[Info-vax] Synch-On-Green Graphics, Adapters (was: Re: Troubles with using LCD monitor on Vaxstation 3100/38)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2016-11-04 21:39:56 +0000, maltboy20 at gmail.com said:

> I am testing a number of Vaxstations before sending them to my users 
> and none of them are generating output to the monitor.
> I don't have a SOG type monitor...

You already know the answers to this question, of course.

Maybe scrounge a synch-on-green adapter, but it's unlikely there are 
many of those available (even) on the used market.   Most likely, 
you'll get out your soldering iron or a breadboard and scrounge some 
parts, and create yourself a synch-on-green video adapter.   Or 
scrounge a synch-on-green display, and use that.    Links to the 
specific ICs, pin-outs and related wiring are available:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/446

But then why are you even bothering to test this gear?   I mean I 
appreciate the sentiment here certainly, but these VAXstation 3100 
series boxes are old enough and flaky enough that merely looking at 
them askance is enough to trigger a failure.  Shipping around VAX boxes 
could and variously did cause problems and failures even back then 
these boxes where new, too.

Best for the customer to stop working with hardware this far back, and 
either migrate to VAX emulation, or to haul the code forward to OpenVMS 
I64, or port the code to a more modern and mainstream software and 
hardware platform.  Yes, I've heard most (every?) rationale for not 
doing this, too, and — at the bottom of all of the often-elaborate 
justifications I've heard — they're all efforts in deferring payments 
for some earlier mistake or three.  Computers don't last forever, and 
this gear is already ~three decades back.

And yes, you did ask for "any ideas"...

> Any ideas?  I am stuck and the vendor is not helping.


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