ELSA ERAZOR II ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT TM User Manual TM
Copyright © 1998 ELSA AG, Aachen (Germany) While the information in this manual has been compiled with great care, it may not be deemed an assurance of product characteristics. ELSA shall be liable only to the degree specified in the terms of sale and delivery. The reproduction and distribution of the documentation and software supplied with this product and the use of its contents is subject to written authorization from ELSA. ELSA is DIN EN ISO 9001 certified.
Preface Thank you for placing your trust in this ELSA product. To make sure that you have undiluted fun with your ELSA board, we insist on the highest quality requirements in manufacturing and stringent quality control to ensure our high product standards and consistent product quality. About this Manual This manual provides all the information you will need to get the best out of your ELSA graphics board.
Before you continue Installation of the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT and installation of the associated drivers are described in the Installation Guide. Please read this information first before you start reading this manual.
V Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 A Look at the ERAZOR II and VICTORY Erazor LT.................................................. 1 Highlights of the Erazor Graphics Boards ............................................................... 2 What Hardware Do I Need?.................................................................................... 2 What's In the Box?..................................
VI Who to Contact? .............................................................................................. The ELSA LocalWeb......................................................................................... Driver Updates ................................................................................................. Repair? ............................................................................................................. DoC–Declaration of Conformity .............................
Introduction 1 Introduction “Reading the manual is a waste of time.” A prejudice you are proving to be wrong right now by reading this manual. And rightly so. In this case, it is really worth the effort. Because the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT has some smart features that are only described here in the manual. So only those who read the manual will truly be taken with this card. We'll make it as short and easy as we can–promise.
2 Introduction Highlights of the Erazor Graphics Boards 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 Wide data flow – True 128 bit graphics acceleration for Windows NT, Windows 95 and Windows 98 A giant with potential for growth – the performance of the RIVA 128ZX grows with processor power. This can be summed up in a phrase: “The more powerful the CPU, the more powerful the Erazor”.
Introduction 3 CE Conformity and FCC Radiation Standard CE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of the European Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to electromagnetic compatibility (89/336/EEC) according to EN 55022 class B. FCC This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules.
4 Introduction ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers 5 After Installing the Drivers You will have completed the most important steps once the Installation Guide has piloted you safely through the hazards of driver installation. Your operating system knows about the Erazor, the ELSA drivers are installed and ... It's Time to Get Moving! We have a tip for you at this point: A few minutes' patience will pay for themselves. Take a few moments' time to optimize your system settings.
6 After Installing the Drivers VICTORY Erazor LT Refresh rate (Hz) / Z-Buffer, Double Buffering Color depth: 256 Colors HighColor TrueColor 1600 x 1200 85/– 85/– –/– 1280 x 1024 100/– 100/– 75/– 1152 x 864 120/– 120/– 120/– 1024 x 768 120/– 120/– 120/– 800 x 600 120/✓ 120/– 120/– HighColor = 65.536 colors, TrueColor = 16,7 million colors What Makes Sense? There are some basic ground rules for you to follow when setting up your graphics system.
After Installing the Drivers 7 Changing the resolution You set the resolution of your graphics board in the Control Panel under Windows. The ELSA graphics card is normally supplied with software on a CD-ROM. You will find all the utilities described in this manual on the WINNERware CD – unless they are a component of the operating system. Windows 95 and Windows 98 If you have installed the OpenGL driver, you should be aware that this version of OpenGL only supports games which are suited.
8 After Installing the Drivers 햴 Here you should click on the ' ' Settings' tab. Settings' has all the options for setting up the graphics board for your monitor. Windows 95 Windows 98 Under Windows 98, you can reach the ' then clicking on the Advanced.... Settings' by selecting the Settings card and It is important to carry out the following settings or checks step by step: 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 the color depth the monitor type the resolution of the monitor image (Scheme, Data Set) and the refresh rate.
After Installing the Drivers 9 ing the monitor manufacturer, and the model designation, you will have to enter the frequency ranges for the horizontal and vertical scan frequencies and specify the diagonal size of your monitor. If your monitor type is not listed in the monitors database you can enter the monitor manufacturer and model type here. The vertical and horizontal frequency ranges and the diagonal size of the screen are the important settings.
10 After Installing the Drivers Windows NT 4.0 The settings for the graphics driver are included in the Control Panel under Windows NT 4.0. Use the command sequence Start 왘 Settings 왘 Control Panel to call the dialog window where you should find the icon for Display. Double click on this symbol to open the window with its various tabs. Click on the 'Settings' tab. You can select the possible settings for 'Color palette', 'Font size', 'Resolution' and 'Display frequency' from this dialog box.
Useful Stuff and More 11 Useful Stuff and More You have received a CD with your ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT. On the WINNERware CD you will find all the drivers you will need for the use of the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT under various operating systems and the tools you can use to exploit all the features on the graphics board. On the following pages we will introduce the tools and their uses.
12 Useful Stuff and More Fine-Tuning for Performance Freaks After installing the ELSA graphics drivers under Windows 95 and Windows 98 you will find a new tab in the 'Display Properties': The ' 3D Settings'. The question mark provides the answers! Click on this symbol and then on the area of the dialog about which you want more information. There’s more! Click on this button for additional dialog windows.
All about graphics 13 All about graphics This is the chapter where we really get stuck in. Anyone who wants to know more about graphics–especially in connection with the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT–will find a whole load of technical stuff right here. 3D Graphics Representation Today it is considered de rigeur to know all about 3D. Your curiosity will be aroused as soon as you experience the first visual wizardry generated by your new graphics board.
14 All about graphics Geometrical transformation This part of the 3D pipeline is very processor-intensive, as all the calculations for the 3D scene are carried out at this stage. Described in simple terms, it comprises the following steps: 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 쮿 Illumination–The illumination of the scene by different light sources is calculated. Transformation–In transformation, the objects are aligned in perspective as seen from the observer's point of view.
All about graphics 15 – Bump mapping introduces a new dimension. Relief or raised textures can only be generated with the other methods in two dimensions using light and shadow effects. In bump mapping, the texture is additionally assigned height information, which allows very realistic three-dimensional effects to be created. The staircase effect is corrected by anti-aliasing.
16 All about graphics 3D Interfaces Software interfaces, including 3D interfaces, are known as APIs (Application Program Interface). The question is what are these interfaces used for, and how do they work. In simple terms: They make developers' work easier. The methods by which the various interfaces function, are comparable: In the past it was necessary to address the various hardware components directly in programming if you wanted to exploit their capabilities to the full.
All about graphics 17 erate the slow 3D display characteristics of the operating system. Direct 3D is based on Microsoft's Common Object Model (COM), which is also used as the foundation to OLE technology (Object Linking and Embedding). Direct 3D cooperates with Direct Draw in two-dimensional display. A typical situation would be, for instance, rendering a 3D object while Direct Draw is placing a two-dimensional background bitmap.
18 All about graphics Color Palettes, TrueColor and Gray Scales Common graphics modes are listed in the following table. Not all graphics modes are available on the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT boards. bpp bpg Colors (from palette) Max. gray levels VGA 0x12 VGA 0x13 4 8 6+6+6 6+6+6 16 of 262,144 256 of 262,144 16 64 Standard 8 8 6+6+6 6+6+6 256 of 262,144 256 of 16.7 million 64 256 HighColor 15 16 16 5+5+5 6+6+4 5+6+5 32,768 65,536 65,536 32 16 32 TrueColor 24 8+8+8 16.
All about graphics 19 The 16-bit graphics modes are organized differently. Most common are (R-G-B) 5-6-5 (e.g. XGA) and 6-6-4 (e.g. i860). 5-6-5 means that 5 bits are used for each of red and blue and 6 bits are used for green. In the case of 6-6-4, 6 bits are used for red and green and 4 bits for blue. Both ways of assigning the bits correspond to the color sensitivity of the human eye: this is highest for green and lowest for blue. 65,536 different colors can be displayed.
20 All about graphics DDC2AB With DDC2AB additionally to DDC2B the computer may send commands for controlling the monitor, e.g. for adjusting the screen position or the brightness (similar to ACCESS bus). For information on the pin assignment for the VGA D-shell socket 20 in the “Technical Data” chapter .
Technical Data 21 Technical Data Those of you with a technical bent will find more detailed information regarding the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT in this chapter. All interfaces and their assignments are described in detail. Characteristics of the Graphics Boards Graphics processor ERAZOR II VICTORY Erazor LT RIVA TNT by nVidia RIVA 128ZX by nVidia RAMDAC pixel timing 250MHz On-board memory 8MB/16MB 1,6GB/s bandwidth 8MB 1,6GB/s bandwidth BIOS Flash-BIOS with VBE-3.
22 Technical Data Ports on the Graphics Board VGA D-shell socket Monitor connection socket (15-pin) NLX version of the VICTORY Erazor LT The VGA D-Shell Socket Pin Assignment Connection Signal Connection Signal 1 Red 9 +5 V 2 Green 10 Sync ground 3 Blue 11 Monitor ID2 4 Monitor ID0 12 Bidirectional data (SDA, DDC1/2B) 5 DDC ground 13 Horizontal synchronization 6 Red ground 14 Vertical synchronization 7 Green ground 15 Data timing (SCL, DDC2B) 8 Blue ground The ELSA ERA
Appendix 23 Appendix Advice and Help On the WINNERware CD you will find a list of the questions most frequently asked of the support hotline. In many cases you will quickly find a help for solving problems. The file can be read with the Acrobat Reader which is also included on the CD. If you encounter any problems during the installation or operation of your ELSA product, please consult this manual first. On the ELSA CD or floppy disk you will find a file called README.
24 Appendix Who to Contact? First you should contact the dealer where you bought your ELSA product. If there are still questions remaining, contact one of the following: 쮿 ELSA on the Internet The ELSA Internet WWW site www.elsa.com ELSA LocalWeb +49-241-93 88 00 (ELSA’s dial-up WWW site: ISDN X75, V120, PPP no Internet provider required!) Analog V.90, V.
Appendix 25 ELSA Japan Inc. Mita Suzuki Building 3F 5-20-14 Shiba, Minato-ku Tokyo 108-0014 Japan Phone: Fax: +81-3-5765-7391 +81-3-5765-7235 The ELSA LocalWeb The ELSA LocalWeb provides direct access to ELSA’s local Internet server, and contains the same information as the Internet web server www.elsa.com.
26 Appendix DoC–Declaration of Conformity ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix 27 ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
28 Appendix Warranty Conditions The ELSA AG warranty is given to purchasers of ELSA products in addition to the warranty conditions provided by law and in accordance with the following conditions: 1 Warranty Coverage a) The warranty covers the equipment delivered and all its parts.
Appendix 29 c) if the damage occurred due to incorrect handling, especially to non-observance of the system description and the operating instructions, d) if the device was opened, repaired or modified by persons not authorized by ELSA, e) if the device shows any kind of mechanical damage, f) if in the case of an ELSA Monitor, damage to the cathode ray tube (CRT) has been caused especially by mechanical load (e.g.
30 Appendix ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Glossary 31 Glossary 쮿 3D – Three-dimensional 쮿 3D clipping – Process in geometric transformation in which invisible surfaces or parts of a 3D object are removed. 쮿 3D pipeline – Sum of all steps required for the representation of virtual 3D scene on the monitor. These include ➞tesselation, ➞geometrical transformation and ➞rendering. 쮿 AGP – stands for Accelerated Graphics Port and is a further development by INTEL based on the PCI bus.
32 Glossary 쮿 DPMS – Abbreviation of VESA Display Power Management Signaling. This standard allows an energy-saving operation of monitors in several steps. The graphics boards described in this manual support VESA DPMS. 쮿 DRAM – Abbreviation of Dynamic Random Access Memory. Volatile memory for read and write operations. 쮿 EDO-RAM – Abbreviation for Extended Data Output Random Access Memory (Hyper Page Mode). EDO-RAM is very common on graphics boards, as the most recently used data persist in memory.
Glossary average colors for inserted pixels). Horizontal interpolation is relatively easy to perform, since the pixels are drawn to the screen in lines. Vertical interpolation is more difficult and requires a complete pixel line to be buffered. 쮿 MIP mapping – In MIP mapping a number of textures are assigned to an object depending on distance. The representation of the object becomes more detailed as the observer approaches the object.
34 Glossary are calculated by interpolating the normal vector. 쮿 Single buffer – By contrast with double buffering, where the image buffer is duplicated, the single buffering mode is not able to access the next image, which has already been calculated. This means that animations will run jerkily. 쮿 Tearing – A distinction is made in double buffering between the front buffer and the back buffer. The image change between the front buffer and the back buffer is synchronized in tearing.
Index 35 Index 쮿 ! 3D clipping ........................................... 14, 31 3D pipeline .......................................... 13, 31 3D Settings ................................................ 12 쮿 A AGP ........................................................ 2, 31 Aliasing ...................................................... 31 Alpha blending .......................................... 31 Anti-aliasing .............................................. 15 API ................................
36 쮿 쮿 Index R RAMDAC ............................................. 21, 33 Ray tracing ................................................. 15 RealColor ............................................. 18, 33 Refresh rate ........................................... 6, 33 Rendering ............................................ 14, 33 Repair ........................................................ 25 Resolution .............................................. 6, 33 Retained mode ...................................
