Looking for VGA gender changer

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at

It needs a 180 degree rotation. Otherwise I'd just plug A into B with nothing in between.

I *can* plug A straight into B, but that means one or other of the bits of equipment is upside down!

Yes, I'm beginning to think I'm asking the impossible, rather than the manufacturers just being obtuse in only making the version I don't want).

The principle's the same. But I want something that looks reasonable, and allows equipment A and B to be separated by no more than an additional centimetre.

The "right kind of" pre-manufactured gender changer would satisfy both.

A plug and a socket joined by flexible multi-way cable can be assembled at any orientation with only millimeters between them. This is a lot easier than using a PCB.

I think part of the problems is we don't actually know what the equipment is, and what the constraints are... and so don't know why you can't do this with a very short lead, or a longer lead and the items offset by the width of the connector to save having one connector backed onto the other.

Have you investigated if you can invert the connector on one of the devices?

How about changing the connector on one bit of equipment to use the other sex, then you could use stack of three conventional gender changers?

What about using a PCB mount plug and socket like:

Its not impossible, just not straight forward. Its also a very niche problem that would normally be solved with a twist of a cable.

How many if these do you need?

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at

Only one.

A 'normal' plug and socket (let alone a pair) wouldn't fit in the space provided, but if I could get a pair of the side-entry sockets shown moulded-on here:

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at

Because normal sockets are far too large from the face of the pins to the cable exit. I've said to Roger that maybe side-entry sockets would work, though.

That was the very first thought. But, for example, one [A below] is a laptop, and I'm not going to start opening that up and trying to invert the VGA output socket. The other item is just as intractable internally (hence why I currently plug it in upside down, which is the very inconvenient orientation I'm trying to avoid).

Actually, you'd only need one in the "stack" if that were possible (with three, then the extra two simply cancel each other out on all counts).

But not only am I unwilling to start carving the laptop up inside, if I fitted it with a male VGA output there would be the added inconvenience of needing a gender changer to use it with say a conventional monitor cable. I think male outputs are discouraged anyway.

That's the easiest to make, so far. So as to fit in the space available, then they couldn't go back to back, and in a sandwich would make the wiring too fiddly; so they'd have to go onto a small board, with the faces offset as below, and then encapsulate it:

equipment B side

---------male--------------- } female } on top } v } not to exceed +-------------------------+ } | ********** ********** | } 2cm when | * * * * | } | ********** ********** | } assembled +-------------------------+ } ^ } male } underneath } } ------------female--------- equipment A side

If it wasn't an unusual requirement I'd have found the necessary mass produced item already, without the need to ask here :)

What I didn't realise was the way the compact gender changers did a rotate (whereas the less compact ones I used in the 80's for 8 or 25pin serial connectors, didn't).

Surely the easiest thing is t to get the plug to self identify as female?

Could you do that with a pair of up/down adapters:

Theo

Ah, ok now I know what the bits are and the actual space available, that makes it a bit easier.

Are they both at the same height off the desk or is there an offset there?

The older ones were often hardwired (by machine) in much the same as the old printer switch boxes were. With dedicated point to point wires, the end to end reflection of the pin numbers is easy to wire out - but not so easy with very compact designs where they want almost PCB level compactness.

I think in this situation I would just use a pair of plan connectors with typical solder buckets on the back of the pins/sockets, solder short solid core insulated wires to all the pins of one, and then bend and dress the wires to get them the right length and to the right pin, and then solder the other end. It would be fiddly but doable - starting with the centre row, then dressing and soldering the two outer rows. 15 solid core wires would be more than strong enough mechanically, you could then just pot or "tape up" the resulting adaptor.

In message <Qfv* snipped-for-privacy@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 15:10:38 on Sat,

Aerial view:

Someone suggested the Up/Down connectors earlier. Only the "up" would plug into the laptop (without making a big hole in the desk). Then you'd need the "Down" male plugged into that to exit horizontally, which gives the twist required, but exceeds the 2cm.

The female connectors on either of them are the wrong way round to plug into B, because it needs the longer edge at the lower (desk) side.

The left/right one I've not tried to visualise the twist, because in any event they'll exceed the 2cm.

In message <GKGdnXQcBbgR_GH9nZ2dnUU78T snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at

A is on the desk, with the socket very close to the surface. B could be above the desk surface if required.

It's not that vital a project, my original query was about getting a "hard to find" (possibly now "impossible to find") off-the-shelf item.

Next step is to try to find a different brand of "B", with the connector the other way up. That's going to be easier than finding a laptop with a VGA connector 'long side down' I think.

That would be what I'd do. It's only 15 connections to solder - would take about 20 minutes to make. Which is longer than we've spent discussing it here.

You could also look for a little project box of appropriate size to slot the assembly into, and fill it with resin to pot it. Although if you want access to the DB15 screws that could be more awkward.

Theo

Has the laptop got a HDMI out or a USB C (or for that matter USB 2/3)? You can get HDMI to VGA convertors, and also USB to VGA leads - which might allow you to move one connector out of the way.

Different laptop may not have the connector the other way up, but might have it in a different place on the case.

What is B OOI?

In message <D snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at

That's an interesting idea, but the HDMI and USB/3 are very close together and I can't see a way of being able to use both at once. The previous laptop (see ** below) had VGA and modem ports too close, although that didn't matter because who uses dial-up any more?

I don't have a suitable laptop for that (in fact, my current one replaces an earlier laptop ** where the VGA connector was at the rear right, which would be better than where it is on the front left).

In the past I've solved issues like this with suitable adapters!

Next laptop I get, I think I'll make sure it has a docking/port-replicator station for these sorts of situations.

Later... found a refurbished one on eBay for £15 (new price about £80) so have ordered that. Also solves the width issue at a stroke, because everything will now poke out of the back.

Thanks everyone, for your suggestions, it certainly got me to where I needed to be.

In message <lZqA3317Bp$ snipped-for-privacy@perry.uk, at 11:37:47 on Mon, 26 Jul 2021, Roland Perry snipped-for-privacy@perry.co.uk> remarked:

Postscript: The brand new looking docking station, and brand new looking

All the ports work fine, apart from the two USB-3 and four USB-2, where Windows fails to find drivers for the controller. Until I resolve that, the two USB-3 ports in the latptop itself will suffice.

What version of windows?

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at

It's still on Windows 7 (Professional), because that's what it came with. It's looking for something to replace the "Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller".