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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : CMM2: VGA to Display Port cable?

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Krall
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Joined: 22/10/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 15
Posted: 05:46pm 28 Oct 2020
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Howdy folks,

Just wondering if anyone has used a VGA to Display Port cable and could recommend one that works?

I assume the CMM1 and 2 video output is the same. I tried a couple of DP cables on the 1 that wasn't successful.

Thanks for the help!
 
mkopack73
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Joined: 03/07/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 261
Posted: 09:42pm 28 Oct 2020
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I think those cables are meant to go the other way around, ie:

Input - display port, output VGA.

I don't think you can go the other way without a converter box of some sort.

Maybe you can use a VGA->HDMI adapter and then convert the HDMI to Displayport using something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/VisionTek-HDMI-DisplayPort-Active-Cable/dp/B0157RW3X2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=hdmi+input+to+displayport+output&qid=1603921266&sr=8-5

OR, you could just wait until I bring you one of my old Dell monitors with VGA input at Thanksgiving dude ;)
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 11:23pm 28 Oct 2020
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@Krall ...

This link and others on the forum discusses VGA-->HDMI connection for the CMM2.

The problem is similar for VGA-->DiplayPort.  You need to convert an Analogue signal into a Digital one.  A passive cable wont do the job.  Depending on the Display Port specification you MAY be able to convert an HDMI signal into Display Port with a passive cable but YMMV.  And you will still need a converter box.

Probably cheaper to get a cheap monitor or TV with a VGA input ... Goodwill/Ebay ???

I bought a brand new in box IIyama 19" lcd monitor for around £25 delivered over here just by scouring UK Ebay.

If you are short of deskspace and want to use your existing monitor I  can recommend this VGA-->USB capture device to connect to your PC.  The CMM2 can then be displayed in a window using software like Windows Camera, and the CMM2 connected to using an extra keyboard, or the serial console and TerraTerm or MMEdit.  I use this setup to program my CMM2 on my laptop in the living room.
AliExpress link

Regards

Womble
Edited 2020-10-29 09:24 by Womble
 
Krall
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Joined: 22/10/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 15
Posted: 07:38am 29 Oct 2020
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  Womble said  @Krall ...

This link and others on the forum discusses VGA-->HDMI connection for the CMM2.

The problem is similar for VGA-->DiplayPort.  You need to convert an Analogue signal into a Digital one.  A passive cable wont do the job.  Depending on the Display Port specification you MAY be able to convert an HDMI signal into Display Port with a passive cable but YMMV.  And you will still need a converter box.

Probably cheaper to get a cheap monitor or TV with a VGA input ... Goodwill/Ebay ???

I bought a brand new in box IIyama 19" lcd monitor for around £25 delivered over here just by scouring UK Ebay.

If you are short of deskspace and want to use your existing monitor I  can recommend this VGA-->USB capture device to connect to your PC.  The CMM2 can then be displayed in a window using software like Windows Camera, and the CMM2 connected to using an extra keyboard, or the serial console and TerraTerm or MMEdit.  I use this setup to program my CMM2 on my laptop in the living room.
AliExpress link

Regards

Womble


My brain had a BSOD when I ordered a passive cable. Not sure why I thought VGA was already digital...

Thanks for the video capture idea, I hadn't thought about that and it looks pretty good from your video. Yes, the issue is desk space, a 49" monitor seemed like a swell idea at the time.

  mkopack73 said  I think those cables are meant to go the other way around, ie:

Input - display port, output VGA.

I don't think you can go the other way without a converter box of some sort.

Maybe you can use a VGA->HDMI adapter and then convert the HDMI to Displayport using something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/VisionTek-HDMI-DisplayPort-Active-Cable/dp/B0157RW3X2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=hdmi+input+to+displayport+output&qid=1603921266&sr=8-5

OR, you could just wait until I bring you one of my old Dell monitors with VGA input at Thanksgiving dude ;)


Lol dude I have the CMM1 hooked up an old Dell monitor of mine, but thanks for the offer! It's just a PITA reading programming stuff from the PC and then trying to crane my neck over to the CMM setup. I'll check that cable out though ;)

BTW, shipping on the CMM2 got kicked up a notch, looks like it'll come Thursday!
Edited 2020-10-29 17:42 by Krall
 
Womble

Senior Member

Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 12:13pm 29 Oct 2020
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  Krall said  Thanks for the video capture idea, I hadn't thought about that and it looks pretty good from your video. Yes, the issue is desk space, a 49" monitor seemed like a swell idea at the time.

I can see the appeal of a 49" monitor (he says squinting at a tiny laptop screen)

One gotcha when using TerraTerm or similar with the CMM2 is that KEYDOWN(n) function does not work via the serial terminal.  Only works for USB keyboards.  This breaks some games/programs.

If you are short of deskspace I sometimes use a Cherry Compact G84-4100 Mechanical Keyboard, which I have tested and seems to work fine with my CMM2 (once Peter patched the Firmware).
Note for some reason the status leds do not work on this keyboard, some keyboards can be quirky with the CMM2.



Regards

Womble
 
mkopack73
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Joined: 03/07/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 261
Posted: 07:17pm 29 Oct 2020
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eh, Krall's problem is he is a keyboard snob. It has to be a split ergonomic KB or he isn't happy...  

(Krall is my cousin BTW, hence I'm allowed to give him grief....    )
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 09:21pm 29 Oct 2020
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  mkopack73 said  eh, Krall's problem is he is a keyboard snob. It has to be a split ergonomic KB or he isn't happy...  

(Krall is my cousin BTW, hence I'm allowed to give him grief....    )

Mechanical Cherry Keyswitches not good enough ?

Ok I admit they are only Cherry ML, but still, that aint no rubber dome board   and its space savingly cute
Edited 2020-10-30 07:23 by Womble
 
Krall
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Joined: 22/10/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 15
Posted: 09:51pm 29 Oct 2020
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  Womble said  
  mkopack73 said  eh, Krall's problem is he is a keyboard snob. It has to be a split ergonomic KB or he isn't happy...  

(Krall is my cousin BTW, hence I'm allowed to give him grief....    )

Mechanical Cherry Keyswitches not good enough ?

Ok I admit they are only Cherry ML, but still, that aint no rubber dome board   and its space savingly cute


That keyboard you posted is pretty sweet...and temping :)

For the actual record, desk space is the issue. Simply no place to conveniently have a 2nd monitor. My Samsung will accommodate 2 video sources with split screen, just lacking VGA input. I can't lie though a split KB is really, really hard to part with.
Edited 2020-10-30 07:52 by Krall
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 09:58pm 29 Oct 2020
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  Krall said  For the actual record, desk space is the issue. Simply no place to conveniently have a 2nd monitor. My Samsung will accommodate 2 video sources with split screen, just lacking VGA input. I can't lie though a split KB is really, really hard to part with.

Serial terminal may be the way to go to keep your existing split keyboard and save desk space.
The G84-4100 being so small is just for those times when serial wont cut it  

Also the CMM2 can be a bit fussy about keyboards, a browse of the forum will show a few threads discussing keyboard woes.
 
Krall
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Joined: 22/10/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 15
Posted: 10:41pm 29 Oct 2020
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  Womble said  
  Krall said  For the actual record, desk space is the issue. Simply no place to conveniently have a 2nd monitor. My Samsung will accommodate 2 video sources with split screen, just lacking VGA input. I can't lie though a split KB is really, really hard to part with.

Serial terminal may be the way to go to keep your existing split keyboard and save desk space.
The G84-4100 being so small is just for those times when serial wont cut it  

Also the CMM2 can be a bit fussy about keyboards, a browse of the forum will show a few threads discussing keyboard woes.


Heh

I couldn’t quite get serial terminal to work right on the CMM 1 so I’m hoping on the 2 that just arrived (thanks Circuit Gizmos!) fairs better. I still like your video capture idea best. That would make everything remote and I’d still be able to use video.
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 10:50am 30 Oct 2020
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Desktop Space ... What is this Desktop Space of which you speak ?





This is my "Living Room" setup.

I have a second CMM2 setup in the workshop with a monitor and keyboard, but for coding in front of the telly I use the VGA Capture device to display the screen on my laptop, and enter text using TerraTerm via the laptop keyboard.  Very Compact.

My eyesight survives unless I code too much  

Womble
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 11:00am 30 Oct 2020
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  Krall said  I couldn’t quite get serial terminal to work right on the CMM 1 so I’m hoping on the 2 that just arrived (thanks Circuit Gizmos!) fairs better. I still like your video capture idea best. That would make everything remote and I’d still be able to use video.

Here are the TerraTerm settings I use.  The serial connection passes over the USB A-B cable which I am using to power my CMM2 from the laptop.


Video obviously goes via the VGA Capture Device (blue cable in my photo)

And yes, that Laptop keyboard is hideous  

Regards

Womble
Edited 2020-10-30 21:01 by Womble
 
elk1984

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Joined: 11/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 228
Posted: 05:01pm 30 Oct 2020
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  Womble said  For coding in front of the telly I use the VGA Capture device to display the screen on my laptop, and enter text using TerraTerm via the laptop keyboard.  Very Compact.

My eyesight survives unless I code too much  

Womble


If Siwypiotr is reading this I can see a Maxitop before the end of the week!
 
Krall
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Joined: 22/10/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 15
Posted: 09:45pm 30 Oct 2020
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  Womble said  
  Krall said  I couldn’t quite get serial terminal to work right on the CMM 1 so I’m hoping on the 2 that just arrived (thanks Circuit Gizmos!) fairs better. I still like your video capture idea best. That would make everything remote and I’d still be able to use video.

Here are the TerraTerm settings I use.  The serial connection passes over the USB A-B cable which I am using to power my CMM2 from the laptop.

And yes, that Laptop keyboard is hideous  

Regards

Womble


Lol Womble for a second I thought you had a Maximite Laptop!

Thanks for the settings, I'll try it. I had to order a microSD card as my RetroMax uses that which I didn't know. I also ordered the video capture device.

EDIT: Genius Womble! Those TeraTerm settings got me right in! I was using other settings from the board that I found which did not work :)
Edited 2020-10-31 07:49 by Krall
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 267
Posted: 09:47pm 30 Oct 2020
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  elk1984 said  If Siwypiotr is reading this I can see a Maxitop before the end of the week!

Interesting suggestion.  I seem to remember others suggesting a portable CMM2 might be nice.

The advantage to my setup is that you can have the manual pdf open for reference.
 
elk1984

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Joined: 11/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 228
Posted: 09:49pm 30 Oct 2020
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  Womble said  
  elk1984 said  If Siwypiotr is reading this I can see a Maxitop before the end of the week!

Interesting suggestion.  I seem to remember others suggesting a portable CMM2 might be nice.

The advantage to my setup is that you can have the manual pdf open for reference.


That's what a tablet next to the setup is for  

I did make the mistake of printing the manual, I didn't account for so many new and great features being added all the time that it was out of date by the time it had come off the printer!
 
Womble

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Joined: 09/07/2020
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Posts: 267
Posted: 11:48pm 30 Oct 2020
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  elk1984 said  That's what a tablet next to the setup is for  

very true.
 
elk1984

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Joined: 11/07/2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 228
Posted: 12:13pm 28 Dec 2020
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For those looking for a "portable CMM2", this could be interesting.







(The blurring is my dodgy photo taking, not the signal to the tablet)

I used the USB Camera app from the Play Store.  I upgraded to the Pro version £5, but the free version works pretty well providing you don't mind adverts.

I had to change my screen settings on the tablet.  I'm still experimeneting, but YUV2 800x600 @ 20FPS seems good for basic editing)

Original inspiration from ETA Prime
Edited 2020-12-28 22:27 by elk1984
 
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