IBM 5153

IBM 5153 Personal Computer Color Display
	IBM monitors from left to right: 5151 monochrome, 5153 colour CGA, 5154 EGA
Manufacturer	IBM
Type	TTL RGBI colour CRT monitor
Release date	March 1983
Interface	TTL RGBI, 9-pin D-shell (paired with the IBM Color Graphics Adapter)
Compatible	IBM PC (5150), IBM PC XT (5160), any CGA-compatible system
Dimensions	13" CRT
Model	5153

The IBM 5153 (the IBM Personal Computer Color Display) is the 13-inch RGBI colour monitor IBM introduced in March 1983 to pair with the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) in the IBM PC (5150) and IBM PC XT (5160). It can render all 16 CGA colours, including the famous brown that lower-quality third-party CGA monitors typically reproduced as dark yellow.

Display Characteristics

CRT: 13" shadow-mask colour tube.
Resolution: 640 × 200 (CGA mode 6, monochrome graphics) or 320 × 200 (CGA mode 4/5, four colours); 80 × 25 or 40 × 25 text.
Vertical scan: 60 Hz.
Colour interface: TTL RGBI — four digital lines (Red, Green, Blue, Intensity).

The 5153 reduces the green signal amplitude internally; this is the trick that produces "brown" from the (R + G) bit combination at low intensity. Third-party clones that drove R, G and B with equal gains showed dark yellow in that combination instead.

Input Connector

DB-9 female TTL RGBI:

Pins 1, 2: Ground
Pin 3: Red
Pin 4: Green
Pin 5: Blue
Pin 6: Intensity
Pin 8: Horizontal sync
Pin 9: Vertical sync

Common Faults

Convergence drift — colour fringing at the edges. Adjustable via the convergence trimmers behind the rear bezel.
Loss of one colour channel — dry joint at the DB-9 input, or a failed video amplifier transistor on the corresponding RGB output.
Geometry distortion — failed deflection-circuit electrolytics on the chassis board.

CRT Safety

The 5153's CRT retains a lethal anode charge. Discharge before opening — see CRT Discharge Procedure.

References

IBM 5153 entry on CRT Database.
"The IBM 5153's True CGA Palette and Color Output", int10h.org.