# SMPTE Decoder IC



## SanTai (Apr 22, 2015)

I have a new project in which I need to decode a properitary ltc which is similar to smpte with 30 fps. I was planning to start with a smpte decoder IC but have not found anything suitable. Does anyone here have a smpte IC that they have used successfully?


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## SanTai (Apr 23, 2015)

Or implemented smpte decoding in any other way?


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## robartsd (Apr 23, 2015)

Google helped me understand:
LTC - linear time code
SMPTE - Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers

So, you want to build your own electronics that consumes a proprietary linear time code similar to the SMPTE 30 fps standard (preferably using and integrated circuit). I can't say that I've ever come across anyone on Control Booth discussing building any circuits to listen to any form of time code. Perhaps this question on the Arduino stack exchange site will be helpful.


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## SanTai (Apr 24, 2015)

robartsd said:


> Google helped me understand:
> LTC - linear time code
> SMPTE - Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers
> 
> So, you want to build your own electronics that consumes a proprietary linear time code similar to the SMPTE 30 fps standard (preferably using and integrated circuit). I can't say that I've ever come across anyone on Control Booth discussing building any circuits to listen to any form of time code. Perhaps this question on the Arduino stack exchange site will be helpful.



If you click the words that got a yellow dots under them are links to the CB wiki if you want to have to avoid resorting to google.

Thanks for the link, that is however a software solution. If possible I would like to avoid that and do it with a circuit instead have the data and clock as output.

Neither have I seen any discussions about projects that include time code decoding circuits. But I have seen a lot of cool arduiono hacks for remotecontrolling all kinds of things, usually leds. As soon as you want to sync stuff time code usually gets mentioned, I hoped someone had implemented in their custom/diy solutions. Thought it might be more likley on a theatre/live event forum than a pure electronics forum to get into timecode sync. I will continue my search!


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## n1ist (Apr 24, 2015)

You will likely need to do this with firmware running on a micro, unless you are into FPGAs... 

A quick search found this front-end IC; it will need to be fed to a UART for decoding and processing the data
http://hinton-instruments.co.uk/components/eureka/index.htm

I would probably start with one of the comparator-based circuits to convert the LTC signal to digital, and then use the UART extensions on an Atmel Xmega E5 to do the FM decoding.

/mike


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## SanTai (Apr 25, 2015)

Nice! Thanks. Could not find anything on digikey for SMPTE-12M. It could be done on a micro but I would prefer to do the FM decoding in the analog domain.


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## Jay Ashworth (Apr 25, 2015)

Identifying the TC will help a lot. Describing the proposed setup even more.


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