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AS REGULAR READERS OF THIS COLUMN KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE TOPIC OF COMPUTER AND VIDEO MONITORS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WELL, ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. BUT BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO other servicing topics, we need to tie up some loose ends. This month we conclude our discussion of monitor technology and repair with some "items of interest," resources for advanced troubleshooting, and service information.
Monitor Specifications
There is no easy way to tell the monitor's specifications or whether or not it supports SVGA by just examining the monitor visually. Even those with only a 9-pin rather than a 15-pin connector are sometimes SVGA (e.g., Mitsubishi AUM-1381 and NEC Multisync II, which will do 800 x 600 at 56 Hz V non-interlaced and 1024 x 768 interlaced at 43 Hz V). You cannot even safely test scan rates on all monitors-some (mostly older ones) will blow up or get damaged by being driven with incorrect video.
For a monitor that you already have, looking it up in a monitor database is really the only way to be sure of its capabilities (well, pretty sure anyway as these listings are not always correct!). If this doesn't help, you could try posting the information you have (model number, FCC code, etc.) to the newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video and sci.electronics.repair. When none of this is productive, here are some quickie tests:
1. Check the video connector. If it has a high-density (VGA) 15-pin connector, then there is a greater likelihood of SVGA, but not always.
2. Check the manufacturing date on the back If it has a manufacturing date of 1991 or later, the likelihood of it supporting SVGA is higher as demand for VGA-only monitors was rapidly declining by that point.
3. Check the dot pitch on the CRT by examining the screen with a magnifier. If it is really coarse, the monitor probably cannot do anything beyond VGA.
4. Become familiar with the major manufacturers and models so that you will recognize the most common SVGA models.
5. Check the databases at the sites given below.
Web Sites With Monitor Specifications
Check out the following when you have an SVGA, MAC, or workstation (possible fixed frequency) monitor and need to know...
