VGP OSSC User manual

Quick Start Guide – Revision 1B
This document is copyright © VGP Media Ltd 2019
All rights reserved orld ide
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OSSC Quick Start Guide VideoGamePerfection.com
Open Source Scan Converter – Quick Start Guide (Rev 1B)
Contents
Important safety information......................................................................................................3
Overvie (v1.5 and earlier revision units)..................................................................................4
Overvie (v1.6 and later revision units).....................................................................................4
Buttons, connectors and external controls..................................................................................5
Connecting your OSSC...............................................................................................................6
Connecting a console, PCB or other hard are...........................................................................6
Options........................................................................................................................................6
Scanlines.....................................................................................................................................7
Line triple, quadruple and quintuple...........................................................................................7
Interlace video and the OSSC.....................................................................................................8
Fine tuning the image..................................................................................................................8
Audio input and output...............................................................................................................8
Firm are updates........................................................................................................................9
Troubleshooting........................................................................................................................10
More information......................................................................................................................11
Disposing of your OSSC...........................................................................................................11
Thank you for purchasing the Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC). Please take time to read
through this short document before you start using the unit.
Page 2

Important safety information
Please observe the follo ing safety precautions hen using your OSSC.
Use the correct power supply – OSSC is designed to run ith a 5 volt, 2.1 x 5.5mm positive tip
po er supply unit (PSU) supplying at least 1 amp of current. Please ensure your po er supply
meets these requirements. Never connect a po er supply that supplies more than 5 volts. Doing so
can damage the OSSC.
Turn off the power before connecting/disconnecting equipment – To prevent damage of the
OSSCs integrated circuits, al ays turn off the po er before connecting to a display or a device.
Do not expose to moisture – Droplets of moisture may contact the PCB and cause a short circuit.
Never submerge the unit in ater.
Keep away from fire or high heat sources – OSSC is not flammable but high temperatures, such
as those from a fire or electric heater may melt the plastic casing.
Please supervise children – OSSC is not a toy and is not designed for use by children. Please
supervise children if they use the OSSC.
Beware of using the SSCs deinterlacer on sources that display static graphics or text for a
long period of time – OSSCs deinterlacer produces a constant flickering effect. This can cause
image retention/burn in to occur faster than normal. See page 8 for more information.

OSSC Quick Start Guide VideoGamePerfection.com
Overview (v1 5 and earlier revision units)
Remote Control (optional)
Overview (v1 6 and later revision units)
The pictures above sho a 1.5 revision OSSC, if you purchased a 1.6 revision, the unit ill look the
same apart from the side ith the video output connector.
OSSC revision 1.6 has an additional
3.5mm audio connector and comes
ith a HDMI compatible video
connector. There is also an additional
audio toggle s itch. Other ise, all
connections and controls are the same
as previously.
Page 4

Buttons, connectors and external controls
In the overvie pictures you can see the follo ing features on your OSSC.
Status LEDs – Green LED indicates that po er is on. This green LED ill go out briefly hen an
IR remote code is detected. The red LED indicates unstable sync hen lit.
LCD – Displays the OSSCs menus and information about the current source.
MicroSD Card Slot – For updating the devices firm are, see “Firm are Updates”.
IR Sensor – Receives commands from the remote control unit. Line of sight is required.
JTAG Connector – For soft are development purposes and firm are updates.
BTN0 and BTN1 – Perform various functions ithout the need of a remote.
Video out – On 1.5 and earlier models, an industry standard DVI-D connector outputs digital video
at chosen resolution to your display. Does not support/output analogue DVI. On 1.6 models this is
replaced by a HDMI connector.
Audio out (V1.5 and earlier revisions only) – Standard 3.5mm stereo headphone plug type
connector. Audio fed in through AV1 (RGB SCART) ill be output here. If an audio upgrade board
is installed, you can also feed in analogue audio through this connection, but please note if you do
you should disconnect the SCART cable from AV1.
AV2 audio in/AV1 audio out (V1.6 and later revision units only) - Standard 3.5mm stereo
headphone plug type connector. Use this connector to output audio from AV1/SCART or to input
audio for AV2/Component video sources.
Audio toggle (V1.6 and later revision units only) – Toggle bet een outputting audio from AV1 or
inputting and digitising audio on AV2.
AV3 audio in (V1.6 and later revision units only) - Standard 3.5mm stereo headphone plug type
connector. Use this connector to input and digitise audio for AV3/D-Sub15 (VGA) sources.
AV1 In – Connect an RGB SCART source to this input. Note the input must be RGB or Ypbpr, S-
video and composite SCART sources are not supported and require transcoding into RGB first.
Only European spec RGB SCART cables are supported, the less common Japanese JP21 cables
must be used ith a converter, a suitable one can be purchased here -
https:// .retrogamingcables.co.uk/micomsoft-xrgb/european-scart-to-japanese-scart-converter
AV2 In – Connect component video or RGB ith sync on green sources to this input.
AV3 In – Standard D-Sub15 (VGA) connector. You can connect sources such as the Sega
Dreamcast or a retro gaming PC. This input does NOT have a sync lo pass filter as this is
normally not required for VGA connections.
Signals up to a maximum resolution of 720p are supported on all inputs.
Power Switch – Toggles po er off and on.

OSSC Quick Start Guide VideoGamePerfection.com
Power input – Connect a suitable 5 volt, 2.1 x 5.5mm positive tip PSU supplying at least 1 amp of
current.
The OSSC has been designed as a next-generation line-doubler. Rather than a fully blo n video
processor, the OSSC is designed to process individual scanlines in real time. Because of this, the
unit can convert bet een the 15khz video that your retro consoles output and the 31khz video that
modern displays ork best ith, ith only a fe microseconds of input lag.
Connecting your OSSC
Connect a suitable po er supply (5 volts, 1 amp postive tip) to the
OSSCs po er connector. Connect a DVI or HDMI cable bet een the
video out on the OSSC and your display. Almost any display that
supports HDMI or DVI-D can be used, but please remember OSSC does
not adhere fully to DVI/HDMI specifications so compatibility cannot be
guaranteed. For displays that only have analogue inputs, a converter is
required. OSSC does not use HDCP, so any basic converter should ork.
Ensure the PSU is turned on at the all, then po er on your OSSC using the po er s itch, the
LCD on the front of the unit should light up and display the current firm are version, as sho n in
the picture. A letter ‘a’ after the firm are version number indicates audio capable firm are. S itch
your display to the correct input. If everything is orking correctly, a grey test card pattern should
appear.
Connecting a console, PCB or other hardware
Po er your OSSC off and connect a suitable source to the AV1, AV2 or AV3 connectors. For most
systems, using a properly ired RGB SCART cable connected to the AV1 input is the best option.
You can connect either 15khz or 31khz sources to any input on the OSSC, but remember that the
AV3 (VGA or D-Sub15) connector does not have the additional filtering that RGB SCART sources
often require.
Once you have connected your hard are, po er on the OSSC. Select the appropriate input using
the remote or by pressing BTN0 until the LCD displays the correct input. No , po er on your
console, PCB or vintage computer hard are. You should no see it displayed on your TV or
monitor.
Options
To access the OSSCs options menu, press the Menu on/off button on
the remote. The LCD on the front of the unit ill then change to menu
mode, as sho n in the picture on the left.
In the ne er firm ares, options are no organised into sub-
categories. You can navigate bet een categories using the Prev/next
option buttons on the remote and select an option using OK button.
Page 6

You can then change the values of various options using the Value -/+ buttons. For details of all the
options, see the iki page here:- http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/OSSC
Scanlines
Vintage games consoles such as the Sega Megadrive and Nintendo NES used a special screen mode
hich resulted in alternating lines on a CRT display being left blank. Typically hen people in the
retro-gaming communities refer to scanlines, they mean the blank lines bet een parts of an image
on a CRT that ere a result of this screen mode. OSSC allo s you to simulate these scanlines,
making the image look more authentic. You can enable or disable scanlines on the OSSC by using
the menu and navigating to “Post-Proc” and then “Scanlines”. Setting scanlines to “Auto” means
that scanlines appear only on 240p/288p sources, hile “Manual” scanlines ill appear over all
sources regardless of original resolution. Alternatively you can toggle scanlines by pressing BTN1
on the device, or by pressing the Scanline Mode button on the remote control.
You can also configure scanline strength from the OSSC menu, or by using the Scanline Int button
on the remote. Ho pronounced the scanlines ould look on a real CRT varies greatly bet een
displays, so set the scanline strength to your taste.
Line triple, quadruple and quintuple
By default the OSSC takes in one scanline and outputs t o, resulting in a lag free conversion of
240p to 480p. Line triple mode (Line3x) attempts to triple each scanline instead. OSSC no offers a
line quadruple and quintuple mode too (hereafter referred to as Line4x and Line5x respectively).
These modes can result in a very sharp image on compatible displays. Unfortunately, not every
display is compatible.
To change the line multiplication mode, press the Menu on/off button so that the OSSC menu is
displayed on the LCD and then navigate to “Output opt”, select this and then navigate to
“240p/288p Proc”. Use the prev/next buttons on the remote to choose the desired multiplication
mode. For most sources you should also check that your chosen line multiplication mode is set to
“Generic 4:3”. While still on the Output opt menu, use the remote to select “Line3x mode” (or the
appropriate setting for your chosen line multiplication setting) and ensure that it is set to “Generic
4:3”.
For Line5x mode, you can also choose the picture format under “Line5x format”. The available
options are 1920x1080, 1600x1200 or 1920x1200. If your display supports 1600x1200 or
1920x1200 then using these modes ill display the full image on your display. In 1920x1080 mode,
parts of the image ill be cropped.
You cannot damage your display by trying the line multiplication modes. If your display refuses to
sho a picture, simply use the LCD to turn line triple mode off again. There are a small number of
displays that are more compatible in line triple mode.

OSSC Quick Start Guide VideoGamePerfection.com
Interlace video and the OSSC
Certain retro consoles and computers (e.g Sony PS2, Nintendo Gamecube) output in interlace
modes. These modes send alternating scanlines to the display in each frame and ere ho standard
definition analogue television as broadcast. To display interlace video on modern displays, it must
be deinterlaced first. As ith progressive sources, the OSSC can deinterlace content like this ith
no input lag. Ho ever, the image that is produced tends to exhibit some flickering and combing
artefacts.
OSSC is a line doubler and therefore cannot perform sophisticated deinterlacing because it does not
have a frame buffer. Because of this, you can choose to use the OSSCs deinterlacing or your
displays built in deinterlacer (if available).
The rule of thumb is, if your priority is a good picture, use your displays deinterlacer. If your
priority is reducing input lag, let the OSSC handle deinterlacing.
To toggle bet een the t o deinterlacing options, press the menu button on the remote and navigate
to “Output opt”. Press the OK button, then navigate to “480i/576i Proc”. No , choose “Passthru” to
use your displays deinterlacer, or any other option to use the OSSCs deinterlacing. “Line 2x (Bob)”
is the most common and most compatible option.
Try to avoid interlace soft are and modes here possible. It is not possible to have both lo input
lag and excellent picture quality ith interlace sources. If your soft are title supports progressive or
480p mode then be sure to enable this. Beware of using the SSCs deinterlacer on sources that
display static graphics or text for a long period of time. The constant flickering can cause image
retention/burn in to occur faster than normal.
Fine tuning the image
By exploring the OSSCs menus you ill notice options such as “Video LPF”, “Analog Sync LPF”
and “H-PLL Post-Coast” and various others. These options can be used to fine tune the image or to
fix compatibility problems. The OSSCs default settings are fine for most sources. For specific
recommendations, see the iki page here http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/OSSC
Audio input and output
Digital audio output is standard on OSSC 1.6 and can be added to earlier model OSSCs by
installing an audio expansion board. You can also connect your OSSC's audio to an external hi-fi or
home theatre system via the 3.5mm audio connector.
Remember, routing your OSSCs video output through equipment such as home theatre receivers or
video processors can in many instances add input lag. Routing the signal through home theatre
receivers, s itches, splitters, audio integrators or other video processors can also increase the time it
takes to re-sync the signal on game titles hich s itch bet een 480i and 240p screen modes.
When using OSSC 1.5 or earlier ith an audio expansion board, any audio fed in via AV1 or the
3.5mm audio connector ill be digitised no matter hich video input is selected. For OSSC 1.6, the
appropriate audio input ill be used depending on the active video input.
Page 8

Firmware updates
Ne features are periodically added to the OSSC in the form of firm are updates. The devices
firm are can be updated using an SD card. The SD card should first be formatted ith the ne
firm are. Once this is done, insert the card into the OSSC, enter the menu and choose “FW.
update”.
To check for the latest firm are and to see a tutorial on ho to correctly update the firm are on
your device, visit this page:- videogameperfection.com/ossc-f
The firm are files are named using the follo ing conventions:-
-jp – Japanese language version
-aud – Digital audio enabled version suitable for OSSCs ith audio expansion board or OSSC 1.6.

OSSC Quick Start Guide VideoGamePerfection.com
Troubleshooting
Symptom Possible Cause Solution
Certain Genesis/Megadrive games
(Sonic 2, Fix it Felix) do not ork
Coast values need changing Set H-PLL coast pre 3 and post 3
Image has a vertical flicker/shimmer
effect
Interlace source connected This is a normal side effect of lag-free
deinterlacing, no action is required
Image unstable and/or flickers on and
off
Nintendo SNES/Super Famicom
console connected
Try a different display or install a de-
jitter board to your console.
Horizontal jitter/ obble on image Fine tuning required Try adjusting lo pass filter settings.
See the iki for recommendations
Missing pixels in the image Wrong line triple mode selected Use generic 4:3 or Generic 16:9 line
triple mode instead
No audio Display incompatibility Use a different display or choose a
different line multiplication mode
No audio Sample mode incompatible Change the Do n-sampling option
under “Audio options” to 2x
No audio on AV2 Audio toggle s itch set to input mode Change audio toggle s itch (next to
HDMI connector)
No image Sync mode set rong Press the source button again to
change sync mode. Most common
sync type is RGBs for SCART, YPbPr
for component and RGBHV for
DSub15/VGA
No image Line triple/quadruple/quintuple
enabled
S itch to line double mode. Other
modes are not compatible ith all
displays
No image HDMI/DVI handshake failed Po er cycle the OSSC
No image Unusual sync signal Po er off OSSC and your source.
Po er on the OSSC and select the
correct input, then po er on your
source
No image and LCD says NO SYNC Source not po ered on Check po er to source device
No image and LCD says NO SYNC Source not outputting RGB or YPbPr Make sure your source device outputs
RGB and your SCART cable is ired
for RGB
OSSC Resets/reboots Po er supply not suitable Use a different PSU ith at least 1
amp of current. You can purchase a
suitable PSU at
Videogameperfection.com
Page 10