Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!umich!sharkey!aucis!zds-oem!easton
From: easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff Easton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Graphics Chips
Message-ID: <1087@zds-oem.UUCP>
Date: 5 May 91 17:20:04 GMT
References: <1991May2.030706.30302@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <21173@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Organization: Zenith Data Systems, OEM Engineering
Lines: 35

In article <21173@cbmvax.commodore.com> daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes:
>In article <1991May2.030706.30302@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> 2fmlhiccup@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>>Here is a quick question...
>
>>   Why is it so difficult to make display chips for the Amiga that will 
>>allow it to do resolutions/colors that i see on VGA?  What are the hardware
>>and software limitations?
>
>VGA chips are very simple chips.  They were originally simple enough for IBM
>to build as a gate array (VGA == Video Gate Array).  Amiga chips, on the 
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

  Er,  I think that stands for video GRAPHICS array.  It has nothing to
do with the fact that the chip may implemented in a Gate Array or Standard
Cell, or anything else for that matter.

  In the same vein;

  XGA = Extended Gate Array  (stretched gates)
  EGA = Enhanced Gate Array  (gates on steriods)
  CGA = Color Gate Array     (we mold our chips in colored plastic)
  MDA = hmm, Monochrome Diode Array?  yea, thats the ticket...

;^)  Insert multiple smileys here  ;^)


>Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests"


        Jeff Easton               Zenith Data Systems
     // Systems Engineer 
   \X/  easton%zds-oem@caspian.cs.andrews.edu
	easton@andrews.edu	
   What?  Preemptive Multitasking in only 256K of RAM?  :^)  :^)