Mythbusters - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

11 Feb 2006

although its been refuted on this list, I do seem to
recall reading that plugging a 5151 into a CGA card
was catastrophic - read IMPLOSION. Alas only a
suburban legend. And as much as Id like to see it (not
that I have anything against 5151s), Im not going to
be trying it anytime soon. No way, no how...
--- cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org <cclist at sydex.com>
wrote:
...
  On 2/2/2006 at 5:29 PM Richard wrote:

 >Yes, its referred to as the "Killer Poke".  There was also something
...
  >you could do on early IBM PC graphics adapaters
where you could fry
...
  >the monitor by writing a zero value to a frequency
register, IIRC.
...

 All you really had to do to fry the MDA on a PC was to program the
...
  horizontal frequency a few KHz too high.  The
display would keep sync, but
...
  eventually the HOT would get smoked.  I fried a
couple of HOTs while
...
  working on SIMGA--fortunately, the distributor for
the monitors was about 6
...
  blocks away and they had an ample supply of
replacement parts.
...

 But heck, that isn't dramatic.  The display just goes dark. 
...

 I want a Star Trek-type "ERROR ER ROR MUST RE EVALUATE" type of smoke
and
...
  sparks type of software failure ending in an
explosion of thermonuclear
...
  proportions...

 Cheers,
 Chuck

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