Vector Output to LCD?

jm1943

Member

Donor 2017
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
Messages
49
Reaction score
5
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Just wondering if anyone has any experience getting the output from a vector game pcb to work with an LCD monitor?

Reason I'm asking is, I've just acquired a Tempest sans monitor. While I attempt to track one down I'm wondering if I can somehow hook into an LCD?

I also need some sort of workable display in the meantime while I troubleshoot the board.

Appreciate any thoughts you guys might have.

Thanks!
John
 
Nothing mimics vector monitors.

Thats why they are becoming scarce and the cost increasing.

You could use an analog oscilloscope????

ive seen this done for asteroids.

One of the reasons I am not looking for a vector unless complete.

Best of luck
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the feedback guys. That VectorVGA gizmo looks like what I'm after. Can't see any details on pricing, but have sent them an email...

I see from the other thread they go for $600-ish..ouch!
 
Honestly it is cheaper in the long run, and all around better to find a working Monitor.
The cost of the monitors is the #1 reason I will never buy a vector game.
 
The vector vga pops up every now and then, and people contact them about making more. I highly doubt another run will ever happen. It'd be better for someone to just design a new board and sell that.

The lcd worked nice for testing (save some space!), but it doesn't look the same. It'd be better than nothing, but finding them seems harder than finding a real monitor; especially with the repro options available currently.

Honestly it is cheaper in the long run, and all around better to find a working Monitor.
The cost of the monitors is the #1 reason I will never buy a vector game.
Vectors aren't THAT bad/expensive. Just gotta find deals, which takes a bit longer than normal. Prices have jumped, though; which is good (if you own them) and bad (if you need them). Best deal I had was $100 for 3x WG6100's.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. That VectorVGA gizmo looks like what I'm after. Can't see any details on pricing, but have sent them an email...

I see from the other thread they go for $600-ish..ouch!

I'm not sure they're still being manufactured, hence the $600+ price tag when one does come up for sale. But please let us know what they respond with, if they make a new batch I'd probably break down and get one.

LCDs actually mimic vector monitors better than they do raster monitors IMO. Since LCDs control each pixel individually and don't scan horizontal lines from top to bottom like raster monitors do, an LCD can draw a vector image as quickly as a native vector monitor can and without scan lines, so the graphics are nice and sharp. The drawbacks are the fact that since they're backlit, an LCD can't display true black background (which is a big deal on vector games) but instead does more of a grey, and the shimmering effect that vectors are known for, as well as phosphor glow from moving objects, would be absent. MAME has methods of recreating these effects but you wouldn't get that using the original Tempest hardware. It may be fine as a temporary solution but for long term, you're gonna want the original monitor in there for sure.
 
Just use a good analog scope. Duh. :rolleyes:

Scope1.jpg
 
If I think back to the arcade days one of the most vivid memories is of a Tempest in a dark lit basement arcade called The Hole. Love that vector glow in a dark room.

I'd never know how to keep one running so I just enjoy em out in the retro arcade world.
Plenty happy with how Tempest looks from LCD with my RPi, in light of the logistics.
 
Got a pretty quick response from the makers of the VectorVGA box;

We don't have any in stock, but may soon. I'll add you to the mailing list, and let you know when we have some in stock.
Cost is $324 Each, which includes shipping.
 
Whitefox, do you have a link or any more info?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1060033634089063/

He is only on facebook, I asked but no website for this yet. He did say some will be for sale soon on ebay. $349

T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶y̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶X̶Y̶ ̶m̶o̶n̶i̶t̶o̶r̶ ̶K̶i̶t̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶f̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶(̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶g̶u̶n̶ ̶d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶)̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶t̶s̶i̶n̶k̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶e̶m̶b̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶e̶x̶a̶c̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶A̶m̶p̶l̶i̶f̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶.̶ ̶O̶n̶e̶ ̶H̶i̶g̶h̶ ̶v̶o̶l̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶.̶ ̶A̶g̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶q̶u̶i̶v̶a̶l̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶ ̶a̶m̶p̶l̶i̶f̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶W̶G̶6̶1̶0̶0̶ ̶H̶V̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶,̶ ̶M̶i̶s̶c̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶r̶t̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶x̶i̶s̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶r̶e̶q̶u̶i̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶e̶r̶t̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶m̶o̶u̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶l̶e̶d̶g̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶a̶l̶l̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶v̶i̶d̶e̶o̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶X̶Y̶ ̶m̶o̶n̶i̶t̶o̶r̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶1̶3̶"̶-̶2̶5̶"̶ ̶C̶R̶T̶ ̶T̶V̶'̶s̶.̶ ̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶w̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶v̶e̶r̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶ ̶w̶i̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶k̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶g̶u̶a̶r̶a̶n̶t̶e̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶u̶l̶t̶s̶ ̶(̶d̶e̶p̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶a̶b̶i̶l̶i̶t̶y̶)̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶u̶l̶t̶s̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶a̶l̶l̶y̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶s̶h̶i̶p̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶r̶r̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶s̶s̶e̶m̶b̶l̶e̶d̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶ ̶r̶e̶c̶e̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶P̶C̶B̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶H̶V̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶l̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶d̶e̶p̶e̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶r̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶u̶n̶f̶o̶r̶e̶s̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶a̶i̶l̶s̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶h̶i̶p̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶i̶n̶ ̶2̶1̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶4̶5̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶r̶r̶i̶v̶e̶.̶
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom