VGA, DVI, 18-pin, 30-pin???

Question

VGA, DVI, 18-pin, 30-pin???

I'm sorry. I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I'm sure this issue has been dealt with somewhere in past forums but I have just wasted an hour trying to locate this info from other sources and failed. Please bear with me:

I just received delivery of a new Viewsonic monitor to use as my second monitor. No sweat, I figured. My G5 is all ready to receive it. I even have an adapter that came with my G5 so I can handle anything Viewsonic sends my way right?

No. Not right.

The monitor came with two cables. One is the same 18-pin connector (9x9) that my current monitor is using (is this a DVI?). The other is a small 15-pin job (VGA? Mini-DVI?). Problem is the second monitor port on my G5 is some wide 30-pin thing that nothing I possess fits! I even checked the G5 manual and the diagram of the rear panel indicates two identical 18-pin ports like the one already in use. It's like someone screwed up when hey were putting this machine together a year and a half ago and put the wrong second display port.

Can anyone explain what I'm up against here? I was at the Viewsonic site but without knowing what these different connectors are called I don't know what to look for in the way of adapters.

Please help. I want to use my new monitor!

alan b

G5 2.5 | 3.5 GbRAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Nov 3, 2006 2:41 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 3, 2006 3:01 PM in response to Alan Brunettin

If the other connector has rounded ends and clips instead of thumb screws it is ADC, and you will need the ADC to DVI adapter
<http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/f2e9142-wht.html> Look closely at the picture to see if it mtched you connector.

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Answer 2

Nov 3, 2006 3:16 PM in response to Malcolm Rayfield

Thanks for responding so quickly.

No, the connectors have all thumb screws. They aren't the problem. The issue, really, is that my machine's second display port is some wide 30-pin deal that doesn't accommodate any connector in my possession; including adapters.

The only adapter that came with my G5 is a DVI to VGA that does me no good.

ab

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Answer 3

Nov 4, 2006 2:58 AM in response to Alan Brunettin

Hi

I suspect Malcolm is correct. In recent years the only ports Apple have used are VGA, DVI and ADC.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86504

If by 'the connectors have all thumb scews' you mean the bit on the end of the monitor cable (or adapter), that's the problem. You haven't got a connector (or adapter) to fit the ADC port on the graphics card. Consequently you need to buy an ADC to DVI (or ADC to VGA) adapter.

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Answer 4

Nov 4, 2006 4:15 PM in response to Rodney Culling

Apologies to Malcom. You two, it turns out, are correct. After respondng to Malcom's post I did more research (turned into about three hours of time spent[wasted?]) figuring this all out--that and finding an affordable adapter.

First of all, I was mistaken. The mystery port does NOT have thumb screw fasteners. It is a clip sort of configuration. So you two were right about it being ADC in need of an adapter--a rather pricey one at that depending on the vendor.

Now what really bugs me is that I went to the G5 manual and the diagram clearly states that the two monitor ports are supposed to be DVI. What gives with that anyway?

The other problematic issue--and one that took up much of the time--was determining I was buying the right thing. Most product descriptions referred to the G4 and the G4 Cube as being the models in need of this adapter. I figured screw it though. I went ahead and ordered one. Oh well. We'll see. I'm hoping an ADC port is an ADC port.

Thanks gentlemen

ab

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Answer 5

Nov 4, 2006 5:15 PM in response to Alan Brunettin

ADC in need of an adapter--a rather pricey one at
that depending on the vendor.

It should be about $30.00. If it's near $100.00 it's the wrong adapter.

Now what really bugs me is that I went to the G5
manual and the diagram clearly states that the two
monitor ports are supposed to be DVI. What gives with
that anyway?

It depends on the G5 and which graphics card. Some do have two DVI ports.

The other problematic issue--and one that took up
much of the time--was determining I was buying the
right thing. Most product descriptions referred to
the G4 and the G4 Cube as being the models in need of
this adapter. I figured screw it though. I went ahead
and ordered one. Oh well. We'll see. I'm hoping an
ADC port is an ADC port.

There is only one kind of ADC port, but there are three adapters:
ADC to DVI (ADC computer to DVI-D digital display) ~ $30
ADC to VGA (ADC computer to analog display input) ~ $30
DVI to ADC (DVI computer to digital ADC display, not CRT) ~ $100

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