14 pin Apple PowerBook video connector at the Apple computer, looking into cable-side connector.
The Apple 14-pin high-density female connector is a compact video output port found on certain Macintosh computers and video cards. It carries the same fundamental set of analogue RGB video signals, composite sync, separate horizontal and vertical sync, and three monitor-identification lines as the larger DA-15 external video connector, but rearranged across 14 pins in a smaller high-density housing. According to Apple’s Service Source documentation, it is compatible with all Apple-manufactured Macintosh monitors except the 21-inch Color Display and the Two-Page Monochrome Display. The three MON.ID pins implement Apple’s monitor-sense scheme, allowing the computer to identify the attached display and configure its video output accordingly.
| Pin | Signal | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RED.VID | Red video |
| 2 | RED.GND | Red video ground |
| 3 | MON.ID1 | Monitor ID, bit 1 |
| 4 | VSYNC/ | Vertical sync |
| 5 | CSYNC/ | Composite sync |
| 6 | C&VSYNC.GND | Composite and vertical sync ground |
| 7 | GRN.GND | Green video ground |
| 8 | GRN.VID | Green video |
| 9 | MON.ID2 | Monitor ID, bit 2 |
| 10 | HSYNC.GND | Horizontal sync ground |
| 11 | MON.ID3 | Monitor ID, bit 3 |
| 12 | HSYNC/ | Horizontal sync |
| 13 | BLU.VID | Blue video |
| 14 | BLU GND | Blue video ground |
| shell | CHASSIS GND | Chassis ground |
Signals
- RED.VID — Analogue red video signal.
- RED.GND — Ground reference for the red video signal.
- MON.ID1 — Monitor identification bit 1 (sense line); corresponds to SENSE0 on the DA-15 scheme.
- VSYNC/ — Active-low vertical sync pulse.
- CSYNC/ — Active-low composite sync (combines horizontal and vertical sync).
- C&VSYNC.GND — Ground reference for composite sync and vertical sync signals.
- GRN.GND — Ground reference for the green video signal.
- GRN.VID — Analogue green video signal.
- MON.ID2 — Monitor identification bit 2 (sense line); corresponds to SENSE1 on the DA-15 scheme.
- HSYNC.GND — Ground reference for the horizontal sync signal.
- MON.ID3 — Monitor identification bit 3 (sense line); corresponds to SENSE2 on the DA-15 scheme.
- HSYNC/ — Active-low horizontal sync pulse.
- BLU.VID — Analogue blue video signal.
- BLU GND — Ground reference for the blue video signal.
- CHASSIS GND — Chassis/shield ground on the connector shell.
Notes
- The connector is a high-density 14-pin female socket; the corresponding cable plug is a 14-pin high-density male.
- The three monitor-ID lines (MON.ID1, MON.ID2, MON.ID3) implement Apple’s 3-bit monitor-sense scheme. Each line is either grounded (logic 0) or left floating (logic 1) by the monitor or adapter cable, producing a binary code that the computer reads to identify the connected display type and configure appropriate timing.
- This connector carries the same RGB/sync/sense signals as the DA-15 (15-pin) external video port used on desktop Macintosh models, but does not carry a pin 8 no-connect present on the DA-15.
- Compatible with all Apple-manufactured Macintosh monitors except the 21-inch Color Display and the Two-Page Monochrome Display.
- Do not confuse this connector with the Macintosh Portable’s 15-pin HD D-type external video connector, which carries a parallel flat-panel display data bus (FPDATA[0–7], FSYNC, FCLK, VBACKLT) and is fundamentally incompatible with analogue RGB video.