FireGL™ V7200 User’s Guide P/N 137-50062-10
ii User’s Guide Copyright © 2006, ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. ATI, the ATI logo, and ATI product and product-feature names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features, performance and specifications are subject to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in diagrams.
User’s Guide iii L IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS • Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. • Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. • Heed Warnings - All warnings on the product and the operating instructions should be adhered to.
iv User’s Guide
v Table of Contents Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 FireGL™ Features System Requirements Before You Begin Record Your Serial and Part Numbers Uninstall Previous Graphics Card Drivers Quick Installation 1 2 3 3 3 4 Installing Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Detailed Installation Connecting Display Devices Display Configurations Turning on the System 5 6 7 9 Installing Software and Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi Display Modes Aspect Ratio Using Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter 33 33 34 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FireGL™ Features 1 CHAPTER 1: Getting Started Your ATI FireGL™ card is an advanced workstation 3D graphics card based on a high-bandwidth, parallel pipeline geometry and rendering architecture. The card delivers workstation-class performance to designers, engineers, and animators, and runs the latest OpenGL® and Microsoft® DirectX® applications. FireGL™ Features Features of your FireGL™ workstation graphics card include: • ATI FireGL™ Graphic Processor Unit (GPU) with Avivo™ technology.
2 System Requirements • Ideal for 30-inch Apple® Cinema HD Displays and 9 Megapixel monitors. • Stereoscopic 3D output connector with quad buffer support. • Dual VGA analog support (DVI-I-to-VGA adapter included). • Component Video (YPrPb) output (adapter included). System Requirements Make sure you meet the following system requirements before installing your FireGL™ card. Hardware • Intel® Pentium® 4/Xeon®; AMD Athlon® 64/K7/XP or compatible. • 512 MB or more for best performance.
Before You Begin 3 Before You Begin Before you begin installing your new graphics card, please do the following. Record Your Serial and Part Numbers The serial number and 102 part number on the graphics card are required for registration. They are located on a sticker on the back of the card. Write these numbers down before installing your new ATI product.
4 Quick Installation Note: If the previously installed graphics card has any additional software installed, it should also be removed at this point. 4 Turn off your system and remove the old graphics card. Quick Installation Experienced users and system administrators can follow these brief instructions for installing the FireGL™ card in the shortest possible time. Detailed hardware and software installation instructions are given in the next two sections.
Detailed Installation 5 CHAPTER 2: Installing Hardware This chapter will guide you through the physical installation of your new graphics card. Detailed Installation The following instructions will take you step by step through the installation of your new FireGL™. 1 Turn off the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices. 2 Unplug the computer’s power cord and disconnect all cables from the back of your computer.
6 Connecting Display Devices 5 Locate the appropriate slot and, if necessary, remove the metal backplate cover. 6 Align your ATI graphics card with the slot and press it in firmly until the card is fully seated. 7 Screw in or fasten the graphics card securely and replace the computer cover. 8 Reconnect any cables you have disconnected and plug in the computer’s power cord. 9 Turn on the monitor and then your computer.
Display Configurations 7 Using a VGA-to-DVI-I Adaptor X VGA Monitor Connector Y VGA-to-DVI-I Adaptor Z DVI-I Connection Make sure all cables are securely connected before turning on your system. Display Configurations Your FireGL™ graphics card provides dual display functionality as well as quad-buffered stereographics. The following table lists the different ways you can connect displays to your card.
8 Display Configurations Display Configuration Connector(s) Used DFP display + Quad-buffered stereographics device DVI-I connector + Quad-buffered stereographics CRT display + Quad-buffered stereographics device VGA connector with VGA-to-DVI-I adapter + Quad-buffered stereographics DFP display + DFP display DVI-I connector + DVI-I connector CRT display + HDTV display DVI-I-to-VGA adapter + HDTV cable (YPrPr) with HDTV Component Adapter DFP display + HDTV display DVI-I connector + HDTV cable (YPb
Display Configurations 9 Display Configuration Connector(s) Used Comments CRT display + DFP display + Quad-buffered stereographics device VGA connector with VGA-to-DVI-I adapter + DVI-I connector + Quad-buffered stereographics Check driver release notes for limitations on the use of stereographics.
10 Display Configurations
HydraVision™ Multi-monitor Management 11 CHAPTER 3: Installing Software and Drivers This chapter will guide you through the installation of the drivers and software associated with your FireGL™ graphics card. HydraVision™ Multi-monitor Management The HydraVision™ multi-monitor and desktop management software will install automatically with the Express driver installation of the ATISETUP utility.
12 Installing Drivers and Software in Windows® Software Installation Prerequisites To install or remove the drivers, you must have administrator rights or be logged on as a user with administrator rights. Your operating system must be installed and running before you can install the FireGL™ drivers. You must also have Service Pack 1 (or higher) for Windows® XP. Make sure your monitor cable is properly attached before you begin.
Monitor Configuration 13 7 When the Setup complete message appears, select Yes, I want to restart my computer now and click Finish. Monitor Configuration Once the drivers and software have been installed, you can configure your monitor. L Warning - Choosing a refresh rate unsupported by your monitor may damage your monitor. Consult your monitor’s documentation if necessary.
14 Monitor Configuration Note: When you use multiple monitors with your FireGL™ card, one monitor will always be Primary. Any additional monitors will be designated as Secondary. Clone Display Mode When two displays are connected and only one display is enabled, you can clone (copy the image of) your Primary display onto a Secondary display on the fly, without rebooting.
Reinstalling Drivers 15 • Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Advanced button > ATI Displays tab. • Click the red enable/disable button Secondary display. 2 Click the to enable the to span the desktop horizontally or Click the 3 to span the desktop vertically. Click OK or Apply to save the changes. Reinstalling Drivers You can install new drivers or reinstall existing drivers if there was a Windows® conflict.
16 Reinstalling Drivers
ATI Displays Tab 17 CHAPTER 4: Display Properties This chapter describes how to use the advanced display, multiple-monitor, and 3D graphics features in ATI’s Display Properties options. ATI Displays Tab The ATI Displays tab provides control over multiple-monitor features. Here you can enable/disable display devices and swap the assignment of Primary and Secondary displays.
18 ATI Displays Tab ATI Displays Tab Scheme Displays the drop-down list of available display-device configurations that have previously been created. New configurations can be entered here and then saved using the Save button. Hotkey Associates a hotkey with a scheme. To input the hotkey, highlight the field and press the appropriate key combination on your keyboard. Display Configuration button These are the buttons that contain the name of the devices that can be connected to your graphics card.
ATI Color Tab 19 3 Click Save to save the scheme. Dynamic Display Reassignment You can change the assignment of your Primary and Secondary display on the fly, without rebooting. If you have more than one display device available and have the proper adapters or connectors, you can plug it in to your FireGL™ graphics card in order to view or extend your desktop display to that device.
20 ATI Color Tab The Color Tab ATI Color Tab Desktop radio button Select Desktop to configure your desktop color settings. Full Screen 3D radio button Select Full Screen 3D to configure the color settings for your 3D applications. Note that the configured settings will only be apparent within a full-screen 3D application environment. Profiles for Indicates whether the profiles in the drop-down list are for your Desktop or a full-screen 3D environment.
ATI Color Tab 21 ATI Color Tab Save button Saves your current color settings to a Desktop or Full Screen 3D profile, using the name you specified in the list box. To restore these settings later, simply select the Profile name from the list and click Apply or OK. Delete button Deletes the profile that is selected in the Profiles list box. All Colors checkbox Adjusts the Gamma, Brightness or Contrast for Red, Green, and Blue simultaneously.
22 ATI Color Tab To create a Desktop or Full Screen 3D profile 1 Choose either the Desktop or Full Screen 3D radio button, as desired. 2 Adjust the Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast sliders to the desired settings, either individually or using the All Colors checkbox. 3 Type a profile name in the Profile list box. 4 Click Save. To apply the settings for a specific Desktop profile 1 Choose the Desktop radio button. 2 Select the profile name from the drop-down list box. 3 Click Apply or OK.
ATI Color Tab 23 The Color Hotkeys Settings dialog To access the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog 1 Select the Full Screen 3D radio button. 2 Click the Hotkeys button to access the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog.
24 ATI Options Tab ATI Options Tab The ATI Options tab provides detailed driver information and access to your graphics card’s version information and specifications. You can also enable or disable the ATI taskbar icon from this dialog. The Options Tab ATI Options Tab WMV Acceleration When enabled, improves the performance of .WMV format video files. Reactivate all warning messages Reactivates any disabled graphics warning messages.
ATI Configuration Tab 25 ATI Options Tab Enable ATI taskbar icon application Enables/disables the ATI taskbar applications and removes the ATI icon from your system tray. Show ATI icon on taskbar Removes/replaces the ATI icon from the system tray without disabling the ATI icon applications. Disable quick resolution feature The quick resolution feature is accessible by left-clicking the ATI icon in the system tray. Checking this option disables this feature.
26 ATI Configuration Tab The Configuration Tab Activating a configuration profile The Configuration Profiles listbox displays a number of common applications whose optimal configuration profile are factory-set by default. To activate a particular profile, select the application name from the list and click Apply. This will add the information to the necessary Windows registry settings. If prompted, restart Windows.
ATI Advanced Settings Tab 27 Modifying the configuration parameters To change the configuration settings of a specific application, select the name of that application from the Configuration Profiles listbox. Click the Modify button. Now select or clear the rest of the configuration controls on this tabbed dialog to obtain the desired display parameters for the selected application.
28 ATI Advanced Settings Tab The Advanced Settings Tabs How to Use SMOOTHVISION™ The Application preference setting provides OpenGL® and Direct 3D® applications with the ability to enable anti-aliasing automatically. If an application does not utilize an anti-aliasing setting, it is disabled. This option results in high-quality images at the price of a negligible reduction in the application’s performance.
ATI Advanced Settings Tab 29 How to Use Stereo Glasses with Your FireGL™ Card The Enable Quad Buffer Stereo option requires a stereographics connection on your FireGL™ card. Enabling this feature while using compatible stereo glasses and applicable software provides an immersive 3D-stereo display. L The Enable Quad Buffer Stereo option is only available for graphics cards that come with a stereographics connection.
30 ATI Advanced Settings Tab
Installing Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter 31 CHAPTER 5: ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter Give presentations, watch movies, and browse the internet using your High Definition Television (HDTV). The ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter converts standard DVI-I video output to component video suitable for use with most HDTVs. Installing Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter L You must have a monitor attached to your computer before installing the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter.
32 Installing Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter 1 DVI-I connection 2 HDTV Component Adapter 3 HDTV Video Inputs 4 Turn on your component input device, and then set it to YPbPr input (see your HDTV or component input device manual for further instructions). 5 Turn on your workstation. Your TV will not display anything until Windows starts; this may take several minutes. 6 To return to your CRT monitor display, shut down your computer, reconnect the CRT monitor, and then restart your computer.
Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches 33 Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches Configure the DIP switches to set the appropriate display mode and aspect ratio. This sets the modes which appear when you select Show all Modes in the ATI Control Panel as described in See “Using Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter”.
34 Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches In the above example, the component input display supports 480i, 480p, 1080i, and 16:9. Using Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter Use the HDTV Component Video Adapter to watch DVD movies on your High Definition Television. For maximum performance when you watch DVD movies on your HDTV, you should use the mode and screen resolution that provide the best viewing results for your TV, and use those settings exclusively.
Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches 35 Note: The YPbPr Properties page opens. The DIP switch settings of the Component Video Adapter are shown as selected in Dongle Settings.
36 Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches L To override the DIP switch settings, click Custom Settings button and select the desired modes. 5 Click OK. 6 Click the Advanced button. 7 Click the Adapter tab, then click the List All Modes button. 8 Select a desired resolution. 9 Select a desired mode: • 60Hz = Progressive. • 30Hz = Interlaced Note: YPbPr is only available with the 30Hz or 60HZ settings.
Troubleshooting 37 CHAPTER 6: Reference This chapter offers troubleshooting tips and provides customer-care, warranty, and compliance information. Troubleshooting The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems. ATI’s documentation contains helpful installation/configuration tips and other valuable feature information. Please contact your dealer for more advanced troubleshooting information. More troubleshooting information can be found on the ATI Web site. Please visit ati.
38 Troubleshooting General Problems Problem Possible Solution Computer Does Not Boot-Up Properly • Verify that the installation instructions were properly followed. • Check that the card is properly installed in your system and connected to your monitor. • If you have problems during start-up, restart your computer in Safe Mode. While starting Windows® 2000 and Windows® XP, press and hold F8 until you see the Windows® Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and press Enter.
Troubleshooting 39 Problem Screen Defects Appear Possible Solution • Check if your monitor supports the resolution, horizontal (kHz) and vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required by the graphics card. • Check your current resolution, refresh rate, and color depth settings in the Settings and Monitor tabs in your Display Properties dialog. • Make sure that the display resolution and refresh rate settings you have selected are supported by the monitor you have connected.
40 Customer Care Problem Possible Solution Stereo Glasses Not Working • Your stereo glasses must be connected to the card when you start your computer. • Select a refresh rate of 120 Hz in the Monitor tab available from Display Properties > Advanced. • Enable the Quad Buffer Stereo option in the Advanced Settings tab of the Display Properties.
Customer Care 41 Service Access Additional Info Telephone US & Canada 1-866-284-2093 • English: 5:30AM - 7:00PM EST • Monday to Friday • Complimentary for registered users. • Toll-free. Telephone Europe +49-1803-347345 • English: 10:30 - 00:00 GMT • French/German: 10:30 - 19:00 GMT • Portuguese/Spanish: 12:00 20:30 GMT • Monday to Friday • Complimentary for registered users. • International and local toll charges to Germany will apply.
42 Warranty Information Service Access Mail ATI TECHNOLOGIES INC. Attention: Customer Care 1 Commerce Valley Drive East Markham, Ontario Canada L3T 7X6 Additional Info • Complimentary. Disclaimer ATI Customer Care will work to resolve your issue and help you to get your product up and running.
Warranty Information 43 Warranty Service For warranty service instructions visit: ati.com/online/warranty or contact one of our Customer Service Representatives using one of the aforementioned means. • Before shipping any unit for repair, obtain an RMA number for warranty service. • When shipping your product, pack it securely, show the RMA and serial number of the product on the outside, and ship prepaid and insured. • ATI will not be held liable for damage or loss to the product in shipment.
44 Additional Accessories Additional Accessories Additional and replacement cables, installation CD-ROMs, manuals, and other accessories for ATI products can be purchased from the online ATI store at: ati.com/online/accessories Compliance Information This section details the compliance information for this product. FCC Compliance Information This FireGL™ product complies with FCC Rules part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions • This device may not cause harmful interference.
Compliance Information 45 Industry Canada Compliance Statement ICES-003 This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numérique de la Classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada. For further compliance information: ATI Research Inc. 4 Mount Royal Ave.
46 Compliance Information VCCI Class B ITE Compliance Information MIC Certification Information BSMI Certification Information Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Compliance This product was manufactured by ATI Technologies Inc.
47 Glossary 2D Acronym for “two dimensional,” a term applied to computer graphics that are “flat.” Typical desktop applications such as word processors, spreadsheet programs, or other programs that manipulate print or simple graphics (such as pictures or line art) are generally considered to be operating within a 2D environment, even when they include simple three dimensional elements, such as buttons. 3D Acronym for “three dimensional,” referring to computer graphics that appear to have volume and depth.
48 Anisotropic Filtering A technique that preserves the surface details of an object as it recedes into the distance by utilizing and blending together the object’s texture maps. This makes 3D objects appear more realistic as the detail of their surface texture is retained in a smooth, seamless fashion on the sections that move or fade away into the background. Anti-aliasing A method that smooths out the jagged edges of a curved object.
49 Bit Depth Refers to the number of data bits required to store color information about a pixel. Larger bit depth means a greater range of color information is capable of being encoded into each pixel. For example, 1 binary bit of memory can only encode to either “0” or “1.” So a graphical bit depth of 1 means that the display can only show two colors, the black and white of a monochrome display.
50 Color Correction Correct discrepancies between the real color value and the way a screen displays it. Color discrepancies can be caused by a variety of sources, including the lighting conditions in the work area and gradual shifts in color over time on monitors or flat panel displays. Color Curve A color curve represents all possible intensity values (from 0 to 255) for a color component (Red, Green or Blue).
51 Dithering A computer graphics technique that takes advantage of the human eye’s tendency to mix two colors that are adjacent to each other to produce smooth boundary transitions. Dithering adds intermediate color values between two or more boundaries, producing smoother, more natural look to 2D images or 3D objects. Dot pitch Dot pitch specifies the sharpness of a monitor’s display.
52 Frame Buffer The portion of the memory buffer on the graphics card used to store the image being displayed. All rendering processes have been accomplished by this stage and this buffer contains only a one-to-one relationship of the data to be relayed to the display. Frames Per Second In terms of 3D graphics, refers to the rate at which the graphic processor can render new screens per second. Higher rates equals better, more naturalistic performance for such things as games set in a 3D environment.
53 Hue Refers to a specific color within the visible spectrum of light, defined by its dominant wavelength. A light wave with a central tendency within the range of 565-590 nm is visible as yellow. In the standard RGB color space used by most computer displays, hue refers to a coordinate of the color as described by its red, green, and blue values, minus any additional brightness or saturation values for that color.
54 KTX Buffer Region Extension This OpenGL® programming term refers to a feature that rapidly updates portions of the display of 3D modelling applications that change very quickly, or have been moved or occluded. It does this by optimizing the storage of buffer regions in the graphics card’s memory buffer. Other applications are typically not adversely affected when this is enabled.
55 OpenGL® Short for “Open Graphics Library,” this is an industry standard for crossplatform 3D graphics development. It consists of a large number of functions that can be called upon in various programs, such as games, CAD, and virtual-reality systems, to produce complex 3D objects from simpler, more “primitive” building blocks. Implementations currently exist under Windows®, Mac OS® X, and various forms of Unix, including Linux®.
56 Pixel All computer images are made up of tiny dots. Each individual dot is called a pixel, a word created from the term “picture element.” A pixel is the smallest indivisible unit of a digital image and can be only a single color. The size of the pixel depends on how the display resolution has been set. The smallest size a pixel can be is determined by the display’s dot pitch, which is measured in millimeters (mm). Refresh Rate Also referred to as “vertical refresh rate.
57 Saturation Refers to the intensity of a specific hue (color). A highly saturated hue is vivid and intense, whereas a less saturated hue appears more grey. A completely unsaturated color is grey. In terms of the RGB color model, a fully saturated color exists when you have 100% brightness in one of the three channels (say, red) and 0% in the two others (green and blue). Conversely, a fully desaturated color is one where all of the color values are the same.
58 Specular Highlight The bright, usually small, intense light reflected from a 3D surface with a high refraction value. From the intensity and spread of this highlight users can differentiate between a “hard,” smooth surface, such as metal or porcelain, or a “soft,” textured surface, such as fabric or skin. Texel Short for “texture element,” the 3D equivalent of a pixel, describing the base unit of the surface of a 3D object, such as a sphere; for a 2D object, such as a circle, the base unit is a pixel.
59 Vertex Shader Three-dimensional objects displayed on a screen are rendered using polygons, each of which is made up of intersecting triangles. A vertex is a corner of a triangle where it connects to another triangle, and each vertex carries a considerable amount of information describing its coordinates in 3D space, as well as its weight, color, texture coordinates, fog, and point size data.
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61 Index Numerics 102 part number 3 16:9 (aspect ratio) 48 2D 47 3D 47, 53, 57 full-screen 19 3Dc 57 4:3 (aspect ratio) 48 5:4 (aspect ratio) 48 A Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) accessories 44 Advanced Settings tab 27 Alpha blending 47 Anisotropic filtering 48, 57 Anti-aliasing 48, 57 Aspect Ratio 48 ATI taskbar applications disabling 24, 25 enabling 24, 25 ATISETUP utility 15 B Back Buffer 48 back buffer 49 Bilinear Filtering 48 Bit depth 49 Bitmap 49 brightness 21, 22, 49, 52, 53 19 Buffer 49, 52,
62 color preview color settings 21 color settings brightness 19 color preview 21 contrast 19, 21 desktop 20 gamma 19 Hotkeys 22 profiles 20 Color Tab 19 Compliance Information configuration 44 multiple monitors 13 primary monitor 13 Configuration Tab contrast 21, 22 color settings 25 19 13 Control Panel 3, Control point 50 CPU 55 CRT 50, 51, 57 D Depth Buffer 53 desktop color settings 20 Digital Video Interface 51 Direct 3D 50 Direct 3D ® 28 display corruption DVI 25 high resolution 25 display
63 drivers installing 12 uninstalling 3 DVI 52 DVI operational mode 25 DVI-A 51 DVI-D 51 DVI-I 51 F FCC Compliance 44 Flat Shading 51 Fog 51 Frame Buffer 52 Frames per second (fps) 52 full-screen 3D 19 G gamma 21, 22, 52 color settings 19 gamma correction 21 Gouraud Shading 51, 52 Graphical Processor Unit (GPU) 57 H HDTV 34 Help 3 High Definition Television (HDTV) 52 High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection (HDCP) Hotkeys color settings 52 22 Hue 53, 57 HydraVision 53 HydraVision ™ 12 HYDRAVISION™ 11 H
64 M Mac OS X 55 Microsoft DirectX 50 Mipmapping 54 motherboard 47 multimedia 55 multi-monitor 53 N NTSC 56 O Offscreen Memory 54 OpenGL 54, 55 OpenGL ® 28 Options Tab 24 P PCI 55 PCI Express (PCIe) 47, Pipeline 55 Pixel 56, 57 pixel shaders 57 Pixel-shading 57 primary display 17 primary monitor assigning 55 19 profiles color 20 R Red Green Blue (RGB) Refresh Rate 13, 56 registration 3 Rendering 56 Resolution 13, 56 S safety instructions iii Saturation 53, 57 secondary display 17 serial number 3 shade
65 Software installing 11 Specular highlight stereographics enabling 29 troubleshooting 58 40 SXGA 56 system requirements 2 T Texel 58 texture buffer 49 Texture mapping 58 Texture Preference 58 Trilinear filtering 58 U UXGA 56 V Vertex shader 59 vertex shaders 57 vertical refresh rate 56 VGA 56, 59 VGA connector 59 Video Graphics Array 59 video memory 49 W Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Compliance 46 Windows 15, 55 X XGA 56 Y YPbPr 36 Z Z-buffer 53, 59 z-buffer 49
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