Preserved Topic: Building Cables

Well...not cables really...just one.

A good friend of mine has just gotten his first computer, a lovley old 486 , no mouse, no keyboard, no monitor. The mouse, monitor and keyboard have all been taken care of except for one minor detail. The plug in the monitor seems to be a 9-pin plug, whereas the connection on thr back of the computer is a 15-pin plug. I know monitor cables work off the 12-pin cables, 15-pin plug with three pins removed, but does anyone know how I can build a cable to convert that 9-pin plug ot the 15-pin plug?

Koan 63, written on the wall of cell number 250:
Those who Believe
Can
Those who Try
Do
Those who Love
Live

Look for an adapter. Easier for sure and probably cheaper <bg> in the long run.

Adapters are available from places like startech.com but I suggest you pick up a used 15" monitor with a high density 15 pin plug for 15-20 bucks unless your friend likes cga graphics.

The nine-pin is an old EGA monitor, (or perhaps and even older CGA one.) They predate VGA, the 15-pin connector, which was introduced by IBM in 1987.

There is no way, no how, to make that monitor work with VGA. EGA and CGA used a digital TTL-level signal, VGA uses an analog one. Resolution and color depth are other issues. CGA was 320x240x16-colors, EGA 640x350x256-colors and VGA debuted at 640x480 with no specific limit on color depth (on the monitor, graphics cards are a different story).

So even if the analog-to-digital converters others have mentioned, a) exist, b) remain available after 15 years, and c) are affordable, the image would suck monkey butt.

"the most incredible feats are often accomplished by
those who have had the most incredible challenges"

Picking up a used 15" monitor for 15-20 bucks would be nice, but not in my country. If your in america, multiply all of your prices by about 2 and then you get my prices.

Koan 63, written on the wall of cell number 250:
Those who Believe
Can
Those who Try
Do
Those who Love
Live