My BeagleBoard is still catching dust, somewhere in a dark corner. I never used it, which is kinda sad, isn’t it.

Well, it only has a digital video output, so I cannot connect a normal vga (crt) monitor to it. (Of which I have a few in the basement)

So, I’ve obtained a used flat screen with DVI-D input, back in the days I still worked at Unilogic, and they were replacing their monitors.

Unfortunately, it’s had 5:4 aspect ratio, and it’s native resolution is 1280×1024, which is not supported by the BeagleBoard. Well, it is supported, but with a refresh-rate of 50Hz, which is not supported by the monitor.

Well… I am using this monitor at my desktop nowadays… But meh…. those modern flat monitors with non-standard (non 4:3) aspect ratios, and things like a ‘native resolution’.

A normal CRT monitor would be much simpler… they usually have the same aspect ratio, and the image doesn’t get distorted when running at a lower then maximal resolution.

But…. there is no VGA output on the BeagleBoard… so… I was googling again…. and I found a Hawkboard.
Another ARM board, and it has a VGA-out. Looking at it’s schema, I saw it used a THS8135 to provide in VGA output. So, I started googling if there was a converter for the BeagleBoard using this chip…. but in stead I came accros this
http://www.linusakesson.net/hardware/beagleboard/vga.php

Very simple circuit… this should do the trick. Why should it be complicated?

So, why are HDMI(DVI-D) to VGA converters to expensive? This circcuit that I’ve found is just a few resistors and two transistors.
So, this circuit should costs about 4 euros!!! Why are those converters a few hunderd euros?  (Okay, thet are connected to the DVI-D port, and this circuit goes to the LCD interface….)

So, I guess I should get some resistors, transistors and a soldering iron, much cheaper then a hdmi to vga converter or a new monitor…

« »