870646c@aucs.uucp (Barry Comer) (03/13/90)
This may be a stupid queston, but I am going to ask it anyways. What is that little connector on most VGA boards for? Just wondering. later Barry
marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) (03/14/90)
870646c@aucs.uucp (Barry Comer) writes: >This may be a stupid queston, but I am going to ask it anyways. What is that >little connector on most VGA boards for? Just wondering. It's called the feature connector. The only place I've seen it used was on a Dell graphics processor board. It allowed one to connect a standard VGA card to a TI34010 based board. This way, one can run standard VGA stuff too. -- Marshall L. Buhl, Jr. EMAIL: marshall@wind55.seri.gov Senior Computer Engineer VOICE: (303)231-1014 Wind Research Branch 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393 Solar Energy Research Institute Solar - safe energy for a healthy future
dlow@hpspcoi.HP.COM (Danny Low) (03/15/90)
>This may be a stupid queston, but I am going to ask it anyways. What is that >little connector on most VGA boards for? Just wondering. >Barry It's a feature connector for addon enhancements. As far as I know nobody has ever made such a beast. It allows you to tap into the video signal just before the D/A stage. Danny Low "Question Authority and the Authorities will question You" Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley HP SPCD dlow%hpspcoi@hplabs.hp.com ...!hplabs!hpspcoi!dlow
scotts@cpqhou.UUCP (Scott Shaffer @ Compaq Computer Corp.) (03/15/90)
In article <1990Mar12.231833.19363@aucs.uucp>, 870646c@aucs.uucp (Barry Comer) writes: > > This may be a stupid queston, but I am going to ask it anyways. What is that > little connector on most VGA boards for? Just wondering. This interesting little connection (the one that is similar to a floppy drive connector, btw, don't hook your floppy to it :) ), is called the VGA Special Feature's connector. It works like this: Video data is processed exactly as normal, except, as the signal is being sent to the VGA's internal Digital/Analog Converter (DAC), it is also routed to this connector (hence the only signals there are the Red, Green, and Blue guns, the Horiz. and Vert. sync, and a ground). This feature is used by a number of the secondary enhanced-mode video boards (such as Compaq's AG1024, Dell's TI thingy, and a couple of others (Western Digital I think)). This enables these manufacturers to create boards that are entirely devoted to their enhanced modes (ie. they don't have to emulate VGA). They don't have to try to be register or BIOS compatible on the VGA modes because the get that signal directly from the VGA and just pass it through to their own DAC, and out to the monitor. Some VGA cards do NOT have this feature connector (to save $$$), and thus they will not be compatible to these enchanced secondary adaptors. IBMs 8514 system is similar to these other enhanced-mode adaptors, except that it ONLY works with MCA machines and gets the video info off of the bus (I guess, where else?). Thus, you can't use 8514 in ISA machines. * Scott Shaffer @ Compaq Computer Corp @ Houston, TX *
clear@actrix.co.nz (Charlie Lear) (03/16/90)
In article <.uucp> 870646c@aucs.uucp (Barry Comer) writes: >This may be a stupid queston, but I am going to ask it anyways. What is that >little connector on most VGA boards for? Just wondering. Not a stupid question at all. Quote from the manual of my VGA card: Video Feature Connector This edge connector and associated circuitry is equivalent to the connector provided by IBM on their PS/2 Display Adapter. Its purpose is to allow for possible future connections and is provided on your 16 Bit VGA Card to maintain complete compatibility with the IBM card. You will normally have no need to use this connector. There! Everything you ever wanted to know about it, straight from the horses mouth. This may be a stupid question, but I am going to ask it anyways. WHAT IS THAT LITTLE CONNECTOR ON MOST VGA BOARDS *** FOR *** ??????? -- Charlie "The Bear" Lear: Call The Cave BBS, 64(4)643429 157MB Online! Home of the World Famous KiwiBoard BBS Software! Snail: P.O. Box 12-175, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand All mail and flames to clear@actrix.co.nz
cms2839@ultb.isc.rit.edu (C.M. Stuntz) (03/17/90)
In article <1640079@hpspcoi.HP.COM> dlow@hpspcoi.HP.COM (Danny Low) writes: >>This may be a stupid queston, but I am going to ask it anyways. What is that >>little connector on most VGA boards for? Just wondering. > >It's a feature connector for addon enhancements. As far as I know >nobody has ever made such a beast. It allows you to tap into the >video signal just before the D/A stage. actually , there are a couple of boards that use it . some of the VGA to NTSC boards use it , as do some of the interactive - media add - ons ( for adding full - motion video within windows on the screen . also , the EGA feature connector is used for the EGA enhancement boards that increase the resolution somewhat and give more colours . VGA cards , though , generally have a resolution so high that this is not necessary . -a.stranger -- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ "Imagination keeps the shadows away - Xymox @ @~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@ @ a.stranger - CMS2839%RITVAX.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu @