Q: Using an old monochrome PC with a new color monitor

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

I need to use an old monochrome PC with a new color monitor.

I am planning to use a DB15 to DB9 adapter.

I want to make sure that this would work, I do not want to destroy anything!

Any comments?

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

topraka@gmail.com (A. Toprak) wrote in message news:<fabe100b.0409141036.8eb8a1@posting.google.com>...
> I need to use an old monochrome PC with a new color monitor.
>
> I am planning to use a DB15 to DB9 adapter.
>
> I want to make sure that this would work, I do not want to destroy anything!
>
> Any comments?
>
> Thanks

After posting this, I did a bit more research and finding out that the
monochrome card may be meant for a digital monitor. (Currently a ZYNK
SM1411 is being used with this PC. I cannot find out if this is a
digital monitor or not.) If this is the case, an adapter alone won't
do.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc A. Toprak <topraka@gmail.com> wrote:
> I need to use an old monochrome PC with a new color monitor.

> I am planning to use a DB15 to DB9 adapter.

> I want to make sure that this would work, I do not want to destroy anything!

> Any comments?

What kind of graphics card? The problem is that most modern monitors
expect at least VGA refresh rates, i.e. 31.5kHz horizontal and
60Hz vertical refresh rate. If they get less, most should not be
damaged, but you never know. They will not give you a good image
though. The computer should not be in any danger.

If your adapter is actually very old color (CGA) then you
might be out of luck, as this uses 15kHz/60Hz television frequency.
Most modern monitors cannot handle that. I think the same is true
for MGA and Hercules.

EGA timing is 25kHz/??, still too low for most modern monitors, but
you might get a readable image.

VGA timing is 31.5kHz/60Hz, any modern monitor can handle that.

Why not try to get an old ISA-bus VGA card from a scap-pile
somewhere? It should work with a new monitor.

Arno
---
For email address: lastname AT tik DOT ee DOT ethz DOT ch
GnuPG: ID:1E25338F FP:0C30 5782 9D93 F785 E79C 0296 797F 6B50 1E25 338F
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws" - Tacitus

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc A. Toprak <topraka@gmail.com> wrote:
> topraka@gmail.com (A. Toprak) wrote in message news:<fabe100b.0409141036.8eb8a1@posting.google.com>...
>> I need to use an old monochrome PC with a new color monitor.
>>
>> I am planning to use a DB15 to DB9 adapter.
>>
>> I want to make sure that this would work, I do not want to destroy anything!
>>
>> Any comments?
>>
>> Thanks

> After posting this, I did a bit more research and finding out that the
> monochrome card may be meant for a digital monitor. (Currently a ZYNK
> SM1411 is being used with this PC. I cannot find out if this is a
> digital monitor or not.) If this is the case, an adapter alone won't
> do.

Actually the "digital" means it has three output values:
on/off in one line and medium/bright in another (intensity").
You can mix them together to get a reasonable image. Might need
a powered adapter with some TTL circuitry though.

Is this intended for someone to actually work with for a longer time?
If not, you could also just connect the video line to green and red and
the intensity line to blue (or so). Not ergonomic, but well
recognizable.

Arno
--
For email address: lastname AT tik DOT ee DOT ethz DOT ch
GnuPG: ID:1E25338F FP:0C30 5782 9D93 F785 E79C 0296 797F 6B50 1E25 338F
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws" - Tacitus

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

A. Toprak wrote:

> I need to use an old monochrome PC with a new color monitor.
>
> I am planning to use a DB15 to DB9 adapter.
>
> I want to make sure that this would work, I do not want to destroy
> anything!
>
> Any comments?

If you're talking about the original IBM Black and White adapter or the
Hercules Monochrome Board then don't bet on any current-production monitor
working with it. You may get a pleasant surprise but don't count on it.

> Thanks

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

I hooked an NEC1 Multisync to a Herc card. The NEC1
came with a db9/ega already (needed an adapter to work
w/vga) so I tried it. There was a lot of overscan, but
that may have been because the NEC1 was rated to 56 Hz
up to maybe 70 Hz, and the mono cards ran at 50 Hz
(long persist phosphors smoothed the mono display, but
you won't get that on any display today). The NEC1
also had a digital/analog switch, and a DIP switch (for
some reason), on the back. I may have switched it to
digital for the Herc (and for EGA I -think-). That
1987 NEC1 still works. It's built like a tank. You
(the OP) should check ebay for mono screens (not mono
vga). Typically they were green or yellow pixels. Or
find an old ISA VGA card. Or trash that computer and
get something, anything, else.

--
40th Floor - Software @ http://40th.com/
iPlay : the ultimate audio player for iPAQs
mp3, ogg, mp4, m4a, aac, wav, and then some
w/surround, xfeed, reverb - all on your ppc

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

<hel@40th.com> wrote in message
news:KMx2d.600542$Gx4.437457@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Typically they were green or yellow pixels.

Pixels? PIXELS? It's a CRT..we don' NEED
no steenkin' pixels!....🙂

Bob M.