Peripherals and Networking - Strata Study Guide - page 80

The distance between one color in a triad and the same color in the adjacent triad is the
dot pitch of the monitor. Dot pitch is the primary measurement of CRT quality. The lower
the number, the closer the dots are together, which makes for a better quality picture.
Types of Monitor Connectors
A monitor can use either an analog or a digital connection to the computer. CRTs are analog
only, by their nature. LCD monitors can use either an analog or digital connector, and they
usually come with both types of plugs. (Some low-end LCD models are analog-interface only.)
Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) is the analog style of monitor connector (see Figure 3.3).
For many years, VGA was the most popular monitor connector type available for personal
computers. A VGA connector is a D-sub connector (that is, a connector with a D-shaped
metal ring around a set of pins) with 15 pins arranged in three rows (4, 5, and 6 pins). When
a VGA connector is used, the computer converts the data to an analog signal before sending
it to the monitor; the monitor passively receives the signal and displays the information.
FIGURE 3.3 VGAconnector
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is the modern alternative (and successor) to VGA. It's a
rectangular plug consisting of 24 pins (arranged in three rows of 8) for digital transmission
plus an extra 4-pin block arranged around a plus-shaped spacer that sends analog signals
(for backward compatibility). See Figure 3.4.
FIGURE 3.4 DVIconnector