[rescue] Sun Monitor Sanity Check

[Jonathan Sturges]

> Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:23:58 -0600 (CST)
> From: "Jonathan C. Patschke" 
> Subject: Re: [rescue] Sun Monitor Sanity Check
> To: The Rescue List 
> Message-ID: 
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
> On Wed, 16 Jan 2008, Joshua Boyd wrote:
> 
> > I've been using an Apple CRT (17" to match a sawtooth) as a display
> > first on Ultra 5 onboard graphics, then on a Raptor 64, and that was
> > happy.
> 
> Both of which do PC-style component-sync.
> 
> > Now I'm trying to use the same monitor on a Sun Expert3D, and I don't
> > even get a the initial open firmware boot stuff displayed.
> 
> All the Sun color framebuffers with 13w3 ports that I've ever seen
> demand composite sync.
> 
> > Is it reasonable to expect this monitor to work on this
> graphics
> 
 card,
> > given a proper 13w3->VGA adapter?
> 
> Could be.
> 
> > There isn't any chance that this card is trying to demand SoG
> is
> 
 there?
> 
> That'd be Very Strange for a Sun framebuffer.
> 
> > Considering how badly the monitor reacts when presented with both SoG
> > and composite sync, I don't think this monitor is SoG compatible.
> 
> If you know that the display doesn't do composite sync, that's almost
> certainly your problem.  If you're using an off-brand adapter to
> go
> 
 from
> the 13w3 port, that might also be your problem.  I can mail you a
> Sun-badged one, if you like.
> 
> -- 
> Jonathan Patschke
> Elgin, TX
> USA
> 

FYI...
Aside from the great Sun-branded adapters, a very useful cable for odd monitor/Unix framebuffer configurations is this one:
http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&id=ID3723563&partno=00633&search=13W3_CABLE&rsite=pccables.comcgi&rcode=

I use it primarily now to let my SGI Indy XL24 graphics card speak VGA, so I can put the Indy on a PC PS/2-style KVM switch.

-Jonathan