*BSD News Article 7973


Return to BSD News archive

Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!hasty
From: hasty@netcom.com (Amancio Hasty Jr)
Subject: Re: 928 chipset?  was Re: What is the best VGA card for 386BSD???
Message-ID: <1992Nov22.080933.24586@netcom.com>
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
References: <1992Nov20.181942.15615@netcom.com> <D87-MAL.92Nov21180836@oddjob.nada.kth.se> <AOKI.92Nov21210400@risk.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 08:09:33 GMT
Lines: 47

In article <AOKI.92Nov21210400@risk.Stanford.EDU> aoki@risk.stanford.edu (ikuro aoki) writes:
>I canceled my last post. I was wrong.
>XS3-0.2a is using 16-bit path now, but ready for upgrading.
>--
>Ikuro Aoki

The S3 911/924 architecture supports 32 bit operations only via vga banking.
We found out that vga banking was faster than i/o via the S3 register
transfer which is 16 bit wide. Operations which did not required the
use of the extended features provided by the S3 chipset were replaced
by vga banking. XS3-0.2a will only work with the 911/924 and not with
the 801/805. The 801 chipset is the isa version and the 805 is the
local bus as well as EISA chipset which has one additional register to perform 
32 bit operations via the S3 register transfer. 

Both 801 and 805 are capable of mapping 2MB of memory to the PC. Thus,
eliminating the need for vga banking. The kernel not does support yet
the ability to map upto 2MB of video memory. Also, one should ensure that
the card can perform the function. Don't have a list yet and is not
clear that this would be a big performance improvement for the XS3
server,except when doing massive i/o operations such as in motion. 
One loses more performance when doing block image transfers. Of course,
there are cases of block image transfer which can be optimized.

XS3-0.3 which I am using right now with Actix's 801 will work with 
the 911,924,801 and the 805.  However it is not ready for general
release yet. I do expect to finish soon.

If any of you are interested in enhancing XS3 you are welcome.

In order to program the S3 you need to get yourself familiar with vga
programming, 8514/a programming as well as S3. The S3 is
a combination of an 8514/a and vga. The 8514/a side of the S3
is not quite 8514/a register compatible.

Here is a list for your reading pleasure:

1. S3 Software development kit which includes an S3 databook
   The sofware library is for DOS, but by the examples one can
   learn

2. Graphics Programming for the 8514/a by Jake Richter and
   Bud Smith.

3. Programmer's Guide to the EGA and VGA card by Richard Ferraro

Hope this helps,