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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : How can you keep a monitor alive...
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9971 |
I have a test area, with an AOC monitor, that has both VGA and HDMI connectors. With either one, if there is no video detected after about five seconds on either port, the monitor goes to sleep, and this is a MAJOR pain in my arse. Pretty much ALL monitors in the world, no matter what brand, do this. Is there anything you can buy, that could perhaps sit between the monitor and the other things I want to connect to it, that will keep the monitor alive NO MATTER WHAT? Basically, I don't want the monitor to EVER go to sleep, unless I turn the bloody thing off myself. The constant powering off into sleep mode, is making it really difficult with some things, to see prompts and startup messages, cos the bloody monitor has gone to sleep......again. And by the time it wakes up, you've missed messages you are trying to see. Changing the monitor would be pointless - they ALL do this now. I'd need something that can keep ALL types of video input alive - HDMI, VGA and DVI too, although, I don't need DVI that much, all my testing is either HDMI or VGA. Anyone know of anything, cos this is driving me bonkers.  Edited 2026-01-22 09:07 by Grogster Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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Plasmamac Guru  Joined: 31/01/2019 Location: GermanyPosts: 620 |
For vga you need a fake sync signal (h or v) to keep the screen on. Vesa dpms standard For hdmi y need a fake tmds clock shield. You can use a pico with simple „or logic“ to create it. Maybe you can fake a signal with the pio and a pico Plasma |
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phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3256 |
For VGA it is usually Sync. that keeps it on. My guess is just H-sync will if you can inject pulses into that when none are arriving down the cable. For HDMI & DVI-D only monitors, no idea but if there is a VGA input as well maybe sync pulses may keep the monitor on but don't know if it will revert to HDMI when that appears. There may be something in the monitor's setup menu that gives HDMI priority over VGA. Perhaps even a setting to disable "power saving mode". I use a cheap TV as a HDMI monitor and it doesn't have a power saving mode at all. |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2049 |
Grogs yesterday arvo I used my old Benq 19" monitor to see if I could get into the bios of these 2 optiplex 9020 computers my employer was throwing away so he gladly gave me two of them  Now as these computers have dual display ports and the monitor had hdmi found and old serial cable to use.Now at first got nothing on the screen so I played around with the switch's on the side of the monitor and a popup came with the option of dvi or D-sub so chose D-sub and the screen came to life. I did try on the second computer but it wouldn't boot and nothing on the screen so I'm glad one of them is OK So maybe try those options on the monitor and see if works for you. Regards Bryan |
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PeteCotton Guru Joined: 13/08/2020 Location: CanadaPosts: 629 |
I'm not sure if this will work for your monitor - but I've noticed that my HDMI video capture card appears to be recognised by my monitor, even when there is no signal. It is going through a HDMI switch after that - but it might worth trying. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CLNZ8267?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_32&th=1 |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5898 |
@Grogster, Maybe you can buy a display panel (not a computer monitor). Most (outdoor) display panels I have seen, when there is no input signal, display diagnostics info. Day after day, until someone comes to fix it (restart the PC). Volhout Edited 2026-01-22 00:42 by Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9971 |
Thanks for all the replies - that gives me something to go on. The forum software removed the word "Alive" on the thread title - I don't know why. I added it back(without quotes), to make the thread title make sense again. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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atmega8 Guru Joined: 19/11/2013 Location: GermanyPosts: 738 |
Grogster, use cheap HDMI + Dummy-Plug / EDID-Emulator. Cheap and reliable. For example https://www.amazon.de/FUERAN-1920X1080-Passthrough-Compatible-Thunderbolt-60Hz-1080P/dp/B0FZDHSMHT/ref=asc_df_B0FZDHSMHT?mcid=e66fa63d3b63323ebd0f287e779a7146&th=1&tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=768874954440&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12591320525016339509&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9192644&hvtargid=pla-2458650457174&hvocijid=12591320525016339509-B0FZDHSMHT-&hvexpln=0 Edited 2026-01-22 13:58 by atmega8 |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9971 |
Never even knew these things existed! I will do some research on these things, thanks! Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4331 |
I couldn't get that amazon URL to work but is it the same as one of these ? John |
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| atmega8 Guru Joined: 19/11/2013 Location: GermanyPosts: 738 |
Passthrough HDMI |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9971 |
Just a wee follow-up on this topic - I ended up buying a 10" LCD monitor for in-car use. They are only a hundred bucks, and has composite, VGA and HDMI inputs. Importantly, it f-ing STAYS on the input you select, with just a blue screen and a "NO SIGNAL" notice floating around the screen, UNTIL I select another input with the AV button. WHY the more expensive monitor brands DON'T do this, is beyond me. The amount of hard-core swearing I do at my AOC monitor when it auto-switches to another input if the video vanishes for more then about 3 seconds, would probably be on par with Kevin Bloody Wilson, or Rodney Rude. This cheap 10" monitor is bliss. Select the input you want, and it f-ing stays there - unless I change it.  $100 LCD monitor thing..... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8868 |
I wonder if they do it to comply with energy efficiency regulations now? It doesn't matter for small displays where the cower drawn isn't much different between running and standby, but it makes a huge difference on bigger screens. Perhaps auto-standby is a way to meet the rules when the running load might be 80W but the standby only 1W. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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vegipete Guru Joined: 29/01/2013 Location: CanadaPosts: 1174 |
Next it would be cool if we could get a 1024x600 native resolution from our various *Mites. But it is sort of a weird resolution. What resolution are you displaying it, and how well defined is the resulting image? Visit Vegipete's *Mite Library for cool programs. |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 11388 |
Manual - page 154 |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1935 |
Nice one. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9971 |
You have a point there. But my main problem was not that the AOC monitor goes to sleep, more that it will switch to the VGA input without asking, if the HDMI is disconnected for more then about three seconds. And vise-versa. It's a complete pain in the arse when you need it to stay on the selected input. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9971 |
1024 x 768 @ 60Hz - A standard VGA resolution. Image is fine, crisp and clear. I know that earlier "Car monitor" type screens were a bit crap and they tended to have very low maximum resolutions, but this one seems OK. I could post a photo if you like. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1935 |
So it sounds like VGA is the default (?) Would it work if you used the VGA port, via a HDMI-to-VGA adapter? |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4331 |
Or maybe it's not the default but instead it doesn't auto-switch away (or off)? Luckily I've a small monitor-TV type thing that stays on the selected input, which is just what I want. John |
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