3 pin Mini-DIN connector

The 3 pin Mini-DIN connector is an important component in preparing a GNU/Linux system for use with hardware stereo. As a part of the NVidia 3DVision kit (see Stereo 3D Display Options), it is required to connect a Quadro-class NVidia graphics card to the stereo IR receiver in order to provide signal sync to the glasses. On a Windows system, the DirectX-based NVidia driver allows for sync through the receiver USB cable; on Linux, which uses OpenGL, the driver requires the older VESA-based standard[1].

Confusingly, the inclusion of this cable in the 3DVision kit seems sporadic; the reason for this is unknown. This specialty cable is at very glance very difficult to find, and may be unique to this particular application. If you have purchased a 3DVision kit that did not come with this cable and you wish to use hardware stereo with Linux, this article will provide some guidelines for how to splice your own version of this cable for low cost.