CGA Modes (Wuz: Win 3.0)

From: Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk <(Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk)>
Date: Thu Feb 5 09:51:46 1998

The only piece of useful information about the 3270PC displays I could
find yesterday was the resolution - 720 x 512 x 8 for the small
graphics display, which I am now fairly convinced was a 5272. I don't
know the scanning rates I'm afraid.

Larry, you can get text on it with only one of the 3270PC display
cards, which will indeed work in an XT.

I'm curious that 720 x 512 (or 800 x 512) was so uncommon - it seems a
logical (-ish) step up from 640 x 400.

I was going to go on at length here about the PGC (PGA) and its
display, since the marketing leaflet surprisingly gives a lot of info,
right down to the connector pinout. But Tony got there first.

Philip.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Assuming that all this is right (and I have no way of knowing as I'm
using the 3270pc), I bet you could find VGA, EGA or CGA cards which
could run a 3270 mode or a 5272 mode if told. It's a question of
knowing what to ask and the software or firmware knowing. Someone had
to be dumb enough to include it.

Otherwise, what do you want for the 5272 $$?

-Mike

Lawrence Walker wrote:
>
> On 3 Feb 98 at 17:22, Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk wrote:
>
> snip
> >
> > > I'm sure my 3270pc handles a "better" quality CGA. It just looks like
> > > EGA, thought it was... It was running a version of Norton Utes and it
> > > was just beautiful turquoise blue set and clear characters.
> > >
> > > I'd have to think this was better than CGA, especially since it took two
> > > coupled long cards to run the video...
> > >
> > > -Mike
> >
> > No, it isn't PGA. (Although most of the chips on the cards are likely
> > to be PGAs, in IBM custom metal cans, as I recall...)
> >
> > The IBM 5272, the 3270PC display, was a very nice monitor. I don't know
> > the pixel resolution, but I'd guess at 800 x 400. Unfortunately, AFAIK,
> > it only did 8 colours.
> >
> > The 3270PC display card did TEXT MODES ONLY - it was aimed at emulating
> > the 3279 terminal. You could buy two add-on cards for it that went in
> > the slots either side in the motherboard.
> >
> > 1. The PS card. This provided emulation of the Programmed Symbols
> > option on the 3279. Very nice graphics, but only as a terminal, not as
> > a PC (although presumably you could have written PC drivers for it...)
> >
> > 2. The APA card. This provided support of the All Points Addressable
> > modes of the CGA. These CGA modes were displayed in the top lefthand
> > corner of the screen. And the only 8 colours reduced the capability
> > somewhat as well.
> >
> > It looked very good, but AFAIK IBM never supported it properly. Pity.
> >
> snip
>
> > But your description of the 3270PC sounds like you've got only one of PS
> > and APA, alas.
> >
> > Hope this helps
> >
> > Philip.
> >
> I've had a 5272 -23 monitor stashed for some time. Was never able to
> get it working on an XT trying various standard cards and drivers,
> altho it did display jumbled-up color lines so I figured it must be
> the driver. IBM wouldn't/couldn't offer me any help.
> From the above, it appears that I would need a 3270pc display card
> and one of two add-on cards. If I was fortunate enough to find these
> would it work on an XT ?
>
> Also I pulled an IBM DM12n501 monitor out of a dumpster. No
> power cord , just a 15 pin female connector . I surmise it's some
> sort of dumb terminal. So before I dump it any idea on what it is ?
>
> ciao larry
> lwalkerN0spaM_at_interlog.com
Received on Thu Feb 05 1998 - 09:51:46 GMT