Atari ST to VGA adaptor
-----------------------
Claes Holmerup
17 Aug 1998


You can use an SVGA monitor with an adaptor cable (which is rather easy 
to assemble) to get a monochrome picture. Some VGA monitors _may_ work, 
but all SVGA (or multiscan, multisync or whatever) should work as far as 
I know.

Here's how you make your adaptor:

Atari (13-pin DIN)             SVGA (15-pin HD D-type)
------------------             -----------------------
11 (Monochrome output)         1,2,3 (Red, Green, Blue inputs)
12 (Vertical sync)             14
9 (Horizontal sync)            13
13 (Ground)                    4,5,6,7,8,10,11
4 (Monochrome detect)          short to ground (as above)


The trick here is that the monochrome signal is fed to all the inputs on 
the SVGA-monitor, which gives you a very nice monochrome picture. Even 
though the monitor in fact is a color monitor, you won't be able to see 
a color picture because of the construction of the computer (and the 
monitor). If you get your hands on a monitor which handles frequencies 
down to 15kHz, it's a whole new deal - then you should be able to build 
yourself a cable with a switch between mono and color (a little more 
complicated, involving a 4-way switch, but possible all the same). Just 
about no modern monitors go lower than 30kHz, so in most cases there is 
no other choice than mono - but since most useful programs (IMHO) run in 
monochrome, it's the best alternative anyway...

Good luck!
Claes
claes.holmerup@mailbox.swipnet.se
http://come.to/claes.holmerup