SPARC 2 keyboard/video extensions wanted

[Giles Carre]

vanandel at ncar.ucar.edu (Joe Van Andel) writes:
|>Does anyone know of a supplier for cables that would let me separate the
|>base of my SPARC2 from the keyboard and monitor by roughly 25-50 feet?
|> 
|>I want to put the base of my SPARC workstation in another room, so it can
|>run on conditioned power, but have the monitor in my office.


It is easy (and less expensive) to do it yourself. The problem is only for
the video cable. We use extensions of about 100 feet whithout any problem.

The original cable (for both monochrome or color monitors) is made of :
        . 3 coax
        . 5 pairs


If you use a monochrome monitor, only one coax and a few pairs are needed
and it's possible to do a simplified cable :

1. video signal :
        . only one coax of RG59 (75 ohms)
        . pin A2 on the 13W3 connector

2. synchro signal :
        . one twisted pair (or you can use the second coax of a double RG59
          coax cable)
        . pins 5 & 10

3. monitor dectection : during the SS2 boot, the system checks the presence
   of a monitor, and, if there is one, initialises the video interface (and
   only in this case). To do this, 3 pins are strapped on the monitor 13W3
   connector (internal side).
   For a simplified cable, you must strapped this 3 signals (4, 8 & 9) on the
   SS2 side.


If you do not want to buy 2 13W3 connectors, you may cut the original cable,
like this :


13W3   original                                 original  13W3
SS2     cable     BNC                   BNC      cable    monitor
 ____               |                     |                ____
|    |__________    |       coax A2       |     __________|    |
|    |          |===O=====================O====|          |    |
|    |          |                              |          |    |
|    |          |         pair  5, 10          |          |    |
|    |          |===O=====================O====|          |    |
|    |          |        or 2nd coax           |          |    |
|    |          |____                          |          |    |
|    |          |____| strap 4, 8 & 9          |          |    |
|    |          |____|                         |          |    |
|    |__________|                              |__________|    |
|____|                                                    |____|




For the keyboard, we use a 5 twisted pairs cable (stranded wire type).
We cut the original cable and put 4 WWB 10 connectors (it is much easy
that to solder new mini-DIN connectors).


-- 
Giles Carre
Ecole Normale Superieure   46, allee d'Italie  69364 LYON CEDEX 07 FRANCE
Phone    : (+33) 72 72 84 12	EARN/BITNET 	 : carre at frensl61.bitnet
Fax	 : (+33) 72 72 80 80	FNET/EUNET/UUNET : carre at ensl.ens-lyon.fr