Featured Articles
Announcing Pi
Technical Specifications
Raspberry Pi FAQs
Win a Pi
Raspberry Pi Wishlist
Actions
Forum Thread Details
  • State Suggested Answer
  • Replies 9 replies
  • Answers 2 answers
  • Subscribers 635 subscribers
  • Views 1127 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

How can I connect this monitor to Raspberry Pi?

Former Member

I recently found an old computer, HP Logic Analyzer 1650A, in the trash. I took it home and it was working fine, except the floppy disk from -87 with the operating system was dead.

I decided to see if I could connect it's monitor to my Pi. Please look at the pictures below and help me determine what kind of interface I'm dealing with and how I can make the connection.

The monitor is black and white as far as I know, only seen the checking at boot (RAM, Disk...).

In picture 7-8 you'll see a flat ribbon cable with 20 pins. It says "input" at its connector on the monitors motherboard (the vertical one). Thats the only connection between the two motherboards and I think I have to use that cable somehow.

 

  2. image
  3. Fullscreen 5277.contentimage_30554.html Download 
    <html><head><title>Jive SBS</title></head>
<body><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<b>Error</b><br><font size="-1">
An general error occurred while processing your request.
</font></font></body></html>
  4. Fullscreen 5280.contentimage_30555.html Download 
    <html><head><title>Jive SBS</title></head>
<body><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<b>Error</b><br><font size="-1">
An general error occurred while processing your request.
</font></font></body></html>
  5. image
  6. Fullscreen 0003.contentimage_30557.html Download 
    <html><head><title>Jive SBS</title></head>
<body><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<b>Error</b><br><font size="-1">
An general error occurred while processing your request.
</font></font></body></html>
  7. image
  8. Fullscreen 5518.contentimage_30559.html Download 
    <html><head><title>Jive SBS</title></head>
<body><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<b>Error</b><br><font size="-1">
An general error occurred while processing your request.
</font></font></body></html>
  9. image
  10. image
  11. image
  • 0

    If the Analyzer appears to be working then I would suggest selling it on ebay and using the money to buy a colour HDMI screen for your PI, If you look you may be surprised at how much devices like that sell for, it should easily cover the cost of a modern screen for the PI. I would imagine even for spares it will fetch enough cash

  • 0 in reply to peteroakes

    Thanks Peter!

    I've seen the prices are impressive for this device, but im looking at this as a project and would like to have my RPi connected to this cool little oldschool monitor

  • 0

    Fair enough, the first step i would suggest then is to get a copy of the maintenance manual, you may find this through some google searches. You may also find that the monitor has separate sync inputs which might complicate things. but first things first, need a maintenance manual

     

    regards

  • 0 in reply to peteroakes

    I found the Service Manual for this very device and serial number.

    http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/test/HP1650A_Service_Manual.pdf

     

    This is just page 96-97, pinout for the ribbon cable. It has got 1x horizontal and 1x vertical sync from what i can see. Will this be a problem for me?

    http://www.floppytattoo.se/HP1650A_Service_Manual_CRT_Monitor_Signals_Check.pdf

     

    PIN 10 : HHSYNC
    PIN 11 : HVSYNC

    Fullscreen 7455.contentimage_176356.html Download 
    <html><head><title>Jive SBS</title></head>
<body><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<b>Error</b><br><font size="-1">
An general error occurred while processing your request.
</font></font></body></html>

  • 0 in reply to Former Member

    The video section of this Analyser uses digital video inputs.  Check out Table 6-3.

    Your Pi does not provide these signals directly you will need to use a sync stripper to generate the syncs and some level conversion to get the 4 level video working.

    This is probably quite a bit of work if you haven't done this sort of stuff before!

     

    Personally it's a bit of a shame to hack this device you may find it better to beg a copy of the disk and use it for what it was originally intended and extend your kit in your hobby.

     

    John

  • 0 in reply to Problemchild

    I see, I was afraid the signals would be of different types or standards. Sounds a bit hard to accomplish. Maybe I will let it be for a while. I ordered a USB floppy drive from ebay earlier today and found the software on another site. I will try to give the Analyzer some life.

  • 0 in reply to Former Member

    Good luck, update your blog with some pictures when you get it going !!

    John

  • 0

    I concur with Johns assessment, the CRT takes logic levels, not composite (Analogue) and has all the signals separated. Even if you could find a point on the CRT where you can feed composite video you would still need to build a circuit to extract the sync signals, you will be seriously risking electric shock to yourself or damaging your PI unless you are a skilled engineer and familiar with working near voltages up in the 10's of Killyou volts image  (>10,000 Volts ) I would stay away

     

    I love the alternate approach of getting it back up and running as a logic analyzer, It brings a smile to me to hear that. It will be a valuable tool when it comes time to build and test other creations you do for the PI or other micro-controller boards. I wish I could find one in the trash... Good luck with it. should be fun

     

    If you get it up and running, you should post some videos, in fact it would be great to blog your experience as you go, there are loads of people here that would be interested or can provide tips

  • 0 in reply to peteroakes

    Peter hopefully "logicAnalyser" will only need the replacement floppy to boot it. Also has he got the logic pod with all the inputs on it ...lets hope so if not he needs to dive back in that dumpster!! image