[comp.sys.mac.hardware] question about IIci color video connector

yost@esquire.UUCP (David A. Yost) (11/15/89)

Can I assume that when my IIci arrives,
the color video connector will be the
same as the one on the apple Nu Bus color
board, so I can buy a cable from someone
who is familiar with the latter?

 --dave yost

hodas@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Josh Hodas) (11/16/89)

In article <1576@esquire.UUCP> yost@esquire.UUCP (David A. Yost) writes:
>Can I assume that when my IIci arrives,
>the color video connector will be the
>same as the one on the apple Nu Bus color
>board, so I can buy a cable from someone
>who is familiar with the latter?
>
> --dave yost


Well, yes and no.  The pinouts for the actual video signal is the same, but
there are 2 possible problems that arise (both of which I ran into when
trying to hook up my sony 1302 to the ci, having moved it from a cx/nubus-
video combination).

First, there is a possible physical incompatibility.  THe connector on the 
nubus card is totally exposed, whereas the ci connector is sort of imbedded
in the case.  Therefore, cables whose db-15 end have the plastic shroud 
wrapping partly around the metal (as is true with most assembled, rather than
molded, heads) will not fit.

As to electrical problems, while the video signals come out the same pins,
the ci also senses the configuration of certain other pins (I think its looking
for a ground configuration, but I forget) in order to detect which type of
monitor is connected.  My old cable (once I had cut the offending plastic 
shroud off) still wouldnt work.  THe ci refused to detect the monitor's exist-
ence.   I finally ordered a cx/ci-1302 cable from Software that fits (the
same outfit that I got my samsung FPD from).  They did not know about the
possible problems, but claimed that they had used the cable on a ci with no 
problem, and promised I could return it if it didnt work.  Anyway, it works
great, it is a cable by Cables-To-Go (part #SONY CTG-MAC).

Cables to go could probably supply you with a cable for almost any 3rd
party monitor, their phone # (from the package) is 800-826-7904
(in Ohio 800-826-0958).

Josh
-------------------------

Josh Hodas    (hodas@eniac.seas.upenn.edu)
4223 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

(215) 222-7112   (home)
(215) 898-5423   (school office)

noah@Apple.COM (Noah Price) (11/17/89)

In article <17030@netnews.upenn.edu> hodas@eniac.seas.upenn.edu.UUCP (Josh Hodas) writes:
>As to electrical problems, while the video signals come out the same pins,
>the ci also senses the configuration of certain other pins (I think its looking
>for a ground configuration, but I forget) in order to detect which type of
>monitor is connected.

By popular demand, here's the pinout for the Mac IIci DB-15 video connector,
and how it connects to the 12" B&W and 13" RGB monitors.  Anything that isn't
an n.c. (no connection) should be connected.  I imagine pin 4 was not
connected on your first cable, if the monitor wasn't sensed properly.



------------------------------------------------
Pin		Signal		Description			12" B&W,
										13" RGB
------------------------------------------------
1		RED.GND		Red Video Ground	RED.GND
2		RED.VID		Red Video			RED.VID
3		CSYNC~		Composite Sync		CSYNC~
4		MON.ID1		Monitor ID, Bit 1	ID1.GND
5		GRN.VID		Green Video			GRN.VID
6		GRN.GND		Green Video Ground	GRN.GND
7		MON.ID2		Monitor ID, Bit 2	n. c.
8		n. c.		(no connection)		n. c.
9		BLU.VID		Blue Video			BLU.VID
10		MON.ID3		Monitor ID, Bit 3	n. c.
11		C&VSYNC.GND	CSYNC & VSYNC Gnd.	CSYNC.GND
12		VSYNC~		Vertical Sync		n. c.
13		BLU.GND		Blue Video Ground	BLU.GND
14		HSYNC.GND	HSYNC Ground		n. c.
15		HSYNC~		Horizontal Sync		n. c.
Shell	CHASSIS.GND	Chassis Ground		CHASSIS.GND


Hope this helps.

noah

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
noah@apple.com                                    Mac IIci Hardware Design Team
..!{sun,decwrl}!apple!noah                                 Apple Computer, Inc.