Display replacement

[Captain Midnigh]

My display is acting goofy. Could I replace it with an LCD flat-screen? How would I wire it? My monitor plug has a handfull of black wires coming out of it. Could those be wired to a flat-screen? It seems like a good idea.

[Dave1]

Mine has been upgraded to a LCD, not sure what's involved but it can be done.
Dave

[One of Many]

The green monochrome screen on the Centurion IV may be a composite video rather than standard VGA. Composite video is commonly a coax cable and power, rarely some for external brightness and contrast pots. RGB would have the red,green blue wires possibly one common and a few for power. The standard VGA monitors only have 2 cables. One for 110 AC and one with the 15pin sub-D plug as normal desk top monitors would have.

There are LCD screens that come with VGA or composite video as an option. Whether your existing graphics card puts out color is unknown.

If the Centurion IV were still PC based all be it sporting vintage mother board ports, the video card may be upgradable?

Obsolete antiques are GREAT, but they sure ain't built like they used to be! LOL!

DC

[Captain Midnigh]

I'm going to pursue this. Dave1, what model control do you have? I know I can't plug it right in but I wonder if I can rewire, or are they non-compatable altogether.

[msomerville]

I think monitor troubles is one of the options you get when you purchase the machine.
I have never bothered actually replacing the monitor. I have a "sub monitor" next to the machine.
I have wondered whether I could swap it out.
Keep us posted

[Al_The_Man]

Two of the biggest problems with replacing many CNC monitors of any make is the fact they are, 1/ mostly TTL (7 colours or mono) and although this is not a major stumbling block, it can be overcome different ways, the #2/ is the low horizontal scan rate.
Modern monitors, VGA/SVGA the minimum scan rate is about double for your typical CNC monitor.
Al.

[msomerville]

How would one work around this horizontal scan rate, or increase it?

[Al_The_Man]

I have been trying to figure out a way for years. My biggest regret is that I did not snap up more of the TTL monitors that were going to the Dump when analogue video came out.
There was a particular TTX monitor made with both standards,the Horiz rate was switched on the back and I fitted them into several different makes of CNC successfully.
Most of the modern monitors do not take to the slow scan rate.
Al.

[Captain Midnigh]

H. sync
Video
V. sync
P2T End
P2T
P2T End
+12 VDC
Grd
Grd

Would this be RGB?

[Al_The_Man]

It appears to be Mono non-composite (seaparate sync).
Al.

[Dave1]

Originally Posted by Captain Midnigh I'm going to pursue this. Dave1, what model control do you have? I know I can't plug it right in but I wonder if I can rewire, or are they non-compatable altogether.

Centurion 5 control, the computer that drives the thing is an old 386. The LCD does net a nice crisp display.
What kind of control do you have? Never mind, I see by one of your earlier posts your have a Centurion 4, I don't know much about those. Don't know what the brains of the control are, could be PC based, maybe 286?

Dave

[One of Many]

I am in the midst of replacing a monitor on a "Race" press brake (Believe it or not, but this is a small 10ton ballscrew driven ram). The video card is a standard VGA, but the cable had an adapter to split out to an RGB monitor with seperate H and V sync lines also.

Makes me wonder if the video line on this Centurion IV would possibly still drive a RGB or VGA via one leg of information.

Cap,
Have you discerned the control as PC based with a thread of hope in upgrading the graphics card or video driver?

DC