[Summary] Cable to connect Sun monitor to PC

From: Cary Burnette (kerm@ncat.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 17 1996 - 23:36:27 CST


Hello:

 Earlier I posted the following request:
 
   "We have recently rackmounted 3 sun servers and bought a console
    sharing device. We now have two extra Sun monitors that we would
    like to use somewhere else. Are there any converter cables available
    that would allow us to use the monitors on PC's?"

 I have received several responses. Ranging from it can't be done
to a couple of product options. I have learned that it matters
which type of Sun monitor and PC graphics card you have. You need
a newer Sun monitor that is Multi-Sync and a high end graphics
card that can drive higher freq. Below I have included a summary.
I have not decided on which product I will get yet, but I have
called the two vendors listed below:

NUdata N.J. 908-842-5757
 Their product is Part#C2040 - 13w3 male to High density male
 $75 + 2/foot, this is a custom made cable so no returns.

Ultra Spec Cables, inc
their email address is sales@ultraspec.com
phone 1-800-622-2537

 Their product Part #1396 - HD15 to 13w3, price $36.00 list (Edu Disc
Apply).

 Both products require cards and monitors that support 61.8 KHz Horz.
and 66 HZ vertical scanning freq and composite sync. I was told by
the person at Ultra Spec that if your monitor had a permanently connect
video cable, it should work, but I would call and verify freq.

I was also asked which switching box I purchased, below is the
information:

Company: Black Box Corp, 1-412-746-5500
Product: SW735A - $495.00, handles upto 4 Suns
         EHN102 - 91.00 , cable from CPU to switch
         EHN103 - 105.00, cable from switch to keybd,mouse and monitor

Thanks for your assistance.

Cary

Replys Below
##########################################################################
From: Ric Anderson <ric@rtd.com>

I found cables at NuData (32 Fairview Avenue, Little Silver NJ 07739,
Phone 1-908-842-5757). The bigger problem is that all the Sun
Monitors I've seen operate at 1 of 4 oddball resolution/refresh rate
pairs. None of the PC video boards I have access to support any of
those pairings.

So before you buy cables, pull the book on the monitor to get the
resolution info and compare that to what your PC will support.

From: George L Roman <george@dbms.com>

The cable is only the first hurdle. Sun monitors are typically
fixed-frequency (as opposed to multi-sync). This means that your PC's
video card must support the frequency of the monitor, or things won't
work.

If you'd like more information about such boards, I've discovered a
couple of web sites that list these products for sale:

        http://www.earthlink.net/~photon
        http://www.lainet.com/mirage/intro.htm

In my opinion, if you don't have a large monitor on your PC, it's
definately worth buying the board.

From: Wes Butler <wes@copley.com>

 I received an old summary of the same question post a couple of
months ago.

From: Joe Pratti <joep@ltx.com>

Thanks to the following for giving me a direction to go check out.
Only one person said I can't do that but I will have to check it out any way.

greg.harrison@analog.com
Heas H. Heas <heas@nexen.co
Ric Anderson <ric@rtd.com>
Tim Wort <tim@Access.COM>
GREGOR E FELLERS <u2is9gef@gregsun.crrel.usace.army.mil>

The two vendors that make such a cable are:
 NUdata N.J. 908-842-5757, $75 + footage
Ultra Spec Cables, inc
their email address is sales@ultraspec.com
phone 1-800-622-2537

Charles Mengel - charles.mengel@lgi.com

I tried to do the same recently with some leftover Sun color monitors,
and I couldn't do it. The closest explaination I got was that Sun monitors
use Composite Video, and there is no easy or cheap way (compared to buying a
new PC monitor) to adapt them.

If you do find a way, I'd be very interested in hearing how it is done.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Cary Burnette                              | kerm@ncat.edu 
 College of Engineering Computer Center     |
 McNair Hall                                | 
 North Carolina A&T State University        | Phone: (910)334-7648,ext. 181 
 Greensboro, NC   27411                     | FAX:   (910)334-7662



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