*BSD News Article 30410


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From: dmndjeffo@aol.com (Dmnd JeffO)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: Re: PCI bus cards (graphics and SCSI) which work?
Date: 5 May 1994 21:38:03 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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re: Diamond and XFree86

Diamond replies...

It's interesting to see all of the views and opinions regarding the use of
Diamond cards in the free UNIX environments.  We have followed, listened, and
discussed this topic with people electronically and verbally over the past
couple years.  Hopefully, the following text will help clear some of the rumors
that exist and/or raise some questions that we have not answered that can be
addressed.

Diamond manufactures/has manufactured the following graphics cards with the
following chipsets:

SpeedStar VGA          Tseng ET-4000
SpeedStar Plus          Tseng ET-4000
SpeedStar Hi-Color     Tseng ET-4000
SpeedStar 24             Tseng ET-4000
Stealth VRAM            S3 911   /    s3 924
SpeedStar 24X          WD C31
Stealth 24                 S3 801 (ISA)  S3 805 (VLB)
Stealth Pro               S3 928
SpeedStar Pro          Cirrus 5426   / 5428
Viper VLB/PCI         Weitek P9000
Stealth 32                Tseng W32P
Stealth 64                S3 964
Viper Pro                 Weitek P9100
SpeedStar 64           Cirrus 5434

During the development of graphics cards, many adapter vendors will take a
manufacturing guideline and slap it onto a PCB with their name.  Diamond takes
the reference design and redesigns the product from scratch.  As a part of this
design cycle, Diamond has developed its own RAM DAC and frequency synthesizer
(clock) designs.  These designs take advantage of the ASIC technology each
controller vendor creates.

Since these proprietary technologies consist of an advantage, whether it be
price, performance, size, or otherwise, they are held close as company
property.  For this reason, data related to programming the frequency
synthesizer is released under a non-disclosure agreement.  If competitors in
the market produced and/or used publicly available parts that provided these
technologies, it would serve no purpose for Diamond to hold this information
proprietary and most likely the NDA requirement would be lifted.

Diamond does not charge for the information in any fashion.  Completion and
adherance to the NDA is all that is required.  Several UNIX vendors and
customers (both commercial and freeware) are successfully using Diamond video
adapters in SVGA resolutions and color depths.

Diamond is not numb to the freeware Unix market.  We have worked with
developers and users on the issues of Diamond's support for freeware Unix and
the reception has been mixed.  We constantly revisit the technology currently
held proprietary to determine if we still maintain a competitive advantage by
doing so.  At this time, it is still necessary.  If this changes in the future,
we will gladly make the necessary information available.

Diamond has reviewed several supposed "copies" of our clock programming
information and we recommend that it not be used.  By incorrectly programming
the clock, the card can be driven out of specification, potentially causing
damage to the card, monitor, and/or system.

We'll gladly hear any of your concerns in this matter.  Feel free to drop us a
line at the email address above (DMNDJEFFO@AOL.COM) or send us a FAX at (408)
730-5750 (Attn: Product Marketing).