Adding VGA output to a Beagleboard

Computers & Mobile Other Boards Technology
Adding VGA output to a Beagleboard
vga_on_beagleboard.jpg

Interested in playing with the open-source Beagleboard, but don’t have a DVI-capable monitor to use it with? Well, Linus Ã…kesson has a decidedly low-tech hack to add a VGA output to the beagleboard, which consists of only a few resistor ladder DACs, a couple level shifting transistors, and some carefully coded timing values to make the LCD header output VGA-compatible signals. Great work!

4 thoughts on “Adding VGA output to a Beagleboard

  1. Simon says:

    Most modern video cards come with an inline DVI-VGA level converter, so if you’ve upgraded yours recently, you might already have one in your parts drawer.

    1. jefro.myopenid.com says:

      This is an very impressive exercise! I may have to build one in order to repurpose my old VGA monitor. S-video just ain’t the same. Have you tried with higher resolution? 1600×1200 would be fantastic.

      Simon: cheapie DVI-VGA converters don’t work on the Beagle. These converters cheat by picking up a “sideband” VGA signal that is output along with DVI signals. The Beagle does not provide these extra signals. True level connectors work, but they are more expensive than the Beagle Board itself.

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