Topic : CTPCI Documentation
Author : Sascha Uhlig (Editor)
Version : CTPCI.hyp (5/12/2010)
Subject : Expansion Card
Nodes : 135
Index Size : 3892
HCP-Version : 5
Compiled on : Atari
@charset : atarist
@lang :
@default : Title Page
@help : Help Page
@options : -i +zz
@width : 70
View Ref-File3.2.5.1 CT60 Configuration Control Panel CTPCI
With the CT60 Configuration CPX module (CT60Conf.cpx), among other
CT60/63 specific things, you can change the boot screen resolution,
the monitor detection and write the video debug output to log files.
For example, the XControl or COPS accessory can load this control
panel from the CPX folder.
Figure. CT60 Configuration control panel
with index card 'Video (Boot)'
∙ Select 'Video (boot)' in the main popup and change Resolution to
the desired video mode. The boot resolution selection lists only
Videl and Radeon XBIOS modes, but only the last ones can be
selected.
The XBIOS list contains versions of Atari standard video modes
(width x height in pixels): 320x240, 320x480, 640x240, 640x480,
800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960 and 1600x1200.
If the Preferred Timing Mode (PTM) of the monitor is found by the
monitor probe done by the Radeon driver, it will be added to the
list. The display manufacturer defines it as the video mode that
will produce the best quality image on the display's viewing
screen. For most flat-panel displays, the PTM will be the panel's
'native timing' and 'native resolution' .
The colour depth of the boot screen resolution can be set with the
Colors popup. You can select 2, 256, 65536 or 16M (16,777,216)
colours.
The monochrome modes work up to 1024x768 and are emulated. [With
the current PCI 9054 performance (no burst), even the mode 640x480
uses about 50% of the CPU time.]
Note that your saved video mode for the Falcon's onboard graphics
chip Videl will not be overwritten.
∙ The Monitor Layout option, below the Resolution popup (see figure
above), is used to override the detected monitor(s) connected to
the Radeon.
The connection systems between the Radeon graphics card and the
computer display are Video Graphics Array (VGA) and Digital Visual
Interface (DVI). A Radeon can have one VGA or DVI port, or two VGA
or DVI ports, or a mixture of them. DVI is a digital-based
standard designed for displays such as flat-panel displays (LCDs,
plasma screens, wide high-definition television displays) and
video projectors.
The DVI connector usually contains pins to pass the DVI-native
digital video signals. As well as digital signals, this connector
can include pins providing the same analogue signals found on a
VGA connector, allowing a VGA monitor to be connected with a
simple plug adapter (or with a special purpose DVI-A or DVI-I to
VGA cable). This feature was included in order to make DVI
universal, as it allows either type of monitor (analogue or
digital) to be operated from the same connector. The DVI connector
on a device is therefore given one of three names, depending on
which signals it implements:
- DVI-D (digital only)
- DVI-A (analogue only)
- DVI-I (integrated - digital and analogue)
Radeon graphic cards with a DVI port have a DVI-I connector,
allowing (via simple adapter) standard RGB signal output to an old
CRT or LCD monitor with VGA input.
With the Monitor Layout option, you can set monitor type on the
output ports. This is only required when the driver makes a false
detection, though. For this, you can check the video output log
file (see next section).
The possible monitor types are
- NONE = not connected
- CRT = analogue CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor
- TMDS = desktop flat panel
The options use the format '[type on primary port], [type on
secondary port]'. DEFAULT means automatic detection of the monitor
type.
A reason for automatic detection: it seems better for probing
monitors on the ATI Radeon 7000, and maybe on other graphics cards.
Note that the monitor layout can also be set within fVDI.sys (see
Installation of fVDI Driver and VDI Replacements). This means that
an installed fVDI can change the monitor layout once more.
Figure. CT60 Configuration control panel
with index card 'Boot'
∙ With the video.log option, you can write the debug output from the
Radeon driver to log files in the root directory of drive C.
Choose 'Boot' in the main popup and change Video.log from 'No' to
'Yes'. You will get two files, Video.log for the early stage when
the Radeon is being initialised, before the boot screen is
directed to the graphics card, and Screen.log for each new screen.
Among other things, both log files give information about the
display's data. DVI and modern analogue VGA connectors include
pins for the display data channel (DDC). DDC2 (a newer version of
DDC, the first one never gained popularity) allows the graphics
card to read the monitor's Extended Display Identification Data
(EDID). Video.log has two EDID sections because there are two
scans during the initialisation.
Video.log contains the result of the monitor probing (see previous
section). For example, you get 'Monitor 1 type DFP found' if there
is a flat panel (DFP = desktop flat panel) on the primary port and
'Monitor 2 type CRT found' in case you have an analogue monitor
(CRT = cathode ray tube) on the secondary port.
With [OK], the new settings become valid. With [Save] and [Load], you
can save the adjustments to the CPX (for a permanent usage) and load
them from the CPX. And [Cancel] closes the dialogue without making
any changes.