The two 15 pin connectors, assuming they are d-subs (high-density of pins) are VGA compatible connectors - you should be able to plug a male-male cable in and get a display from a PC (or an adaptor cable for a MAC). There are two so you can connect the monitor to two different PCs (there may be an on-screen menu to select between the two, or a button on the panel). High-end monitors typically require a separate cable rather than having one 'built in'. The RGB connectors are an older standard for high quality video - you can get VGA - RGB cables, or for example VAXen/VAXstations would come with a cable to hook up to RGB. The Comp HD and VD are for composite signals, the kind you would generally get out of a video camcorder or similar. I have a modern Iiyama flat panel that has a similar array of connectors. Maximum flexibility! Hope that helps, Mark. p.s. as for the question of worth - probably only what it's worth to you. Although modern large format monitors are now frowned up and are getting less frequently used in new installations they do provide a cost effective solution for getting maximum screen real estate, if you have the desk space. Most people would be reserved about buying an older monitor because of general deterioration in the sharpness of the picture, but if it has a good picture for you then great! Mark Wickens Rhodium Consulting Ltd -----Original Message----- From: cctalk-bounces(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of d-gordon(a)sbcglobal.net Sent: 14 July 2004 08:53 To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts' Subject: Mitsubishi Monitor Hello: I need some advise, if someone can please help me out regarding identifying what this monitor is for. I have been given an older 20' Mitsubishi monitor with two 15 pin connectors on the back (signal A, Signal B) along with 5 of the round connectors with the two pins on each. Each round silver connector is labled R, G, B, Comp HD, and VD, respectively, obviously some sort of color connectors for RGB color, I think. It has no video cables for the 15 pin connectors, so it looks like I need a male-male cable to attach it to a PC. I am not sure what type of system it is supposed to connect to (PC, MAC, whatever). That's what my question is. I am unfamiliar with dealing with fancy monitors like this with all the connections. I did a Google search and it said it cost $2235 years ago, but no other info is available. Below is the model number: MITSUBISHI (Model #HC3925KTK) 20" .31 DOT 800X600 NI $2235. On the front it says, Diamond Scan 20M and another label says "Digital Post". Maybe its for a Digital computer. 1.) So, is this monitor worth anything? 2.) What computer can I test it on today, to see if it works? A PC or a MAC, Sun? I don't know. This seems like a dumb question, but I have not seen a monitor before with this sort of connections, so I would appreciate som advise on this monstrosity of a monitor. It's a giant thing!

Are you sure it's 2 pins? These sound like BNC [1] connectors which have one central pin and the shield. Some sockets have a forked contact for the centre connection which may look like 2 pins, though. [1] Bonus points for people who know what BNC stands for.... Yes. HD and VD are 'Horizontal Drive' and 'Vertical Drive' respectively, what most people call 'sync'. Comp refers to composite sync (and I would not think composite video here), for machines that have a combined, composite, sync output. If these are DE15 connectors, I would assume PC VGA. But watch out. At least one of my monitors -- and I think it was a Mitsubishi -- has an DE15 input connector that's _not_ wired as a normal VGA connector. It came with a specail cross-wired cable that has to be used the right way round, and the only visible difference between the ends is that one end has black insulation between the pins, the other end has white. The moulded plug covers are the normal grey at each end (as is the cable). This caused me a lot of head-scratching and staring at a 'scope... -tony

Bayonet Neil-Concelman or British Naval Connector! Although I have never been sure why the English would want to connect their belly-buttons....

While the former is technically correct [see my previous reference], I will content that enough "official" sources also list the second as a definition to make it also a correct answer. Lets not repeat the discussion on the definition of "hacker"....

Ah, the BNC, and what it "stands for". The problem is that there are many references to the BNC name from the late 1940s, and they mostly conflict. It would be nice to see an original Amphenol product announcement from the 1940s. The falsehood in marketting the "UHF" connector wasn't always a falsehood - when the connector series was developed (for the military as NT-49195 and PL-259, amongst other names of variation), 80 MHz was considered UHF. Even some of the Navy radios made it official, with names like "Ultra High Frequency Radiotelephone Transmitting Receiving Equipment". The UHF name (and connectors) stuck. William Donzelli aw288(a)osfn.org

On Wed, Jul 14, 2004 at 11:38:45PM +0100, Tony Duell wrote: Something wrong with the quoting there Tony ... Anyway, There are the two locking "pins" on the sides of BNC connectors. Perhaps these are what are being mentioned. Alistair

connectors which have one central pin and the shield. Some sockets have a forked contact for the centre connection which may look like 2 pins, though. <Dave replies> Yes, It does have two pins. Maybe we are talking about different pins. I am talking about the silver protrusions that extend radially on the outside of the round BNC connector, that hold the twist-on female connector. But in the center of the connector there is something that looks like a small slot for a wire to insert into, maybe like a coaxial cable for a TV fits in. watch out. At least one of my monitors -- and I think it was a Mitsubishi -- has an DE15 input connector that's _not_ wired as a normal VGA connector. It came with a specail cross-wired cable that has to be used the right way round, and the only visible difference between the ends is that one end has black insulation between the pins, the other end has white. <Dave replies> Both of the 15 pin connectors on the back of my monitor are black, so maybe I won't have that problem. There is one 15 pin connector that is grouped by itself, while the other 15 pin connector is grouped with the 5 BNC connectors. Additionally, on the back of the Mitsubishi monito there is a small green bank of 10 DIP switches, with instructions under them on what the settings (up or down, mean). Any other suggestions are appreciated to help me to avoid hokking up something wrong. Also, are those male-male cables readily available at computer stores? I don't recall ever seeing one on their cable board, for example at Fry's Electronics, a very large chain of computer stores here in California.

instructions under them mind reader :-). What do the DIP switches say they do... That might be a big clue as to whet the monitor was to work with. <Dave replies> I double checked the DIP switch bank and it has only 8 DIP switches. The DIP switche instructions are grouped into 3 sections, the first with 4 switches, saying Text Color w/ Green Amber and Red, for the first group. The second group says Text/Color and has only 2 switches. The third group has the last 4 DIP switches and says "TTL Color" and each switch says something different. The first says the number 8, the second "16 SAT." and "16 PAS", the third "32". To me it doesn't make sense. For some strange reason, there are more pictures of dip switches than actual DIP switches. It also says switch 6 - 8 , must stay set to off.

<Tony asks> You are sure that both the DE connectors have 15 pins. If one of them had 9 pins, that could certainly be a digital input. <Dave replies> Yes, I triple checked it, there are definitely (2) of the 15 pin connectors and they are black. ------------- 8, the second For <Tony says> This sounds like 3 bits (8 colours), 4 bits (16 colours, SATurated or PAStel), or 5 bits (32 colours). Several machiens used 3 or 4 bit digital colour outputs. I've never come across a 5 bit output, though. <Dave replies> Ummm... I did make one mistake, and that is that the final pair of DIP switches are labled "64", rather than 32. The rest are exactly as I stated. Also the monitor does appear to be for the US market and manufactured in Dec 1985. It says 220V-240V by the plug, but it says both the 100V-120V and the 220V-240V on the large label on the back. I am wondering if it will work on 110V? The problem is that I do not see a switch to change from 110 to 220, like some other devices have. I don't have 220V access here. I can email you a picture of the monitor connections, if that would help. -tony

then-common PC video standards, and then some others. It probably won't do the later higher-resolution super-VGA modes, thouygh, and you may well need a special cable for each type of video input. <Dave says> Thanks for all your help. It would seem that all that can be figured out has been, and the next step is to plug it in and try it on a system. Next question, is "will I need a computer with a significant amount of video memory?" I have a couple of old Compaq 386s with 1 and 2 Mb video memory cards. I am not sure, but I thought since it was a such a huge 20" monitor, maybe I need it. Maybe you can advise me? Or can I just plug it into a new Pentiium 4 system and set the monitor resolution lower? Or do new computes not work with VGA monitors, if that's what it is? I'll also try it on 110V and see if it works, I guess it can't hurt anything to go under voltage, compared to going over if the setting just happens to be set at 110V. -Dave

In message <m1BksOn-000IxtC@p850ug1> ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote: "British Naval Connector" or "Bayonet Neill-Concelman" depending on who you believe :) Amphenol RF insist it's "Bayonet Neill-Concelman", named after one of their engineers, who developed it in the late 1940s. <http://www.amphenolrf.com/products/bnc.asp> if you're interested. I'm still trying to find a way to make a hole in a plastic panel to mount a BNC properly. I failed miserably on the frequency counter I made - the BNC connector spins while you're trying to plug a probe in. Oops. Later. -- Phil. | Acorn Risc PC600 Mk3, SA202, 64MB, 6GB, philpem(a)dsl.pipex.com | ViewFinder, 10BaseT Ethernet, 2-slice, http://www.philpem.dsl.pipex.com/ | 48xCD, ARCINv6c IDE, SCSI ... DANGER! DANGER! Computer Store Ahead, Hide Wallet.

Plastic is difficult because you can't really use a punch/die (there is a BNC punch for the RS rack-and-pinion press, but that system is not cheap!). How about using the type of BNC socket with a square flange and 4 mounting holes? -tony

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004, Philip Pemberton wrote: There are punches available. They aren't cheap brand new, but turn up surplus from time to time. -Toth

On Wed, 14 Jul 2004, Tony Duell wrote: Ha! An opportunity to use this otherwise-completely-useless piece of knowledge that I read (mumble) years ago in an electronics magazine and my brain filed under "remember this, it'll come in useful someday" :) Bayonet Neill-Concelmann (sp?) Ed.