The Tektronix TDS 360 is a two-channel digital oscilloscope from the middle 1990s. The sampling rate is 1 Giga Samples/sec with a bandwidth of 200 MHz. It comes with three interface ports: GPIB, RS-232 Serial, and a Centronics parallel printer port. All are pretty much obsolete although you can get an expensive USB to GPIB adapter.

It also has a VGA output but with a non-standard (for VGA) DB-9 connector. So, I designed an adapter board for it. The output from the TDS 360 is only one color so I put three switches on the board so you can select any of the 7 combinations of RGB. Tektronix may have made other oscilloscopes that produce a VGA output using a DB-9 connector.

It does not require many parts.

Here is the parts list:

HD1   HD15F Connector

R1      10K  1/4W 4%

R2      10K  1/4W 4%

R3      10K  1/4W 4%

SW1   SPDT 

SW2   SPDT 

SW3   SPDT 

(4) M3x18 Nylon Standoffs

(4) M3 Screws

DB-9 Male Connector (Solder type)

1. The SPDT switch pins are on 0.1” centers. They are really inexpensive on eBay where they are called “SS12D00G3 2 Position SPDT 1P2T 3 Pin PCB Panel Slide Switch”.

2. The VGA connector is an HD15. It should not be confused with a DB15 or DB9 connector.

The HD15 has three rows of contacts. The picture is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector

"DE-15 has been conventionally referred to ambiguously as D-sub 15, incorrectly as DB-15 and often as HD-15 (High Density, to distinguish it from the DE-9 connector used on the older CGA and EGA cards, as well as some early VGA cards,[1] which have the same E shell size but only two rows of pins). The video connector is an "E" size D-sub connector, with 15 pins in three rows, which is the high-density connector version (DE15HD)."

 A DB-9 connector has the same size shell but only two rows.

 I bought my connectors at Jameco Electronics. They call it a “CONN,DSUB,15PIN FEM,BLUE .590"TIN LDS, RIGHT ANGLE” which is not a good description. They say the manufacturer’s part number is Shogyo International DB15-F-PCB. That’s a bad description too. But it is the right part. But now Jameco has discontinued it.

In finding another source I found that most companies wrongly call it a DB15 connector. In order to get the right part you search for “VGA Connector PCB” and then look very closely at the picture. I found some on Amazon, sold by uxcell. I got 10 for $8.72.

           uxcell 10Pcs DB 15 Pin 3 Row Female D-SUB VGA Connector PCB Mounting Right Angle

You can find the part on eBay with costs and delivery times that vary widely.

I recommend you make sure you can get the connectors before you order boards.

3. You will need a VGA cable to go from the Adapter Board to the display.

If you are not already a Maker (and you want to be one) see my tutorial on Making Things at www.jmargolin.com/making/jm_making.htm

JM