Random output on decoding time from LTC audio using arduino UNO

Question

I am a newbie in Arduino and I am trying to decode time from ltc audio. For this I got Arduino UNO.

I got a sample code from here.. Here my code:

#define icpPin 8        // ICP input pin on arduino
#define one_time_max          588 // these values are setup for NTSC video
#define one_time_min          422 // PAL would be around 1000 for 0 and 500 for 1
#define zero_time_max          1080 // 80bits times 29.97 frames per sec
#define zero_time_min          922 // equals 833 (divide by 8 clock pulses)


#define end_data_position      63
#define end_sync_position      77
#define end_smpte_position     80

volatile unsigned int bit_time;
volatile boolean valid_tc_word;
volatile boolean ones_bit_count;
volatile boolean tc_sync;
volatile boolean write_tc_out;
volatile boolean drop_frame_flag;

volatile byte total_bits;
volatile byte current_bit;
volatile byte sync_count;

volatile byte tc[8];
volatile char timeCode[11];

/* ICR interrupt vector */
ISR(TIMER1_CAPT_vect)
{
 //toggleCaptureEdge
 TCCR1B ^= _BV(ICES1);
  //Serial.println("Inter");
 bit_time = ICR1;

 //resetTimer1
 TCNT1 = 0;

if ((bit_time < one_time_min) || (bit_time > zero_time_max)) // get rid of anything way outside the norm
 {
   //Serial.println(bit_time, DEC);
   total_bits = 0;
 }
 else
 {
   if (ones_bit_count == true) // only count the second ones pluse
     ones_bit_count = false;
   else
   {    
     if (bit_time > zero_time_min)
     {
       current_bit = 0;
       sync_count = 0;
     }
     else //if (bit_time < one_time_max)
     {
       ones_bit_count = true;
       current_bit = 1;
       sync_count++;
       if (sync_count == 12) // part of the last two bytes of a timecode word
       {
         sync_count = 0;
         tc_sync = true;
         total_bits = end_sync_position;
       }
     }

     if (total_bits <= end_data_position) // timecode runs least to most so we need
     {                                    // to shift things around
       tc[0] = tc[0] >> 1;

       for(int n=1;n<8;n++)
       {
         if(tc[n] & 1)
           tc[n-1] |= 0x80;

         tc[n] = tc[n] >> 1;
       }

       if(current_bit == 1)
         tc[7] |= 0x80;
     }
     total_bits++;
   }

   if (total_bits == end_smpte_position) // we have the 80th bit
   {
     total_bits = 0;
     if (tc_sync)
     {
       tc_sync = false;
       valid_tc_word = true;
     }
   }

   if (valid_tc_word)
   {
     valid_tc_word = false;
/*
     timeCode[10] = (tc[0]&0x0F)+0x30;      // frames
     timeCode[9] = (tc[1]&0x03)+0x30;      // 10's of frames
     timeCode[8] =  '.';
     timeCode[7] = (tc[2]&0x0F)+0x30;      // seconds
     timeCode[6] = (tc[3]&0x07)+0x30;      // 10's of seconds
     timeCode[5] =  ':';
     timeCode[4] = (tc[4]&0x0F)+0x30;      // minutes
     timeCode[3] = (tc[5]&0x07)+0x30;      // 10's of minutes
     timeCode[2] = ':';
     timeCode[1] = (tc[6]&0x0F)+0x30;      // hours
     timeCode[0] = (tc[7]&0x03)+0x30;      // 10's of hours
*/

         timeCode[9] = ((tc[0]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 8
       timeCode[8] = ((tc[1]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 7
       timeCode[7] = ((tc[2]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 6
       timeCode[6] = ((tc[3]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 5
       timeCode[5] = '-';
       timeCode[4] = ((tc[4]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 4
       timeCode[3] = ((tc[5]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 3
       timeCode[2] = '-';
       timeCode[1] = ((tc[6]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 2  
       timeCode[0] = ((tc[7]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30; // user bits 1

       drop_frame_flag = bit_is_set(tc[1], 2);

     write_tc_out = true;
   }
 }
}


void setup()
{
 Serial.begin(9600);
 pinMode(8, INPUT);                  // ICP pin (digital pin 8 on arduino) as input

 bit_time = 0;
 valid_tc_word = false;
 ones_bit_count = false;
 tc_sync = false;
 write_tc_out = false;
 drop_frame_flag = false;
 total_bits =  0;
 current_bit =  0;
 sync_count =  0;

 Serial.println("Finished setup ");
 delay (1000);

 TCCR1A = B00000000; // clear all
 TCCR1B = B11000010; // ICNC1 noise reduction + ICES1 start on rising edge + CS11 divide by 8
 TCCR1C = B00000000; // clear all
 TIMSK1 = B00100000; // ICIE1 enable the icp

 TCNT1 = 0; // clear timer1
}

void loop()
{
  if (write_tc_out)
   {
     write_tc_out = false;
     //if (drop_frame_flag)
       //Serial.print("TC-[df] ");
     //else
       //Serial.print("TC-[nd] ");
     Serial.print((char*)timeCode);
     //Serial.print("\r");
   }
}

I am generating LTC audio from this link. On running my code I am getting this output:-

Finished setup
?>-00-0000??-??-77=??>-??-;?????-??-?>???>-:?-=????>-??-?=???>-;=-??5>?>-;=-??=7?>-?;-??=>?>-?:-??=7?>-;=-??>??>-;;-??=7??-?=-=7?>?>->7-?????>-;;-??=7?>-;>->??:??-?=-7????>-;?-??5>?>-;?-?=?>??-?=-?7>??>-7:-?67=?>-;?-???5?>-;=-7?==?>-;;-??=7?>-7=-??>>?>-:?-7????>-;=-?;;=??-?=->?=5?>-;=-???=?>-;?-?=5>??-?;->=???>-?>-7>;???-?;->????>-;?-?7=??>-;>-??>;?>-;=-;?5>?>-??-=7;7?>-;=-;?=??>-;=-??=7?>-;=-??:??>->7-=?????-?7-=?>>?>-?6-??;>?>-7;-???=?>-??-;=???>-;=-?7=7?>-?=-??>;?>-:?->??

So, can anyone one tell me where is mistake.

Answer 1

((tc[0]&0xF0)>>4)+0x30

Will generate values in the range x30 to x3F, which are 0 to 9 :;<=>? This is what you are seeing in you output (because you are adding in x2D '-')

I'm not sure what you are expecting to see, but as far as I can tell there are no mistakes and your code is working fine.

If you are trying to turn tc[0] into a hex digit then I would use this function

char ToHex (const char input)
{
    char output = '0';
    if (input > 9)
    { 
        output = (input - 10) + 'A';
    }
    else
    {
        output = input + '0';
    }
    return output;
}
char TCToHex (const char input)
{
    return ToHex(((input & 0xF0) >> 4));
}
char* CharToHex(const char input, char buffer[3])
{
    buffer[0] = ToHex((input & 0xF0) >> 4);
    buffer[1] = ToHex((input & 0x0F));
    buffer[2] = '\0'; // Always null terminate a string
    return buffer;
}

So what you will get if you call the functions is

    char buffer[3];
printf("CharToHex 0x%s\n", CharToHex('A', buffer));  //0x41 65 in decimal, ASCII A
printf("TCToHex = 0x%c \n", TCToHex(0x50)); // 5, because this function only takes the high nibble.
printf("ToHex = 0x%c \n", ToHex(0x0f)); // F

Hope that helps.