Subject: Things & Stuff

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 93 13:56:19 +0100

There has been lots of noise about 34010 versus dumb frame buffers. Whilst I'm
in favour of the 34010 solution, I though I'd mention the 34076 Video Systems
Controller. The 34076 generates all the control and timing signals for a
raster scan video system, you just add a blob of VRAM, and a DAC (Inmos make
some nice ones, BTW), and Bob's yer aunty - instant dumb frame buffer.

While I'm at it, don't go leaving the parallel printer port off of the
motherboard. The cost of the necessary TTL octal latch is peanuts, so please
do your penny pinching elsewhere!

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From: Pat Mackinlay <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Jun 1993 21:21:04 +0800

>some nice ones, BTW), and Bob's yer aunty - instant dumb frame buffer.

Ok, this is what I was looking for. Any ideas on pricing? I hope TI still 
makes the thing. Does anyone know of any other chips that will provide 
similar stuff? While we're at it, perhaps you could let me (us) know why 
you do favour a 34010 solution? I personally would go for the dumb 
framebuffer if it were possible to do it cheaply enough...

>do your penny pinching elsewhere!

Hmmm... My feelings here are that if we're going to put a parallel port and 
an FDC on the motherboard, it should only be done at the expense of the ISA 
(or other) I/O bus. A card with a parallel port and other junk costs 
virtually nothing. Putting a "real" parallel port (ie: bidirectional) on 
the motherboard would be a waste of board space and effort (IMHO).

Pat -- "There's only one thing left to do Mama, I got to ding a ding dang
	my dang a long ling long" (Jesus Built My Hotrod -- Ministry)
GCS d* -p+ c++ l++ m--- s+/- !g w- t- r

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From: [email-masked] (Steven D. Ligett)
Date: 28 Jun 93 10:14:18 EDT

--- Pat Mackinlay wrote:
makes the thing.
--- end of quoted material ---
HEY!  oh never mind.  no one listens.

the 34076 plus the nsc 1882 to generate the syncs is what I SAID.

jeez.

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From: [email-masked] (Steven D. Ligett)
Date: 28 Jun 93 10:17:44 EDT

--- [email-masked] wrote:
There has been lots of noise about 34010 versus dumb frame buffers. Whilst
I'm in favour of the 34010 solution, I though I'd mention the 34076 Video
Systems Controller. The 34076 generates all the control and timing signals
for a raster scan video system, you just add a blob of VRAM, and a DAC (Inmos
make some nice ones, BTW), and Bob's yer aunty - instant dumb frame buffer.
--- end of quoted material ---
Yes, perhaps my post didn't get out.  The design I've been working on would
use the 34076, and the NSC LM1882 to generate the syncs.  The 34076 HAS the
DACs on it -- It's a RAMDAC.  It doesn't generate the Vsync, Hsync, nor the
blanking.  The 1882 does that.

Bag the 34010 -- put another 3041 on the board if you want smarts to drive
the graphics.  All your software tools for the 3081 work just as well for its
little brother.

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From: Pat Mackinlay <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Jun 1993 22:41:40 +0800

>blanking.  The 1882 does that.

I must apologize to Steve here - I suspect that his message referring to 
this idea got lost in my "great mail screwup" and I didn't manage to see 
it. Ok, the next thing to look at is pricing and availability.

>the graphics.  All your software tools for the 3081 work just as well for its

Agree. Presuming that the 34076 and 1882 are cheap enough (and readily 
available), it looks like we have a video system <grin>.

(Still like the idea of the 34010 though <grumble>).