Re: Re (2): OT: SPARC 13W3 video (cable) adapters

[Scrap Happy <Scrap%GMX.com@localhost>]

Hi Andrew,

On 6/20/2012 10:03 PM, Andrew Smallshaw wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 03:57:29PM -0700, Scrap Happy wrote:
> > On 6/3/2012 1:25 PM, peter%easthope.ca@localhost wrote:
> >
> > > This cable works just as you describe on my Sparcstation 2 with
> > > an old moitor.  I can report the monitor spec. if you need it.
> > > I have no complaint with the price or function of the cable.
> >
> > Thanks!  I will make a note of it (busy chasing some other issues
> > at the present time).
>
> I'm a week late responding to this but be careful: they may well
> not work on any given monitor.  The older Suns present a composite
> sync-on-green signal as opposed to separate H/V sync on dedicated
> pins as expected by PC monitors: this difference isn't something
> that can be bridged by a passive cable but needs active electronics.

IRC, the Creator series have a separate composite sync.
I think the Indy's were SoG.  I can't speak for any of the
older/smaller Sun 4's (or prior) as I've discarded everything
except SB2000/U60/SB150/etc.  (I may still have a 128MB LX
hidden away somewhere -- always found the LX to be "cute")

> Some PC monitors can accept the signal as-is but it tends to be
> higher-end, professionally orientated models: commodity budget
> monitors generally don't.
>
> You may need to build a sync separator to get the signals into the
> correct format.  I do recall that there are at least a couple of
> designs based on the LM1881 you could build yourself published
> online.  A quick Google should find them easily enough - I'm not
> doing so myself since I'm working on a text console at the minute.

I've already got some passive adapters that work.  The reason
behind my initial post (Jan 2012) was to find a source of
additional adapters as the ones I have don't seem to bear
much by way of identification (just molded blobs of plastic
with 13W3 and HDE15).  With two heads in each machine, I
don't have enough adapters available...