Rastergraf Eclipse3 Series Bedienungsanleitung PDF herunterladen (Seite 3)

GeminiPMC

Technical

Overview

Introduction

The Rastergraf GeminiPMC is a PMC (PCI Mezzanine Card) multi-

function display controller for VMEbus, CompactPCI, and PCI comput-

ers. When used with a Rastergraf PMC adapter board, the

GeminiPMC can be used in standard CompactPCI and PCI slots.

Gemini System Overview

Referring to the block diagram, the GeminiPMC is composed of two

functional blocks: PMC interface bridge and Borealis graphics con-

trollers.

Asynchronous PCI Bridge Architecture

The PLX 6154 Asynchronous PCI Bridge supports all PMC interfaces,

from 32-bit, 33 MHz to 64-bit, 66 MHz, while enabling the local side to

always operate at 32 bit, 66 MHz, which is the native interface for the

graphics controllers. This capability is due to the 6154’s use of large

internal FIFOs to unlock the timing of the primary and secondary PCI

buses from each other.

128-Bit Graphics Accelerator

Each GeminiPMC display channel is powered by a Borealis graphics

accelerator. With its 128-bit wide memory bus, the Borealis can draw

up to sixteen 256-color pixels each memory cycle for a raw drawing

speed of 2 GB/s. It can generate many hundreds of thousands of

shaded triangles per second. The drawing engine’s blazing perform-

ance is further enhanced by its display list capability, which enables it

to execute lists of instructions from the CPU, rather than just one at a

time. The Borealis and the host CPU can process data independently,

thus breaking the lockstep which often reduces system throughput.

The display memory has 16 MB of high speed SGRAM, which pro-

vides ample local storage for the graphics image and off-screen data

such as texture maps, Z-buffer, and backing store.

The Borealis does not use the RAMDAC to provide YUV to RGB color

space conversion. Instead, it uses a programmable Look Up Table

(LUT) as part of its Drawing Engine. When video data is copied from

off-screen memory as part of the video image double-buffering opera-

tion, pixels can be converted on the fly to the current display pixel for-

mat. This allows for efficient use of offscreen memory and the ability to

dynamically accommodate a variety of image formats.

The Borealis can smoothly X/Y scale small RGB or YUV video clips up

to full screen at any resolution and any color depth, and maintain a

rate greater than 30 frames per second.

For basic startup support on any system expecting a VGA device on

power up, the GeminiPMC graphics Channel A includes a quad image

BIOS that supports VGA and FCode, with or without Sync On Green.

Once the operating system is running, full function drivers can be

loaded, allowing the Borealis’s extended instruction set to be utilized.

The Borealis programmable video timing ranges from 30 to 150 Hz

vertical and 15.7 to 100 KHz horizontal refresh rates, with a pixel clock

up to 250 MHz, giving display formats up to 1920 x 1200 x 32 bpp.

Note that GeminiPMC does not support interlaced timing.

The display output is directed through an internal RAMDAC which

includes a graphics cursor with a 64 x 64 x 2 bit map. It integrates the

graphics and cursor pixels into 24-bit color values (8 bits each of

RGB). The analog signals from the RAMDAC are connected to a stan-

dard RGBHV (VGA) or Sync On Green monitor. Display Data Channel

lines enable the host computer to control the monitor.

A separate data path from the Borealis supports the optional digital

output using a PanelLink (DVI) converter. It provides clock and encod-

ed 24-bit graphics data on four matched-length differential pairs.

I/O Connections

All connections are made through the front panel twin VGA connec-

tors, or when DVI is included, a 68-pin high density connector. A

breakout cable splits the functions into dual DVI-I (for both DVI and

VGA).

PMC (PCI) Bus

16 MB

Display

Memory

PLX

PCI6154

32/64 bit

33/66 MHz

PCI/PCI

Bridge

Borealis

Graphics

Accelerator

Channel A

128

Quad

Image

BIOS

Control/Address

Memory Data

16 MB

Display

Memory

Borealis

Graphics

Accelerator

Channel B

128

Control/Address

Memory Data

Graphics

Channel A

(VGA or DVI-I)

32 bit, 66 MHz

32/64 bit

Graphics

Channel B

(VGA or DVI-I)

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