Collectors of retro hardware face an increasingly frequent dilemma: keep their machines in a 'pure' configuration (even if that means limiting their operation) or adopt modern components to make them easier to use today. The Graphics Gremlin project published by Yeo Kheng Meng presents a very elegant alternative: an ISA graphics card with HDMI output to connect modern monitors.
A quick visit to the main retro hardware channels on YouTube reveals that many enthusiasts are making room for "new solutions for old problems". For example, the vast majority of IDE hard drives have been retired for various reasons, but a CompactFlash card (which is pin-compatible with IDE) and an adapter solve that deficit without much trouble.
Something similar happens with video: CRT monitors are fighting a losing battle against time, the VGA standard has been dropped by several manufacturers, and if someone needs to connect an old computer to a modern monitor, they end up chaining various adapters/converters. With that in mind, we come to the personal page of Yeo Kheng Meng, whom we remember for having created a ChatGPT client for DOS. His solution is The Graphics Gremlin, an ISA graphics card with HDMI output.
The Graphics Gremlin: ISA + HDMI = ❤️
Yeo explains on his site that two years ago he discovered the original Graphics Gremlin project, created by Eric Schlaepfer of the TubeTime portal. What Eric did was incorporate CGA and MDA support onto a single card, applying scan doubling (CGA) and a higher refresh rate (MDA) to use a conventional VGA output.
Yeo built that card and it worked perfectly, but he soon detected two problems: it's impossible to use the VGA and RCA outputs at the same time, and native VGA monitors are slowly disappearing. Any standard converter will affect image quality (to a greater or lesser degree) and also needs an additional power source. What did Yeo do? He modified the original design to add an HDMI output and simultaneous RCA support.
As expected, the technical details Yeo shared on his site are impressive, and he also admits certain design limitations when reproducing very specific palettes and running more elaborate stress tests (e.g., the 8088MPH and Area 5150 demos), but his result is nonetheless excellent.
Official site: Click here. Graphics Gremlin original and HDMI: Here and here.
