Using a Magnavox monitor

[moshue]

I have a Magnavox monitor that has RGB input (the RGB port is the same as the one on Commodore 1084 monitors), and I want to hook some game systems up to it. I read on another forum that this monitor will work fine. All the tutorials I have found to wire up my game systems list only composite sync or video sync, but the pinout for my port has separate HSync and VSync pins. What do I connect where, or do I need to do something to combine them.

Please help me.

Moshue

[moshue]

I forgot to add this question  

If my monitor can be used, could I wire a SCART socket to the RGB port, and then just buy SCART cables for all the systems I want to use? That seems to be the only RGB standard.

Thanks again,
Moshue

[benzaldehyde]

Hi,

    You may want to be careful. Some monitors only use digital RGB with TTL H and V sync signals. Everything we're interested in usie :(ng is at analog RGB levels with C sync, and alas the two formats are not compatible (there are a lot more old digital than analog monitors out there ). However, if yours can sync to analog signals, then attaching the sync line to the H sync pin will often do the trick. A SCART adapter may have to include an LM1881 sync separation circuit as these most often only connect comosite video to the television. Of course, you may be lucky and have a monitor with such a circuit built in. (I worked for two days adding such a circuit to one of my Magnavox monitors only to later discover there was already one in there.  :blink: ) Remember that SCART is not the only RGB format; Japanese RGB has the same connector but a differing pinout. Be sure you know which kind of cable you are buying. Of course, you could just build your own standard like Lawrence has, which is the same one I use because it's just so damned convenient. Hope that this helps you with your project!

-JM

[moshue]

Thanks for the info.

According to the info I found, it was TTL level RGB (I wish I knew the difference and it didn't matter. This is what I read:

> This monitor can be used for RGB display
> model No. CM8762 074G
> This monitor on the back has an 8 pin din port with TTL RGB indicated on
> the plastic ,then right next to it there is
> a area for lin rgb that's pre-cut for future use.I am guessing if you wish
> to solder the 6 pin port on the board you can use it as another option.
> This monitor is equivalent to the 1084 digital.The only things you omit is
> the Intensity pinout. >>
>
>
>so with that model you hook it up but don't  ground or do any thing with the
>intensity pin?  cool !    

This was on a NeoGeo board, and as you can read, they said it would work. I understand what you posted, and that is why I am confused. Supposedly, digital (I'm guessing that is the same as TTL, right?) won't work, but this monitor is digital, but works... WTF? What a confused newbie I am  

PS, this was my SCART idea, since the port is DIN 45326
Connect this cable to the input on my monitor, and the other end to the output on this switchbox. Then just buy RGB capable SCART cables for any videogame console I want.

Feel free to shoot down my ideas, I would rather be dissapointed, than out the GOD-only-knows how much money it would take to find all of that, and get it to the states. Not to mention the soldering I would have to do to add Audio out to the switchbox.

Otherwise, I thought it looked good on paper  

[matt]

Your monitor only takes digital RGB, so as is it's useless for game systems.

It is possible to hack it for analog RGB; in fact this isn't hard at all if you know what you're doing.  If you don't (which I'm sure is the case because you had to ask), you should just look for a new monitor.

While the monitor's case does have a space for the missing 6-pin analog DIN plug, you'll find that a lot of the circuitry inside is missing, so it's not quite as simple as it seems.

[moshue]

Thanks for the info you guys. This monitor was left over from my Commodore 128 days, and escaped the trash when I moved last year only to serve as a spare Xbox LAN party set. It pretty much gets no use from me, so I might try modding it later. If you guys know of any info on the net that will help, I would gladly accept some links. As Matt said, I am obviously not an expert on RGB signals, but I do have a good handle on general electronics and soldering. If I wreck it, it won't matter. Besides, maybe it will give me some practice.

Thanks for the help!
Moshue