Fire GL 8800 64/128 MB User's Guide Version 1.0 P/N 137-50002-10 Rev. A © Copyright 2001, by ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved, including those to reproduce this guide or parts thereof, in any form without the express written permission of ATI Technologies Inc. Products may not be exactly as shown. Features, performance, and specifications may vary depending on operating environment and are subject to change without notice.
Disclaimer The manufacturer (MFR) reserves the right to make changes to this document and the products which it describes without notice. The MFR shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions made herein; not for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Table of Contents Getting Started .................................................................. 1 Using this Guide................................................................................................ 2 Viewing the User's Guide Online............................................................... 3 Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's Guide?.................................3 Fire GL 8800 Features.......................................................................................
Reference........................................................................... 40 Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers.................................................................40 Troubleshooting................................................................................................ 42 Technical Details............................................................................................... 45 Features and Performance....................................................................
1 CHAPTER 1 Getting Started Experience the speed and reliability of the FIRE GL™ 8800 workstation board. Based on the revolutionary next generation geometry and rendering technology from ATI, it delivers affordable high-end workstation 3D/2D graphics acceleration. FIRE GL™ 8800 has an optimized high-powered OpenGL® driver to provide outstanding 2D and 3D performance.
2 Getting Started Using this Guide For your convenience, this online User’s Guide has been formatted as an Adobe® Acrobat® PDF file. This format gives you great flexibility when using this documentation. Many hyperlinks provide easy access to any information you may want. To make it useful in a printed format, too, a - hyperlinked table of contents and page numbers are provided. Because it was designed to be used online and printed, some of the images may not print clearly or appear very clearly on screen.
Getting Started 3 Viewing the User's Guide Online You can also read the User's Guide online—important hypertext links, such as Table of Contents entries, World Wide Web, and email addresses are active. Place your mouse cursor over Table of Contents entries or main headings. If the hand icon changes to a pointing index finger, simply click and you will move to that place in the document. Some email or World Wide Web addresses inside this manual may be active as well.
4 Getting Started Fire GL 8800 Features • RADEON™ 8800 GPU and 64 MB or 128 MB DDR memory • CHARISMA ENGINE™ II supports full Transformation, Clipping and Lighting (T&L) at 75 million triangles/second peak processing capability • PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II, the 3D rendering engine, powers 2.4 Gigatexels/second for fast fill rates in 32-bit true color resolution • VIDEO IMMERSION™ II, industry leading video technology • Full DirectX 8.
Getting Started 5 System Requirements and Tools Computer system Operating system TM • Pentium® 4/III/II/Celeron ; AMD® K6/Athlon® or compatible • 128 MB of system memory 256 MB for best performance • • Motherboard with free AGP 2x/4x slot • Windows® NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 (or higher) • Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1 (or higher) • Windows® XP CD-ROM drive You must be running Windows NT 4.0, updated with Service Pack 5 (or higher) prior to installing the Fire GL 8800 drivers.
6 Getting Started Quick Installation • Brief instructions on how to get to work with the Fire GL 8800 in the shortest possible time. • Recommended for experienced users and system administrators only. • For more detailed information on installation and operation of your graphics accelerator, please refer to the corresponding sections of the Fire GL 8800 User’s Guide. Installation Steps 1 Un-install the drivers and software for your old graphics card.
7 CHAPTER 2 Installing the Hardware and Software IN THIS CHAPTER Installing the Hardware on page 7 Installing the Software on page 20 Installing the Hardware The hardware installation includes the following steps: • Preparing your Computer • Installing the Card • Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation Preparing your Computer Turn off the power to your system and discharge your body’s static electric charge by touching a grounded surface—for example, the metal surface of the power sup
8 Installing the Hardware and Software Information Before you Start What do you need to use your Fire GL 8800? System Requirements and Tools • Motherboard with free AGP 2X/4X slot. • 128 MB of system memory 256 MB for best performance • System interrupt (IRQ) which is free. This may have to be reserved in the computer’s BIOS. For help with this subject, refer to the manual for your mainboard • Pentium® 4/III/II/Celeron ; AMD® K6/Athlon® or compatible • Supported operating system - Windows® NT 4.
Installing the Hardware and Software 9 What type of monitors do you need? Where are the drivers? Your Fire GL 8800 is optimally configured to be combined with digital flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD displays and digital CRT displays. You can also connect the Fire GL 8800 to high-resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency monitors or other VGA monitors. To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI connector you may use the provided VGAto-DVI adapter.
10 Installing the Hardware and Software Are you planning a multi-monitor system? • You may connect two monitors to the Fire GL 8800. • If DDC support is available, the respective resolution and refresh rate for each monitor is automatically detected.
Installing the Hardware and Software 11 Setting the Display Driver to Standard VGA To avoid possible driver conflicts between your old and new graphics card, install the standard VGA driver for your operating system. Install the standard VGA driver before you shut down your computer and remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card. Note: Installing the standard VGA driver is not required for Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Installing the Standard VGA Driver for Windows NT 4.
12 Installing the Hardware and Software Installing the Card To install your graphics accelerator card, follow these steps: 1 Switch off your computer and all external options (monitor, printer, and others). Then disconnect all cables from the back of your computer. Unplug all power cables from the electrical source.
Installing the Hardware and Software 13 2 Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your computer system manual about removing the cover. 1 Power Supply Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the metal surface of the computer chassis 3 Remove any existing graphics card from your computer. If the old graphics card sticks rock it gently from end to end. Remember to save the screw.
14 Installing the Hardware and Software 4 Insert the card into the AGP slot. Note: You can use the Fire GL 8800 in either AGP 2x/4x or AGP 2x slots. • Locate the AGP 2x/4x slot. Compare the expansion slots in your computer with the following illustration: • • 1 2 If necessary, remove the metal slot cover from the AGP slot. Save the screw to secure the graphics card later. Align the Fire GL 8800 with the AGP slot, and press it in firmly until fully seated.
Installing the Hardware and Software 15 5 6 Replace the screws to fasten the card in place. • Align the slot in the mounting bracket of the card with the screw hole in the rear panel of the computer case. • Use the screws you removed from the expansion slot cover or a previously installed graphics card to secure the card in place. Reassemble your computer. • Secure ribbon cables and gently push them down and out of the way before you replace the system cover. • Replace the computer cover.
16 Installing the Hardware and Software Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation Connecting the Monitor Cables You may connect one or two monitors, either analog VGA or DFP/digital CRT to the Fire GL 8800.
Installing the Hardware and Software 17 Note a b Please use the DVI-to-VGA adapter provided with your card to connect a second VGA monitor to the DVI connector (2).
18 Installing the Hardware and Software Connecting a Digital Flat-Panel (DFP) Monitor or Digital CRT Monitor Securely attach the monitor’s data cable to the DVI output connector (2) on the card. Attach the cable to the monitor according to the monitor's instructions. Please refer to the documentation that came with your monitor if you need additional installation information.
Installing the Hardware and Software 19 Start your System Switch on your monitor before you switch on your computer. Failing to do so could damage your monitor. If you have correctly installed the card, operating system messages will appear on your monitor when the boot procedure is finished. Note Your monitor is running in standard VGA mode. Higher refresh rates etc. are not available at this stage of the installation.
20 Installing the Hardware and Software Installing the Software Before you Start: Information, Tips and Hints Software Installation for Windows NT 4.0 Software Installation for Windows 2000 and Windows XP You will need to install the Fire GL 8800 drivers and software in the following cases: • After you have installed the card to your system. • After you have re-installed or upgraded your operating system.
Installing the Hardware and Software 21 Before you Start: Information, Tips, and Hints Before you install the drivers for your Fire GL 8800 accelerator, make sure your monitor cable is properly attached to the card. Do you need a special driver installation? The software installation procedure later in this chapter describes how to install the drivers for your graphics card after you have installed the new card for the first time and have rebooted your computer.
22 Installing the Hardware and Software HYDRAVISIONTM Desktop Management The HYDRAVISIONTM desktop management software will install automatically with the standard driver installation of the Quick Start program. If you do not want to install HYDRAVISIONTM select the Custom driver installation and deselect HYDRAVISIONTM. ReadMe file Select Readme from the Fire GL CD start menu to display a readme file. Refer to this file for additional and ‘last minute’ information.
Installing the Hardware and Software 23 4 Click Next to continue the installation. 5 When the ATI FGL Install dialog displays the components to be installed click on Next. (Depending on which components you chose different windows might appear. Click on the corresponding buttons to continue the installation.) 6 When the Installation complete message appears click Next again. This will restart your computer.
24 Installing the Hardware and Software 4 Click the button corresponding to the type of installation you want. If you select Custom, a list of software components will be displayed. Select the check boxes to specify the components you want to install. 5 Click Next to continue the installation. 6 When the ATI FGL Install dialog displays the components to be installed click on Next. (Depending on which components you chose different windows might appear.
25 CHAPTER 3 Using Your Fire GL 8800 IN THIS CHAPTER Changing the Video Settings on page 26 Configuring Application Profiles on page 37 SEE ALSO HYDRAVISION for Fire GL As part of its Windows drivers, Fire GL 8800 installs additional property pages to your Display Properties control panel. They are named as follows. Information DualScreen ATI Monitor Adjustment Configuration The Information dialog displays some card-specific hardware and driver information.
26 Using Your Fire GL 8800 Changing the Video Settings The dialogs in the Display Properties menu allow setting and adjusting the video settings to best suit your specific requirements. How to Switch to the Display Properties? 1 Start Windows. 2 After Windows has finished booting, click Start > Settings > Control Panel. 3 Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties window appears.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 27 Windows 2000 / Windows XP 1 Select the Settings dialog in the Display Properties window. 2 Set the resolution (Screen area) and Colors that best suit your requirements and your monitors' performance. Note: The resolution setting applies to both monitors, if you have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800. 3 Select the Windows Monitor dialog via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > Monitor. 4 Select the refresh rate from the Refresh Frequency box.
28 Using Your Fire GL 8800 Setting a DualScreen Configuration Note 1 For settings in the DualScreen dialog you need the following: - Two monitors connected to the card - Both monitors switched on when you start your computer Windows NT 4.0: Select the DualScreen dialog in the Display Properties window. Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the DualScreen dialog via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > DualScreen.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 29 2 Select your Primary Monitor. The primary monitor is the left monitor or top monitor, respectively, of a multiple-monitor desktop. Monitor icon 1 is for the monitor connected to the VGA connector, monitor icon 2 is for the monitor connected to the DVI connector. 3 Select your Desktop Setup Select Disable Secondary Monitor if you want to work in single-monitor mode with the primary monitor.
30 Using Your Fire GL 8800 Windows Select how you want to display sizeable windows that normally appear in the middle of the screen: • Unchanged, or • Moved fully to that monitor where the top left corner of the window is. Reports Select a monitor where you want to display Windows messages that normally display in the middle of the screen. This keeps the screen area of the other monitor free for your work. You may alternatively opt for displaying the reports Unchanged.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 31 Selecting your Monitor 1 Windows NT 4.0: Select the ATI Monitor dialog in the Display Properties window. Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the ATI Monitor dialog via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > ATI Monitor. Note In Windows 2000 / Windows XP the ATI Monitor dialog is not active - if you have only one monitor connected to the card - if you have disabled the secondary monitor in the DualScreen dialog.
32 Using Your Fire GL 8800 You can customize the settings of the connected monitors. For more information on setting up the monitors refer to the context sensitive online help. 2 Click the tab for the monitor you want to set up. Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector, Monitor 2 is the monitor connected to the DVI connector. 3 Set the desired operation mode for your monitor.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 33 Select from list (continued) If the list does not display your monitor type and you have a disk from the monitor manufacturer, use the Have Disk button to import the monitor information to the internal monitor list. • Click the Have Disk button, insert the disk, and select the directory or file containing information about your monitor. • Then select your monitor and click the Apply or OK button.
34 Using Your Fire GL 8800 Adjusting the Monitor Display Using this dialog you can adjust the display of the connected monitor(s). For more information on adjusting the monitor's display refer to the context sensitive online help. 1 Windows NT 4.0: Select the Adjustment dialog in the Display Properties window. Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the Adjustment dialog via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > Adjustment.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 35 2 Monitor Tuning: Note • Monitor Tuning is available only for VGA monitors. If you have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800: Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector, Monitor 2 is the VGA monitor connected to the DVI connector.
36 Using Your Fire GL 8800 Notes 3 (1) Press the ESC key on your keyboard to undo the changes if your monitor has lost synchronization. You may also use the keyboard shortcut for ‘Undo’ - Alt-U. (2) If you change the resolution (in Settings) and/or the refresh rate (in Monitor), you may need to re-adjust the monitor's display. Gamma Correction Adjustment: Adjust the monitor's gamma correction for optimal brightness with the red, green and blue slider bars.
Using Your Fire GL 8800 37 Configuring Application Profiles Use the Configuration dialog to customize application profiles for individual application settings. How to switch to the Configuration dialog? Windows NT 4.0: Select Display Properties > Configuration. Windows 2000 Windows XP: Select Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > Configuration. Activating a configuration profile: For some of the most popular applications the optimal configuration profile is factory-set by default.
38 Using Your Fire GL 8800 (1) The configuration default settings typically require modification only for the following: • • Notes • • diagnostic purposes fine-tuning a specific application/system configuration specific settings recommended by your hardware or software documentation tuning your application/system environment for best performance and memory usage (2) Only experienced users should modify the configuration settings
Using Your Fire GL 8800 39 Adding a new application profile: Click the Add button in the Configuration Profiles section and enter the new application for which you want to set the configuration parameters. Modifying the configuration parameters: To change the configuration settings of a specific application, for example, CATIA, select the application from the list in the Configuration Profiles section and click the Modify button. To remove the selected configuration profile completely, click Delete.
40 CHAPTER 4 Reference IN THIS CHAPTER Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers on page 40 Troubleshooting on page 42 Technical Details on page 45 Compliance Information on page 52 Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers This section describes how to properly remove your graphics card software from your system should you need to do so.
Reference 41 3 Click Add/Remove component. Select ATI Fire GL 8800 Video Accelerator and uncheck the checkbox Note: Make sure that only those components are unchecked that you want to remove now. (Click Back and Add/Remove component to select specific software components for removal.) 4 Click Next. to remove the Fire GL 8800 driver 5 Follow further instructions displayed on your screen. After you have removed the software according to the instructions, you may remove the hardware.
42 Reference Troubleshooting Your board is a complex electronic device and can only be repaired by authorized technical personnel with special equipment. Do not attempt to change or repair any parts of this product. Doing so will render your warranty invalid. If you experience a problem using the Fire GL 8800, check the following sections for advice on how to solve your problem.
Reference 43 Screen image is off-center, color balance is wrong, or there is no picture • Try adjusting the brightness, sharpness, contrast, and color balance controls of your monitor. • Try adjusting the centering and positioning controls of your monitor to position the picture on the screen. Note: The Monitor Tuning settings in Display Properties > Adjustment tune the position of the picture on the screen via the video signal.
44 Reference Checking for address and interrupt conflicts • It is necessary to ensure that the I/O and memory addresses reserved for the graphics board are not used by other hardware devices. • The integrated on-board VGA controller of your Fire GL 8800 uses the following addresses (hex): I/O Address: Standard VGA I/O: 3B0-3DF Memory Addresses: Video RAM: A000-BFFF Video ROM: C000-C7FF Note: You cannot change the addresses of your Fire GL 8800.
Reference 45 Technical Details Features and Performance on page 45 Pin Assignments on page 47 Video Modes on page 49 Features and Performance General Operating environment Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000, Windows® XP System requirements Pentium® 4/III/II/Celeron ; AMD® K6/Athlon® or compatible Certifications FCC/DOC, ICES-003, CE/DOC, SMA C-Tick, MIC, BSMI, VCCI Dimensions Length: 174.6 mm (6.9 inches) Width: 108.0 mm (4.25 inches) Power requirements + 3.
46 Reference Functional System Bus System Graphic controller Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000, Windows® XP AGP 2x or AGP 4x/2x RADEONTM 8800 GPU Video memory Fire GL 8800 /64 MB: 64 MB SDRAM Fire GL 8800 /128 MB: 128 MB SDRAM BIOS 128 Kbyte BIOS FlashROM, reprogrammable by software, 3.
Reference 47 3D Performance Test system: Intel P4 1.5 GHz, single processor, 512 MB Rambus • • • • 12.5 Million antialiased 3D 10-pixel vectors per second • 12.3 Million 25-pixel triangles per second, Trilinear Texture, Mip-mapped • 1.06 Giga Pixels/second fill rate, Gouraud shaded, Z-buffered, non-textured • 1.06 Giga Pixels/second Trilinear Texture fill rate (Mip mapped) 29.1 Million 3D 10-pixel vectors per second, non-antialiased 45.1 Million 1-pixel triangles per second 12.
48 Reference DVI-I Output Connector DVI: Digital Visual Interface DDC: Display Data Channel T.M.D.S: Transition Minimized Differential Signal MicroCross Pins: C1 Analog Red Video Out C2 Analog Green Video Out C3 Analog Blue Video Out C4 Analog Horizontal Sync C5 Analog Common Ground Return (Red, Green, Blue Video Out) Pin Function 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 T.M.D.S. Data2T.M.D.S. Data2+ T.M.D.S. Data2/4 Shield T.M.D.S. Data4T.M.D.S.
Reference 49 Video Modes All video modes comply with VESA DMT (Discrete Monitor Timing) or VESA GTF (General Timing Format) standards. The Fire GL 8800 supports HiColor, 16-bit modes and TrueColor, 32-bit (24 color, 8 α) modes. There is no support for 8-bit modes. Analog and digital monitors with 15-pin VGA connector – single monitor Resolution Line Frequency (kHz) Refresh Rate (Hz) 640 x 480 31.5, 37.5, 43.3, 50.9 60, 75, 85, 100, 16 / 32 800 x 600 37.7, 46.9, 54.1, 63.
50 Reference Digital Monitors with DVI connector – single monitor Resolution Refresh Rate (Hz) Color Depth (Bits) 640 x 480 60, 75 16 / 32 800 x 600 60, 75 16 / 32 1024 x 768 60, 75 16 / 32 1152 x 864 60, 75 16 / 32 1280 x 960 60, 75 16 / 32 1280 x 1024 60, 75 16 / 32 1600 x 1000 60 16 / 32 1600 x 1024* 60 16 / 32 1600 x 1200 60 16 / 32 Dual Screen - 2 Monitors with VGA connector Resolution Refresh Rates (Hz) Color Depth (Bits) Dual Monitor 1 Monitor 2 640 x 480 60, 75,
Reference 51 Dual Screen - 1 Monitor with VGA connector and 1 Monitor with DVI connector Resolution Refresh Rates (Hz) Color Depth (Bits) Dual Monitor 1 Monitor 2 640 x 480 60, 75, 85, 100 60, 75 16 / 32 800 x 600 60, 75, 85, 100 60, 75 16 / 32 1024 x 768 60, 75, 85, 100 60, 75 16 / 32 1280 x 1024 60, 75, 85, 100 60, 75 16 / 32 1600 x 1200 60, 75, 85, 100 60 16 / 32 Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector Monitor 2 is the monitor connected to the DVI connector
52 Reference Compliance Information FCC Compliance Information FCC - DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY FOR A CLASS B DIGITAL DEVICE We, the Responsible Party ATI Research Inc.- Fire GL Graphics 4 Mount Royal Avenue, Marlborough, MA 01752-1978 USA; Phone: (508) 303-3900 declare that the product Fire GL 8800 AGP complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. The compliance with those standards is confirmed in an accreditation certificate.
Reference 53 CE Compliance Information EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendments 91/263/EEC, 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, Class B Digital Device EN 55022:1998/CISPR 22 Class B, Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics Information Technology Equipment.
54 Reference VCCI Class B ITE Compliance Information
