VGA Full Form

In 1987, IBM developed a 15-pin connector called Video Graphics Array and took the first step in revolutionising the entire process of displaying and visualising the media on a bigger screen. Given the available level of technology and expertise available, the connector is capable of only reading and converting the analog signal, which refers to the lower resolutions and lower quality visualisation on the big screens. The VGA developed by IBM was the first of its kind that introduced people to the magic that media on big screens can offer.

Uses of VGA

Video Graphics Array, developed by IBM, was a popular media transmitting technology in the late 90s. It has even seen a resurgence lately due to an increase in retro gaming.

The VGA offers 16 colours at its 640*480 resolution colour display, while there’s also an option to increase the number of colours to 256, by lowering the resolution to 320*200.

The VGA technology is utilised for many different purposes. Some of these are listed below:

• VGA can be used to connect a PC to a monitor
• Laptops utilise VGA technology to connect and display media content to an external monitor or a projector
• Even relatively modern innovations such as smart TVs and Chromecast are capable of using VGA technology to display content on TV or a projector

Components of VGA

The VGA consists of a couple of connectors with a VGA cable in between. The connectors facilitate the information exchange by connecting the destination and source. The VGA connector has a total of 15 pins in it to connect the VGA cable to the source device. The pins enable the transport of analog signals. The VGA connectors with pins are referred to as the “male” VGA connectors while the “female” connectors have holes in place of pins. The VGA connector also houses a couple of screws on both sides of the connector head, which houses the pins(holes in the case of female VGA). These screws are used to connect the cable to the source device. 

The most commonly used VGA for most purposes is the typical 15 pin VGA connector, referred to as the DE-15. However, for smaller factor devices, VGA is available in the form of a lesser pinned connector called the DE-9. As the name suggests, the connector consists of only 9 pins. The following is the basic structure of a typical VGA pinout:

• Pin 1-Red Video
• Pin 2-Green Video
• Pin 3-Blue Video
• Pin 4-Monitor ID 2
• Pin 5-TTL Ground
• Pin 6-Red Analog Ground
• Pin 7-Green Analog Ground
• Pin 8-Blue Analog Ground
• Pin 9-Key
• Pin 10-Sync Ground
• Pin 11-Monitor ID 0
• Pin 12- Monitor ID 1
• Pin 13-Horizontal Sync
• Pin 14-Vertical Sync
• Pin 15-Monitor ID 3

Typically VGA can only transmit signals up to a distance of 20 metres. Post this limit, special components called VGA extenders can be used to enhance the signal transmission distance.

Resolutions

Since the VGA technology used analog signals, the resolutions offered were not that high and were more basic. Till the advent of the modern high-end resolutions like the HD, VGA was immensely popular and was usually ample for the intended purposes. As the technology advanced, so did the needs and requirements and VGA became insufficient for the intended tasks. 

The most popular resolution offered by the VGA initially was the 640*540px. The VGA also offered resolutions in 800*600px(super video graphics array) and also in 1024*768px(Extended Graphics Array) along with others.

Other resolutions include:

1. 1280*1024(super extended graphics array)
2. 1600*1200(ultra extended graphics array)
3. 2040*1536(wide extended graphics array)

VGA Alternatives

It’s been several decades since the launch of VGA. The technology has evolved and so has the expertise level of the technicians. In recent years, people have been exposed to futuristic technology making them feel like they have entered the world inside the graphics. Over the years, several alternatives of VGA have been developed by companies. Some of them are:

1. HDMI: An option you might have explored on the TV and the most modern version of VGA. High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specialise in using a single cable for transmitting the high definition audio and cable. More and more AV devices are making use of HDMI in their interface system and nowadays even PC and Laptops are making use of HDMI technology in transmitting the high-quality AV from one device to another.
2. DVI: The Digital Visual Interface (DVI), was initially developed as a tool to transmit good quality audio and videos from one device to another. The resolutions can go as high as 2560 x 1600. The technology was adopted in computer monitors, televisions. 

Difference between the Cables of HDMI, VGA, DVI

VGA: The Video Graphics Array supports the resolution quality of 640 x 480 in 16 colours, which can be increased by 256 colours by reducing the resolution quality to 320 x 200. The socket has 15 pins arranged in rows of 5 and is capable of transmitting RGBHV video signals.

HDMI: The most popular connection is HDMI which utilises a single cable for transmitting high-quality audio and video in the devices. The cables are technologically developed to be advanced compatible; i.e., the cables can be used even in the old devices. The companies are developing HDMI to be more inclusive to the 4k and 8k quality. 

DVI: The Digital Visual Interface was developed after VGA and offers little more development to the features of VGA. The DVI cables are also made to be backward compatible; i.e., they are compatible with the old VGA devices as well. The DVI technology transmits the media in three modes: 

DVI-I (Integrated)

DVI-D (Digital)

DVI-A (Analog)

Conclusion

The VGA, short form for Video Graphics Array, has come a long way since its development by IBM in 1987. The technology was used to transmit low-quality media onto the bigger screens. Over the years, technology has been developed and innovated to give a glimpse of the future, as you might have heard about 4k and 8k visualisations.