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I'd like to trigger the hot plug detection circuit for one of my graphics card's outputs so that Windows would "think" that it has secondary monitor attached.

I know that there is a pin in the HDMI socket that must be set to high to detect a connection but is it simply a matter of feeding 5V to that pin e.g. from the USB port? No ground connection is needed?

Kevin Reid
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mracer164
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    I don't know, but how isn't looking in the HDMI spec the obvious answer? – Olin Lathrop Sep 26 '17 at 10:38
  • As I said I already have the general idea how to do this but I'd like a confirmation from someone more experienced before I mess up my HDMI port. – mracer164 Sep 26 '17 at 10:41
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    http://devel.milkymist.narkive.com/8Xt6fSAd/how-does-hot-plug-detection-hpd-work discusses this; you need to (a) provide the 5V, which can probably be done from the 5V pin on the HDMI connector, and (b) provide an EDID readout. If you don't provide EDID, how is Windows going to know what size your invisible monitor is? – pjc50 Sep 26 '17 at 10:48
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    (the cheap solution to this may involve a HDMI-to-something converter, maybe one of those HDMI-to-LVDS boards) – pjc50 Sep 26 '17 at 10:50
  • The problem is that no all hdmi->something converters work. I've already tried the one I have at work and it didn't do anything. – mracer164 Sep 26 '17 at 10:55
  • This feels like an [xy problem](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/66377/what-is-the-xy-problem). Do you want [this](https://superuser.com/questions/62051/is-there-a-way-to-fake-a-dual-second-monitor)? – Jeroen3 Sep 28 '17 at 09:56

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HDMI has a 5V line that can just be connected to the HPD line (a resistor is never a bad idea, just for short protection, 1k or so should do), but you also need to provide EDID (Serial EEPROM with appropriate contents) powered from the 5V line and connected to the I2C lines (I cannot off the top of my head remember if you need to supply the I2C pullup or if this is done on the card).

Further some HDMI parts sense the termination of the clock pair, so you would want to terminate this pair in a manner appropriate to the CML drive).

Dan Mills
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I've achieved the expected outcome of creating a "dummy" monitor simply by plugging another cable to my main screen so now I have DVI and HDMI plugged to my screen. I think it is the most elegant solution to my problem.

mracer164
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