IBM 5153
| IBM 5153 Personal Computer Color Display | |
|---|---|
| File:IBM 5153 placeholder.png | |
| The IBM 5153 13-inch RGBI colour monitor | |
| Manufacturer | IBM |
| Type | TTL RGBI colour CRT monitor |
| Release date | March 1983 |
| Discontinued | ~1988 |
| Price | US$680 (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 |
| Weight | ~14 kg (31 lb) |
| Model | 5153 |
The IBM 5153 (officially 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 produces a 640 × 200 monochrome or 320 × 200 four-colour image at 60 Hz and 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" Trinitron-style shadow-mask colour tube.
- Active resolution: 640 × 200 (mode 6, monochrome graphics) or 320 × 200 (mode 4/5, four colours), 80 × 25 or 40 × 25 text.
- Horizontal scan: 15.75 kHz.
- Vertical scan: 60 Hz.
- Colour interface: TTL RGBI — four digital lines (Red, Green, Blue, Intensity) giving the 16-colour CGA palette.
The 5153 reduces the green signal amplitude by about one-third 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:
| Pin | Signal |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Ground |
| 3 | Red |
| 4 | Green |
| 5 | Blue |
| 6 | Intensity |
| 7 | (reserved) |
| 8 | Horizontal sync |
| 9 | Vertical sync |
Common Faults
- Convergence drift — colour fringing at the edges. Adjustable via the six 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 (pincushion / trapezoid) — failed deflection-circuit electrolytics on the chassis board.
- Flyback whine — reflow flyback transformer joints; replace the bulk filter electrolytic on the +B rail.
CRT Safety
The 5153's CRT retains a lethal anode charge. Discharge before opening — see CRT Discharge Procedure.
Related Pages
- IBM PC (5150) — the system the 5153 was sold with
- IBM Color Graphics Adapter — the adapter card that drives the 5153
- IBM 5151 — the monochrome equivalent
- CRT Discharge Procedure