Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!deccrl!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!mcsun!ukc!axion!tharr!altman
From: altman@tharr.UUCP (Hugo Fiennes)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: The Serial Port's Graphics Enhancer
Message-ID: <1973@tharr.UUCP>
Date: 28 Mar 91 12:59:18 GMT
References: <1991Mar26.001629.8946@cs.utwente.nl>
Reply-To: altman@tharr.UUCP (Hugo Fiennes)
Organization: Power Microsystems Ltd
Lines: 36

Re: Graphics enhancer

Single width podule! (not double!)

Out very soon (waiting for PCB's and Palette chips)

Max res: 640x480 in palette mode, and other modes (with higher vsync rates,
640x480 runs with 36Mhz VIDC clock and has frame rate of about 44Hz)
are (eg) 512x512. 640x512 goes, but at 40Mhz and isn't guaranteed (plus
acorn don't like running vidcs at 40Mhz and you have to buy your own xtal!)

In 65536 colours max res currently implemented is 416x328, although 416x480
should be programmable too.

4096 colours 554x328, although, as above, 554x480 or possible 554x512 is
a (programmable) possibility.

Comes with wimp palette utility (provides setting of desktop colours and
228 other colours: 16 are mapped out for wimp, 8 for antialias greys and 3
for mouse pointer in desktop leaving 228 completely free without altering 
the look of the desktop. Modified colourtrans-type thing means that programs
like !Draw work with the extended palette no problem.

SWIs are provided for setting colour & gcol (they can take values 0-255)
and to set/read individual palette entries or blocks of them. Palette update
takes place during vblank.

Works with everything from 305 to 440, a3000 version works, but needs another p
cb (snaops ontop of vidc) to provide the genlock connector (although later
a3000's might have this already).

Hugo

-- 
The views expressed are.
<-- tharr *free* public access to Usenet in the UK 0234 720202 -->