>        I wonder if you or anyone could tell me what the frame rate is
>        at the video out on a CCD camcorder. I am going to attempt to
>        write a sync pulse in sync with SMPTE code. My manual says the
>        SMPTE code must be the exact same frame rate as the video
>        output.
>        Thanks for any info!
>
>MURRAY NELSON
Video is about 30 frames per second for ALL NTCS systems, including a CCD 
camcorder.  Actually, it's slightly faster than that -- 29.99 would be 
more accurate, but the real number goes to many more digits to the right 
of the decimal point.
Your manual is correct -- for SMPTE time code to do any good, a new number 
must be generated with every new frame.  A lot of equipment is picky 
enough that it will want the code to begin just as the frame begins... not 
halfway through a frame.
To keep the time code "in sync" with the picture, time code generators are 
"gen-locked" to the video -- that is, they receive a reference signal from 
the video source, and have a circuit that slaves the timing of the time 
code to that reference.
If you don't do that, you can't assure that the time code number for any 
given frame will begin exactly on that frame, and you can't keep the 
generator from slowly drifting out of synchronization with the video.
Gary Pearce KN4AQ
Franklin Video
Raleigh NC
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