Tony Firshman wrote:
> On Tue, 9 Jul 2002 at 03:30:56, Alan Tyson wrote: > (ref: <001b01c226f0$a81a5620$3a51883e@alantyso>) > >>My 86-yr-old father in S.Wales (I'm near Chester) acquired a >>s/h QL about 10yrs ago, which has kept him well amused. He >>used a selection from his many ancient TVs as monitors until >>recently, when the last old wreck died, despite much >>tinkering. His interest has been revitalised by a double >>cataract operation, so now he can see what he's doing. >> >>A kindly neighbour has given him an old monitor with a 7-pin >>DIN socket on the back. Its manufacturer is "St Bernadette, >>Made in Singapore". We don't even know if it's monochrome or >>colour. >> > Google search found 'St Bernadette' school who 'monitor staff' (8-)# > > ie found nothing on the web. > > Any more details like model ID? > >>My Dad tells me there's a 7-pin DIN socket on the back of >>the QL, I'd better check that again...AFAIK all QLs have a 8-pin DIN. Here you have to be VERY careful. Sinclair assigned BLUE to the centre pin, but some/a lot of TV manufacturers who also put an 8-pin DIN on their equipment assigned +ve to this pin. The result being that putting the connecting cable in the wrong way round could cause the QL to be fried. [One cable supplier for the QL always supplied 8-pin for the QL end and 7-pin for the TV end.] > and the QL web site tells me there's RGB and >>composite video output. A former colleague who dealt with >>the audiovisuals where we both worked tells me it's quite >>likely that either a straight-through or a crossover 7-pin >>DIN plug to 7-pin DIN plug lead might miraculously work >>(courtesy of St Bernadette). CPC claim to supply such >>(straight-through) leads for 1.02 ukpounds, but whether >>they'll sell me a single one at a reasonable price I don't >>know. >> >>What do list members think? Can anyone provide me with a >>pinout diagram for the RGB or composite video QL outputs? The QL uses an 8-Pin DIN (circular, not offset) connector, as viewed from outside the QL/solder side of plug: ------- / 7 ^ 6 \ ^ = locating notch / 3 1 \ | 8 | 1-8 = Numbered pins \ 5 4 / \ 2 / ------- However, there appears to [possibly] be a mistake in the manual, as the pin functions were given in 'QL world' (May 1987) differently: Pin Manual QL World 1 Composite PAL Monocrome (b/w) video 2 Ground Ground 3 Composite Monocrome PAL colour video 4 Composite Sync Composite Sync 5 Vertical Sync [No connection] 6 Green Green 7 Red Red 8 Blue Blue The main difference being that Black/White and Colour composites are swapped and Vertical sync doesn't actually do anything. > Do >>we stand a cat in QL's chance of success? My Dad is very >>happy sticking bits of wire in the individual socket holes >>to try things out if necessary. This can be dangerous, not only to him, but to the monitor & QL - he could end up frying either or both of them. > I think it very very very very unlikely it is a straight through > connector - there are too many permutations. > > Sinclair was the sort of guy who specialised in making apparently std > sockets, non-standard - ie 9D serial connector > > Sticking wires in pins could be dodgy. Find the GND pin first using > continuity meter (with power off). I will stop here - I reckon it would > be pretty dodgy trying at random. Is there no existing lead? At least > then you can see active connections.
