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I have an VGA monitor. I'm looking forward to buy an HDMI to VGA converter, looking like this. But, I have readed on many forums that cable like that won't work or burn my RPi, and some say that it'll work. And here I'am very confused. Will this cable work? I don't want to burn my RPi.

What do you also think about this cable from ebay?

PixelGGamer
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3 Answers3

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It is unlikely any one could provide a definitive answer based on a picture of a cable. Even if the look the same visually they could be very different internally.

The best way to be sure is to buy from a reputable dealer and one that specifies it works with the Pi. You don't mention where in the world you are, but below are a couple of suggestions:

The PiHut (UK) sells an HDMI to VGA adapater and adafruit (US) has two models standard HDMI connector and a mini HDMI connector.

Steve Robillard
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Like Steve said, you need more than a pic of an adapter cable, especially when it comes to Chinese stuff. The Chinese love to reuse/copy things (for good or ill), so the case isn't always a good indicator of the guts.

I have had good success with this adapter with the Pi B+ and Pi 2, and ordered a similar one from eBay (haven't tested it yet though). Coincidentally, they look very similar to the one in your pic.

YetAnotherRandomUser
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See this similar question: Can a simple cable convert HDMI output to VGA?

The answer is that you can't simply wire up a connection from HDMI straight to VGA. HDMI does not contain any of the signals (analog ones) needed to drive a VGA monitor. So how does it work? HDMI to VGA "cables" are actually converters in the traditional sense, they use circuits to interpret the digital signal, convert it to analog and drive the analog pins of the VGA connector.

This requires power (some more than others, depending on the circuit design) which is why it has been observed that some Pi power supplies are not strong enough to use it with. Also, with great power comes great (heat spreading) responsibility. The power handling circuits on the Pi will heat up as a consequence to having increased demand. You will need to account for that and make sure your Pi is well ventilated.

Jeff Meden
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