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Epiphan's active VGA Splitter GLI™ splits a VGA source into one Ground Loop Isolated VGA port, and a second fault-tolerant pass through VGA output port. Unlike traditional Y-splitter cables and active splitters, this product connects to your existing VGA cable, intercepts the VGA signals, amplifies the signals, and then generates a second ground loop isolated VGA output port.

Key Features

High Quality Active Splitter with built in Ground loop isolation
2-port active splitter for conference rooms, event venues, industrial, and high-precision applications
Supports resolutions up to 2048x2048 @ 85Hz (e.g. Radar, ATC/ATM, control room displays )
Fault-tolerant port

Epiphan’s active VGA Splitter GLI has a high bandwidth 1 GHz signal amplifier that taps the incoming VGA source and splits it into two VGA outputs. The two VGA outputs are created without any loss in picture quality, resolution, or power, nor does it create additional loading on VGA cable length.

Advanced users can also create multiple VGA output port complexes by daisy chaining two or more VGA Splitter GLIs together to create various combinations of fault-tolerant and ground loop isolated ports.

This product is ideal for applications in noisy signal environments and multi monitor applications where the quality of the split VGA signals are critical.

Reasons to choose Epiphan's VGA Splitter GLI

Splits an incoming VGA cable into a Fault tolerant pass through VGA output and one ground loop isolated VGA output
Designed to meet the needs of 2048 x 2048 displays in ATC/ATM control room applications
High Bandwidth (1 Ghz) VGA signal preservation protects VGA output signals in a noisy environment, without any loss in picture quality, resolution, power or additional loading on VGA cable length
Multiple Epiphan splitters can be daisy chained to create multiple isolated VGA output ports
Works well with Epiphan’s family of Broadcasting, Frame Grabbers, Printers and Recording products

VGA Splitter Connection Diagram

Ground Loop Isolator

Epiphan's VGA Splitter GLI has an integrated ground loop isolation circuitry to reduce picture noise in a VGA stream. Noise often occurs due to a ground loop in the power wiring within an event venue, conference room, home, office, or industrial environment caused by differences in the electrical system. Ground Loop Noise is visible when a VGA monitor is connected to a PC or other VGA source via a VGA cable or traditional splitter, whereby an additional ground loop path for electricity flow is created, causing the electrical system to try to balance itself and resulting in noise in the image signals.

Ground Loop Isolation Diagram

When connected, the ground loop isolator works by breaking the ground between the VGA source and output display, eliminating the path for the current from an electrical imbalance to flow and eliminating all VGA noise caused by a ground loop.

VGA Splitter switches to ground loop isolation mode only when one VGA input and one VGA output are present. A VGA terminator must be connected to the VGA output port that is not in use. In other words, VGA Splitter can easily be transformed into a ground loop isolator for any VGA signal but in such a setup, will not support the cloning of a VGA signal.

1GHz Signal Bandwidth

Epiphan's splitter circuitry eliminates noise using a high bandwidth differential amplifier technique. This approach provides high signal quality for frequencies up to 1GHz which means that resolutions up to 2048×2048@85Hz are supported, with no loss in picture quality.

Fault Tolerant Output Port

A fault tolerant output port ensures that even if power to the VGA Splitter is suddenly cut, one VGA output port will still work.

VGA Splitter Connection Diagram

Ground Loop Examples

A venue has a number of PCs and display sources connected to a switch, which is then split with a Y-cable to a projector and a recording system. The display sources may be operating from a battery source, or one more different electrical circuits in the venue. The audio system and video recording systems may also happen to be in different parts of the venue, each powered by a separate electrical circuit - with possibly different ground references. The ground loop(s) between all these devices can create ground loop noise in the system and distort the image quality
Air traffic control rooms have multiple high resolution monitors, systems and servers that draw a lot of power. Recording systems and back up systems are often located on separate power circuits, backup or redundant power sources, each with different grounds, therefore creating ground loops.
Industrial sites with high powered machinery on a plant floor will often have different power sources than control systems and office equipment monitoring the plant operations. This is done by design to avoid inductive loading effects caused from the start/stop of high powered machines, however the machines on the plant floor and the factory control room may therefore float from different grounds - creating ground loops in the monitors

More Information

Specifications - See the detailed specifications of the VGA Splitter.

Case Studies - See how the VGA Splitter is used by Epiphan's clients.