[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] In VGA hell... help?

Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com (10/21/90)

I am trying to get a standard 8-bit vga card to work in my 286 vlsi 
machine.  The card does work (or let's assume this for now).  I can get
it to work but no software will put an image on the monochrome vga screen
in vga mode!  I did use the setup program for the computer and the 
vgaplus.exe program to switch modes etc.  No dipswitch on the 286 board,
just a jumper to select mono or color; I have the jumper set to color
...should I try mono???  I can use the vgaplus.exe program to switch to
other modes, and software all works fine in cga mode, but I want to use
the vga resolution.  YES, the software I'm trying to use does support 
vga resolution.  Can anybody please steer me in the right direction 
anyway???   Drowning in vga hell here...  Randy Padawer
Internet: Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com

mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) (10/22/90)

Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com writes:
> vgaplus.exe program to switch modes etc.  No dipswitch on the 286 board,
> just a jumper to select mono or color; I have the jumper set to color
> ...should I try mono???

Um, it's a wild guess, but I'd say that if you're using a monochrome
monitor, you should probably have the system set to mono.

Also, note that you probably won't be able to use the color VGA modes
with your mono monitor.

--
Marc Unangst               |
mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us  | "Bus error: passengers dumped"
...!umich!leebai!mudos!mju | 

harry@aeshq.UUCP (Harry Pulley) (10/22/90)

In article <23oeR4w163w@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us>, mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) writes:
> Um, it's a wild guess, but I'd say that if you're using a monochrome
> monitor, you should probably have the system set to mono.
> 
> Also, note that you probably won't be able to use the color VGA modes
> with your mono monitor.

I am running a VGA-16 card on my 286-12, and I have the switch set to color.
I run CGA, EGA and VGA color modes on my Mono VGA monitor without any trouble.
  
If your monitor is TTL, however, then you cannot [correct me if I'm wrong, no
flames please :-) ] run at VGA resolutions.

My monitor has 64 shades of grey, and I find that it has a sharper picture than 
most Color VGA monitors (variable frequency excepted...).

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~     HCPIV (2b||!2b)     ~        Harry Pulley        ~   harry@aeshq.UUCP   ~ 
~    Computo, ergo sum    ~     Environment Canada     ~     TOR, ON, CA      ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) (10/23/90)

In article <23oeR4w163w@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us> mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) writes:
>Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com writes:
>> vgaplus.exe program to switch modes etc.  No dipswitch on the 286 board,
>> just a jumper to select mono or color; I have the jumper set to color
>> ...should I try mono???
>
>Um, it's a wild guess, but I'd say that if you're using a monochrome
>monitor, you should probably have the system set to mono.
>
>Also, note that you probably won't be able to use the color VGA modes
>with your mono monitor.
>

Well this is pretty bad advice. A mono VGA system is no different from a color
VGA system except that all you can get is grayscale. That is, colors are
displayed in different intensities of gray.

You should be able to set it up as a VGA system and have it work. That means
selecting the color dipswitch setting.

Of course, perhaps your system doesn't support VGA?

Russ Poffenberger               DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com
Schlumberger Technologies       UUCP:   {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen
1601 Technology Drive		CIS:	72401,276
San Jose, Ca. 95110             (408)437-5254

kaleb@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov (Kaleb Keithley ) (10/23/90)

In article <1990Oct22.215027.12207@sj.ate.slb.com> poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) writes:
>In article <23oeR4w163w@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us> mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst) writes:
>>Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com writes:
>>> vgaplus.exe program to switch modes etc.  No dipswitch on the 286 board,
>>> just a jumper to select mono or color; I have the jumper set to color
>>> ...should I try mono???
>>
>>Um, it's a wild guess, but I'd say that if you're using a monochrome
>>monitor, you should probably have the system set to mono.
>>
>>Also, note that you probably won't be able to use the color VGA modes
>>with your mono monitor.
>>
>Well this is pretty bad advice. A mono VGA system is no different from a color
>VGA system except that all you can get is grayscale. That is, colors are
>displayed in different intensities of gray.
>
>You should be able to set it up as a VGA system and have it work. That means
>selecting the color dipswitch setting.
>
>Of course, perhaps your system doesn't support VGA?
>

Well, mono VGA is slightly different from color VGA.  Yes, you get gray-
scales, but only sixteen, not 256 because the monitor works only on the
green line.  My Paradise card auto-detects whether the monitor is color
or mono, I believe by putting a signal out on each line, and checking to
see if it gets a signal on the corresponding ground, and configures 
accordingly.  Windows 3.0 has a special vga-mono driver, and none of 
Paradise's extended VGA Windows drivers work because they are all for 
color.  My motherboard CMOS BIOS setup has a VGA setting which I use.  
Really old XTs had two dip switches, if I recall, with a setting for 
none, mono, and color; none being the appropriate setting for a VGA.

-- 
Kaleb Keithley                      Jet Propulsion Labs
kaleb@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov

causing trouble again.

davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (10/24/90)

Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com writes:

> I am trying to get a standard 8-bit vga card to work in my 286 vlsi 
> machine.  The card does work (or let's assume this for now).  I can get
> it to work but no software will put an image on the monochrome vga screen
> in vga mode!  I did use the setup program for the computer and the 
> vgaplus.exe program to switch modes etc.  No dipswitch on the 286 board,
> just a jumper to select mono or color; I have the jumper set to color
> ...should I try mono???  I can use the vgaplus.exe program to switch to
> other modes, and software all works fine in cga mode, but I want to use
> the vga resolution.  YES, the software I'm trying to use does support 
> vga resolution.  Can anybody please steer me in the right direction 
> anyway???   Drowning in vga hell here...  Randy Padawer
> Internet: Justin_Randall_Padawer@cup.portal.com

  Whose standard 8-bit card?  What's the clock speed of your motherboard?
  I ask because I have an ATI VGA VIP card that works well in a 10 mHz
unit and chokes in a 12 mHz unit ... and I have to assume it just won't
support the higher speed...


Dave McCrady                     |  ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca
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