jms@prism.TMC.COM (04/16/88)
Has anybody successfully configured a PS/2 model 50, 60, or 80 as a two monitor system? Can the VGA adapter be used to display monochrome text while graphics are displayed from a separate EGA adapter? Thanks in advance. -- James M. Shaw Mirror Systems, Cambridge Massachusetts jms@mirror.TMC.COM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "This is the first time I've ever done this without a net." Tom MacGuane
bkliewer@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (Bradley Dyck Kliewer) (04/16/88)
In article <206900111@prism> jms@prism.TMC.COM writes: > > Has anybody successfully configured a PS/2 model 50, 60, or 80 >as a two monitor system? Can the VGA adapter be used to display >monochrome text while graphics are displayed from a separate EGA >adapter? Thanks in advance. > Since the EGA and VGA use the same register addresses, it is unlikey that you will be able to do this. The EGA register addresses can be changed, but you would have to write your own BIOS and anything which writes directly to the registers (i.e. just about every program) will cause problems. You would also need to find an EGA which works in the PS/2. A better approach would be installing a monochrome adapter (assuming you have a color system), but again, you'll need to find one that works on the PS/2 (I haven't seen any). Bradley Dyck Kliewer Hacking... bkliewer@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu It's not just an adventure It's my job! Author: EGA/VGA A Programmer's Reference Guide
chasm@killer.UUCP (Charles Marslett) (04/21/88)
In article <7955@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, bkliewer@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (Bradley Dyck Kliewer) writes: > In article <206900111@prism> jms@prism.TMC.COM writes: > > > > Has anybody successfully configured a PS/2 model 50, 60, or 80 > >as a two monitor system? Can the VGA adapter be used to display > >monochrome text while graphics are displayed from a separate EGA > >adapter? Thanks in advance. > > Since the EGA and VGA use the same register addresses, it is unlikey that > you will be able to do this. The EGA register addresses can be changed, > but you would have to write your own BIOS and anything which writes directly > to the registers (i.e. just about every program) will cause problems. You > Bradley Dyck Kliewer Hacking... > bkliewer@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu It's not just an adventure > It's my job! > > Author: EGA/VGA A Programmer's Reference Guide Actually, the PS/2 BIOS does have a set of calls to support a VGA installed in a system with a VGA already present (the hardware I/O addresses are 0x03C3 and 0x4??? -- don't remember that one right off) -- the scheme only supports one add in card and the one motherboard video, but at least on the model 30 it does work (we have installed STB VGA's and switched back and forth from motherboard to/from add in card). I am currently working on a new product that had 4 (expandable to 8) EGA's in a single system (say WHY please!), using the same scheme. So it is not only workable, but rather easily extended. Charles Marslett chasm@killer.UUCP ...!ihnp4!killer!chasm
bkliewer@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (Bradley Dyck Kliewer) (04/22/88)
In article <3892@killer.UUCP> chasm@killer.UUCP (Charles Marslett) writes: >Actually, the PS/2 BIOS does have a set of calls to support a VGA installed >in a system with a VGA already present (the hardware I/O addresses are 0x03C3 >and 0x4??? -- don't remember that one right off) -- the scheme only supports >one add in card and the one motherboard video, but at least on the model 30 >it does work (we have installed STB VGA's and switched back and forth from >motherboard to/from add in card). > >I am currently working on a new product that had 4 (expandable to 8) EGA's >in a single system (say WHY please!), using the same scheme. So it is >not only workable, but rather easily extended. > >Charles Marslett >chasm@killer.UUCP >...!ihnp4!killer!chasm I was thinking in terms of having all memory addressable simultaneously. Yes, you can disable one VGA (put it in sleep mode via register 0x0094) and then use the other. Register 0x03c3 is used to enable or disable the display -- this register is not disabled by the sleep bit. Since I have never done this, I am curious; what happens if you have two VGA's and disable the display -- do both go blank until re-enabled? It is a different technique than most people are used to, however (the Monochrome adapter and CGA, or color EGA, use different addresses for video memory, and you need only write to the approriate address). Orchid has even come out with a VGA for the PS/2 (I saw the ad a few days ago), so it should be possible to extend this to the Model 50, 60, and 80. Bradley Dyck Kliewer Hacking... bkliewer@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu It's not just an adventure It's my job!
finegan@ucqais.uc.edu (Mike Finegan) (04/25/88)
Has anyone installed a cga card in an AT&T 6300, without removing the monochrome graphics card - can you use both on this machine ? The graphics board (mono) attaches to the end of the motherboard ? Mike Finegan ...!uccba!finegan