Can I connect Pi to a VGA monitor ?

Some Razzers have reported success with HDMI to VGA adapters.  You need more than just a cable: the adapter must have ICs to convert digital HDMI to analog VGA.  They generally cost more than the RasPi, but probably less than a new monitor.  Some verified peripherals are listed here: http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals#Display_adapters.  There are also some listed here which "should" work: http://elinux.org/Rpi_Screens.  You can find discussion about this at raspberrypi.org.  Search for "HDMI to VGA" in the Google Search box on the home page.  Searching for VGA in the Forum search is a problem because it requires keywords to be longer than 3 characters.

I've often wondered how hard it would be to make a basic HDMI to VGA converter from a CPLD or bottom-end FPGA plus a microcontroller.  The intention wouldn't be to save money since it would cost rather more than a commercial converter, but more as a learning project with a useful byproduct.  Basic analog back end would be fine, no need for precision DACs.

Many thanks for the clarification, I have ordered a DVI/VGA converter, only half the cost of the Pi.  I plan (medium/long term) on giving a Pi to each of my 2 grandsons, and recycling my old VGA-monitors as part of the bundle.

I'm afraid you will find the cheap DVI/VGA converters useless for the task. They are merely socket adaptors, all they do is pass through the analogue signal that is available on the DVI-I connectors present on many graphics cards. It's still the graphics card that is generating the analog VGA signal. This is not present on HDMI output of the Pi, so going HDMI - DVI - VGA won't work.

My mistake, my converter does not have a DVI stage. I ordered the Neewer unit after taking advice from :

http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals#HDMI-.3EVGA_converter_boxes

According to user "asb" -- http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007KEIRNG -- the Neewer HDMI to VGA adapter works with the Pi.

That looks like a handy little device, not seen one so cheap before!

KWorld TVBOX 1440ex....   Video in and VGA out... problem sorted

Given the immense numbers of VGA monitors in the world, I'm a bit surprised that the Foundation didn't work out some solution for VGA output as a top priority, instead of focusing on the largely pointless DSI display.  Not necessarily manufacturing a converter themselves, but at least working out a deal between the 3 partners and some existing manufacturer of converters so that a reasonable quality unit could be sold at low cost as a standard Pi accessory.

I'm a bit surprised that the Foundation didn't work out a deal with some

Linux supplier.  I was led to believe that after getting turned down by

the Ubuntu folks, they made a contractual arrangement with the Fedora

folks.  But apparently any such arrangement didn't go much beyond supplying

an alpha board and preparing one release of Fedora 14, or they would be on

Fedora's case about updating Fedora 14 and delivering Fedora 17.

They claim to have X acceleration in development, but I somehow doubt

they have a contract for that either.

"Major areas of on-going optimisation include offloading the X window system to the GPU, which will speed it up considerably."

http://www.raspberrypi.org/quick-start-guide

Malcolm Turner wrote:

 

My mistake, my converter does not have a DVI stage. I ordered the Neewer unit after taking advice from :

 

http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals#HDMI-.3EVGA_converter_boxes

 

According to user "asb" -- http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007KEIRNG -- the Neewer HDMI to VGA adapter works with the Pi.

There may be a problem with the Neewer unit.  One user at the RasPi forum reported that hooking up that unit to his RasPi burned out BAT54 diode D1.  (Awww... you let the magic smoke out.)  However, the RasPi didn't have any other damage.  See http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=9819

It's not clear whether Tom1989's particular Neewer had an internal short or just drew more than 200 mA from RasPi and burned out D1, which is only rated for 200 mA.  gritz suggested that the successful Amazon user's D1 may have failed as a short circuit without release of magic smoke, which makes it work with the Neewer but the RasPi loses D1's protection when plugging directly into an HDMI monitor.

mahjongg suggested that an HDMI -> VGA converter with its own power supply is safer.

EDIT: mahjongg has suggested the NXP (or equivalent) PMEG2010AET,215PMEG2010AET,215 as a high-current replacement for Schottky diode BAT54.  The PMEG2010AET,215PMEG2010AET,215 has 1A max forward current.  Remember that the HDMI -> VGA converter current must come from your RasPi power supply and go through the Micro USB cable and polyfuse F3, so you may get extra voltage drops and/or cause F3 to trip.  As always with board modifications, YMMV.