PAL & RGB on Cub monitors - a partial answer, and more questions - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

12 Sep 2003

OK, I've managed to find a part answer to the question I asked a while back. 
(What inputs did the Microvitec Cub Monitors have?)

Microvitec 653 cub monitors came in a few flavours:

Shape:
MS = the cub in metal case as most people are used to
LS/LI = plastic casing ("structured foam" case)

Input:
1451 = standard monitor with TTL inputs (BBC B, RM 480Z, Electron & Oric)
1455 = dual standard monitor TTL or 1v/75ohm video (BBC, Oric, Electron, RM 
480Z, RM 380Z)
1459 = 1v p-p/75ohm video input (RM 380Z, DEC Rainbow, Crommenco 501)
1456 = Mac & IBM versions differing only in color sets

There was however a Triple Standard monitor - which I would like to track 
down - the brochure for which statesinputs as: PAL/TTL/Analogue (1v/75ohm). 
This was a 20" version.

Looking at the circuit diagrams for the triple standard interface I can see 
that what it means by PAL & 1v/75ohm Video is the following:
PAL = what I would call composite video with colors encoded as PAL
1v/75ohm video = RGBS, BNC sockets for RGB and BNC socket for S which is 
also the PAL/Composite input (cunningly the monitor circuits also alow for 
RGsB)

I've not managed to find a diagram of the Dual Standard interface so I can't 
say what the connectors look like on the back. For now I'm assuming they 
were just BNC sockets.

Does anyone have the 1459 version of the Cub? Can they please let me know 
what the rear looks like.
Does anyone have the 1455 Dual Standard version of the Cub? same info would 
be useful.

Finally: Does anyone know where I could find 1455 & 1459 versions?
Thanks again,
Alan geering

...
 From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell)
Reply-To: cctech(a)classiccmp.org
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: PAL RGB on Cub monitors
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 21:52:49 +0100 (BST)

  Forgive me, I'm new to BBC computers and
associated techology

 What I would like to know is whether the cube looking monitor  (microvitech
  cub?) that came with BBC computers had the
following:

 A scart input that took a PAL RGB 1v p-p signal that sync'd on green? 
No Microvitec cub ever had a SCART socket.

There were serveral models. Most has RGB inputs, which were internally
link-selectable to be either TTL level digital (giving 8 colours on the
screen), or 1V analogue. I think all models had separate sync inputs.

There was a model (which I have never seen!) which had a built-in PAL
decoder. This took 1V composite video. The input was a BNC socket IIRC.

I don't know what a 'PAL RGB' signal is. PAL is a method of colour
encoding, RGB implies separate signals for the 3 primary colours. One
signal can't be both!

-tony 