Thomson EF936x
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 with slightly different capabilities.[2]
The first version, EF9364 CRT Processor, was introduced in 1981.[3]
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.[4][5][6] The EF9366 was also used on the SMP-E353 graphic card for the Siemens SICOMP computer series and on the NDR-Klein-Computer introduced in 1984.[7]
Version EF9369, introduced in 1984, was used on computers such as the Thomson MO5NR[8], MO6[9], TO8,[10] TO9[11] and TO9+,[12] 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:[13]
Graphics Controllers
[edit]- EF9364 CRT Processor introduced in 1981[14][15][16][17][18][3]
- EF9365 512 × 512 (interlaced), 256 × 256, 128 × 128, 64 × 64; 50 Hz[19][20][21][22][23]
EF9666 on the NDR-Klein-Computer 
EF9366 on the SMP-E353 graphic card - EF9367 1024 × 512 (interlaced), 1024 × 416 (interlaced); 50/60 Hz (capable of SECAM system output for the French market).[26][27][28][29]
- SFF96364[30][31][32][33][34][35]
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Color Palette
[edit]- EF9369 - 4-bit DACs (16 out of 4096 colors - 12-bit RGB), generating gamma corrected (gamma 2.8) voltages.[36][37][38]
- 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.[22]
- Built-in 5 × 8 pixel ASCII font.[40] Support for rendering tilted characters, and scaling by integer factors (no antialiasing)[19]
- Clear screen
- Light Pen support
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.
Character Set
[edit]The Thomson EF9365/6 used the following character, displayed with a 5 × 8 pixel font:[40][19]
| 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 | ▒ |
See also
[edit]- Thomson EF934x
- Thomson MO5NR
- Thomson MO6
- Thomson TO8
- Thomson TO9
- Thomson TO9+
- NDR-Klein-Computer
- Commodore PET
- DAI Personal Computer
- List of home computers by video hardware
References
[edit]- ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
- ^ "IC Master". Hearst Business Communications. February 21, 1990 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "THOMSON SEMICONDUCTORS MICROPROCESSORS & PERIPHERALS Data Book 1984 reprint of 1st Edition 1981". matthieu.benoit.free.fr.
- ^ "Commodore High Speed Graphik Card for CBM 4000/8000 Series". 6502.org.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Purcaru, Bogdan Ion (March 13, 2014). "Games vs. Hardware. The History of PC video games: The 80's". Purcaru Ion Bogdan – via Google Books.
- ^ Plate, Jurgen (October 1984). "Mikrocomputer: Zur Fernsehserie" (PDF). ELO: 46.
- ^ "Thomson MO5 NR". www.silicium.org. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "Thomson MO6 Guide, 1986" (PDF). musee-des-jeux-video.com.
- ^ "TO8 Circuit Diagram".
- ^ "TO 9 Thomson". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "TO 9 PLUS Thomson". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
- ^ Clements, Alan (1982). Microcomputer Design and Construction: Building Your Own System with the Motorola 6800. Prentice-Hall International. ISBN 978-0-13-580738-5.
- ^ Electronic Engineering. Morgan-Grampian. 1981.
- ^ "Mikrocomputerfibel, Vieweg, 1983" (PDF).
- ^ "IC Master". Hearst Business Communications. February 21, 1990 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Thomson EF9364 - MAME machine". adb.arcadeitalia.net.
- ^ a b c d "EF9365 - EF9366, Thomson Semiconducteurs" (PDF).
- ^ "Datasheet Archive EF9365 datasheet download". www.datasheetarchive.com.
- ^ Ferguson, John D. (1985). Microprocessor Systems Engineering. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-201-14657-8.
- ^ a b Money, S. A. (2014-05-10). Microprocessor Data Book. Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-4832-6870-5.
- ^ a b "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
- ^ Electronics Industry. 1986.
- ^ Electronic Design. Hayden Publishing Company. 1986.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Electronic Engineering. Morgan-Grampian. 1987.
- ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
- ^ "SFF 96364, Tube SFF96364; Röhre SFF 96364 ID52104, Solid-Sta". www.radiomuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ Display circuit and interface module SFF96364 (PDF). SESCOSEM.
- ^ "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.
- ^ EDN, Electrical Design News. Rogers Publishing Company. 1980.
- ^ Wireless World and Radio Review. Dorset House. 1979.
- ^ Computer Design. Computer Design Publishing Corporation. 1978.
- ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
- ^ ElectronicsWeek. McGraw-Hill. 1984.
- ^ Electronics Industry. February 1985.
- ^ "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
- ^ a b "SGS-Thomson, Graphic Processors Databook, 1st Edition, March 89" (PDF). bitsavers.org.
External links
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