v071pzp4@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Craig L Cole) (02/13/91)
In the March 1991 issue of Popular Science is a short article
describing a new chip that upgrades your current VGA to:
2,048 x 1536 pixels
7,000+ hues
It's a new D/A converter chip from Edsun Laboratories, Waltham,
Massachussetts. The chip, which runs about $20 replaces a chip
in your current VGA board.
Does anyone know about this? Can you get this chip? I'd like
to upgrade my current 286 VGA system with it.
Thanks in advance,
Craig Cole
V071PZP4@UBVMS.BITNET
V071PZP4@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDUjporter@twaddle.dell.com (Jeff Porter) (02/14/91)
In article <59500@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, v071pzp4@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Craig L Cole) writes: |> In the March 1991 issue of Popular Science is a short article |> describing a new chip that upgrades your current VGA to: |> |> 2,048 x 1536 pixels |> 7,000+ hues |> |> It's a new D/A converter chip from Edsun Laboratories, Waltham, |> Massachussetts. The chip, which runs about $20 replaces a chip |> in your current VGA board. |> |> Does anyone know about this? Can you get this chip? I'd like |> to upgrade my current 286 VGA system with it. |> I don't know about the part from Edsun, but Analog Devices is producing several chips using technology from Edsun. The ADV7141 and ADV7146 replace commonly used RAM-DACs such as xxx141 and xxx146. From what the applications engineer at Analog Devices told me, it takes a significant software driver to take advantage of the increased resolution/colors. You don't really get more usuable colors or pixels; the chip uses digital signal processing algorithms to interpolate colors and intensities to generate anti-aliased lines. Analog Devices has an 800 number (1-800-262-5643) and they might send you the preliminary data sheets on the parts. (The chips are not in production volume yet.) Jeff Porter ps. I think the Paradise VGA card uses a '141 RAM-DAC, so it is a candidate for upgrades (assuming you have access to surface-mount rework equipment).
martin@saturn.uucp (Martin J. Schedlbauer) (02/16/91)
In article <59500@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> v071pzp4@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu writes: >In the March 1991 issue of Popular Science is a short article >describing a new chip that upgrades your current VGA to: > > 2,048 x 1536 pixels > 7,000+ hues > >It's a new D/A converter chip from Edsun Laboratories, Waltham, >Massachussetts. The chip, which runs about $20 replaces a chip >in your current VGA board. This is a new DAC chip that does real-time anti-aliasing, achieving the above virtual resolution. It does not really increase the resolution nor the colors, but after doing proper anti-aliasing (ie. getting rid of the pixel jaggies) it achieves a pictures that is equivalent to the above resolution/colors. > >Does anyone know about this? Can you get this chip? I'd like >to upgrade my current 286 VGA system with it. > Although it is a direct replacement for most current VGA DACs you must have proper drivers to take advantage of it. Some VGA makers a reported to come out with VGA cards soon that contain the chips and have drivers for AutoCAD, and Windows 3.0. ...Martin -- ============================================================================== Martin J. Schedlbauer | martin@saturn.UUCP | ...!ulowell!saturn!martin 8 Gilman Road | mschedlb@ulowell.edu | ...!uunet!wang!saturn!martin Billerica, MA 01862 USA | CIS: 76675, 3364 | /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\