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- Information for Western Digital Chipset Users
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- The XFree86 Project, Inc.
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- 14 July 1995
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- 1. Supported chipsets
-
- XFree86 supports the following Western Digital SVGA chipsets: PVGA1, WD90C00,
- WD90C10, WD90C11, WD90C24, WD90C30, WD90C31, WD90C33. Note that the rest of
- the WD90C2x series of LCD-controller chipsets are still not supported. The
- WD90C24 family is now supported including acceleration, adjustable clocks and a
- full 1MB video ram even on dual scan systems (in CRT mode). If you have trou-
- ble with the new WD90C24 support (not that we expect you will), try specifying
- "wd90c30" or "wd90c31" on the `Chipset' line in your XF86Config file. The
- WD90C24, WD90C31 and WD90C33 are supported as an accelerated chipset in the
- SVGA server; the accelerated features are automatically activated when a
- WD90C24, WD90C31 or WD90C33 is detected, or specified in the XF86Config file.
-
-
- 2. Special considerations
-
- All of the Western Digital chipsets after the PVGA1 support the ability to use
- the memory-refresh clock as an alternate dot-clock for video timing. Hence for
- all of these chipsets, the server will detect one more clocks than ``normal''.
- What this means is that if you have an old `Clocks' line in your XF86Config
- file, you should comment it out, and rerun the server with the `-probeonly'
- option to find all of the clock values. All but the last should be the same as
- what you had before; the last will be new.
-
- For the WD90C00 chipset, the chipset will only support 640x480 in 256-color
- mode. Even though 512k of memory should allow better than 800x600, the chipset
- itself cannot do this. This is stated in the databook (which lists 1024x768x16
- and 640x480x256 for specifications). We have also witnessed this behavior.
-
- The server will detect 17 clocks for the WD90C24, WD90C30 and WD90C31 chipsets.
- If you have one of these chipsets, you should let the server re-probe the
- clocks and update your XF86Config.
-
- There is an `Option' flag available for the XF86Config file that is specific to
- the Western Digital chipsets (except the WD90C24). This option is
- "swap_hibit". We have determined via experimentation that the WD90C1x and
- WD90C3x chipsets need the high-order clock-select bit inverted, and the PVGA1
- and WD90C00 need it non-inverted. This is hardcoded into the driver. Since
- our sample-set was rather small, we have provided the "swap_hibit" option to
- invert this behavior. If the clocks detected by the server show a very low
- last clock (under 28Mhz), then this option is likely needed.
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- Information for Western Digital Chipset Users
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-
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- Information for Western Digital Chipset Users
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-
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- 3. WD90C24 features
-
- These next three sections apply only if you have a WD90C24, WD90C24a, or
- WD90C24a2 and don't specify some other chipset in your XF86Config file. The
- SVGA pvga1 driver now recognizes the wd90c24 family as different from the
- WD90C30 and seems to resolve most of the problems people encountered when these
- chips were treated as WD90C3X. The new code has the following features:
-
- o Locks the shadow registers at appropriate times; This should prevent
- scrambled displays after exiting X with dual scan screens when simultane-
- ous or LCD display mode is selected. The code does depend somewhat on the
- behavior of the BIOS regarding when it locks the shadow registers, etc.
-
- o Allows (forces) the use of a full 1 Meg VRAM for dual scan systems when
- the server is started while external CRT only display is in operation.
- This allows 1024x768x8 resolution.
-
- o If the XF86Config file specifies a virtual screen size which requires more
- than 512 K VRAM when the server is started on a Dual Scan LCD, the driver
- will force the virtual size to 640x480. This eliminates the need to edit
- the XF86Config file when you switch from 1024x resolution on the CRT, to
- or from the LCD screen. If no virtual size is specified, the result will
- be 800x600 virtual in LCD modes and 1024x768 in CRT only mode (so you have
- a choice).
-
- o Note that on dual scan systems, you must still exit X, switch displays,
- and restart X to change to/from CRT only with 1 Meg videoram. This is
- because once the server starts, you can't change the virtual screen size.
- There is no way around this with the current server and the WD90C24 with
- dual scan displays. The WD90C24 requires half the videoram be used for a
- ``Frame buffer'' when the dual scan LCD is in use.
-
- o The new server uses the accelerated features of the WD90C24a. It is not
- clear from the data book if the WD90C24 also supports ALL the required
- features. Several people have stated that the WD90C24 is not accelerated,
- but the differences section of the WD90c24a data book implies that they
- ARE all three accelerated. The differences documented with regard to
- acceleration are with the type of line drawing the hardware does; Only the
- newer chips support the type of line drawing that MS windows wants. This
- may be what has caused the confusion since the accelerated windows drivers
- may only support the WD90c24a chips. If this turns out to be a problem
- with the WD90C24, acceleration can be disabled by adding the line:
-
- Option "noaccel"
-
-
-
- to the Device section of the XF86Config file.
-
- o Although the new server does not support programmable clocks in the same
- way as some of the other servers, 8 of the 17 clocks may be set to
- (almost) any value via the Clocks line. It also supports options for
- adjusting the VRAM clock.
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- Information for Western Digital Chipset Users
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-
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- 4. WD90C24 clocks
-
- Here are some more details on the adjustable clocks:
-
- The VRAM clock (Mclk) is adjusted by adding ONE of the following option lines
- to the Device section of the XF86Config:
-
- Option "slow_dram" # Set Mclk to 47.429 MHz
- Option "med_dram" # Set Mclk to 49.219 MHz
- Option "fast_dram" # Set Mclk to 55.035 MHz
-
-
- The default is to leave Mclk as the BIOS sets it. This is 44.297 on many sys-
- tems. Some systems may not work properly with any of these options. If you
- experience ``bit errors'' on your display, reduce the Mclk speed, or don't use
- any of these options. The Mclk is not reset on server exit.
-
- The data book says that the maximum pixel clock is 1.6 times Mclk so you may
- want to experiment with higher Mclk rates if you have a fast monitor. It also
- says a 44.297MHz Mclk and 65MHz pixel clock is the fastest the WD90C24A2 is
- designed to go. However, some success has been reported with faster clocks.
- Don't expect all the clocks the chip can provide to work properly.
-
- The second and fourth group of 4 clocks are adjustable. That is, clocks 5, 6,
- 7, 8 and 13, 14, 15, 16 (counting from 1). These clocks are set by the Clocks
- line. Be sure to adjust the 17th (last) clock to match your Mclk. Here is a
- sample set of clocks lines with some clocks defined which are not directly pro-
- vided by the chip. The NON-programmable clocks (1-4 and 9-12) MUST be set as
- indicated here.
-
- Clocks 25.175 28.322 65 36 # These are *not* programmable
-
- Clocks 29.979 77.408 62.195 59.957 # these are programmable
- Clocks 31.5 35.501 75.166 50.114 # these are *not* programmable
- Clocks 39.822 72.038 44.744 80.092 # these are programmable
- Clocks 44.297 # Change this if you change
- # Mclk above.
-
- You can program the clocks in increments of .447443 MHz. The server will warn
- you and adjust to the nearest increment if you specify a clock which does not
- fit this formula. Clocks 1-4 and 9-12 (the fixed clocks) are not constrained
- to this multiple, but instead are used to provide standard clocks which are not
- a multiple by .447443 MHz.
-
- If you probe for clocks (for example to find your Mclk), do it in CRT only mode
- and then add clocks lines in your XF86Config file. Clocks will not probe cor-
- rectly in LCD mode on most systems.
-
- The BIOS on some systems may not allow switching from CRT to LCD unless the
- correct clock and/or mode is used. Try the following mode line for 640x480 LCD
- displays.
-
- ModeLine "640x480" 25.175 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 #CRT/LCD
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- Information for Western Digital Chipset Users
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- The following modelines have been tested with the above Clocks lines on some
- systems, and are provided here as examples. Some testers have experienced minor
- problems (snow) with the fixed 65 and 75.166 MHz dot clocks. The modelines
- below have been reported to circumvent these problems. Do not assume your mon-
- itor will not be damaged by any of these.
-
- # VESA 800x600@72Hz Non-Interlaced mode
- ModeLine "800x600.50" 50 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync
-
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- # 1024x768 Interlaced mode
- ModeLine "1024x768i" 45 1024 1048 1208 1264 768 776 784 817 +hsync +vsync Interlace
-
- # 1024x768@60Hz Non-interlaced Mode
- # One of the dram options may be necessary
- ModeLine "1024x768.65" 65 1024 1032 1176 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
-
-
- # 1024x768@60Hz Non-Interlaced mode (non-standard dot-clock)
- # Seems to work without dram options
- ModeLine "1024x768.62" 62 1024 1064 1240 1280 768 774 776 808
-
- # 1024x768@70Hz Non-Interlaced mode (non-standard dot-clock)
- # May need fast_dram option
- ModeLine "1024x768.72" 72 1024 1056 1192 1280 768 770 776 806 -hsync -vsync
-
-
- 5. Additional WD90C24 information
-
- Standard disclaimers apply. Use this driver at your own risk. If you need
- additional information on using XFree86 with the WD90C24 family however, you
- might try Darin Ernst's home page <URL:http://www.castle.net/~darin>. Darin
- maintains a mini-HOWTO on ``X and the WD90C24''. He was the first tester of the
- WD90C24 code and provided many good ideas and encouragement. You can reach
- Darin at darin@castle.net or dernst@pppl.gov. I only provided the WD90C24 spe-
- cific code. You can reach me (Brad Bosch) at brad@Lachman.com.
-
- Generated from XFree86: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/WstDig.sgml,v 3.6 1997/01/24 09:32:38 dawes Exp $
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- $XConsortium: WstDig.sgml /main/5 1996/02/21 17:46:29 kaleb $
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- CONTENTS
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- 1. Supported chipsets ...................................................... 1
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- 2. Special considerations .................................................. 1
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- 3. WD90C24 features ........................................................ 2
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- 4. WD90C24 clocks .......................................................... 3
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- 5. Additional WD90C24 information .......................................... 4
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