Uncreative Labs

Guest

Hi, year ago i started collecting graphic cards (its better say only chips from cards - but some rare i hide). Have now over 100 pieces and some serious problems with identifiing some very old cards - before 1990 year. After some time i find working herkules monitor, so at last i can try if cards are working, but have no software to detect card type (ega, cga, mda, herkules?) and no guide how to recognize memory amount and type of card. Informations on internet is often impossible to find. Even single word about some of them is missing, like they never exists - for example Realtek RTG3101 Ega card - nothing. But this i easy - card is good marked. Also i use dumpbios.exe to dump videobios, so i can read name of card and date from bios. It of course didnt work on non-working cards, but sadly also on some very old working cards.

Dont you know name of some diagnostic software or game with card info which can detect at last card type and memory size?
Of course you can also help me identify these cards by photos of you want. Url is:
http://82.114.193.227/vga/view.php?cisloclanku=2004111401

Its not on real server, only PC in work, so line isnt fast. Be patient pls.

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 12:55 am

What you need to do is get an EGA monitor. Then, run a program such as MSD to test the card. If you see 2 colors, it's a monochrome card. If you see colors, it's either CGA or EGA, you'll just have to test for their resolutions or color depth with some program.

Guest

1. This card doesn't seem to be video adapter at all. There is no video RAM chip(s) visible. Also, SCN2861 is dual serial controller, 26LS31 and 26LS32 are RS422 line drivers. So, this makes it some kind of communications controller.

2. This is original IBM EGA adapter with 64KB of video RAM. Blue connectors take additional video RAM expansion card.

3. This looks lot like a CGA adapter, probably Bulgarian made. CM807P is Bulgarian Motorola 6845 clone. But this card has 128KB of video RAM (565RY5 is soviet clone of 64K x 1 4164 DRAM). This indicates some additional video modes.

4. This is Sun Sbus video adapter with 13W3 connector. Probably from Tatung Sparcstation clone.

Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 377 Location: Stuttgart, Germany

sounds like a bunch of interesting cards you got there, according to elar's descriptions.

Guest

Elar wrote:

1. This card doesn't seem to be video adapter at all. There is no video RAM chip(s) visible. Also, SCN2861 is dual serial controller, 26LS31 and 26LS32 are RS422 line drivers. So, this makes it some kind of communications controller.

2. This is original IBM EGA adapter with 64KB of video RAM. Blue connectors take additional video RAM expansion card.

3. This looks lot like a CGA adapter, probably Bulgarian made. CM807P is Bulgarian Motorola 6845 clone. But this card has 128KB of video RAM (565RY5 is soviet clone of 64K x 1 4164 DRAM). This indicates some additional video modes.

4. This is Sun Sbus video adapter with 13W3 connector. Probably from Tatung Sparcstation clone.

Thx a lot, will be back when i have more Very Happy

Where are you got all this info Question

Must be great guru, if you can reckognize all these cards. I cant identify them because of lack info on net. Nowhere site with info or photo about pre 1990 cards. Dont you know any good site or forum where can i talk about these cards?

Quote:

sounds like a bunch of interesting cards you got there, according to elar's descriptions.

Yeah have some more in other cards section - much of them i think wrong identified, because dont know diference between ega, cga, mda, herkules cards - same conector, no monitor to try, no software to detect card type and memory size. Most of them from chip makers you never heard about.
Got them almost all from scrap yards. I'm proud that i have also Spea Hilite1024 - thats nice TIGA card - card from 1988 year with its own processor from Texas Instruments on probadly 40Mhz size as 486DX CPU, sadly it doesnt work or need special monitor? (as i said its very hard get somewhere info about these old cards).
If you are interested or wanna tell me more info about these beauties direct link is here
http://82.114.193.227/vga/view.php?cisloclanku=2004072701

Guest

well finland is too far to send a old mono monitor
mygeneral rules based on experience
9 pin and 25pin printer and nothing else
hercules or ibm or clone of herc monmo card

the ibm cards with a piece of tan plastic on the board sirface by the conmnector, cluse to id real ibm cards and with possibly black wide metal plates. mono 80 x 25 text only cards
the herc mono and clones -- 99% of the rest of the other mono cards were herc clopies
--------
cga cards, oftem had a 8 or 10 pil strip of pins for a LIGHT PEN somewhere near the rear
some had printer ports some did not, many had a rca-type phone connector for composite video ( usa standard)
some cards were boith cga and herc, they had 2 connectoirs , but a few were
cga with color and mono marked on the connectors.
---------------
ega cards usually had thise 6? switches
-- do not try to run a mono monitoir in ega graphics mode on an ega card.--

tye aida to id cards.