PC -> Arcade monitor: Only picture (flash) when monitor turned off?

[tobiasbp]

I want to connect my PC to my Space Invaders II cocktail cab with it's original (I would think)  monitor.

The sides of the monitor has "TOEI" stickers on them. The sticker on the tube says "Hitatchi" and the type number 370ECB22-TC10.

The graphics card on the PC is a Nvidia GeForce FX 5200.

This is how I have connected the PC and the monitor:

VGA  1 -> Monitor Red
VGA  2 -> Monitor Green
VGA  3 -> Monitor Blue
VGA 10 -> Monitor black/ground
VGA 13 -> Monitor white/sync
VGA 14 -> Monitor white/sync


I boot the GroovyArcade live cd with the arcade monitor attached, but powered off. When prompted, I choose (blindly) VGA-1 15 kHz from the menu in Groovy Arcade. I wait until the CD-activity light goes off. Then I turn on the arcade monitor.

I get no picture. When turning the arcade monitor off again (PC is stil on), I get a blueish shrinking square in a flash. I wonder if this is the GroovyArcade GUI (It's blue)?

Prior to attaching the VGA cable to the monitor, I measured (with a multimeter) the sync output from the monitor (white vire). It was around +2 to +2,5 volts.

The brigtness on the monitor is (I did not touch it) turned all the way up (Can not turn pot any more right).

I know the monitor is working as it displays random characters with a (broken) board attached.

So my guess at to what could be wrong:
A. RGB not high enough voltage. I need a booster (Though I would assume a dim picture if this is the case)
B. Sync polarity is wrong. Is so, how would I fix it?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Regards,
Tobias

[lilshawn]

A. RGB not high enough voltage. I need a booster (Though I would assume a dim picture if this is the case)
B. Sync polarity is wrong. Is so, how would I fix it?

A: yes. the monitor is likely expecting between 2-5 volts. VGA outputs about 0.7v  p-p it can be worked around, but commercially available boosters are out there for this situation...or if you are so inclined - build one. http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/vga2arc/vga2arc.htm

b: depends on your monitor. sometimes you can do a composite sync by twisting the h+v sync wires together. again this depends on the capabilities of your monitor.

[tobiasbp]

A: yes. the monitor is likely expecting between 2-5 volts. VGA outputs about 0.7v  p-p it can be worked around, but commercially available boosters are out there for this situation.

I have ordered the Ultimarc video amplifier. I was expecting a dim image with the native voltage coming  off of the VGA card. Is the fact that I get no image on the monitor not disturbing/unexpected?

b: depends on your monitor. sometimes you can do a composite sync by twisting the h+v sync wires together. again this depends on the capabilities of your monitor.

But, if the board which was in the cab was only connected with a single sync wire, would that not indicate that the combined sync signal would work?

Thank you,
Tobias

[tobiasbp]

I have ordered the Ultimarc video amplifier. I was expecting a dim image with the native voltage coming  off of the VGA card. Is the fact that I get no image on the monitor not disturbing/unexpected?

Using the Ultimarc video amplifier, I get a picture on the monitor. Unfortunately it's double (Shows about 2/3s of the image twice?).

I'll start at thread in the GroovyMame board about this.

Tobias

[lilshawn]

sounds like you aren't outputting the correct resolution.

[tobiasbp]

My video card might be incompatible with the curent version of GroovyArcade it seems:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131185.0.html

[MTPPC]

Is your video card compatible with soft15khz?

[tobiasbp]

It seems it was not. I have since gotten an ATI Radeon FSC wich seems to work.

Tobias