Olimex VGA2HDMI is an open-source hardware VGA-to-HDMI converter specially designed and tested to work with the CERBERUS 2100, AgonLight 2, and Agon Origins boards. The board has a VGA port as input and an HDMI port as output and a USB-C port is there to provide the external power required for the board.
In one of our previous posts, we wrote about the NovaVGA Shield, which adds VGA output to your Arduino UNO. Now, with the help of this board, that capability can be extended to HDMI. There are also extenders that carry VGA signals over Ethernet cables, a topic we have covered in another post. With this new board, you can convert that VGA signal to HDMI.
It’s not like there aren’t other VGA to HDMI converters on the market; a quick Amazon search gave me the VENTION VGA to HDMI Adapter, but among them, most were HDMI to VGA converters, not the other way around.
Olimex VGA2HDMI Converter Specification:
-
- Chipav CV8986 VGA to HDMI converter
- VGA connector
- HDMI connector
- USB-C power connector
- Dimensions – 55 x 31 mm
Unlike the product on Amazon, this device is built around the CV8986 VGA to HDMI converter that supports 1080p video, a capability we can confirm by looking at the datasheet of the IC. The datasheet also suggests that this IC supports 24-bit audio ADC, meaning that if the board was designed correctly, the HDMI output could include audio over HDMI as well. However, I can’t find the reason for not including a 3.5 mm jack on the board. This 56-pin, 7mm x 7mm IC operates within a temperature range of -30 to 85 degrees Celsius and features a 32-bit Cortex M0+ core. It supports HDCP 1.3 and CEC 1.3, including the CEC function and hot plug.
As the board is open-sourced the company provides schematics and other KiCad source files on its product page itself, more information and resources can be found on its GitHub Page under the reciprocal GNU General Public License 3.
The company said that the Olimex VGA2HDMI board will be compatible with boards with any VGA input and HDMI output. Currently, it’s on sale through the Olimex online store, priced at €15 or €17 (approximately $16 to $18.50), and there’s an option to purchase it with a plastic case.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
Oh that’s quite tempting, such devices are usually hard to find, contrary to the other direction which is quite frequent. It could combine well with the HDMI to USB video capture device I already have, so that I could now also capture VGA output without requiring a screen.
The deciding factor in whether this will be useful is whether it supports low resolution VGA outputs i.e. from computer BIOSes that render at resolutions that the popular white box MINI labelled VGA to HDMI adapters are unable to deal with. It’s very likely that situations involving VGA to HDMI would also involve computers old enough to want to render the BIOS at 640*480 or other odd resolutions.
The datasheet says it can do 480i/p, but it’s unclear whether it would support any odd resolution.