GOROman GitHub avatar

famicom-rf-hackrf-decoder

GOROman

A C++20 software decoder that receives a Famicom's VHF RF output (NTSC-J) with a HackRF One and displays real-time full-color video and FM audio on a PC.

Stars

180

7-day growth

No data

Forks

10

Open issues

0

License

MIT

Last updated

2026-07-21

AI repository intelligence
FR-AI / ANALYSIS

Why it is worth attention

It delivers complete NTSC color decoding and FM intercarrier audio from raw RF using only libhackrf and SDL2, without GNU Radio, and includes live retuning, spectrum analysis, and headless frame dumping for debugging.

Who it is for

  • Retro gaming enthusiasts who want to play Famicom games on a modern display via the console's original RF output
  • SDR hobbyists interested in real-time demodulation of analog television signals
  • Digital signal processing learners studying NTSC decoding, sync separation, and color burst processing
  • Hardware tinkerers exploring the HackRF One's receive-only capabilities with vintage game consoles

Use cases

  • Live decoding and displaying Famicom gameplay on a PC monitor while using the original RF cable connection
  • Recording raw IQ data from the Famicom RF output for later analysis or replay
  • Testing and verifying NTSC decoder algorithms with synthetic color-bar test signals
  • Using the headless frame dump feature to capture still frames as PPM images for archival or verification

Strengths

  • Real-time performance with ~13× headroom on Apple Silicon at 10 MSPS, enabling smooth decoding
  • Supports both envelope detection and carrier-PLL synchronous detection for robust signal recovery
  • Compensates for modulator frequency drift via manual frequency override and on-screen spectrum scan
  • Includes a built-in FM radio mode and on-screen display with sync lock status, carrier frequencies, and latency

Considerations

  • Requires a wired RF cable connection directly to the HackRF's SMA port; over-the-air reception is not supported
  • Only supports Japan VHF channels 1 and 2; other regional variants or channels are not covered
  • Audio may be absent or distorted if the Famicom's audio carrier is off-frequency, and no automatic carrier search is provided for the FM audio path

README quick start

Usage

Related repositories

Similar projects matched by category, topics, and programming language.

alecjacobson
Featured
alecjacobson GitHub avatar

alpha-wrap

A CGAL-free, MIT-licensed reimplementation of the Alpha Wrapping algorithm that takes a defective triangle soup and produces a watertight, manifold, outward-oriented mesh with controllable level of detail and tightness.

C++
5
hypervising
Featured
hypervising GitHub avatar

gta-enhanced-audio-queue-poc

A proof-of-concept tool that patches a synchronous three-slot audio queue in GTA V Enhanced, boosting frame rates from ~260 to ~499 FPS by removing coarse wait delays.

Design & Creative
3
ammaarreshi
ammaarreshi GitHub avatar

Generals-Mac-iOS-iPad

This repository ports Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour to run natively on Apple Silicon Macs, iPhones, and iPads without emulation, adding touch controls and modern rendering.

C++
1,523