Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Multiple ADC monitors on G4 MP

Multiple ADC monitors on G4 MP
Thread Tools
Tom4444
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 01:34 AM
 
I recently ordered a G4 MP and I wanted to get the 17" ADC studio display and the 15" ADC LCD Flat Display. I realized that I wanted 2 ADC Displays but had only 1 ADC connector available. Can I get a 2nd display card that has an ADC connector or can I get a display card with a DVI connector and then adapt it to ADC?
I really want to give apple the money for 2 monitors but thier new ADC connector is putting a real wrinkle in my plan.
     
spicyjeff
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 11:44 AM
 
Order your system as a Build to Order either from the Apple Store or a Reseller and simply add a second display card. If I were your I'd go with a Radeon in the AGP slot and a Rage128 Pro in a PCI slot.

And no, there is no conversion for DVI to ADC (only the other way) so you NEED a display card with ADC to use the new monitors.
     
Tom4444
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 01:02 PM
 
>>>>Order your system as a Build to Order either from the Apple Store or a Reseller and simply add a second display card. If I were your I'd go with a Radeon in the AGP slot and a Rage128 Pro in a PCI slot.<<<<<
I actually went this rout and I did order the radeon card but when I look at athe Rage 128 PCI card I saw this little note from apple:
Note: The ATI RAGE 128 PCI graphics card is not compatible with the new Apple Studio Displays and Apple Cinema Display and supports only non digital displays.
So once again Apple the company that led the way in multi monitor support is making it impossible for me to buy 2 of thier new monitors.
Still hoping someone has some new product that I haven't herd of yet.

Why did apple do this?
     
iPad
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 1999
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 01:24 PM
 
Originally posted by Tom4444:
>>>>Order your system as a Build to Order either from the Apple Store or a Reseller and simply add a second display card. If I were your I'd go with a Radeon in the AGP slot and a Rage128 Pro in a PCI slot.<<<<<
I actually went this rout and I did order the radeon card but when I look at athe Rage 128 PCI card I saw this little note from apple:
Note: The ATI RAGE 128 PCI graphics card is not compatible with the new Apple Studio Displays and Apple Cinema Display and supports only non digital displays.
So once again Apple the company that led the way in multi monitor support is making it impossible for me to buy 2 of thier new monitors.
Still hoping someone has some new product that I haven't herd of yet.

Why did apple do this?
I'm not sure..but hey, it's Apple. Maybe they're still trying to get rid of their stock of ATI Rage 128 PCI cards?



------------------
People aren't as dumb as you think. Wait, what was I thinking, 90% of the world uses WINDOWS!
You don't like Macs? Good, more for me.
     
APL Eric
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 04:53 PM
 
I was hoping to be able to hook up two Cinema displays to my G4 ;-)

Does anyone know what the PCI Radeon will have for connectors? DVI or ADC? That might be the answer.
     
max power
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Oct 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 05:23 PM
 
its not impossible the pinouts are at the liks listed below
i have added 20ft extention cables to to my 2 15" studio displays
the DVI connector is available at http://www.molex.com/product/io/dvi.html
for the second monitor you will need a power supply the same one used for the older studio dissplays will work
and a pci card with a DVI connector
The displays only use TMDS pairs( 0+/-,ret),(1+/-,ret),(2+/-,ret) ,(clock+/-,ret),(DDC clock /ret)and that is all you need for the second display http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/...G4Rev2-67.html http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/...4/PMG4.49.html
     
AAPl Shareholder
Forum Regular
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: SanFrancisco, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 06:33 PM
 
First of all you sound like a power user.... Why are you buying Apple monitors? Apple's monitors are not made buy Apple. They are Sony's, Mitusbishis, NECs, etc in colored plastics.

Go out and buy a $400 Diamondtron or something. It will save you money and it will be the same guts with a VGA port.

Moreover 3Dfx is or is planning ship VGA/ADC adaptors. Check out their site.
"Wait, these aren't my lamps. These lamps have feet. This must not be my apartment. I'd better get a new apartment."
-SpaceGhost
     
jcarr
Senior User
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Bar Harbor
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 09:37 PM
 
Originally posted by AAPl Shareholder:
[BGo out and buy a $400 Diamondtron or something. It will save you money and it will be the same guts with a VGA port.[/B]
This is not exactly true. The 17" CRT is a Diamondtron NF picture tube, but the electronics are Apple's. The Mitsubishi, for example, does not include the colorimiter, and therefore does not support the ColorSync calibration that the Apple display does.

------------------
I'm cookoo for Cocoa Apps!
I'm cookoo for Cocoa Apps!
     
silverback
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 21, 2000, 09:56 PM
 
There are two problems here:
First, the ADC-connector video cards are AGP, not PCI. There is only one AGP slot on the motherboard;
Second, the new monitors get video, USB and POWER through the ADC connector. Power to drive a monitor is NOT available from a PCI slot (or a normal AGP slot).

The only likely solution to this problem is for ATI (or someone else) to make a dual-head video card with two ADC connectors.

Yes, this seems VERY short-sighted. It means that the new monitors ONLY work with the new G4s - and that the previous-generation DVI monitors need an adapter to attach to the new G4s.
     
jpmoon
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2000, 12:47 AM
 
HERE'S THE SOLUTION!!!

The only solution I can think of right now for two ADC screens hooked up to the single AGP slot on G4s is a brand spankin' new product from Formac (that really high quality German Mac graphics boards, etc. Company). The PROFORMANCE 4 Card. I saw this card at MacWorld NY this past summer, it RULES!! You can hook up any TWO types of monitors (VGA, LVDS, DVI, ADC) to ONE single AGP card, in ONE single AGP slot. It's shipping in November and is a 2x128-bit Graphics Processor chip card (like the dual-Radeon card from ATI that is coming in like a year or something) with 64MB SGRAM and a bunch of other fun stuff. This company is really great. I don't work for them or anything, but they truly make great stuff, and they update and optimize their drivers a lot. I set up a Proformance 3 card in a friend of mine's computer, very nice, and very simple, very elegant. The company's been around for a long while, and has been expanding recently. Check out the site at http://www.formac.com/ and the Proformance 4's site at http://www.formac.com/2k/products/pf4_products.html

It works with removable modules that you plug in to 2 different sockets on the card. The modules come in VGA, LVDS, DVI, and ADC. So you can choose any two of those, ADCx2 if you like. VERY innovative, no?

That's all I know of right know, and that's all I'd need to know of if I was in the market for this... if I could even think about having the money for a new G4.

That's all for now!
-JPMoon
     
stimuli
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: los angeles
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2000, 04:54 AM
 
that wonderful card also comes for the low price of only $749

what frustrates me about this is that even sgi is starting to open up some of their technology - learning how to compete in the PC arena:
the sgi 1600sw LCD monitor now comes standard with a "multilink" adapter that converts DVI, analogue VGA, and HDTV(?) signals for use with their monitor - they were originally only working with their proprietary digital connector - LDI.
and.. a little birdie told me sgi direct is selling these wonderful monitors for a great price starting 11/1...

if only apple made a 17" or 18" monitor, i too would buy 2 apple LCDs. but for now, ill just have to get those 1600SWs ;-P

-tom
     
www.mactuning.com
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2000, 08:31 AM
 
I have a article on the Proformance 4 at my site. I burned my mac with overclocking, but I have some new pictures waiting. This site will be updated these months with new articles. The article of the Proformance 4 is located, under videocards and then formac. Have fun.

Webmaster www.mactuning.com
     
MrSmartass
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2000, 12:28 PM
 
Here's the REAL solution:

Show Apple your disapproval of their closed ADC connector with your wallet. Don't buy Apple monitors.

I've had HORRIBLE experiences with several Apple displays and will NOT buy an Apple monitor again, no matter how pretty they are or how well they match my CPU's plastics. Their decision to go to a non-standard closed connector just re-inforces my decision.

Yes, ADC looks like an elegant solution, but if it's not going to find its way onto EVERY video card and EVERY monitor, we're essentially back to the days of the old Apple DB-15 connector when monitor and video card manufacturers had to make special "Mac" versions of their products in order for them to be compatible. I personally do NOT want to go back there.

Buy two LaCie Electron Blue 19's, hook them into the standard VGA port, and you'll be very happy.
     
ynot
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2000, 12:43 PM
 
I just checked the Formac Store for information on the Proformance 4 card. The card itself is $750 and ships with one free VGA module. Additional modules range from $75-$95. There is also a footnote on the ADC module that states "Only one ADC Module can be attached to the ProFormance 4 card." Sounds like a great card, but it's still not the solution multimonitor users are waiting for.
     
applenut1
Senior User
Join Date: Aug 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2000, 03:33 PM
 
morons,

ADC is not proprietary. go do some research and you'll fin the specs are widely available and it is actually based on an industry standard,


IT IS IMPOSSIBLE t have 2 ADC monitors connected to a single G4.

1.) there is a little connector in front of the AGP slot that transfers the power and usb to the card to the monitor. PCI SLOTS DON'T HAVE THIS.

2.) ADC POWERS A MONITOR! Think about this real hard. there is notenough power to power dual displays. via 2 cards or via 1. especally 1 considering there would have to be so much power traveling through the card.



[This message has been edited by applenut1 (edited 10-22-2000).]
     
max power
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Oct 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 25, 2000, 12:22 PM
 
IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE
Just read my post above and oh yea IT HAS BEEN DONE!
with the parts I list in the post above above ,a voodoo "5500" or "4500 PCI mac", and an power supply from the older DVI monitors
you will not get USB to the second monitor
you also must replace the ADC connector with the DVI con. for the second monitor
I have two ADC monitors with 20' cables attached to the same G4dp
Just study the links I posted and its actually not that difficult

[This message has been edited by max power (edited 10-25-2000).]
     
JTVD
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Oct 25, 2000, 07:14 PM
 
Not exactly straightforward either�, wat if you are not a computer-genius? You cannot exactly expect people to go this way.
Why doesn't Apple just make a proper adapter (ADC to DVI+ext.powersupply with buit-in USB-Hub), charge $100 and Bob's your uncle�

     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:04 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,