Jump to content

Thomson EF936x

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NDR-Klein-Computer graphics card using EF9366.
Siemens SMP-E353 ECB Bus video board using EF9366.

The Thomson EF936x series is a type of Graphic Display Processor (GDP) by Thomson-EFCIS.[1] The chip could draw at 1 million pixels per second, which was relatively advanced for the time of its release (1982 or earlier).

There are various versions of the chip (EF9364,[2][3][4][5][6][7] EF9365,[8][9][10] EF9366,[11][12][10] EF9367,[13][14][15] SFF96364,[16][17][18] EF9369[19][20][21]),[22] with slightly different capabilities.

In 1982 Commodore released a "High Resolution Graphics" board for the PET based on the EF9365 and EF9366 chips, allowing it to display 512 × 512 or 512 × 256 resolution graphics.[23][24][25] The EF9366 was also used on the SMP-E353 graphic card for the Siemens SICOMP [de] computer series and on the NDR-Klein-Computer introduced in 1984.[26]

Version EF9369 was used on computers such as the Thomson MO5NR[27], MO6[28], TO8,[29] TO9[30] and TO9+,[31] and from 1985 to 1989 on the DAI Personal Computer.

Versions

[edit]

Based on the 1989 data book published by the company, the EF936x series was split into Graphics Controllers and Color Palette models.[32]

Graphics Controllers

  • EF9364 CRT Processor introduced in 1981
  • EF9365 512 × 512 (interlaced), 256 × 256, 128 × 128, 64 × 64; 50 Hz[33][34]
  • EF9366 512 × 256 (non-interlaced); 50/60 Hz[33]
  • EF9367 1024 × 512 (interlaced), 1024 × 416 (interlaced); 50/60 Hz (capable of SECAM system output for the French market).[35]
  • SFF96364[36][37][38]

Color Palette

  • EF9369 - 4-bit DACs (16 out of 4096 colors - 12-bit RGB), generating gamma corrected (gamma 2.8) voltages.[21]
  • TS9370 - 4-bit DACs (16 out of 4096 colors)[39]

Capabilities

[edit]
  • Integrated DRAM controller
  • Line drawing, with delta-x and delta-y limited to 255 each. Support for solid, dotted, dashed and dotted/dashed lines.[9]
  • Built-in 5 × 8 pixel ASCII font.[40] Support for rendering tilted characters, and scaling by integer factors (no antialiasing)[33]
EF9365/6 Character Set
2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x
0 SP 0 @ P ‘ p
1 ! 1 A Q a q
2 " 2 B R b r
3 # 3 C S c s
4 $ 4 D T d t
5 % 5 E U e u
6 & 6 F V f v
7 ’ 7 G W g w
8 ( 8 H X h x
9 ) 9 I Y i y
A * : J Z j z
B + ; K [ k {
C , < L \ l |
D - = M ] m }
E . > N ↑ n ¬
F / ? O ← o ▒

The GPUs did not support direct access to the graphics memory, although a special command was provided to aid in implementing access to individual memory words.


See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
  2. ^ Clements, Alan (1982). Microcomputer Design and Construction: Building Your Own System with the Motorola 6800. Prentice-Hall International. ISBN 978-0-13-580738-5.
  3. ^ Electronic Engineering. Morgan-Grampian. 1981.
  4. ^ "Mikrocomputerfibel, Vieweg, 1983" (PDF).
  5. ^ "IC Master". Hearst Business Communications. February 21, 1990 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Thomson EF9364 - MAME machine". adb.arcadeitalia.net.
  7. ^ "THOMSON SEMICONDUCTORS MICROPROCESSORS & PERIPHERALS Data Book 1984 reprint of 1st Edition 1981". matthieu.benoit.free.fr.
  8. ^ Ferguson, John D. (1985). Microprocessor Systems Engineering. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-201-14657-8.
  9. ^ a b Money, S. A. (2014-05-10). Microprocessor Data Book. Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-4832-6870-5.
  10. ^ a b "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
  11. ^ Electronics Industry. 1986.
  12. ^ Electronic Design. Hayden Publishing Company. 1986.
  13. ^ Maréchal, Guy (1987). EUROGRAPHICS '87: Proceedings of the European Computer Graphics Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 24-28, August, 1987. North-Holland. ISBN 978-0-444-70291-3.
  14. ^ Electronic Engineering. Morgan-Grampian. 1987.
  15. ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
  16. ^ EDN, Electrical Design News. Rogers Publishing Company. 1980.
  17. ^ Wireless World and Radio Review. Dorset House. 1979.
  18. ^ Computer Design. Computer Design Publishing Corporation. 1978.
  19. ^ ElectronicsWeek. McGraw-Hill. 1984.
  20. ^ Electronics Industry. February 1985.
  21. ^ a b "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
  22. ^ "IC Master". Hearst Business Communications. February 21, 1990 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ "Commodore High Speed Graphik Card for CBM 4000/8000 Series". 6502.org.
  24. ^ "PET-Grafikkarte Commodore ASSY No. 324402-01 für CBM 8296 - CBMPET.DE". www.cbmhardware.de. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  25. ^ Purcaru, Bogdan Ion (March 13, 2014). "Games vs. Hardware. The History of PC video games: The 80's". Purcaru Ion Bogdan – via Google Books.
  26. ^ Plate, Jurgen (October 1984). "Mikrocomputer: Zur Fernsehserie" (PDF). ELO: 46.
  27. ^ "Thomson MO5 NR". www.silicium.org. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  28. ^ "Thomson MO6 Guide, 1986" (PDF). musee-des-jeux-video.com.
  29. ^ "TO8 Circuit Diagram".
  30. ^ "TO 9 Thomson". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  31. ^ "TO 9 PLUS Thomson". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  32. ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
  33. ^ a b c "EF9365 - EF9366, Thomson Semiconducteurs" (PDF).
  34. ^ "Datasheet Archive EF9365 datasheet download". www.datasheetarchive.com.
  35. ^ "West Europe Report: Science and Technology" (PDF). Foreign Broadcast Information Service. August 23, 1983. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  36. ^ "SFF 96364, Tube SFF96364; Röhre SFF 96364 ID52104, Solid-Sta". www.radiomuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  37. ^ Display circuit and interface module SFF96364 (PDF). SESCOSEM.
  38. ^ "Micro Systèmes n°6 jui/aoû 1979 - Page 50 - 51 - Micro Systèmes n°6 jui/aoû 1979 - Micro Systèmes - informatique grand public - informatique et réseaux - Sciences et Techniques - 1001mags - Magazines en PDF à 1 € et GRATUITS !". fr.1001mags.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  39. ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
  40. ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
[edit]


Stub icon

This computer hardware article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomson_EF936x&oldid=1219087207"