RE: Symbolics Monitor Question

[Jim Dumoulin <DUMOULIN@TITAN.KSC.NASA.GOV>]

  >  Subject: RE: reusing old monitors on other machines.
  >is it possible to re-use an old symbolics monochrome monitor on
  >another machine? has anyone done so?
  >
  >I've looked at the mono machines, and I know that there's only one
  >line going into the monitors, so it's gotta be pretty simple. the
  >
  >(color tubes are more obvious, all you need is the appropriate cable
  >to split the normal PC-VGA cable into RGB coax...)
  >
  >but right now I'm concerned about the mono monitors...has anyone done
  >this? does anyone know?
  >
  > -- clint
  >
  >Clint Hyde		"Give me a LispM or give me death!" -- anonymous
  >
  
    The fact that there is "only one line" going to the monitor doesn't
   necessarily make it "simple".  I'm assuming you're refering to the
   non-3600 style Symbolics monitor which is more widely found than the
   older LEMO style 3600 monitor's used on pre 1984 3600's and LM-2's. 
   (does anyone still have one of them? We still use 3600 S/N 581 but
   it's console's been upgraded from a LEMO to a PE Video).
    
   The single line you refer to is actually a 12 pin Hirose connector 
   that passes
  
        Pin
         1.  XMIT- Digital Audio serial data from system to the console
         2.  XMIT+ Digital Audio serial data from system to the console
         3.  TXD-  Biphase serial from system to console (console serial port)
         4.  TXD+  Biphase serial from system to console (console serial port)
         5.  RXD-  Biphase serial data from console to system (keyboard)
         6.  RXD+  Biphase serial data from console to system (keyboard)
         7.  RCV-  Audio Clock
         8.  RCV+  Autio Clock
         9.  Phase Encoded Video
        10.  Video Ground
        11.  Serial Ground
        12.  Ground
  
    Symbolics sold a "Wallbox assembly" that allowed the customer to
    break this single line into seperate lines.  We do that at KSC because
    some of our Symbolics consoles are located close to a 1000ft away from
    our CPU's.  (our main computer room is located on the far back end
    of the 4th floor of the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC and
    the consoles are in front offices on the 2nd floor.  The building is
    over 800ft long).
  
    I seriously doubt that you can fully use this monitor with any other
    computer system but you can daisy-chain consoles to each other to provide
    multiple (identical) video displays from a single Symbolics Computer.
    You may also be able to get it to sync with the video output from some
    other computer system but I doubt you'd could ever get the keyboard to
    to work with another system without some serious rewiring and major 
    hardware design.  The mouse can be reused if you cut off the connector
    and rewire it.  To use the video source from a different computer, it
    would have to have nearly identical video specifications to the
    Symbolics monitor (which is highly doubtful). The Symbolics console 
    isn't "Multisync" like some PC variety monitors. You must send exactly
    the video signal it is expecting or it will not sync.    You can find
    more detailed specs in the source files of the console sync programs
    but some of the specifications are:
  
              1124 x 904 pixel display (100 Mhz?)
              60Hz Non-interlaced refresh
              P104 phosphor
              Aspect ratio 1.27 horizontal to vertical
  
  
     Hope this helps,
                              Jim

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Jim Dumoulin                      INTERNET: DUMOULIN@TITAN.KSC.NASA.GOV
     NASA / Payload Operations      SPAN/HEPnet: KSCP00::DUMOULIN
     Kennedy Space Center
     Florida, USA  32899

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Jim Dumoulin                      INTERNET: DUMOULIN@TITAN.KSC.NASA.GOV
   NASA / Payload Operations      SPAN/HEPnet: KSCP00::DUMOULIN
   Kennedy Space Center
   Florida, USA  32899