VGA Cable
VGA Cable
By Anne Ahira
First you should know that VGA stands for Video Graphics Array, and therefore a VGA cable will be used in order to connect various computer components for example as well as connecting a variety of other video components such as the newer high definition television sets.
The term Video Graphics Array (VGA) will specifically always refer to kind of display hardware that was first introduced in conjunction with the IBM PS/2 types of computers back in 1987.
VGA cables have had to be used as VGA but they now refer to either the standard analog computer display, or the renowned 15-pin D, which is a subminiature VGA connector or sometimes to the 640X480 resolution itself. This resolution has been actually superseded within the marketing of the personal computer, but it is still a highly popular resolution in regard to mobile devices.
The matching male/female 15 pins on a VGA cable correspond to different uses of each pin. For example:
Pin 1 which stands for Red video
Pin 2 which stands for Green video
Pin 3 which stands for Blue video
Pin 4 which stands for Not connected
Pin 5 which stands for Ground (HSync)
Pin 6 which stands for Red return
Pin 7 which stands for Green return
Pin 8 which stands for Blue return
Pin 9 which stands for +5 V DC from gfx adapter
Pin 10 which stands for Ground (VSync, DDC)
Pin 11 which stands for Monitor ID
Pin 12 which stands for I²C data
Pin 13 which stands for Horizontal sync
Pin 14 which stands for Vertical sync
Pin 15 which stands for I²C clock
There are four versions of VGA cables, the original and DDC1 pinouts, an older and much less flexible DE-9 connector, and when used for laptops the Mini-VGA.
The common 15-pin VGA cable is found on for the most part on the majority of video cards, various computer monitors, as well as high definition television sets. Thus the 15-pin VGA cable has now almost universally been called the HD-15. HD of course, stands to high density in order to distinguish it from cables and connectors that actually use the same form, however they only have 2 rows of pins.
The specialized VGA color system is compatible with the EGA and CGA adapters but in a backwards sense. CGA could only display up to 16 different colors, EGA extended this by allocating each of those 16 colors to be selected from a 64 different color palette. The 64 colors are created of 2 bits each for blue, green and red, and since two bits times three channels equals six bits, thus you can attain the 64 different values.
So, VGA cable as well as the connectors, takes this one giant step further by increasing the 64 values to a better advantaged 256 such values now! This was accomplished by adding two more blocks of 64 colors each that showed progressively darker shades. There were also 8 “blank” entries that were laid down as black.
Today the intensity level of the VGA cable and connectors has even been well increased by the use of advanced computers as well as the new high definition television sets.