In a message dated 09/17/2000 7:30:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Frank,

 The older style monitors which had a nine pin connector
 were analog devices.  With the advent of the VGA monitor
 (or maybe it was the short-lived EGA), the wiring was boosted to
 a 15 pin connector and became a digital signal.

 In the pre-VGA/EGA world, the video card had to convert
 the digintal data into the three primary colors and output
 analog signals to the monitor.  Now that conversion
 circuitry is built inside the monitor.

 The DRIVER that you are talking about has existed for
 monitors since the beginning days of windows for all monitors, both
 analog and digital.

 In simplistic terms, a driver is the "go-between" that "pre-conditions"
 or formats the data for a specific hardware device, whether it is a CD,
 monitor, printer, or whatever.

 Jim Meagher

 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "Frank R. Brown" <[log in to unmask]>

 > I've seen several references on this list to 'monitor drivers'
 > (as distinct from 'video cars drivers').   What are these?
 >
 > All the monitors I've seen have a power cord that plugs
 > into the wall socket, and a video-signal cable that plugs
 > into the video card.  I always assummed that the video
 > cable carrires only analog signals.  So where would
 > 'monitor drivers' come into the picture? >>

Hi,
  In deference to Jims reply, monitors in the very early days (monochrome)
had a digital input, they originally used a TTL level signal (5 volt) on a 9
pin connector. The VGA, SVGA, and XVGA all use an analog RGB video signal on
a 15 pin connector. Some of the new flat panel LCD displays do use a digital
signal, but it uses a different connector.
  The monitor "drivers" you are referring to are not actually drivers, but
.INF files that define the parameters for a particular monitor, such as
available resolutions and refresh rates, timing for the video and sync
signals (for proper "centering" on the screen, at the different resolutions),
and any power saving features that the monitor supports.

HTH,
Peter Hogan
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