68kMLA Classic Interface
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| Apple Portrait Display & Macintosh SE | |
| Posted by: jmacz on 2024-06-17 09:01:40 I thought I vaguely remembered seeing Macintosh SE's connected to Apple's Portrait Display monitor. But it's possible I'm thinking of an SE/30 or a Radius monitor, not Apple's. Anyone know if a video card exists that allows a Macintosh SE to drive an Apple Portrait Display? | |
| Posted by: Byrd on 2024-06-17 17:53:32 Yes, the Radius Pivot SE/30 PDS video card, which was quite common in Compacts and also makes for a decent card to drive a standard VGA monitor. Radius Pivot Card SE/30Profile: Radius Pivot Card SE/30 video card for 68030 Processor Direct Slot (PDS).
lowendmac.com
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| Posted by: beachycove on 2024-06-17 18:01:06 Yes, but that won’t work in an SE. | |
Posted by: jmacz on 2024-06-17 18:20:22Yes, the Radius Pivot SE/30 PDS video card, which was quite common in Compacts and also makes for a decent card to drive a standard VGA monitor. Yeah, I'm aware of the solutions for the SE/30 but was curious whether a card existed for Macintosh SE's (to drive the monitor in monochrome). | |
| Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2024-06-17 19:05:41 You need the something on the order of the SE version of the Radius FPD card for any hopes of running the Apple Portrait Display. It's doubtful if the syncs would align in any case. Even if it could work you're looking at single-bit on the Portrait, not GS. Just linked to my experimentation with the Radius TPD card in the SE in a parallel thread: Radius TPD/SE up and running . . . on an LCD no less!Still need to get it set up for black on white, hopefully that's only a question of tying RGB inputs together at the VGA end of things, but my LCD success should give hope to others with SE cards dedicated to proprietary displays. After the Adjust in Progress screen dropped away, some patience...
68kmla.org
Portrait setup should be much the same kinda rigamarole, haven't played much with that one yet. | |
| Posted by: beachycove on 2024-06-17 19:12:44 I believe that Radius and Lapis both made SE video cards capable of driving up to a two page display, so some digging in those veins may be useful. However, the trouble with these cards (as often for the SE/30 too) is that the connector may be proprietary, or even something as unfamiliar to our eyes as a BNC barrel connector. And the Apple Portrait Monitor itself has an extremely odd connection port. It can be driven from a standard Mac DB15 port if you have the appropriate converter cable, but they are not exactly common. I was pretty sure that I had seen a pic of an SE hooked up to a FPD somewhere, and lo and behold, have managed to find the image here: . You could try contacting the guy on Flickr. He seems to be an SE fan and may know the deep lore. | |
| Posted by: beachycove on 2024-06-17 19:21:37 And another one: | |
Posted by: Byrd on 2024-06-17 20:05:32Yeah, I'm aware of the solutions for the SE/30 but was curious whether a card existed for Macintosh SE's (to drive the monitor in monochrome). Ah sorry, didn't read | |
Posted by: jmacz on 2024-06-17 23:37:02Ah sorry, didn't read No prob. I should have been more clear. I will keep my eyes open for these cards. | |
Posted by: Bolle on 2024-06-18 00:51:55I believe that Radius and Lapis both made SE video cardsAs did a lot of other manufacturers. A lot of video cards for the SE were kind of "universal" as in that the video controller was a FPGA that would get the bitstream for different resolutions and timings loaded by an INIT. That's how Lapis did it, a lot of combined accelerator/video cards did it the same way (Mobius, Extreme Systems/Total Systems/*randomword*Systems, Novy... just to name a few) Radius themselves had three different cards for the SE I think. They all were "Magicbus" cards that either needed the jumper card to attach to the PDS or would plug into one of the Radius accelerators (and I think a few accelerators from other vendors had a compatible port as well) I've got the Two Page Display card:  The Full Page Display 69/75Hz:  And the Full Page Display 64/68Hz:  The older Full Page card outputs TTL, the 75Hz card while there is no RAMDAC outputs separate sync signals and a level reduced TTL signal to drive the analog channel on the newer 75Hz displays. The Two Page card outputs a single analog channel that includes composite sync. The Radius Full Page Display 69/75 card should be able to drive the Apple full page monitor. | |
Posted by: cheesestraws on 2024-06-18 01:39:30The Radius Full Page Display 69/75 card should be able to drive the Apple full page monitor. This is what I wasn't sure about and what I think @jmacz is actually asking. 🙂 | |
| Posted by: zefrenchtoon on 2024-06-18 01:45:00 @jmacz You should check here. If you check screenshots I've posted on the garden, you will see that this card should be able to drive the Apple Portrait monitor. | |
| Posted by: jmacz on 2024-06-18 10:38:01 Ok thanks guys! | |
| Posted by: Scout on 2024-06-18 15:29:48 I have an SE with a Lapis card, 9 pin. I have been trying to run a Radius FPD with the same 9 pin connection but I have not had any luck. Anyway, here are the pictures of the card and the ports. I have tried to learn what the problem is as I can find no particular software on the original HD that relates to the card. For reference and would appreciate any suggestions from the knowledgable crowd. | |
| Posted by: danny.gonzalez.0861@gmai on 2024-06-19 13:20:55 Cruising the fleabay and thought of you @jmacz: 
Sigma Designs PageView SE Video Card for Apple Macintosh SE PVA-SE-PV88 | eBayI am unable to fully test, as I don't have the proprietary Sigma monitor. But I will stand behind it as working 100%!
www.ebay.com
Damn these prices though!! | |
| Posted by: jmacz on 2024-06-19 13:38:35 Yeah, not cheap. | |
| Posted by: Arbee on 2024-06-19 15:48:37 I don't suppose any of you with SE cards have the ROM images handy? No worries if not. Those are always interesting to disassemble because of the not-entirely-structured way cards had to work on the SE. | |
Posted by: zefrenchtoon on 2024-06-20 02:16:27I don't suppose any of you with SE cards have the ROM images handy? No worries if not. Those are always interesting to disassemble because of the not-entirely-structured way cards had to work on the SE.I would love to do that with all my cards but ... I don't have any ROM dumper :-/ I will ask a friend of mine to see if he can help for that. | |
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