Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!usc!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!qucdn!leek
From: LEEK@QUCDN.QueensU.CA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Windows 3.0, SVGA Cards, and Amiga
Message-ID: <90178.101125LEEK@QUCDN.BITNET>
Date: 27 Jun 90 14:11:25 GMT
References: <22824@snow-white.udel.EDU>
Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Lines: 58


In article <22824@snow-white.udel.EDU>, BARRETT@owl.ecil.iastate.edu (Marc
Barrett) says:
>IBM SVGA video cards to be used for Amiga programs.  A hardware card would
>be plugged into a Zorro slot inline with an IBM AT slot in place of
>a BridgeCard.  The hardware would be very simple, and would only have
>to map the Intel I/O and Main Memory maps into the Amiga's address
>space, which could be accomplished with a couple of PALs.  From there,
>software could be written to drive the SVGA video card from Amiga
>programs.

Yeap.  Pretty simple stuff.  Make it an autoconfig device when you
are done debugging the hardware.  Hope the SVGA you are thinking of
can do some BITBLT stuff.  (Some of the higher end SVGA have some
primitive form of BITBLT hardware to speed things up.)

>   I actually started to work on developing this thing myself, but
>gave up after nearly completing the hardware because I realized that
>the software was completely beyond my ability to develop.  I would
>very much like for someone else to develop this thing, because it
>offers a far greater solution to the Amiga's total lack of high-
>resolution non-interlaced color video than the HAM-E, FireCracker, or
>anything else yet developed.  It would actually allow the Amiga to
>start to seriously compete against the MAC II or PC's equipped with
>such video cards.
>
>
>                               -MB-

2 solutions:

1. Hire someone to do the software.  Make the graphics routines into a
   library.

2. Get the hardware fully up and running.  Include a minimum set of
   debugging routines to test out the hardware.  Document the project
   and put it out in Public Domain/freely redistributable with Copyright.
   I am sure there are enough software persons on the network that would
   write software for it if the hardware is worth the effort.

I hope you would stick to a good SVGA card that at least implement some
form of blitter function (or ones that uses the TI/Hitachi graphics chip
set.)  Don't settle for a card just because it is cheap.  I have read there
is a new chip set out that implements 8514 standard.

Personally I would wait for C= for a new Custom chip set.  If you can't
wait, go ahead make you card...  If you have problems with software/
hardware, just ask nicely.  Don't start flaming about C= or making rude
comments about the Amiga that doesn't have anything to do with your
questions.  It is probably worth while to make friends with people on the
net by keeping your mouth shut unless really necessary.  Sometime the same
people whom you annoy might be the ones that can answer you technical
question.


K. C. Lee

Another friendly message to cool off network flames.....  No harm intented