The VA2000.card driver is an alternative implementation of a
P96 driver for the VA2000 graphics card from mnt. This driver
adds a couple of additional features not available through
the reference driver:
- Video modes can be freely configured through P96Prefs. The
driver is not limited to hard-coded video modes.
- The driver also accelerates off-screen blits, which helps
to improve the performance of smart-refresh windows.
- The VA2000 flicker fixer is configurable through tool types
of the driver.
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New in release 43.93:
- The previous release apparently did not work on Zorro-III Amigas
because the card does not seem to support 32-bit Z-III cycles.
- The sprite buffer acceleration is disabled again as it seems to
cause glitches on some (probably also Zorro-III) systems.
New in release 43.89:
- This is the first Aminet release.
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Installation:
- Copy VA2000.card to LIBS:Picasso96/
- If not already present in the system, install P96 with the
included installer, but do not select any graphics card.
The P96 installer will then place a file "Generic" in
DEVS:Monitors.
- Take this, or any other P96 monitor icon, and edit its
tool types with the workbench. Add or modify the following
tool type:
BOARDTYPE=VA2000
- Rename the icon to VA2000.
- Reboot the system, and start either Picasso96Mode or
P96Prefs (preferred).
- For P96Prefs, select the VA2000 monitor and press on
"Add Default Modes", then edit the modes to your liking.
In particular, for low resolution modes, it may be necessary
to adjust the horizontal or vertical frame size (the first
two numbers on the right-hand side of the window) to
adjust the horizontal and vertical refresh rates to match
the requirements of the monitor. P96Prefs 47.15 and above
perform these steps automatically when creating modes for
the VA2000.
- For the Picasso96Mode program, you need to create the
desired modes manually.
The following additional tool types are recognized by the
driver and can be added to the driver icon either by the
workbench or by P96Prefs:
DISPLAYCHAIN=<yes|no>
Enables (with "yes") or disables (with "no") support for the
VA2000CX flicker fixer. If the flicker fixer is enabled, the
video RAM size is limited to 15MB as the position of the
flicker fixer output buffer is hard-coded into the FPGA.
CAPTUREWIDTH=<640>
Defines the number of pixels captured left to right by the
flicker fixer. This defaults to 640 pixels.
CAPTUREHEIGHT=<512>
Defines the number of lines the flicker fixer captures to
to bottom. This is by default 512 lines, corresponding to a
PAL highres screen.
CAPTURELEFT=<66>
Defines the left edge at which the flicker fixer starts
capturing. This needs to be adjusted when editing the
overscan preferences. The default is 66 pixels.
CAPTURETOP=<42>
Defines the top edge at which the flicker fixer starts
capturing the amiga video signal. This defaults to 42
lines.
CAPTUREPHASE=<-16..16>
Defines the phase relative to the Amiga 7M clock at
which the flicker fixer captures data from the Amiga
video port. This can be adjusted to reduce flickering
at edges in the captured amiga video signal. Recommended
values are -16 for the A2000 or +12 for the A3000.
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The THOR-Software Licence (v3, January 2nd 2021)
This License applies to the computer programs known as the "VA2000.card".
The "Program", below, refers to such program. The "Archive" refers to
the package of distribution, as prepared by the author of the Program,
Thomas Richter. Each licensee is addressed as "you".
The Program and the data in the archive are freely distributable
under the restrictions stated below, but are also Copyright (c)
Thomas Richter.
Distribution of the Program, the Archive and the data in the Archive by a
commercial organization without written permission from the author to any
third party is prohibited if any payment is made in connection with such
distribution, whether directly (as in payment for a copy of the Program) or
indirectly (as in payment for some service related to the Program, or
payment for some product or service that includes a copy of the Program
"without charge"; these are only examples, and not an exhaustive
enumeration of prohibited activities).
However, the following methods of distribution involving payment shall not
in and of themselves be a violation of this restriction:
(i) Distributing the Program on a physical data carrier (e.g. CD-ROM,
DVD, USB-Stick, Disk...) provided that:
a) the Archive is reproduced entirely and verbatim on such data carrier,
including especially this licence agreement;
b) the data carrier is made available to the public for a nominal
fee only, i.e. for a fee that covers the costs of the data carrier,
and shipment of the data carrier;
c) a data carrier with the Program installed is made available to the
author for free except for shipment costs, and
d) provided further that all information on said data carrier is
redistributable for non-commercial purposes without charge.
Redistribution of a modified version of the Archive, the Program or the
contents of the Archive is prohibited in any way, by any organization,
regardless whether commercial or non-commercial. Everything must be kept
together, in original and unmodified form.
Limitations.
THE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY. THERE IS NO
WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. THE ENTIRE
RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD
THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY
SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THIS LICENCE, YOU MUST DELETE THE PROGRAM, THE ARCHIVE
AND ALL DATA OF THIS ARCHIVE FROM YOUR STORAGE SYSTEM. YOU ACCEPT THIS
LICENCE BY USING OR REDISTRIBUTING THE PROGRAM.
Thomas Richter
Note that this program is also available under license from individual
Computers, Jens Schönfeld GmbH.
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Send ideas, improvements, bug reports (please as concrete as possible)
to:
Thomas Richter
EMail: thomas.richter alumni.tu-berlin.de
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Richter,
January 2024.
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