Comments on: DIY ADC Adapter

By: Tony

Tony — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:35:35 +0000

Not that I am aware of. You might be able to contact alex_mp directly and get a copy of PCB board he designed. Version 1.0 has an error that requires cutting a trace and soldering some wires to the board. He said version 1.1 fixes the problem, but I’ve never seen a copy of the board. All the PCB info can be found in the above comments by alex_mp

By: andy

andy — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:21:19 +0000

@ Tony …. is there now a working pcb layout or diagram that I can base a pcb on ?gerber / excellon format or other?

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:56:56 +0000

Sadly no. The Cinema Displays do not support VGA input, only DVI. Getting a converter that takes a VGA signal and turns it into a DVI-D signal would be expensive and you could probably buy a new monitor for the price. If your laptop had HDMI output then you could easily go from HDMI > DVI > ADC since all three use the same signalling. The physical connections are the only difference.

The USB connection on the ADC adapter serves two purposes:
1. Controlling the monitor from the desktop. There are no physical buttons on the display for adjusting the brightness or turning it on/off. Those buttons are just controls that go back to the computer, which then sends commands back to the display to act accordingly. I learned that on my PowerMac G4, the power button on the monitor replicates the power button on the tower. If the system is completely shut down then I can press the power button on the monitor to start it up.
2. Provides USB pass-through for the hub built into the back of the monitor. The acrylic Cinema Displays have USB 1.1 hubs and the aluminum models have USB 2.0.

By: Eladb

Eladb — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:54:59 +0000

Great hack.
I’d like to connect an Apple 23″ Cinema display to my laptop but I only have a VGA output. Is this also possible and has anyone had any success at this one?
BTW what is the purpose of the USB connections on the ADC connector?
Cheers…

By: chuck

chuck — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:32:59 +0000

i was having problems getting the monitor to turn..my pc recognized the monitor as a tv and i set up dual screens but i am unsure how to turn on the monitor.. the power “button” on the monitor isnt fuctioning. Has anyone else run into this bug?

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:49:48 +0000

Hi could i pay you to make one of these for me because i need one yet I dont have the money to buy an actual one of the time/resources to make it myself?

By: MacGyver Challenge Winner: Sort Your Change in Style With an Altoids Tin

MacGyver Challenge Winner: Sort Your Change in Style With an Altoids Tin — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:16:14 +0000

[...] wiring. He settled on an Altoids tin as the perfect enclosure to protect his new creation. Tony blogged the whole process, so check it out if you’d like to know how he did it! A big thanks to everyone who took the [...]

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:51:59 +0000

That is probably a good guess. The only “gotcha” would be if the PSU is switched so it would provide power unless the monitor was attached. Unfortunately, I do not have an official adapter to test with. If you plug the monitor up, and the power button doesn’t light up when you press it, I would assume the adapter is bad. A $120 adapter is cheaper to test then a new 23″ monitor.

By: Michael Spencer

Michael Spencer — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:39:44 +0000

What a great site with just the info I need, as my 23″ went dark.

I assume it’s the power supply (this would be Apple’s A1006), but just to be sure, I measured pins 1 and 11 and got zero volts where, according to the digram I should have gotten 24v.

Before I go and order a replacement unit that can’t be returned am I correct that if there’s nothing between these two pins the PSU is dead?

Michael

By: George Work

George Work — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:22:49 +0000

Hi Rich,

Please refer to post #50. I found a pristine (probably 2008) 23″ Cinema Display in the trash. But, the entire cable has been cut off about 4″ from the back of the monitor. I need information about connecting wires contained in the monitor cable to the powe supply, DVI, and, if necessary, the USB interfaces. I have accessed an inexpensive, appropriate 24 V PS and DVI cable on eBay (about 20 bucks total).

Can you assist with this project? Tony recommened I contact you.

Thanks,
George