Chapter 1 TurboGXplus Frame Buffer

This chapter describes how you can configure your system using a TurboGXplus(TM) card to suit your specific video and graphics requirements. The information describes how to set up your TurboGXplus to support different screen resolutions and how to set up the system to support multiple monitors.

TurboGXplus-supported Monitors

Table 1-1 shows the list of monitors supported by the TurboGXplus card.

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Note -

The monitors listed in Table 1-1 are subject to change as Sun Microsystems announces new monitors. Contact your local Sun representative for a listing of supported monitors.

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Table 1-1 Monitors Supported by TurboGXplus

Model	Sun Part Number	Type/Size/FCC	Monitor ID Sense Code	Standard Resolution and Refresh Rate
X248A	365-1068-01	Color 21"	2	1280 x 1024 at 76 Hz (Note 1)
GDM-20D10	365-1167-01	Color 20"	4	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz (Note 1)  1152 x 900 at 66 Hz  1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz  1280 x 1024 at 76 Hz
GDM-1955A15	365-1081-01	Color 19"	3	1152 x 900 at 66 Hz
GDM-1962	365-1095-01	Color 19"	4	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz (Note 1)  1152 x 900 at 66 Hz  1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz
GDM-1962B	365-1160-01	Color 19"	4	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz (Note 1)  1152 x 900 at 66 Hz  1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz
GDM-1604A15	365-1079-01	Color 16"	3	1152 x 900 at 66 Hz
GDM-1662B	365-11593-01	Color 16"	6	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz (Note 1)  1152 x 900 at 66 Hz
CPD-1790	365-1151-01	Color 16"	3	1152 x 900 at 66 Hz (Note 1)  1024 x 768 at 77 Hz
X449	365-1286-01	Color 15"	0	1024 x 768 at 77 Hz
GDM-20S5	365-1168-01	Greyscale 20"	2 or  4*	1280 x 1024 at 76 Hz ) or  1152 x 900 at 76 Hz (Note 2)  1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz
17SMM4 A	365-1100-01	Grayscale 17"	6	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz
M20P110	365-1099-01	Grayscale 19"	4	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz
Non-Sun	--	Unknown	7	1152 x 900 at 66 Hz
1. The default resolution at power-on initialization.2. Monitor ID sense code is user-selectable by the rear switch.

Default Screen Resolutions

Table 1-2 lists the default screen resolutions by monitor ID sense code.

Table 1-2 TurboGXplus Monitor Sense Codes

Code	Screen Resolution
7	1152 x 900 at 66 Hz
6	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz
5	1024 x 768 at 60 Hz
4	1152 x 900 at 76 Hz
3	1152 x 900 at 66 Hz
2	1280 x 1024 at 76 Hz
1	1600 x 1280 at 76 Hz
0	1024 x 768 at 77 Hz

Programming the Screen Resolution

Programming the screen resolution for TurboGXplus frame buffers must be done in nvramrc, a nonvolatile PROM script memory. When the PROM reaches the device probing stage, it checks the use-nvramrc? variable and if it is true, executes the Forth code that resides in nvramrc. Otherwise, it calls probe-sbus (for all pre-Ultra systems) or probe-all (for all Ultra systems), install-console, and banner.

The following example places resolution initialization between the probe-sbus (or probe-all) stage and the install-console stage.

First probe-sbus or probe-all is called to probe all devices, so that the device tree is created, and the devices are initialized.

The next line defines a Forth word called vsetup which contains the monitor video setup values.

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Example 1-1 Resolution Initialization Between probe-sbus and install-console Stage

#!/bin/sh
eeprom fcode-debug\?=true
eeprom use-nvramrc\?=true
eeprom nvramrc='probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
: vsetup " 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET" ;
vsetup 4
" /sbus/cgsix@1" " override" execute-device-method
drop
install-console
banner

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The following string of values (defined in Table 1-3) are the specifications for a video setup:

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" 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET"

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Table 1-3 Video Setup Specifications

Value	Description
117000000	Pixel frequency or dot clock in Hz
71691	Horizontal frequency in Hz
67	Vertical frequency in Hz
16	Horizontal front porch (in pixels)
112	Horizontal sync width (in pixels)
224	Horizontal back porch (in Pixels)
1280	Horizontal displayed pixels (in pixels)
2	Vertical front porch (in lines)
8	Vertical sync width (in lines)
33	Vertical back porch (in lines)
1024	Vertical displayed lines (in lines)
COLOR	Color monitor flag
0OFFSET	No sync pedestal flag

The line, vsetup 4, pushes the video string on the stack, the number 4 defines the sense code of the monitor to change the resolution on. See Table 1-4 for supported monitor codes. The number used should match the monitor attached to the TurboGXplus frame buffer.

The next line pushes the string /sbus/cgsix@1 onto the Forth stack, the path for the device where the resolution is to be changed. The "1" in cgsix@1 identifies the SBus slot number.

The following example changes the cgsix frame buffer on SBus slot 1.

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Example 1-2 Changes to cgsix Frame Buffer in SBus Slot 1

ok nvedit
0: probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
1: : vsetup " 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET" ;
2: vsetup 4
3: " /sbus/cgsix@1" " override" execute-device-method
drop
4: install-console
5: banner
6: ^C
ok nvstore
ok setenv use-nvramrc? true
ok setenv fcode-debug? true

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The "override" string is the actual entry point in the cgsix fcode PROM that reconfigures the resolution from the data on the forth stack. execute-device-method actually calls override and returns a pass or fail flag, which is ignored by the drop command that follows.

The remaining two lines install-console and banner, installs a terminal driver on the display device, then prints the banner at reset time or reboot time.

Configuring Monitors Using a UNIX Script

The following is a UNIX script used to configure the TurboGXplus for a resolution of 1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz.

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Example 1-3 UNIX Script Method

#!/bin/sh
eeprom fcode-debug\?=true
eeprom use-nvramrc\?=true
eeprom nvramrc='probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
: vsetup " 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET" ;
vsetup 4
" /sbus/cgsix@1" " override" execute-device-method
drop
install-console
banner
`

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Configuring Monitors Using the PROM Method

The following example uses the PROM method to configure the TurboGXplus for a resolution of 1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz.

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Example 1-4 PROM Method

ok nvedit
0: probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
1: : vsetup " 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET" ;
2: vsetup 4
3: " /sbus/cgsix@1" " override" execute-device-method
drop
4: install-console
5: banner
6: ^C
ok nvstore
ok setenv use-nvramrc? true
ok setenv fcode-debug? true

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Table 1-4 contains codes for TurboGXplus-supported resolutions:

Table 1-4 TurboGXplus Resolution Codes

Resolution	Code
1024 x 768 at 60 Hz	" 64125000,48286,60,16,128,160,1024,2,6,29,768,COLOR"
1024 x 768 at 70 Hz	" 74250000,56593,70,16,136,136,1024,2,6,32,768,COLOR"
1024 x 768 at 77 Hz	" 84375000,62040,77,32,128,176,1024,2,4,31,768,COLOR"
1152 x 900 at 66 Hz	" 94500000,61845,66,40,128,208,1152,2,4,31,900,COLOR"
1152 x 900 at 76 Hz	" 108000000,71808,76,32,128,192,1152,2,4,31,900,COLOR,0OFFSET"
1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz	" 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET"
1280 x 1024 at 76 Hz	" 135000000,81128,76,32,64,288,1280,2,8,32,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET"
1600 x 1280 at 76 Hz	" 216000000,101890,76,24,216,280,1600,2,8,50,1280,COLOR,0OFFSET"

Setting Up a Single Monitor Using the PROM Method

The following is an example of how to set up a TurboGXplus card in slot 2 to 1024 x 768 at 60 Hz using a 16-inch monitor.

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Example 1-5 PROM Method for Single Monitor Setup

ok nvedit
   0: probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
   1: : vsetup " 64125000,48286,60,16,128,160,1024,2,6,29,768,COLOR" ;
   2: vsetup 6
   3: " /sbus/cgsix@2" " override" execute-device-method
drop
   4: install-console
   5: banner
   6: ^C
ok nvstore
ok setenv use-nvramrc? true
ok setenv fcode-debug? true

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Setting Up a Single Monitor Using a UNIX Script

The following is a UNIX script that sets a 1024 x 768 at 60 Hz for the TurboGXplus card in slot 2.

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Example 1-6 UNIX Script Method for Single Monitor Setup

#!/bin/sh
eeprom fcode-debug\?=true
eeprom nvramrc='probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
: vsetup " 64125000,48286,60,16,128,160,1024,2,6,29,768,COLOR" ;
vsetup 6
"/sbus/cgsix@2" " override" execute-device-method
drop
install-console
banner
`
eeprom use-nvramrc\?=true

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Setting Up Multiple Monitors Using a UNIX Script

The following example shows a UNIX script that sets up the TurboGXplus card in slot 1 to 1152 x 900 at 76 Hz, and another TurboGXplus card in slot 3 to 1280 x 1024 at 67 Hz using two 19-inch monitors.

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Example 1-7 UNIX Script Method for Multiple Monitor Setup

#!/bin/sh
eeprom fcode-debug\?=true
eeprom nvramrc='probe-sbus														(or probe-all)
: vsetup1 " 108000000,71808,76,32,128,192,1152,2,4,31,900,COLOR,0OFFSET" ;
vsetup1 4 
" /sbus/cgsix@1" " override" execute-device-method
drop
: vsetup2 " 117000000,71691,67,16,112,224,1280,2,8,33,1024,COLOR,0OFFSET" ;
vsetup2 4
" /sbus/cgsix@3" " override" execute-device-method
drop
install-console
banner
`
eeprom use-nvramrc\?=true

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For more information on running multiple monitors, see Chapter 9, Multiple Monitors on a System.