There are some really cheap PCI video cards that come with pretty good
software for tweaking the scan rates via their "centering" utility. I've
got a Trident 9680 board that came with such a utility and I'm able to do
some pretty decent tweaking, though I've not been able to make it talk to
any DEC monitors, even those that I've managed to get to work in other
applications. (these were private brand-labelled SONY GDM 1950's) I'd not
get into too big a rush, though.
I agree entirely that using a 19" monitor beats hell out of a 15 and
probably even a 17" monitor. However, my experience has been that the
adapters that specifically convert the various video modes designed for
multisync monitors often introduce problems because of the limited attention
a vendor can apply to a limited-demand product like this. If you have some
equipment and are really determined to make this work, I have a lot of
tricks you can try, but I won't bore everybody on this list with all the
grim details.
If you're not afraid to make the necessary modifications, you absolutely can
make this work, but it's a lot of effort. Experience , by the way, has
taught me that hardware is easier to hack than unknown software. The video
BIOS should be modified, but, I guess, doesn't have to be. If you know
something about video BIOS code, then what you must consider is what each
mode does and how it does it. Then you have to program the video timing
generator (starting with the programmable PLL) to generate the right clocks,
and then you must program the video generator and the DAC, if it's separate,
to generate the same effect to the viewer that the unmodified circuit does
to a multisync monitor.
IIRC, the default mode is 720x384 or some such, which is the text mode (it
might be x400, and it might even be 640x400) but in any case, the thing I've
commonly seen is that a modified BIOS uses a different character generator
(programmed into RAM in the video hardware) to generate a character set that
will create the same characters normally seen at the low-res text scan rate,
but with twice as many dots, hence looking more or less the same as you'd
expect.
Take a close look, think about it, and see if you'd rather do that than just
letting it sit with the hardware it's supposed to go with.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: Adrian Graham <agraham_at_ccat.co.uk>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2000 8:26 AM
Subject: RE: Back to the A1097C monitor again
> Well, I've already got the monitor in question since it's fastened to an
HP
> workstation. What I was wondering was if it was possible to program the
> GeForce to run at 72hz for everything....hmm....the only reason I started
on
> this was discovering it's really comparitively simple to change the
monitor
> to allow h/v sync and I'd love a 19" monitor for Photoshop & web stuff -
> this one I'm using ATM at work is a 17" (DEC obviously :) running at
> 1280x1024 and it makes a hell of a difference!
>
> a
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Richard Erlacher [mailto:richard_at_idcomm.com]
> > Sent: 28 July 2000 15:21
> > To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> > Subject: Re: Back to the A1097C monitor again
> >
> >
> > Well, there would be exceptions. For example, if you have an
> > application
> > that COULD use the monitor in question, but doesn't because
> > it lacks the
> > appropriate video card. However, there are also other
> > questions. Would the
> > application of that monitor improve anything? That's a
> > question you have to
> > ansser before proceeding, but it should be asked before
> > hauling the thing
> > home. Monitors weigh so much they're even difficult to give away.
> >
> > Dick
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Adrian Graham <agraham_at_ccat.co.uk>
> > To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
> > Sent: Friday, July 28, 2000 7:32 AM
> > Subject: RE: Back to the A1097C monitor again
> >
> >
> > > Richard scribeth:
> > >
> > > > I've concluded that the best thing to do with a
> > > > fixed-frequency monitor
> > > > that's not made for your particular application is to give it
> > > > away or toss it.
> > > >
> > >
> > > I'm getting to that opinion meself :)
> > >
> > > a
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
Received on Fri Jul 28 2000 - 14:51:07 BST