Monitor pattern generator

[Ken Layton]

A monitor pattern generator is a piece of test equipment that you use to check & align video game monitors. Generally they generate some basic colors and patterns like solid red, green, blue, & white fields and crosshatch, dots, & bars. Most pattern generators generate either negative or positive sync, but not both. Only more expensive (or custom modified) ones have switchable negative-positive sync output. There's a basic one on ebay right now as item number 3253736264. The price is average for these.

[Ken Layton]

Here is a picture of the one in the above auction. I believe this particular model generates composite negative sync judging by the harness.

[Ken Layton]

When I worked for Capitol Amusement here in Olympia, Washington we had two pattern generators. One was this "Checker 12E" (www.computermonitor.com) which is a pretty good all purpose unit. See the attached photo. This one generates seperate positive horizontal and vertical sync.
The other generator I had was made by WICO and I eally loved that one cause it not only did color game monitors, but black & white ones as well. It generated positive sync, but I modified it for switchable positive & negative sync and I also built a cable for the negative sync.