VGA Connections

VGA connections

Nearly all modern PC graphics cards use the same 15 pin VGA connector that the original IBM VGA card used. VGA=Video Graphics adapter or Video Graphics Array. There are at least four versions of the VGA connector, which are the three-row 15 pin DE-15 (also called mini sub D15) in original and DDC2 pinouts, a less featureful and far less common 9-pin VGA, and a Mini-VGA used for laptops.

Whilst the graphics card and monitor may have 15 pins not all sytems use all 15 pins and not all VGA cables have enough wires to connect all the pins

The image and table below are the newer 15-pin VGA VESA DDC2 connector pinout used on modern monitors and projectors. This combination provides full DDC2AB control of the monitor or projector from the graphics card and connects all pins except pin 9 which is intentionally not connected, pins 5 and 10 are often common ie connected together. 

 

VGA Connector Pinouts

Pin	Name	Description	15 Cores (5 Coax) connected	9 cores (5 Coax) connected
1	RED	Red Video (75 ohm, 0.7 V p-p)	Red Coax	Red Coax
2	GREEN	Green Video (75 ohm, 0.7 V p-p)	Green Coax	Green Coax
3	BLUE	Blue Video (75 ohm, 0.7 V p-p)	Blue Coax	Blue Coax
4	ID2	Monitor ID Bit 2	Brown
5	GND	Ground	Yellow drain (connected pin 10)
6	RGND	Red Ground	Red drain	Red drain
7	GGND	Green Ground	Green drain	Green drain
8	BGND	Blue Ground	Blue drain	Blue drain
9	KEY	Key	Black
10	SGND	Sync Ground	White drain (connected pin 5)	Black/Yellow drain
11	ID0	Monitor ID Bit 0	Red
12	ID1 or SDA	Monitor ID Bit 1	White
13	HSYNC or CSYNC	Horizontal Sync (or Composite Sync)	White Coax	Black Coax
14	VSYNC	Vertical Sync	Yellow Coax	Yellow Coax
15	ID3 or SCL	Monitor ID Bit 3	Grey or Blue
	Case/shell		Sheath drain	Sheath drain

NOTE: There are 3 different protocols defined for DDC  :
DDC1 - A unidirectional (display to host only) serial comm system which provides basic display ID and feature support information (including supported timings, display size, colorimetry and gamma, etc.) to the host. This uses pin 12 on the 15-pin "VGA" connector as a data line.
DDC2B - Adds clock (pin 15) and return (pin 11) to enable at least ID information to be obtained via an I2C interface. I2C is a bidirectional interface, but display control via DDC2B is not defined at this time.
DDC2AB - Full ID and control of the monitor via ACCESS.bus. As ACCESS.bus is basically a command and protocol definition on top of the I2C hardware interface, this uses the same lines as DDC2B.

There is no International colour standard for the Horizontal and Vertical Sync wires, so if cables other than Edisconnect cables are used the pin-outs should be checked using a tester to ensure the wires are connected to the correct pins.

See Also

• "VGA cables and connectors for projectors and monitors"
• VGA Cables for AV Cable Kits
• Length of Cables for AV Systems in a School Classroom