[rozeltf]

I'm trying to help a friend who has a magnifier for his daughter that is hooked to a large and unwieldy CRT via serial port. He'd like to use an LCD monitor instead. Is there a way to go from serial to VGA? here is a link of a similiar unit. Thanks, I wasn't sure where to post this.

I can't post a link yet but an example of this unit is the Optelec 500

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Depends if the signal via the serial port is RGB, or some other format. This sounds like a fairly obscure implementation, so you'd need to find out from the manufacturer of this magnifier device what that DB9 output is, and what pins are what. If it is an RGB out, then yes you could adapt them, you might need to make your own adapter cable. If it is not RGB out, but say composite or S-video or something, then no you can't adapt that to VGA which is only RGB usually, at least on most monitors, rarely they'll take YPbPr over a VGA plug.

 

[blue_z]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rozeltf /forum/post/16977719


I'm trying to help a friend who has a magnifier for his daughter that is hooked to a large and unwieldy CRT via serial port. He'd like to use an LCD monitor instead. Is there a way to go from serial to VGA? here is a link of a similiar unit. Thanks, I wasn't sure where to post this.

I can't post a link yet but an example of this unit is the Optelec 500

Hi there


It is highly unlikely that the magnifier device is connected to a CRT display using a nonstandard "serial" communications cable. Rather than search for such a "serial to VGA" adapter (which is futile), try to determine exactly what that video connection is. Is might very well be an EGA signal using a DB-9 connector. A contemporary LCD computer monitor probably cannot handle a "slow" signal like CGA or EGA.


BTW a manual for a ClearView 300/500 indicates that the video monitor is fed composite video and uses an RCA plug.
http://www.optelec.com/userfiles/en_...ew-300-500.pdf


Regards


PS The original NEC MultiSync (VGA/EGA/CGA/MDA) computer monitor came with a DB-9 connector, which could fool you into thinking this video connector was a (PS/2) "serial port". (Back then serial ports used 25-pin connectors.) I had to get a special adapter cable that had a DB-9 on one end to connect to the Multisync, and the other end had a HD-15 to connect to the PC's VGA port. This adapter cable simply reassigned pins/signals; there was no signal conversion.

 

[Drew Eckhardt]



Quote:
Originally Posted by blue_z /forum/post/16979511


Hi there


It is highly unlikely that the magnifier device is connected to a CRT display using a nonstandard "serial" communications cable. Rather than search for such a "serial to VGA" adapter (which is futile), try to determine exactly what that video connection is. Is might very well be an EGA signal using a DB-9 connector. A contemporary LCD computer monitor probably cannot handle a "slow" signal like CGA or EGA.

The scan rate might be OK, but new display devices don't handle digital signals.


Some one builds small converter boards aimed at the video game market which will generate a normal VGA output.

 

[PeriSoft]

If that thing takes composite video like blue_z says (which means it's not EGA - EGA is a TLL digital signal only capable of displaying a limited number of colors) it won't matter what kind of monitor you hook it to; it'll still suck. Garbage in, garbage out. You'd probably be better off rigging something up yourself using off-the-shelf hardware, if you're technically inclined. You'd probably get something far better for far less money.


Companies like that piss me off - they take ancient tech, mark it up dozens of times, and rip off people who have no other options. What a bunch of wretched bottom feeders.