Which cable/adapter do I need?

The first rule of thumb is to always match the cable/adapter to the hardware that has the 13W3 connector.

PC computers and some monitors have a HD15 video connector, which are basically all alike. Unfortunately it's not that easy with 13W3 video connectors. 13W3 connectors all look the same, as do the 13w3 adapters cables, but the wiring and video signals are different. That's how this guide comes in handy. All you need to do is select the model workstation or monitor you have and you're presented with the available products. No research or guesswork for you!

For example, let's say you have an Ultra Sparc 5 workstation with a HD15 video card and a GDM-20D10 monitor with a 13W3 video connector. You should purchase a GDM-20D10 13W3 to HD15 adapter.

If you have an Ultra Sparc 5 workstation with a 13W3 video card and a regular PC monitor with HD15 video connector you should purchase an Ultra Sparc 5 13W3 to HD15 adapter. 

                        

Next you ask what do those 'F' and 'M' letters mean?

Those stand for female and male. Electricians use those terms to describe cable connectors. On a PC connector (HD15) if the 15 pins stick out it's male and if there are 15 holes it's female. Seems pretty simple, huh? Well, 13W3 is a little more complicated.

A 13W3 connector has two types of pins. It has 10 small pins that look exactly like those on a HD15/PC connector. It also has 3 larger, cylinder-shaped pins.

A 13W3-male connector will have both the 10 small pins and the 3 larger pins sticking out. Each large, cylinder-shaped pin has a hole in the center for a pin (you'll find out which pin in the next paragraph). That's where people are confused. The larger pins can actually be considered both male and female--male because the pin sticks out and female because it has a hole for another pin. But in the computer world they're always referred to as male.

A 13W3-female connector will have 10 holes for the small pins. It will also have 3 larger holes for the larger pins. Each of the 3 large holes will have a pin sticking out in the center--which plugs into the corresponding hole in the larger pin on the 13W3-male connector.

If you're having trouble visualizing then these pictures will help:
    

OK, now that I'm an expert on computer cable lingo can you help me find my cable?

Step 1:    Check which monitor/computer has the 13W3 component
                (As described in the first section above)

Step 2:    Locate the ebay auction you need using our AUCTION FINDER.  You can find a link to the auction finder on our about me page

Step 3:    Verify the adapter has the correct genders (As described in the second section above)

                If your hardware has a male connector you will need a female connector on the cable
                If your hardware has a female connector you will need a male connector on the cable

As a courtesy we list the most commonly needed adapter in our ebay auctions.  We do have other versions available though.  If you need an adapter with different gender connectors please let us know and we'll list it in a buy-it-now ebay auction.

Thank you for your interest in our products!  We're always here to help.  If you have any questions please let us know and we'll do everything we can to help you out.

Sincerely,

The staff at Deep Space Cables