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Digital Tigers SideCar MMS Series SideCar PlusTwo MMS SideCar PlusFour MMS Thank you for your purchase of this Digital Tigers SideCar. To ensure your successful use of this product, please carefully follow this important installation and user guide.
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© Copyright 2003 Digital Tigers, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent of Digital Tigers, Inc. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Information presented here is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, Digital Tigers, Inc. assumes no liability for its use. ™Digital Tigers, the Digital Tigers “tiger” logo,
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Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 2 The SideCar concept.................................................................................................................................. 2 The best of both worlds: multi-monitor power, notebook mobility............................................................ 6 The Digital Tigers product family .........
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Chapter 1 - Introduction SideCar shown with its notebook interface PC Card*, which is inserted in the notebook and cabled to the SideCar. The SideCar concept The Digital Tigers SideCar is a portable notebook computer accessory that enables you to drive up to four extra monitors from a Windows XP or Windows 2000 notebook. This user manual is for the SideCar MMS series, based on Matrox G450 MMS graphics technology which offers prov
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SideCar PlusTwo MMS Standard configuration (add up to two displays; Windows XP / 2000) Extended configuration (add three displays; Windows XP only*) *Most Windows 2000 notebooks cannot address the #2 external monitor as an independent display, but can use the #2 external monitor as a mirror (clone) of the notebook display. In this case, there are three external displays, with the #2 display mirroring the notebook LCD (which can often be turned off or closed). 3- INTRO
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SideCar PlusFour MMS Standard configuration (add up to four displays; Windows XP / 2000) Extended configuration (add five displays; Windows XP only*) *Most Windows 2000 notebooks cannot address the #2 external monitor as an independent display, but can use the #2 external monitor as a mirror (clone) of the notebook display. In this case, there are five external displays, with the #2 display mirroring the notebook LCD (which can often be turned off or closed). 4- I
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The power of multi-monitor workstations Multi-monitor workstations enable professionals from video editors to financial traders to work with a huge “virtual desktop”. Productivity is greatly increased when needed information is always visible. Video and audio editors can work with large timelines, media bins and preview windows simultaneously. Financial traders can track many different accounts and leading indicators simultaneously. Other professionals – including graphic designers, i
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The best of both worlds: multi-monitor power, notebook mobility With the SideCar, the power of a multi-monitor workstation can be brought to a notebook computer. This enables such flexible work arrangements as: Multi-monitor primary workstation, with detachable notebook For those who need a powerful multi-monitor workstation for their primary work, but who want to be able to take their data and applications everywhere they go in a convenient note
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Mobile multi-monitor workstations For those who need to set up multi-display workstations in several locations, such as video editing on location, client presentations, client work sessions, business executive presentations, trade show demonstrations, and more. (Digital Tigers also offers shipping cases and carry-on luggage to enable transport of such mobile multi-monitor workstations.) 7- INTRODUCTION
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The Digital Tigers product family The SideCar MMS series is part of the Digital Tigers family of mobile expansion systems for notebook computers. Digital Tigers products include: SideCar systems, which enable notebook computers to support up to four additional monitors LaunchPad mobile video editing expansion systems – which provide notebook computers with multi-monitor support plus additional capabilities such as large, fast hard drives (fixed or removable, with three times fa
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Chapter 2 – Supported display configurations SideCar PlusTwo MMS The SideCar PlusTwo MMS enables your notebook to drive two additional displays, for a maximum total of three or four displays, depending on your configuration: Display #1: The notebook LCD screen Display #2: One external display connected to the notebook external monitor port. (This typically can be driven as a unique display under Windows XP. Under Windows 2000, the external monitor is typically just a mirror
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Three External Displays (Windows XP*) *Most Windows 2000 notebooks cannot address the #2 external monitor as an independent display, but can use the #2 external monitor as a mirror (clone) of the notebook display. In this case, there are three external displays, with the #2 display mirroring the notebook LCD (which can often be turned off or closed). SideCar PlusFour MMS The SideCar PlusFour MMS enables your notebook to drive four additional displays, for a maximum total
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Four External Displays (Windows XP, Windows 2000) Five External Displays (Windows XP*) 11– SUPPORTED DISPLAY CONFIGURATIONS
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Display types and connections It is important to understand some basic differences among display types and connections, so that you can match the right display with the right port or adapter. There are three major categories of computer displays: Flat-panel LCD or plasma displays CRT computer monitors Computer display projectors All of these display types can be attached to your SideCar. However, you will need to determine the required connection type for your display – DVI or
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Display Connector Types = compatible with SideCar MMS series = highest-quality connection Analog VGA – all computer displays The standard computer analog display connector, introduced in 1987. More precisely described as an HD15 or mini D-sub 15-pin connector; D-sub 15 or D-sub for short. Male on left, female on right. Supported computer displays include CRTs, LCD flat panels, data projectors, and large plasma displays. (Using a different signal standard – YPrPb component
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(Note: VGA connections can still achieve digital DVI quality when all components in the chain are working optimally. Some top-quality flat-panel displays can even automatically adjust for some defects in the analog signal. Using a digital DVI signal simply is a more reliable approach, because it avoids signal conversion altogether.) For cost reasons, entry-level flat-panel displays and data projectors are often offered with only VGA connections, since all PCs support that connection typ
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Supported display combinations The SideCar MMS series supports any combination of digital DVI or analog VGA connections. A high-density LFH connector at the rear of the SideCar provides the display outputs. (Two such connectors are supplied with the SideCar PlusFour MMS.) A supplied Y-cable attaches to the LFH connector, supporting two displays per Y-cable. Each Y-cable has two DVI-I connectors to directly support either DVI-D or DVI-I cables supplied with your display.
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Chapter 3 - Hardware setup 1. Unpack all SideCar components. You should have: SideCar chassis Power supply transformer and AC power cord PC Card* notebook interface card; also known as PCMCIA card or CardBus interface (shown below left) 1-meter SideCar / computer interface cable – connects SideCar to PC Card (or to PCI adapter) Y-cable dual-DVI display breakout cable(s) (shown below right) o One breakout cable is supplied with the SideCar PlusTwo MMS. Two are supplied with
