| From: | Brian Haug |
| Date: | 25 Jan 2000 at 09:56:18 |
| Subject: | Re: gfx cards - CV64/3D vs. Spectrum? |
From: Brian Haug <hoggy@execpc.com>
On Sunday, 23-Jan-00 at 22:40:41, Colin Wenzel <colstv@hotkey.net.au>
wrote:
> On 24-Jan-00, Brian Haug wrote:
>> Talking about the _AMIGA_ boot-menu(i.e. selecting boot-drive): I
>> guess one of the problems is that I don't understand this whole
>> 'pass-through' thing..
>
> OK here goes..... Before you run the Picasso / Cybergraphics
> software your machine is basically a stock standard AGA machine
> with video coming out of the normal RGB socket on the back.
I'm now probably going to get the CV64/3D with 4M(IIUC).
I assume the _latest_ CGX software will ship with it. But where
does one get the P96 software? I would like the option to choose
which one works [best] for my setup/situation.. as there seems to be
some controversy regarding the driver software.
> The "Pass Through" is so that you can send the AGA gfx to the same
> monitor BEFORE the gfx card software hijacks the ROM code &
> patches itself in. Otherwise, if nothing is watching the AGA-RGB
> output, you won't see anything until the gfx software kicks in.
>
> If your startup sequence breaks, or you use the boot menu,
> your gfx card software hasnt been run yet, so nothing is coming
> out of the card.
>
> That's why you need to "Pass Through" the AGA video.....
If worse comes to worst, I could always plug the monitor back
into the A4000d's slot to get the Amiga's boot-screen, right?
One thing though.. At every cold boot I 'mount' my recoverable
ram drive(vdisk) and then format it with SFS(soon PFS3 ;-) VERY
early in the startup-sequence(but after MCP/MountEnv). This requires
me to hit 'cancel' on a 'not a DOS disk' requester, and then press
'Return' when asked to format it. Will a gfx card affect this
proceedure? (if anyone knows a way to do this without requiring my
above mentioned actions, please let me know)
> Seeing you have a Cyberstorm like me, there is an early boot
> menu you can access by holding down the escape key after a
> reboot (quickly after) it will give you the option to display
> 32Khz boot screens, that way, if you need the boot menu,
> it will display in 32khz mode instead of 15Khz...
>
> The Amiga defaults to 15Khz mode on startup, but if you have a
> VGA - SVGA monitor connected, they cant sync below 29Khz.
>
> So Phase5 put a (sort of) DBLPAL monitor driver in their
> Cyberstorm EEPROM, that way it can change it's default speed
> to 32 Khz so that your VGA monitor won't shit itself trying to display
> 15Khz startup screens.
But the CSMkIII's boot screen does not allow one to select the
boot device - or at least I couldn't find it...
I somtimes need it while using my bootable Zip disks.. When something
Really Bad(tm) is happening. ;)
> Because you have a cyberstorm, you won't need the scan doubler
> because of the (above) 32khz option..
Is it supposed to bump the Amiga boot-menu's 15Khz to 32 also?
(I have 'saved' the 32Khz option with the CSMkIII's boot menu,
but with my previous monitor, the Amiga's boot screen was still
wrapped while the CS's boot menu displayed correctly.)
>> (i.e. if I got another monitor that didn't
>> display this screen normally and just 'wraps' it around, would I
>> still see it? I could live with the 'wraping' - but do gfx cards
>> COMPLETELY block the boot-menu screen?)
^(Amiga's)
>
> It would diplay normally.
Sounds like I don't really /need/ a pass-through then...
So the CV64/3D has an OPTION for a pass-through.. Does the
pass-through option's 'slot' fit into the CV64/3d card's slot?
(My GVP io-extender needs to take up an extra slot(for 2nd serial) :( )
Thanks everybody! This gfx card 'stuff' is finally beginning
to become understandable now. ;)
If there was a web page describing EXACTLY what goes into making
a gfx card work with the Amiga, I truly believe more people would be
less hesitant on getting one. (this is why *I* was hesitant - and
still kind of AM, but I want faster graphics display now)
Also, what happens with the Amiga's 2M of chip ram? Does it get used
by the gfx card, or just go to waste?
Regards,
Brian Haug
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