD Retrovision component cables or high quality shielded/
coaxial SCART RGB cables. Generic, low-cost SCART cables will show interference, noise,
unreliable sync, picture drops and in the worst cases, may result in damage to your RT5X. !
!
We recommend shielded SCART cables using composite video as sync with 75 ohm
source impedances, per the standard.!
!
Unshielded S-video cables will almost certainly show chroma checker boarding, especially
at higher output resolutions.
5. Use common sense when handling the RT5X - it is an expensive piece of electronics. Do
not drop, crush or immerse your RT5X in a liquid. The warranty does not cover accidental
damage and/or abuse to the unit.
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of3 13

!
Description
1. Status LED - Indicates selected input port:
•Purple - YPbPr
•Green - SCART RGB
•Yellow - CVBS (via the Y RCA jack)
•White - Y/C
•Cyan - CVBS (via SCART pin 20)
•Red - Firmware update mode
2. Menu Button - Push to activate the On Screen Display (OSD) and cycle through each of
the options (i.e., output resolution) on the RT5X. Cycle to the end of the options to
deactivate the OSD.
3. Option Button - Push to cycle through each of the possible settings (i.e., 1080p/1200p/
1440p) for a given option.
4. Input Button - Push to immediately cycle to the next possible input source when the OSD
is off. If the OSD is on, the ‘Input Button’ exits the OSD.
5. SCART Input - Both RGB and CVBS can be accepted by the RT5X’s SCART port.
6. S-Video Input - Y/C video using a standard DIN-4 connector. Shares audio with YPbPr.
7. YPbPr Input - Component video using standard RCA jacks. Composite sources can be
connected to the green Y jack.
8. Stereo Audio Input - The audio input for the YPbPr and S-Video ports.
9. Digital Video Output - For connecting to your HDTV.
10. USB Port - Supply the RT5X with a source capable of at least 1 A of current. The USB port
is also used for connecting to a Windows PC to update the firmware.
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of4 13

!
Quick Start
The RT5X is designed to be extremely easy to use and to produce an excellent picture with
minimal adjustment and setup.
1. Connect your RT5X to a power source via the microUSB port.
2. Connect your RT5X to a HDTV via the digital video port.
3. Connect your RT5X to your console using one of the video inputs.
4. Press the ‘Input Button’ until the LED light indicates the correct source.
Your RT5X should now be outputting a CEA-standard compliant 1920 x 1080 to your HDTV
using a high quality polyphase bilinear sharp scaling filter. If you are happy with the results,
please proceed with gaming and read no further!
Read the next sections to learn how to configure your RT5X to output more advanced modes
to get the most out of your system.
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of5 13

!
Advanced Configuration
The RT5X uses an OSD to configure the various possible settings on the device. Pressing the
‘Menu Button’ calls up the OSD, which is displayed on the top left hand corner of the screen.
The first line of the OSD shows the displayed menu option (e.g., in the above screenshot, the
Deinterlacer Mode). The second line of the OSD shows the selected setting for the option (in
this case, Motion Adaptive). A full description of the menu options and possible settings is
shown below:
Menu Option
Possible Settings
Description
Input
YPbPr
Cycles through each of the input ports. The detected source
resolution is shown on the second line for informational
purposes.!
#
The input source can also be directly cycled, without calling
the OSD by pressing the ‘Input Button’ instead.
SCART RGB
Composite
S-Video
SCART CV
Output Res.
1080p (FILL)
Sets the scaled output. Depending on the input resolution, not
all of the modes will be available. PAL and related 50 Hz
formats (576p) can only be scaled to 1080p (OVER) and
1200p. The output resolution for 720p and 1080i is locked to
720p and 1080p, respectively.!
NTSC and related formats (480p) can be scaled to all the
output resolutions listed. All 1080p modes use CEA standard
1080p (OVER)
1080p (UNDER)
1200p
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of6 13

!
1440p
NTSC and related formats (480p) can be scaled to all the
output resolutions listed. All 1080p modes use CEA standard
timings for maximum compatibility. !
Three scaling options are offered: !
(1) FILL uses a polyphase scaler to produce sharp, artifact
free interpolation to use all of the vertical height. !
(2) OVER scales 240p content by a factor of 5 vertically,
cutting offthe top and bottom of the image, much like a
CRT. !
(3) UNDER uses a scaling factor of 4 vertically to produce a
sharp, integer scaled image with black bars on the top and
bottom.!
If you do not see an image or receive an error on your display,
press the ‘Option Button’ to keep cycling until you arrive at an
acceptable mode.!
The 240p output can only be enabled by the downscale mode
(see section below).
720p
768p
480p
240p
H. Sampling
Generic 4:3
The RT5X uses a combination of its flexible video ADC plus
polyphase scaler to produce various horizontal sampling
options.!
The Generic 4:3 and 16:9 modes interpolate the horizontal
directions to produce the correct aspect ratio at the select
output resolution.!
The optimal modes, listed for the various consoles, sample the
horizontal direction at the same rate as the original console.
The FPGA is capable of automatically interpolating and
selecting the best phase for sharp, pixel-perfect output under
most circumstances.!
Note: some modes only support 4:3 and 16:9 sampling due to
horizontal resolution limitations.
Generic 16:9
SNES/PCE/PS1
256
Gen/PS1/Sat 320
N64 320
NEOGEO 320
Saturn 352
PS1 384
Interpolation
Sharp
The RT5X also utilizes an advanced polyphase scaler for the
vertical direction.!
Sharp utilizes a Bilinear Sharp kernel, which is best suited for
2D graphics and can produce high quality results even for
non-integer scaling factors.!
Soft utilizes a standard Bilinear kernel and may look better for
3D games where Sharp results in too much aliasing.
Soft
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of7 13

!
Scanline
Off
The two polyphase modes utilize the RT5X’s vertical scaler to
generate scanline effects that can work at both integer and
non-integer scaling factors with a “soft” gradual darkening of
the lines.!
The Integer mode provides a sharp darkening of the lines and
only renders correctly for modes that use an integer vertical
scaling factor.
Polyphase 50%
Polyphase 90%
Integer
Vertical Sync
Triple Buffer
The RT5X has two modes for generating the output video
timing. Triple buffer uses a full frame memory and an externally
derived clock to maintain a constant 60 frames/sec. The lag
varies between approx. 0.25 to 1.25 frames in this mode.!
Triple buffer offers the highest compatibility across all
equipment and immunity against sync loss/resolution changes
at the expense of increased lag and occasional judder due to
the need to repeat/drop frames.!
Frame lock utilizes the video ADC and console as the base
clock. The output frame rate follows the original console
exactly with a fixed lag of approx. 0.25 frames. Frame lock
may not be compatible with some TVs and capture cards,
depending on the console’s frame rate.!
Frame lock is automatically engaged for 480p, 576p, 720p and
1080i sources since they derive from modern equipment that
generally follow standard refresh rates.
Frame Lock
Deinterlacer
Motion Adaptive
The RT5X’s FPGA is capable of multiple high-quality and
advanced deinterlacing modes to produce flicker-free and low-
artifact video from 480i and 576i content.!
Motion adaptive analyzes the video on a pixel by pixel basis to
intelligently blend weave and bob modes together based on
the video content.!
Weave stitches the odd and even fields together, which results
in extremely sharp images for still content but “teething”
Weave
Blend
Bob
Linear
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of8 13

!
CRT Simulate
Weave stitches the odd and even fields together, which results
in extremely sharp images for still content but “teething”
artifacts during motion.!
Blend is the same as weave, except with the addition of a
vertical averaging filter that converts the “teething” into
“ghosting” and results in loss of vertical sharpness.!
Bob simply doubles each field to the full vertical resolution for
fluid motion but flickers like a CRT.!
Linear is the same as Bob, except with a vertical smoothing
filter to reduce flicker at the cost of a softer image.!
CRT Simulate draws the image by blanking the unused lines
for each field to mimic a standard definition display.!
None of the deinterlacer options add lag.!
Note: 1080i source can only use ‘Bob’ to 1080p.
Y/C Filter
4-Line COMB
Generally 4-Line COMB will produce the best results while
Notch may resemble a vintage CRT.!
Some consoles, such as the Sega Genesis, that use highly off-
spec composite encoding may look better with the Notch filter.
Notch
Colorspace
RGB Full
Full range uses codes 0-255 while Limited uses 16-235.
Normally this should be set to RGB Full, but if your TV or
capture card shows images that are dark/clipped, try setting to
Limited.
RGB Limited
SDTV LPF
On
The internal 9 MHz low-pass filter (LPF) can be enabled to
clean up standard definition RGB/YPbPr sources that are
noisy at the expense of some sharpness.!
By default, the LPF is automatically turned on. If you are using
a source with a built in LPF such as a HD Retrovision cable or
a bypass mod, you can turn this offto avoid excessive loss of
sharpness in Generic sampling modes.
Off
L-Gun Border
Off
Turn on a 20-pixel wide white outer border if you want to use
the Sinden lightgun.
On
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of9 13

!
240p
Downscale
Off
The RT5X contains an experimental 240p downscale option
that will output 240p from 480i, 480p and 720p sources.!
480i sources are converted to 240p by shifting the odd and
even fields together spatially. 480p and 720p discard every
other line and every two lines, respectively. The “up” and
“down” buttons on the remote can be used to shift the image
vertically and control the phase of the line discard.!
The H. Sampling menu can be used to control the aspect ratio
of the 720p downscaling. Generic 4:3 crops the inner 960 of
the 1280 pixels in 720p for sources that have black bars on
both sides. Generic 16:3 utilizes the entire 1280 x 720 image.!
Once the 240p Downscale option is enabled, the output
resolution is locked to 240p. We recommend enabling this
option on a HDTV, turning offthe RT5X to save the settings
then moving to your CRT.!
You will need a HDMI to analog video converter such as a
HDMI to component box or a HDMI to VGA box with a suitable
sync combiner.!
DO NOT CONNECT YOUR STANDARD DEFINITION CRT IF
THE RT5X IS OUTPUTTING A NON-240P RESOLUTION OR
DAMAGE MAY OCCUR. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
THE DOWNSCALER IS CURRENTLY EXPERIMENTAL AND
WE CANNOT PROVIDE SUPPORT OR GUARANTEE
FUNCTIONALITY.
On
Version
N/A
Displays current firmware version. No settings.
RetoTINK Logo
N/A
Displays the RetroTINK Logo. No settings.
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of10 13

!
Power Off
Push to Shutdown
Press the ‘Option Button’ to save current settings and put the
RT5X into sleep mode. The RT5X can be brought out of sleep
mode by pressing the ‘Menu Button’.!
The factory default settings can be restored by holding both
the ‘Menu Button’ and ‘Option Button’ while inserting the
microUSB power cord. Wait until the LED is green then release
all buttons to resume normal operation.!
The factory reset may be useful in case the wrong settings
cause a display incompatibility and it is necessary to start
over.
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of11 13

!
Remote Control
The RT5X supports a remote to quickly access the menu and common settings. A diagram is
provided below:"
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of12 13

!
Firmware Upgrade
The RT5X has the ability to upgrade the firmware over USB using a PC-based application. No
special tools are needed. RetroTINK does not support Mac OS or any other platform/tool/
protocol/standard/format and has no plans to do so.
Firmware upgrades requires that the RT5X be started in bootloader mode. Hold the ‘Menu
Button’ down while connecting the RT5X to a PC via a microUSB cable. The LED indicator
should remain solid RED.
Follow the instructions on the RetroTINK website to complete the update process. If the
upgrade process fails, simply restart by powering off the device and re-entering the
bootloader. It is not possible that a genuine RetroTINK device can be ‘bricked’ by a failed
firmware update.
To exit bootloader mode without upgrading, disconnect the microUSB cord from the RT5X
and reinsert without holding the ‘Menu Button’ down.
Details and files may be found on www.retrotink.com once firmware updates are released.
ONLY UPDATE THE RT5X USING THE PROVIDED SOFTWARE. ATTEMPTS TO FLASH THE
FIRMWARE USING OTHER METHODS WILL RESULT IN NON-WARRANTY DEVICE
FAILURE.
Copyright RetroTINK LLC 2021
All Rights Reserved
Page of13 13