Creator 3d - no video output - the 13w3 convertor cable the problem?

I own a Sun Blade 2000, which I got off of eBay. I can get no useful video output from the Creator 3d (either series two or three) on four different monitors, one of which is a somewhat recent HP vs17. An old Micron gets nothing even when set to a resolution and sync rate which I know beyond a shadow of a doubt works. One ancient ViewSonic 4e does display garbled, rolling output, initially in green but now red. The other three monitors display nothing at all.

Before posting my problem, I did do what I could to solve it on my own with the help of the documentation as well as previous forum posts here and elsewhere. I think that I've tracked down the problem to the 13w3 convertor cable.

The cable is about a foot long, has the Sun logo on it, but has no part number that I can find. The only similar cables I have seen are two feet long. So perhaps it was modified at some point.

Regardless of what settings I enter for output-display in OBP, nothing will come up on most monitors. The monitors *do* get a signal of some sort as they will wake up on boot. As soon as the terminal which I am looking at starts up X, the monitors will then go to sleep. X does start fine, as I can log in through Xnest on my Ubuntu laptop.

I asked the company from which I got the machine about the cable and I have been told that it was set to do csync and not sync on green. I had asked about the former since the ViewSonic output is very much like posts I have seen dealing with hooking up a non sync on green monitor to sync on green video card output.

They are perfectly willing to send me a new convertor, but I'd feel like a putz if it is something else.

So the only real advice I seek is whether the convertor cable is in fact the most likely cause of my problem or if the monitors themselves are simply not able to deal with the output, for whatever reason.

A fuller history of my searches and groping around for information can be found on the Ubuntu Sparc forums here: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=276977

[2070 byte] By [cptjustice] at [2007-11-26 10:57:23]
# 1

Are you sure your monitor supports csync (most monitors only support ssync)?

The Elite3D always starts in CSync mode but it can be switched to SSync by:

- Changing the graphics resolution or video frequency

- Changing the -"- again (to a different !) resolution that is a vesa resolution (eg. 1024x768x60).

Martin

Martin_Rosenau at 2007-7-7 3:10:40 > top of Java-index,Sun Hardware,Workstations - General Discussion...
# 2

Sounds like the 13W3 adapter is wrong. Ultra Spec P/N 1395-SUN has the correct wiring. I am not with them anymore, but if you google it you should be able to find the pinout info. I know that adapter is wired correctly, I developed it and they have sold thousands of them. Check the pinout of your adapter against that, I am pretty sure that your adapter does not carry 13W3 pin 5 to HD15 pin 13 and 13W3 pin 7 to HD15 pin 14. Those are the sync lines you need with that card...

Good luck,

Ed, the cable guy...

cableguy at 2007-7-7 3:10:40 > top of Java-index,Sun Hardware,Workstations - General Discussion...
# 3
It's a Creator 3D; don't know if that makes a difference.
cptjustice at 2007-7-7 3:10:40 > top of Java-index,Sun Hardware,Workstations - General Discussion...
# 4
Many thanks for the information. The folks I bought it from told me that they would send me another one, no problem. I'll ask them to send me along one like the one you described.
cptjustice at 2007-7-7 3:10:40 > top of Java-index,Sun Hardware,Workstations - General Discussion...
# 5

I also played a lot when I tried connecting an Elite3D to a PC LCD monitor. Here is the correct wiring:

13W3 -VGA

A1 -1

A2 -2

A3 -3

A1GND -6

A2GND -7

A3GND -8

1 -15

2 -

3 -

4 -10

5 -13

6 -12

7 -14

8 -

9 -

10 -10

You also need to configure "ffbconfig -res 1280x1024x60 nocheck now". For doing this, pull out the keyboard and go to the console on the serial port (reboot). Configure also "eeprom output-device=screen:r1280x1024x60". On some monitors there is an AUTO button that sets the resolution etc. automatically to the incoming sync signal.

I hope this helps.

Laszlo

Message was edited by:

lcsaszar

lcsaszar at 2007-7-7 3:10:40 > top of Java-index,Sun Hardware,Workstations - General Discussion...
# 6

I work with the ultra 1 Creator and hook them up to flat screens. On the old pinout, pin 2 was V sync, pin 6 H sync and pin 5 was Comp sync (most adaptors use this pin as H sync and it works). The Creator only has Comp sync on pin 5,your adaptor wil connect this to H sync. There is on V sync, this is why the one monitor rolled. Your adaptor will use pin 7 from the Creator as V sync. To connect my systems I add parts to the board. I unsoder pin 7 from the board using a soder sucker to clean out the hole. try to put plastic down the hole to isolate it from the board. Now connect a capacitor (0.1 to 1.0, not critical) between the unsodered pin 7 and pin 10 (ground). Next connect a 470 ohn resistor between the unsodered pin 7 and pin 5(csync). Check that durring soderring you didn't create any shorts. This will create the V sync most monitors need. Good luck

bitsltd at 2007-7-7 3:10:40 > top of Java-index,Sun Hardware,Workstations - General Discussion...