Running the Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card at 512x384?

[Ron's Computer Videos]

Apple's Nubus Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card for the Mac II ***supposedly*** supports 512x384 resolution. I also have a Sony CPD-200sf multisync VGA monitor. I purchased a PTC MAC to VGA Adapter on Amazon which also ***supposedly*** supports 512x384 resolution.

With the card installed in a Quadra 700, for the life of me, I cannot get the Mac to display another other than a 640x480 signal.

I've reset the PRAM multiple times to clear out the last resolution... and it makes no difference.

HELP?

Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card - Low End Mac

The Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card is a 12? NuBus card compatible with 68K- and PowerPC-based Macs running up to Mac OS 8.1. It is not compatible with the Centris/Quadra 660AV. Details The Mac II High Res Video Card is unaccelerated. It supports resolutions of 640 x 480 and 512 x 384...

lowendmac.com

Sony CPD-200sf | CRT Database

Sony's Multiscan 200sf is a very capable late '90s PC monitor. Picture is very sharp and it has an 80 kHz horizontal scan rate, allowing for 1280x1024 at 75 Hz or 1024x768 up to 98 Hz.

crtdatabase.com

Amazon.com

 

[KennyPowers]

Apple's Nubus Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card for the Mac II ***supposedly*** supports 512x384 resolution. I also have a Sony CPD-200sf multisync VGA monitor. I purchased a PTC MAC to VGA Adapter on Amazon which also ***supposedly*** supports 512x384 resolution.

With the card installed in a Quadra 700, for the life of me, I cannot get the Mac to display another other than a 640x480 signal.

I've reset the PRAM multiple times to clear out the last resolution... and it makes no difference.

HELP?

Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card - Low End Mac

The Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card is a 12? NuBus card compatible with 68K- and PowerPC-based Macs running up to Mac OS 8.1. It is not compatible with the Centris/Quadra 660AV. Details The Mac II High Res Video Card is unaccelerated. It supports resolutions of 640 x 480 and 512 x 384...

lowendmac.com

Sony CPD-200sf | CRT Database

Sony's Multiscan 200sf is a very capable late '90s PC monitor. Picture is very sharp and it has an 80 kHz horizontal scan rate, allowing for 1280x1024 at 75 Hz or 1024x768 up to 98 Hz.

crtdatabase.com

Amazon.com

How are the dip switches on the VGA adapter set? If they're set to simulate a multisync monitor, maybe try changing them to simulate a fixed-frequency 512x384 monitor and see what happens?

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

The adapter has settings for the 12" RGB, but no matter what jumper settings I try it will always default to 640x480.

UPDATE: I tested again this morning to make sure that tired eyes weren't the issue here, and I've confirmed that none of these jumper settings will work.

 

[joevt]

I would choose 13467.
Do you have a different Mac that supports 512x384 to make sure the adapter+display works?
A Macintosh LC?
Any Power Mac with built in video or an ATI video card?

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

Last ditch effort this morning, I hooked up an original LC (which absolutely supports 512x384) and set the jumpers to the MODE 1 settings. My Sony CRT finally produced an "OUT OF RANGE" error message. Connected the video to my Extron RGB-HDMI 300 A and I get a 512x384 image.

Reconnected the Q700 w/ the Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card, and get 640x480.

ARGH!

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

I would choose 13467.
Do you have a different Mac that supports 512x384 to make sure the adapter+display works?
A Macintosh LC?
Any Power Mac with built in video or an ATI video card?

There's a real short list of video cards for the Mac that support 512x384. The Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card, the Macintosh Display Card 4•8, the Macintosh Display Card 8•24 and the built-in video hardware on the early "LC" Macs (since they were designed to have compatibility with that cheap 12" RGB/B&W CRT they targeted at schools). So a PPC Mac or an ATI card is likely fundamentally incompatible with what I'm testing here.

 

[joevt]

So a PPC Mac or an ATI card is likely fundamentally incompatible with what I'm testing here.

Power Mac 7500/7600/8500/8600 support 12" RGB. You can see info about the supported mode in the Control2.of source code file in Apple Open Source project boot-68 (APSL 1.0 era), boot-73 (APSL 1.2 era), and in the RhapsodyiOS GitHub project boot-2 directory, and Control2.c in XPostFacto.

An ATI card may also support it or at least it can detect the Apple Sense code 2 0x21.
The DingusPPC AtiMach64Gx PCI device (emulates a ATI Mach64 GX) stores the Apple Sense Code as a property in Open Firmware. You should see 0221 in one of the properties.

You can test either graphics controller with DingusPPC. Use --mon_id=MacRGB12in to connect an Apple 12 inch RGB to the graphics controller.

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

Power Mac 7500/7600/8500/8600 support 12" RGB. You can see info about the supported mode in the Control2.of source code file in Apple Open Source project boot-68 (APSL 1.0 era), boot-73 (APSL 1.2 era), and in the RhapsodyiOS GitHub project boot-2 directory, and Control2.c in XPostFacto.

An ATI card may also support it or at least it can detect the Apple Sense code 2 0x21.
The DingusPPC AtiMach64Gx PCI device (emulates a ATI Mach64 GX) stores the Apple Sense Code as a property in Open Firmware. You should see 0221 in one of the properties.

You can test either graphics controller with DingusPPC. Use --mon_id=MacRGB12in to connect an Apple 12 inch RGB to the graphics controller.

Would you please test this on real hardware for me?

 

[Fizzbinn]

I also have a Sony CPD-200sf multisync VGA monitor.

The resolutions listed in this Sony CPD-200sf spec sheet doesn't include 512x384, could that be the issue vs. the Video Card or adapter?

https://ia800505.us.archive.org/14/items/sony_cpd-200sf_sm/sony_cpd-200sf_sm.pdf

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

The resolutions listed in this Sony CPD-200sf spec sheet doesn't include 512x384, could that be the issue vs. the Video Card or adapter?

https://ia800505.us.archive.org/14/items/sony_cpd-200sf_sm/sony_cpd-200sf_sm.pdf

No, because then you would get a “OUT OF RANGE” message (like I noted above), not a 640x480 signal. But I 100% get what you're saying, it won't work... but I was looking at it from the POV of trying to get it to at least produce a verifiable error. Thank you for looking over the manual. It's always good to get a second pair of eyes on things.

EDITED: I felt like this came off sort of curt, so I expanded what I was actually thinking more than what I actually said. Apologies.

 

[joevt]

Would you please test this on real hardware for me?

I tested built in video output of my Power Mac 8600 (vci0/control in Open Firmware).
In Open Firmware, I had to load the Control3.of version of the control driver because the ROM version only supports 640x480@67 and 640x480@60VGA.
I used dipswitches 13467 of the Apple to VGA adapter (same adapter discussed at #3 above and in the thread at #42 ). Connected to that is a cheap USB powered VGA to HDMI adapter. My LCD display recognizes the mode as 640x398 25 KHz 60 Hz. The VGA to HDMI adapter must be doing some scaling. It's not good scaling - you can see some vertical and horizontal lines are doubled in thickness.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XH2L8BM
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQBDY91?th=1

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

I tested built in video output of my Power Mac 8600 (vci0/control in Open Firmware).
In Open Firmware, I had to load the Control3.of version of the control driver because the ROM version only supports 640x480@67 and 640x480@60VGA.
I used dipswitches 13467 of the Apple to VGA adapter (same adapter discussed at #3 above and in the thread at #42 ). Connected to that is a cheap USB powered VGA to HDMI adapter. My LCD display recognizes the mode as 640x398 25 KHz 60 Hz. The VGA to HDMI adapter must be doing some scaling. It's not good scaling - you can see some vertical and horizontal lines are doubled in thickness.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XH2L8BM
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQBDY91?th=1
View attachment 30632View attachment 30633

That is pretty amazing! Thank you for testing that out. I had absolutely no idea that they kept that ability long into the PPC era. I guess I've had my head down reading specs on Nubus video cards for too long!

 

[Mark_W]

Does the High-res card actually support 512x384? On this site 512x384 is listed as not supported:

Vintage Apple - Gamba - Video: Nubus card-Monitor Matrix

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

DAMMIT! I misread the stupid chart?!? LOL

Back to eBay I go!

 

[Fizzbinn]

No, because then you would get a “OUT OF RANGE” message (like I noted above), not a 640x480 signal. But I 100% get what you're saying, it won't work... but I was looking at it from the POV of trying to get it to at least produce a verifiable error. Thank you for looking over the manual. It's always good to get a second pair of eyes on things.

EDITED: I felt like this came off sort of curt, so I expanded what I was actually thinking more than what I actually said. Apologies.

Thanks, I get what you're doing now. I did wonder though if you were trying to see if 512x384 would work on the Sony CPD-200sf in an unsupported manner, although your test with the LC seems to imply it won't.

DAMMIT! I misread the stupid chart?!? LOL

Back to eBay I go!

I do have an extra Macintosh Display Card 8•24 if you're interested.

 

[Ron's Computer Videos]

Thanks, I get what you're doing now. I did wonder though if you were trying to see if 512x384 would work on the Sony CPD-200sf in an unsupported manner, although your test with the LC seems to imply it won't.



I do have an extra Macintosh Display Card 8•24 if you're interested.

That is seemingly the card I need for this project. As long as it's not the "GC" (670-0310) model, I'm interested.

 

[Fizzbinn]

That is seemingly the card I need for this project. As long as it's not the "GC" (670-0310) model, I'm interested.

Cool, let me pull it out and test it this evening.

 

[joevt]

Apple's Nubus Macintosh II High Resolution Video Card for the Mac II ***supposedly*** supports 512x384 resolution.

Dump the rom (DeclData) with SlotsGrab and parse the results with SlotsParse.
https://github.com/joevt/SlotsDump
The parsed info should list all the supported video modes.
https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/calling-all-roms-collecting-declrom-data.46056/
Another option for parsing the DeclData is to use Rom Fiend. I have a fork of that which works with my fork of Hex Fiend.
I think TattleTech has a utility to view NuBus slot info?