uggrenon@sunybcs (Paul Grenon) (03/12/88)
Hi -
I was wondering if if is possible to run both a CGA monitor, and
a monochrome monitor, from the same pc at once.
I have a CGA board (IBM) installed and
I have a Hercules Monochrome Board installed.
Right now, (its the only way I know) I have to manually
change the cables, and set the master DIPS on the mother board,
for either mono, or color.
** Is there an easier way?
Can I have two (mono and color) running at the same time?
Thanks!
Paul J Grenon (PJ) SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science
internet: uggrenon@cs.buffalo.edu bitnet: uggrenon@sunybcs.BITNET
csnet: uggrenon@buffalo.CSNET
uucp: ..!{ames,boulder,decvax,rutgers}!sunybcs!uggrenon hawkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Peter Hawkins) (03/19/88)
In article <9224@sunybcs.UUCP>, uggrenon@sunybcs (Paul Grenon) writes: > > Hi - > I was wondering if if is possible to run both a CGA monitor, and > a monochrome monitor, from the same pc at once. > > I have a CGA board (IBM) installed and > I have a Hercules Monochrome Board installed. > > Right now, (its the only way I know) I have to manually > change the cables, and set the master DIPS on the mother board, > for either mono, or color. > > ** Is there an easier way? > Can I have two (mono and color) running at the same time? > > Thanks! > > > Paul J Grenon (PJ) SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science > internet: uggrenon@cs.buffalo.edu bitnet: uggrenon@sunybcs.BITNET > csnet: uggrenon@buffalo.CSNET > uucp: ..!{ames,boulder,decvax,rutgers}!sunybcs!uggrenon You bet, I have the same set up. I'm switching cables just like you, but a friend of mine has both an RGB and monchrome monitor caonnected simultaneously. You don't need to change the DIP switches either. Use the mode command - 'mode mono' activates the monochrome screen and 'mode co80' activates the color screen with 80 characters per line (DOS 3.x anyway, DOS 2.x had slightly different parms I think it was 'mode mono' and 'mode color' but I'm not sure). Set the DIP switches to the screen you want to boot to. I would suggest settingthem to color and having the autoexec 'mode mono' if you want to boot to mono most of the time. This is because some self-booting software that requires CGA won't boot if the DIP switches are set to mono. The only problem I've had is that a few software packages won't work right with mono graphics. This is mainly anything by Microsoft that uses mono graphics (Word, Windows, etc.) and a few others. They will operate on the CGA fine though. It took me a long time to figure this out, but it turns out that these programs are using page 1 (instead of page 0) on the mono board which has the same memory address range as the memory on the CGA board. It causes some sort of conflict. This problem could be brand dependant so you may not have it, or it could be just the opposite, or even worse - the CGA and page 1 on the mono may not work. It sounds like you've been running your machine with both cards plugged in though, so you would have already seen this problem if it was there for any of the software you use. I modified my CGA card so it has a switch that makes it "disapear" from the system without pulling it out. If you are interested in how to do this ask me via email and I'll tell you how. Pete ..hplabs!bnrmtv!hawkins thru April 8 ..csun!polyslo!phawkins after April 8 remember - email is faster than US mail dreams of being, but it still takes time.
bradd@gssc.UUCP (Brad Davis) (03/25/88)
In article <3457@bnrmtv.UUCP> hawkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Peter Hawkins) writes: >In article <9224@sunybcs.UUCP>, uggrenon@sunybcs (Paul Grenon) writes: >> I was wondering if if is possible to run both a CGA monitor, and >> a monochrome monitor, from the same pc at once. >> >> I have a CGA board (IBM) installed and >> I have a Hercules Monochrome Board installed. >> > ... the mono board which has the same memory address range >as the memory on the CGA board. It causes some sort of conflict. >This problem >could be brand dependant so you may not have it, or it could be just the >opposite, or even worse - the CGA and page 1 on the mono may not work. It >sounds like you've been running your machine with both cards plugged in >though, >so you would have already seen this problem if it was there for any of the >software you use. I modified my CGA card so it has a switch that makes it >"disapear" from the system without pulling it out. Another solution would be to drive the monochrome monitor with an EGA card. This would be more expensive, but EGA clones are getting cheaper by the month and you will have less problems with it. Also, if you changed your mind, you could have the EGA drive your color monitor, which I'm sure you'd find a pleasant improvement on your CGA. Brad Davis ====== ====== ====== US MAIL: Brad Davis, Firmware Division == == == 9590 SW Gemini Dr. == == == == == == Beaverton, OR 97005 == == == == PHONE: (503) 641-2200 ====== ====== ====== UUCP: tektronix!sequent!gssc!bradd The Graphics Experts Disclaimer: I'm a mushroom. (They keep me in the dark and feed me bullshit.)