jkj737@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu (09/20/88)
There was a tidbit about this in PC ADVISOR column in _PC MAGAZINE_ about 6 months ago. I believe AT&T sells an EGA card that works with the color monitor. -Jeff Johnson jkj737@uxf.cs.uiuc.edu
aptr@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (The Wumpus) (09/20/88)
I tried mailing this reply, but the mailer rejected it, so I will post it. In article <541@cimcor.mn.org> you write: >As I understand it, the monitor on an AT&T PC6300 is set up >for 640x400 resolution color. Does anyone know if this >monitor will scan a little slower to handle an EGA card? No, the AT&T color monitor (the 318 monitor) can not be used with a regular EGA card because it can not be slowed down. It is a single sweep speed monitor. BUT, ther are some EGA cards that can be used with the 318 monitor. They are the Taxan 557 Gold (discontinued, but still may be available), the STB MultiRes II, and the AT&T VDC 750. Only the VDC 750 and the Taxan 557 Gold support the AT&T 640x400 mono chrome mode. You should also be warned that not all programs will work with an EGA card in the 6300 because of a bug in the design of the 6300s bus. There is a $45 kit available that corrects this problem. I am enclosing a copy of an old reply I have that tells about some of the problems and solutions to the 6300 EGA question. John Werner ------------- >Subject: Re: EGA Cards in 6300s, and Why they don't always work (long) >To: aptr John, In answer to your statements: > If you have a "classic" 6300 you have several choices in adding an a > higher resolution graphics card to the machine. All of these involve > the disabling of the indigenous display card. If you have a lot of money > to play with, you can go out and buy a VGA card and a new monitor. You > can also go out and buy a generic EGA card and a new monitor. Both > of these will cause you to loose the AT&T specific modes (640x400, Tiny > Text). > Also the (now discontinued but still available) TAXAN 557 Gold Card. This card provides service similar to the VDC 750, but at a cost of 200$. It will still allow the use of the 318 monitors. AND keeps the AT&T(Plantronics)Mono/color modes (NO DEB). The paradise ega card provides the same support without the AT&T monitor. > There are currently two products that I know of that allow the use of > the "classic" AT&T color monitor (318). One of the boards is made by > TBS. This will give EGA, but will not keep the AT&T modes. The other > solution is the AT&T VDC 750. This graphics card gives EGA and AT&T > modes plus a 640x400 16 color mode. This latter mode is NOT DEB. I > am currently using the VDC750 and I have found it to work very well > with the old monitor. The only draw back with keeping the old 318 > monitor is that it only supports 16 colors, not the 16 out of 64. This > has to do with the electronics of the monitor itself. > > I do not currently know if the controller in the 6300 WGS will work > in a 6300. It is one of the solutions to the problems I am looking > into, but even if it doesn't, don't loose all hope yet. Only if you fix the bus i/o problem you have stated here. > Only a few programs are affected by the bus incompatibility. Most of > these programs also can use the AT&T 640x400 mono mode, so if you are > running a VDC750, you can still use the program. I am also working on > a possible fix to the bus problem. It envolves the changing of the PROM > that controls data movement in the bus controller. If I am right, by > making a few small changes to the code in the PROM, I can reverse the > order of 16 bit read/writes to the 8 bit bus and make it IBM compatible. > I hope to be trying out the fix in the next week or so, depending on > how soon I can get a new PROM burned and tested. If you are interested > in the fix, I can let you know how it works out. > I have been testing this fix and it works. BTW If you get the I/O direction from the 16 bit connector on the bus board you will be able to get all of the needed changes into the PAL/PROM on that buss board. Only Smalltalk is having problems so far.(It works in non color mode) William J. Allen, 10120 Lockwood Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 257-9739, has developed a hardware fix for the hi-byte low-byte order problem with the AT&T 6300's bus converter board. This board, which he sells for $45 mounts in one of the 16 bit connector slots (uses a signal from this slot) and connects to th PROM chip socket on the bus converter board by a ribbon cable. The front half of the 16 bit slot remains available for a half card. He reports it permits installation of a EGA card (he is using a VEGA Deluxe) and all programs he has tried so far work fine. This includes WINDOWS 1.x and 2.0, PC PaintBrush, Generic CADD in EGA mode, 123 (including 132/43 mode), QUATTRO and AUTOCAD. His $45 kit includes the board for the fix and the needed disabler chip for all the built in AT&T video cards. -- John E. Werner UUCP: {cmcl2!decvax}!rochester!uhura!aptr aka BITNET: aptrccss@uorvm The Wumpus Internet: aptr@uhura.cc.rochester.edu Disclaimer: "Who? When? Me? It was the Booze!" - M. Binkley -- John E. Werner UUCP: {cmcl2!decvax}!rochester!uhura!aptr aka BITNET: aptrccss@uorvm The Wumpus Internet: aptr@uhura.cc.rochester.edu Disclaimer: "Who? When? Me? It was the Booze!" - M. Binkley