botton@i88.isc.com (Brian D. Botton) (02/28/90)
Hello again Unix-PCers, Brad and I have been getting a @#$%$^() load of mail asking what is vidpal and where to get it, so here it is once again. BTW, the current port of Mgr requires the vidpal kit and unless someone writes a window device driver that is significantly faster it will stay that way. What is it? Vidpal fakes the memory management unit in your 3B1/7300/S4 into thinking its ok to write to video ram. Normally you get a bus error and a core dump when you do this, but vidpal tells the system you are in kernel mode when you access video memory. To do this, the SUPV signal off of the 68010 is intercepted along with the address signals. When you address in the video ram range a PAL asserts SUPV, telling the MMU to let you do what your heart desires, otherwise SUPV is left untouched. Because the address signals are monitored, only the video ram is made accessable to user level programs. Since user level code can manipulate the video ram, you don't have to write a device driver, like wind.o, for each window manager you want to port, like Mgr or X. In order to intercept the signals a little daughter board has to be inserted between the 68010 and the mother board. This method was used because it DOESN'T require ANY modifications to the mother board so you don't have to worry about messing anything up. To make things easier I am selling a partial kit, I stopped selling full kits because it was too much work keeping parts in stock. It may seem trivial, but I have purchased over $1200 in parts in the last 6 months just for vidpal kits! Anyway, the kit includes the three most difficult parts to optain, a PC board with solder mask, a programmed PAL, and complete instructions, including part numbers and source for the rest of the required parts. Cost of the partial kit is $10 and the additional parts are in the $15 range from Newark Electronics. Where do you get one of these babies? Send a check for $10 made out to me and a return mailing label to the following address: Brian D. Botton 4715 Old Oaks Dr. #3B Lisle, IL. 60532 I plan on providing these kits for the foreseeable future, so you don't have to worry about support disappearing. I am also providing the P5.1 upgrade kit that allows you to access more than eight heads on a disk drive. The kit inludes a PAL, socket, capacitor, and complete instructions. You will need to get a WD2010? elsewhere to get more than 1024 cyclinders. Also, if you don't have the extended diagnostics disk, you will need one in order to format your drive correctly. Below is a price list for all of my kits. P5.1 kit only $6 P5.1 + extended diagnostics disk $7 extended diagnostics disk only $2 vidpal partial kit $10 NOTE: Lenny and Gil (ICUS Software) sell a kit that allows access to two hard drives and also provides the functionallity of the P5.1 mod. While the P5.1 doesn't hurt anything, it is a no-op when you use their kit. As always, feel free to send me questions about the vidpal or P5.1 kits. If you have a question about Mgr, you should pass them on to Brad. Mgr is available via anonymous ftp. Brian -- ... ___ *** _][_n_n___i_i ________ ******* Brian D. Botton (____________I_I______I_I_______I laidbak!botton or /ooOOOO OOOOoo oo oooo oo oo laidbak!bilbo!brian