XGA Adapter/A on 55SX

[WoW-Mania Private Server Ltd.]

Hello all,

I have a very newbie question for you guys...

I have just installed the XGA Adapter/A on my 55SX and after going through the process of using the XGA Option disk and then installing the DOS driver I am still not able to use the video port on the adapter itself (nothing on screen).
I can only use the planar port.

Is this expected? If not can anyone let me know what needs to be done?

Thanks a lot,
Fernando

[schimmi]

Hi,

from what I've read here:
https://ardent-tool.com/video/XGA1.html
XGA Adapter/A (standalone)
POST in Adapter PROM
Fits in Base Video Extension (BVE) slot, providing Base Video to AVE (ex. Model 95)
it might be intended that the card uses the onplanar VGA connector.
https://ardent-tool.com/tech/MCA_Slots.html#AVE
In which slot did you put the XGA/A in? I'd try one of the upper slots without AVE. Furthermore, the bare minimum: cleaning slot/connector/riser, make sure you have the right ADF on hand, try the card in another PS/2 and make sure it's not dead. You have another one, right? :]

Regards,
Stefan

[WoW-Mania Private Server Ltd.]

Hi Stephan,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer...
I have tried slot 1 and slot 2 on the planar.
I have 2 cards, 1 XGA, and 1 XGA-2, and both show the same behavior.
I also have a memory card which I tried on both slots and it works fine so the slots are fine on the planar.
Unfortunately, I only have the 55SX and a 50Z (which is not supported by these cards).
I used the same pages you mentioned as a reference and used the procedure described here to install the card:
http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/xgsetup1.htm

Where did you see that it may be intended that we use the VGA connector on the planar?

Thanks a lot.

Regards,
Fernando

[schimmi]

Hi Phernando,

quite easy. They mentioned the AVE connector which, may someone correct me, redirects VGA signals from the plugin-card via AVE to the Planar VGA. My XGA-2, on the other hand, has no AVE Extension header and works in all my PS/2 as standalone-card: Model 95XP, 70, ... so whatever the problem might be, it seems to be related to your 55sx.

Regards,
Stefan

[WBSTClarke]

Installing an XGA-2 (BVE adapter) in a Model 55SX is intended for a dual monitor configuration. The on-planar VGA is not disabled by the XGA-2's BIOS during POST, so its port will only display the XGA/XGA-2 high resolution modes (e.g. Windows and its drivers). Its VGA functionality is disabled in this configuration.
An AVE adapter (e.g. 8514/A) is needed for combined VGA and high-resolution modes from a single monitor.

Cheers,
WBST

[WoW-Mania Support]

Is there a particular minimum about of RAM the system must have to be able to use XGA or XGA-2?
The system is running on Windows 3.11 and every time I pick the driver "IBM XGA V2.12" (the one in the IBM driver disk) or XGA 256 Colours it fails to boot.
I have 4 MB on the planar and 8MB on the memory expansion card.

Thanks a lot.

[WoW-Mania Support]

I forgot to mention something that may be relevant...
I am using a 17" IBM ThinkVision monitor. I could not find the proper DMQS files for it.
Any suggestions?

[WBSTClarke]

On Sunday, 9 May 2021 at 09:37:32 UTC+1, WoW-Mania Support wrote:

Not that I'm aware of. The system type (e.g. 16MB limited) will affect the 1MB (under 16MB) and 4MB (under 4GB) window hardware configurations, and video adapter combinations (e.g. on-planar VGA *and* XGA/XGA-2) may be relevant to driver initialisation problems.

I find two "ThinkVision 17" monitor specifications, one colour CRT C170 and one flat panel L170p, which have different max. resolutions and vertical refresh rates. x:\XGA$DMQS\XGASETUP.PRO contains the profile selection, a "Custom" selection that doesn't exceed the monitor's capabilities may be the best solution, or one matching another IBM monitor with similar capabilities (perhaps not so easy to determine).

Cheers,
WBST

[schimmi]

Thanks for the clarification, WBST. So it is indeed ps/2 model-specific, how these adapters work?

[WoW-Mania Support]

Mine is this one...
https://www.cnet.com/products/ibm-thinkvision-l170p-lcd-monitor-17-series/

I looked at the file format but there isn't a lot of instructions on the format of the fields and I could not find any examples anywhere.
On the XGA installation program, it doesn't recognize my system when I select change configuration.
Basically, I have an 8555SX with 12MB RAM running on DOS 6.22 and WFWG 3.11.

Any pointers will be very welcome.

Thank you.

[WBSTClarke]

The Thinkvision L170p LCD display supports a maximum resolution of 1280x1024 and vertical refresh of 76Hz, with a minimum vertical refresh of 55Hz. The latter means *no support* for the 43.5Hz *Interlaced* resolution of 1024x768x256 of an XGA (*not* XGA-2) adapter.

http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/897/ENUS104-122/ENUS104-122.PDF

I'd suggest a "VESA 17" 309x232mm, 70Hz 1024x768, 72Hz 800x600, 72Hz 640x480" monitor selection.
The monitor provides 20 built-in and 15 user adjustable mode settings to match to these with an XGA-2 adapter.

Unal Zafer developed improved drivers XGA208 (and earlier XGA206) here:
https://www.ardent-tool.com/utils/utilities.html#Win_Utils

[WoW-Mania Support]

I am running Win 3.11 so these drivers won't work.
Also, I got a printout of my system spec below in the hope that it will shed some light...
As you can see it says "DMQS not supported". I am not sure if this can be changed.

Would a different monitor help?

===============================

Slot Adapters:
---------------
Slot 1: 6447
Slot 2: 8FDB
Slot 3: 70D4
Slot 4: DF9F
Slot 5: ----
Slot 6: ----
Slot 7: ----
Slot 8: ----

( 4 ) Adapters found


Checking for XGA DMQS BIOS interface
DMQS not supported

Slot 2 - 8FDB Instance 6
POS Data
--------------------------
8FDB - Adapter ID
XGA - Adapter Type
6 - Instance number
C0000 - C1BFF : XGA ROM Range (7 KB)
C1F00 - C1F7F : XGA Coprocessor Register Range (128 bytes)
2160 - Video I/O Base Address (Display Controller)
14 MB - 1 MB Video Memory Aperture Base Address (E00000h)
Disabled - 4 MB Video Memory Aperture
56 MB - Video Memory Base Address (3800000h)
13 - Video Arbitration Level
On - Video Fairness


===============================


Thanks a lot,
Fernando

[WBSTClarke]

The XGA adapter *only* supports 1024x768 resolution at 43.5Hz Interlaced vertical refresh (an accelerated 8514/A mode, effectively). LCD monitors cannot support such a low vertical refresh. Either swap to an XGA-2 adapter, or find a CRT monitor that supports 1024x768 Interlaced.

[WoW-Mania Support]

I have switched the card for an XGA-2 I had so I could use your suggestion for the monitor type (the XGA did not allow me that). Thanks a lot!

It seems to work better now, with the following caveat, the planar VGA port and the XGA port on the adapter do not work at the same time...

When the system boots up the monitor needs to be connected to the planar VGA port (I have written a menu option to select between DOS or Windows TCP/IP stack), if I select Windows and change the drivers etc, so it supports 256 colors then the port stops working and I have to move it to the adapter to see Windows. If I exit Windows to DOS, without rebooting, I need to move the monitor back to the planar.

Is this normal?

[WBSTClarke]

That's the "dual monitor" setup limitation. Apparently, because the 55SX doesn't have additional NVRAM (neither 2KB nor 8KB) that may be the limiting factor resulting in this. You could put a manual switch between the monitor and the two ports.

[IBMMuseum]

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 6:02:56 AM UTC-6, WBSTClarke wrote:

> Apparently, because the 55SX doesn't have additional NVRAM (neither
> 2KB nor 8KB) that may be the limiting factor resulting in this.

I'm wanting to try using the 55LS BIOS and a DS1220 module on the planar to see what it does...