Test VGA Monitors with a DIY Monitor Tester

With the knowledge that an ATtiny2313 can generate simple VGA video signals, the team from EOSystems have designed and published the details for a small and useful VGA monitor tester. Working with resolutions up to 1280x1024 @ 60 Hz the tester can generate a variety of colour screens and bars. Although that doesn't sound like much, this would be very useful for quickly testing used monitors in a corporate or recycling centre before redistribution or destruction.

The entire tester could be made on a small piece of stripboard, or you can download the PCB image along with the schematic and AVR .hex file at the project website here. And for more news, updates and items of interest.please follow us on twitter, Facebook and Google+.

To build your own VGA tester we have the ATtiny2313, prototyping boards and a wide range of electronics components. Or if you are looking to create more complex VGA-interfaced output, investigate the 4D Systems Picaso VGA Controller. It can generate a wide varity of text and graphics up to a resolution of 800 x 480 with simple serial commands: