Graphics Administration Guide (October 2009)

supported visuals
ATI Radeon family graphics devices support the following visuals:
DepthClass
8PseudoColor
24TrueColor
There are two visuals available with the ATI Radeon family displays, although not at the same
time. The X server can be either in depth 8 or depth 24 frame buffer mode. In depth 24 mode the
available visual is TrueColor. This is the recommended visual. In depth 8 mode the available
visual is PseudoColor. The frame buffer depth is configurable through SAM/SMH.
supported monitor configurations
ATI Radeon family graphics devices support monitor resolutions from 1024x768 to 1920x1200
with the exception of the ES1000 based core graphics which only supports resolutions from
1024x768 to 1600x1200.
The Radeon 7000 and Radeon 7500 have two video connectors: a VGA analog connector and a
DVI-I digital/analog connector. These devices will thus support up to two independent monitors.
When using a single monitor, the monitor can be attached to either connector.
Some systems using the ES1000 core graphics may have two VGA connectors, one in front of the
machine and one in the back. These systems are, however, not able to support two independent
monitors. The two video connectors will generate identical outputs with the same timing and
resolution. Two connectors on these machines are provided only for the convenience of hookup.
The graphics driver will use the monitor’s EDID information via the DDC interface if the monitor
provides it. The EDID information tells the graphics device which timings the monitor supports.
If EDID information from the monitor is not available, the driver will provide the following
default resolutions and timings. Use caution when selecting an “X default” timing. You should
only use those that you know the monitor will support, otherwise a black or unreadable screen
may result. The setmon or SAM/SMH utilities for changing monitor resolution will tell you if a
particular timing was obtained via DDC and is thus supported by the monitor, or if it is an “X
default” timing.
Table 2-9 Supported Monitor Options
Recommended usageFrequency (Hz)Resolution (HxV)
Flat panel601024x768
751024x768
851024x768
Flat panel601280x1024
751280x1024
851280x1024
Flat panel601600x1200
751600x1200
851600x1200
Flat panel601920x1200
751920x1200
851920x1200
output devices 27