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SuperVGA/VESA programmer's notes.

This posting contains programming notes and references for those interested in programming in SuperVGA modes.
Archive-name: pc-hardware-faq/supervga-programming
Posting-Frequency: every 2 months
Last-modified: 1995/05/19
Version: 1.0


         DOS Super VGA / VESA programming notes - by Myles.
         --------------------------------------------------
         Version 1.0


         Send updates and errors to myles@giaec.cc.monash.edu.au
         Comments on my grammar and style are not welcome. 8-)

         With regards to questions :
         My time is extremely limited at the moment, don't expect
         comprehensive replies. Also, my entire knowledge on the
         subject is mostly enclosed here, so you won't get any more
         out of contacting me directly.

         This document is meant to be a pointer, not a comprehensive
         treatise.

         My information base is biased by my Turbo Pascal hobbyist's
         background. Please feel free to send me corrections or
         updates.


         This version mostly only covers up to VESA VBE 1.2 spec.

         To do :
         -------

         The next version should include more information, and will
         hopefully cover some of the VESA VBE 2.0 spec.
         I am also hoping to include some detail on using the mouse in
         VESA SuperVGA modes.

         Introduction:
         -------------


         SuperVGA programming uses screen data that can easily exceed
         1 MB in size. However, the normal VGA card only offers a 64k
         memory access at A000h (some cards provide 128k).

         How do you get to all that video memory ?
         You know it's there - after all, your card documentation states
         that you have e.g. 512k of memory on your video card, enough to
         handle e.g. 800 x 600 x 256.

         You may even have experimented and found that you can change to
         this mode, but can only write pixels to a narrow band at the
         top of the screen.(Surprise! That narrow band is 64k in size.)
         (Except, of course, if it is 128k - read on.)

         The answer is in a technique called bank switching, where you
         use the 64k at A000h as a window onto your video card's memory.

         The techniques and functions to do this vary from card to
         card, because of historical reasons. Read on.


         History:
         --------

         IBM defined MDA (monochrome), CGA, EGA, the MCGA (found  in
         some early  PS/2  models,  it  never  became  a  wide-spread
         standard), and in 1987, the VGA (and the 8514/A).

         VGA was backwards compatible with all the previous standards,
         including the   320x200,256-colour   MCGA   mode.  It  also
         introduced a new mode, 640x480 with 16 colours,  which  was
         basically an extension of EGA's 640x350,16-colour mode, with
         one major advantage - square pixels (so that if you plotted
         the points  for  a  circle,  it looked like a circle, not an
         ellipse). There was also a 640*480 2-colour mode on the MCGA.

         If you wanted higher resolutions you had to pay quite a bit
         for IBM's   professional   level   card,   the   8514/A,  a
         high-resolution card capable  of  256-colour  modes  up  to
         1024x768 (interlaced).
         However, this card was proprietary - IBM didn't
         release the register-level details.


         Each of the other video card manufacturers then came up with
         their own  high  resolution  cards.  However,  they were all
         implemented differently.   640x480  in  256  colours,  for
         example, may  have been mode 34h on one manufacturer's card,
         mode 56h on another's, and mode 62h on yet another.   (N.B.
         These are just false numbers to give you the idea.) Similarly
         for 800x600, 1024x768, and other modes.

         Also, at least one manufacturer implemented 128k banks.
         Manufacturers also differed on whether banks (as a subsection
         of the video card's memory) could start only 64k apart,
         or 4k apart (i.e. possibly overlapping), or ....
         You get the picture. Non-standard.


         Programmers have to write routines to detect  (or  ask  the
         user:-p) which card is present, and then write card-specific
         routines to handle the graphics routines for that card. If a
         new card  comes out, from a different manufacturer or even a
         different model  of  card  from  the  same   manufacturer,
         programmers have to write new routines to support that card,
         which means that first they have to get  details  from  the
         manufacturer, and if they do it properly, they needed to find
         a card to test their routines, (or a beta tester to do it for
         them).  You  could provide these routines either in the body
         of your code, or write external  drivers  or  configuration
         files.  It is possible to write moderately generic code that
         loads the specific card details from external files.

         The manufacturers usually provide drivers for a few programs
         (Autocad, Windows, etc.). Also, the information supplied
         in the user manual that comes with the card is usually only the
         mode numbers for that card, not the bank-switching code. Sigh.
         You have to chase them up to get programming details.

         Not surprisingly, most programs didn't support ALL the cards
         available, and  many  programmers  chose not to support any
         SuperVGA cards.   It  wasn't  worth  the  effort,  and  your
         customers always  ask  when  you  are going to support THEIR
         particular card.

         The manufacturers were miffed  enough  by  this  that  they
         actually got  together  and  formed  the  Video  Electronics
         Standards Association (VESA).  They defined a new  standard
         programmer's interface so that programmers would only have to
         write one set of graphics routines for SuperVGA.  This  was
         the VESA  standard. It has nothing to do with VESA Local Bus
         (VLB), which is another standard from the same group about a
         completely different  hardware  problem.   (You think that's
         confusing - VESA are coming/have come out with another VESA
         standards for sound device interfacing, and more. And then
         there's the Advanced Graphics Interface standard, which is
         also different, I hear) The VESA SuperVGA standard is also
         known as the VESA VBE standard (Video BIOS Extensions, or VGA
         BIOS Extensions - depending on who you talk to - I think
         the latter is correct, but I'm not sure).

         The VESA VBE standard
         ---------------------

         The VESA VBE standard implements video card routines through
         an  extension of  the  Interrupt  10h BIOS routines
         (subfunction 4Fh).

         Many video cards in existence implement VESA through the use
         of a  VESA VBE TSR  (TSR = Terminate and Stay Resident
         program, also known as a memory-resident program.), often
         known as a  VESA driver  (not  entirely  accurate), although
         newer video cards may implement the VESA VBE standard in
         hardware.  Let  me  re-iterate that  this  is  an entirely
         different matter from whether they are a VESA Local Bus (VLB)
         card.

         A VESA VBE driver should have been  included  on  the  disk
         of  drivers and utilities you got with your video card.
         However, this, along with a number  of  VESA  VBE drivers
         available  on  Internet, may be out of date.  Most VESA TSRs
         are specific to a particular card.

         If you don't have a VESA VBE driver that provides  support
         for  version 1.2  of the VESA VBE standard, look for a
         shareware VESA utility, last seen as UNIVBE51.ZIP, by Kendall
         Bennett  of  SciTech Software. This is a shareware TSR that
         provides VESA extensions for practically every SuperVGA card
         in existence. Inexpensive personal  registration.  Licences
         available for including it with your own programs.
         Version 5.1 supports version 2.0 of the VESA standard.

         The current version of the VESA VBE standard is 2.0 - you
         should really try  and  get a driver which supports at least
         version 1.2 , as there are a number of useful extra extras
         beyond earlier versions (such as 32k/64k/16.7M colour modes)

         VESA subfunctions (as of VESA VBE version 1.2) are:

        subfunction 00 - get SuperVGA information
        subfunction 01 - get SVGA mode information
        subfunction 02 - set SuperVGA video mode
        subfunction 03 - get current video mode
        subfunction 04 - save/restore SuperVGA video state
        subfunction 05 - bank switch
        subfunction 06 - get/set logical scan line length
        subfunction 07 - get/set display start
        subfunction 08 - get/set DAC palette control

        VESA VBE video modes (as of version 1.2)

        100h : 640x400 256-colour
        101h : 640x480 256-colour
        102h : 800x600 16-colour
        103h : 800x600 256-colour
        104h : 1024x768 16-colour
        105h : 1024x7686 256-colour
        106h : 1280x1024 16-colour
        107h : 1280x1024 256-colour
        108h : 80x60 text
        109h : 132x25 text
        10Ah : 132x43 text
        10Bh : 132x50 text
        10Ch : 132x60 text
        10Dh : 320x200 32k-colour (1:5:5:5)
        10Eh : 320x200 64k-colour (5:6:5)
        10Fh : 320x200 16.8M-colour (8:8:8)
        110h : 640x480 32k-colour (1:5:5:5)
        111h : 640x480 64k-colour (5:6:5)
        112h : 640x480 16.8M-colour (8:8:8)
        113h : 800x600 32k-colour (1:5:5:5)
        114h : 800x600 64k-colour (5:6:5)
        115h : 800x600 16.8M-colour (8:8:8)
        116h : 1024x768 32k-colour (1:5:5:5)
        117h : 1024x768 64k-colour (5:6:5)
        118h : 1024x768 16.8M-colour (8:8:8)
        119h : 1280x1024 32k-colour (1:5:5:5)
        11Ah : 1280x1024 64k-colour (5:6:5)
        11Bh : 1280x1024 16.8M-colour (8:8:8)


         Version 2.0 of the VESA video standard has recently
         become available, but I'm still gathering information
         about it.
         It covers extra features like protected mode, flat
         memory video space (no banks), etc.
         Stay tuned.  In the meantime ...

         -----------------------------------------------------------

         That 64k of memory - what to put into it:
         -----------------------------------------

         For 256-colour modes, each byte in  the  64k  is  simply  a
         palette value,  or  the  colour  number  of  a  pixel  (Yes,
         256-colour graphics is just pixel painting by the numbers).
         This means the color number is just an array index into a 256
         member array of 6-bit red, green and blue values, giving you
         256 colours out of 256k (2^(6*6*6)) possible values.

         -------------------------------------------------------------
         HiColor and  TrueColor  cards use a different RAMDAC chip (a
         digital to analogue chip converting the digital  values  in
         video memory to analogue output for the monitor).

         HiColor and TrueColor modes represent their colours directly
         - you  specify  the  red-green-blue  values  for each pixel,
         rather than choosing from a limited array of colours.

         15-bit modes provide 32k colours - each colour is represented
         as a  two-byte  value  xrrrrrgggggbbbbb,  where the x bit is
         unused.  16-bit modes provide 64k colours, and  provide  an
         extra bit  for  green  (I think) - rrrrrggggggbbbbb.  24-bit
         modes use three-byte values, one byte (8-bits) each for red,
         green, and blue.

         SuperVGA does not support the 32-bit and 64-bit modes found
         on some specialist hardware, although you may sometimes find
         32-bit (and rarely even 64-bit ?) files.
         Some SuperVGA cards e.g. the S3-864, have pseudo-32-bit
         modes, enabling the use of 32-bit instructions to move
         data into video memory. The 4th byte is not used, giving you
         a 24-bit mode with unused "gaps" in video memory, but increasing
         the speed of transfer.

         32-bit files provide another byte for an alpha value - which is
         a transparency value used for overlaying one image on another -
         also good for such things as  anti-aliasing  edges.  64-bit
         files are  like  32-bit,  but provide 2 bytes each for red,
         green, blue, and alpha.


         -----------------------------------------------------------
         A note on VESA and speed :

         Some people have stated that programming using the VESA VBE
         is s-l-o-w, apparently because they hear the word "BIOS"
         and tune out, because in the past it has been emphasised that
         using the BIOS to e.g. draw a pixel, is incredibly slow, compared
         to writing your own routines to just move graphics data into
         video memory.

         However, apart from setting values and graphics mode, usually
         at the beginning of your program, and getting information
         pertaining to the mode you are using (a few BIOS calls at
         most, done once only), you don't have to use the BIOS much at
         all. Once you've set a bank, the VESA standard allows you to
         write directly to video memory (well, a 64k subset of it),
         indeed almost encourages it.

         Also, you can use function 05 to change banks, but you'll find
         the VESA VBE standard also includes a function returning the
         direct address of the video card's bank changing routine, so
         you can use it directly in a far call.

         Alas, a number of video card manufacturers have not pointed this
         address to a fast, optimized bank-changing routine, and a
         considerable gain in speed can still be achieved by writing
         card-specific drivers. *Sigh*

         So VESA *can* be slower than a card-specific driver.
         But not because it's using BIOS functions.

         -----------------------------------------------------------

         Warning: VESA is not a completely simple solution. You have
         to find  out  whether  the  card  it  is being used on has 2
         "windows", whether one or both windows are readable  and/or
         writeable, how  big are the jumps by which you can move the
         window around (granularity), how big the windows are,  etc.
         While these routines will only have to be written once, there
         is a bit of work to be done at the start to make your  VESA
         routines generic to all VESA cards.

         -----------------------------------------------------------

         Information and code.
         ---------------------

        ******  N.B. I am not willing to
        supply FTP sites for these files -
        I suggest you either use ARCHIE, or find out HOW
        to use archie - news.answers and comp.answers may
        be good places to start.
        You may also find information there on FTP mail
        servers, allowing you FTP services via email.
        Requests for FTP sites will be deleted from my mail
        without consideration - my time is, unfortunately, limited.

        That said, I recommend the following FTP sites to get you
        started (you may also have local mirrors of these sites) -

        garbo.uwasa.fi:  e.g. /pc/turbopas,/pc/graphics
        oak.oakland.edu: e.g. /SimTel/msdos/graphics,/SimTel/msdos/turbopas
        x2ftp.oulu.fi:   /pub/msdos/programming




         SVGABG55.ZIP - Jordan Hargrave's set of Super VGA BGI  drivers.
         If your card is not one of those catered for, it will also use
         a VESA driver. Shareware, register for source.  Uses the Graph
         unit.  This is just like using the Borland BGI. Good.

         VESATP11.ZIP - shareware TPU , register for source.
         On initialising a SuperVGA mode, you get a SuperVGA advert.
         Otherwise much like the BGI interface, except you don't use the
         Graph unit. Good.
         I am reliably informed a new, improved version of this unit
         will be out some time soon.
         There is a graphics file viewer (VIEWER.ZIP ?) which uses
         this unit (or it's predecessor, VESATP10.ZIP ?) for it's
         graphics handling.

         EGOF11-6.ZIP
         EGOF11-7.ZIP - shareware, Turbo Pascal units. Mode X and VESA.
         Haven't seen them myself yet.

         VGADOC3.ZIP - includes card-specific information  and  code
         (Turbo Pascal), also includes VESA information and code. Will
         identify your card (including the DAC  -  256  colour,  32k
         colour, 16.7M colour), and will do a quick screen demo in any
         available mode. Very extensive, freeware. Top quality.
         Compiler/author, Finn Thoegersen.

         VESASP12.ZIP - an unofficial version of the  official  VESA
         standard, typed  in by a friendly demo coder going under the
         pseudonym of  Patch.   Includes  ASM  information  on  VESA
         routines. I believe a version of this may also be found in
         the PC Game Programmer's Encyclopedia, PCGPE*.ZIP, at
         x2ftp.oulu.fi, somewhere under pub/msdos/programming.

         VESADRV2.ZIP - a collection of VESA drivers, not necessarily
         implementing version  1.2  of  the  VESA  standard. Some, at
         least, are earlier.

         VDRIV.ZIP - an even older collection of VESA drivers.

         VESA24_2.ZIP - C/ASM source for  VESA  usage.
         Originally by Randy Buckland, with modifications by Don
         Lewis.

         VGAKIT52.ZIP - C ?  More info ?

         ALLSWAGS.ZIP
         SWAG*.ZIP - this collection of Turbo Pascal code snippets
         and it's updates have some VESA routines included.
         (I believe there is a C equivalent called something like
         SNIPPETS, which may have VESA routines - I haven't seen it.)

         UNIVBE51.ZIP -  the  universal  VESA VBE driver. Better than
         some hardware-specific drivers. Might well provide functions
         not provided by VESA functionality in hardware. Shareware.
         Regularly updated and improved.  By Kendall Bennett,
         from SciTech Software. Good.


         MGL - MegaGraphics Library - for C/C++, also  from  SciTech
         Software. Shareware.

         SVGAKT51.ZIP - for C/C++, also from SciTech Software. Freeware ?

         SciTech also released a freeware product called WinDirect
         (maybe included in SVGAKIT51.ZIP ?) which enables you to
         turn off the GDI in MS-Windows and run full-screen VESA
         graphics, rather than using WinG in a window, while still
         leaving other Windows functionality available.
         Have a look in ftp.scitech.com, under devel/svgakt51.zip

         INTER45?.ZIP - Ralf Brown's extensive interrupt list in
         electronic form, includes VESA int 10h extensions
         - latest version includes version 2.0 functions.
         (Also available as RBNG45.ZIP - Norton Guides format
          - a good DOS TSR reader for this format, apart from the
         official commercial one, is NGHELP(10?).ZIP)

         SVGACC23.ZIP - library for MS-compat. C/C++
         SVGAPV23.ZIP - library for MS PDS and MS VBDOS
         SVGAQB23.ZIP - library for MS QuickBASIC 4.x


         More details on these and others as and when I have the time,
         or somebody passes me the information.

         -------------------------------------------------------------

         Other sources I have seen/used:
         ------------------------------

         N.B. Only the most recent of these cover up to version 1.2 of
         the standard. I've not yet seen a printed version that
         covers version 2.0.


         "PC Interrupts", 2nd ed. by Ralf Brown and Jim Kyle.
         Addison-Wesley, 1994. ISBN 0201624850

         "Super VGA graphics programming secrets" by  Steve  Rimmer.
         Windcrest/McGraw-Hill, 1993. ISBN 0-8306-4427-X (hbk) (C/ASM)
         ISBN 0-8306-4428-8 (pbk)

         "PC INTERN System Programming :  the  encyclopedia  of  DOS
         programming know how" by Michael Tischer. Abacus, 1992. ISBN
         1-55755-145-6 (C/TP/ASM)


         "PC Magazine Turbo Pascal 6.0 : techniques and utilities", by
         Neil J. Rubenking. Ziff-Davis Press, 1991. ISBN 1-56276-010-6

         "Programmer's guide to the EGA and VGA cards", 2nd  ed.  by
         Richard F.  Ferraro. Addison-Wesley, 1990. ISBN

         Program Now (UK  programmer's  magazine),  September  1993,
         p.60-64, Dave  Bolton's  Turbo  Pascal  programming  column,
         "Raising the VESA standard."

         Dr Dobbs Journal, April 1990, p.  65H-70.  "VESA  VGA  BIOS
         extensions :  a  software  standard  for  Super  VGA"  by Bo
         Ericsson.

         This one doesn't have VESA, but it's goes  into  plenty  of
         detail, with  lots  of  code, on programming VGA and earlier
         (ASM/C): "Programmer's  guide  to  the  PC  &  PS/2  video
         subsytems" by  Richard  Wilton.  Microsoft Press, 1987. ISBN
         1-55615-103-9
         The second edition, now out, has a brief section on VESA
         "Programmer's guide to PC video subsystems", 2nd ed.,
         by Richard Wilton. Microsoft Press, 1994. ISBN 1-55615-641-3.


         ------------------------------------------------------

         The VESA standard itself is available from:

         Video Electronics Standards Association
         2150 North First Street, Suite 440
         San Jose, California. 95131-2029

         Phone (408) 435-0333
         FAX   (408) 435-8225

         You may see an address of South Bascombe Avenue or some such
         quoted in  some sources. This is an old address, and mail is
         no longer forwarded from this address, so don't use it.

         When I last enquired, version 1.2 was still the standard.
         Prices were as follows :

         Cost: $20 to non-members, for VBE 1.2

         $50 for the complete VESA Programmers Toolkit, which includes
         VBE 1.2, programmers guidelines for direct color modes, SVPMI
         1.0 SuperVGA protected mode interface, the VESA XGA extensions
         standard, the standard for 800x600 mode (an older one ?), video
         cursor interface and the VGA pass-through connector standard.

         If you are not  USA, add $20 international shipping charge.

         Make sure you  specify  the  VESA  VBE 1.2 standard
         (for VGA BIOS extensions), or the VESA Programmers Toolkit, as
         VESA also has standards for the VESA Local  Bus,  an  audio
         interface, power  management  signalling, and others, all of
         which are "VESA standards". They will FAX you an order form if
         you give them your FAX number.

         I guess by now you should probably specify version 2.0 8-).

         -----------------------------------------------------------

         Credits :

         My thanks to those who have posted informative messages
         on comp.lang.pascal and comp.graphics, and to the authors
         and editors of the above packages and references.

         Special thanks goes to Barry Naujok for his help,
         corrections, information; to Kendall Bennett for his
         occasional informative postings; and to Patch for typing
         in the file in VESASP12.ZIP.

         Any mistakes or errors are my own.



         ----------------------------------------------------
         Myles Strous.
         



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