🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1984@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA>, userBARD@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (Barry Ard) writes:
> I am looking for some information on how to detect the existence of
> various video adapters (MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA) for the PC.

Try 'Programmer's Guide to PC & PS/2 Video Systems' by Richard Wilton.
Published by Microsoft Press.

This will get you all the IBM boards that you mention, but won't help with
the clones (super VGA is nice to know about).  Most manufactures are now
conforming to the VESA VGA standard which helps (incredible understatement)
with the identification and programming of these boards.  You can get
a copy of the spec from: 

VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)
Suite D
1330 South Bascom Avenue
San Jose, CA 95128-4502

Voice: 408-971-7525
FAX:   408-286-8988

I just called and asked for the latest copy of the spec.  They also have
stuff on the 8514/A as well.  There is no charge.

You can also buy the source code to the graphics library for the Zortech
compiler which does autodection of the various boards including the 
super VGA boards as well as the ones you mentioned.  If you already have
the Zortech compiler I can tell you how to pull in just the autodetection
code without getting the rest of the library (I wrote it) and save the
price of the source code (about $200.00--call Zortech for details).

-- 
joe@proto.com
FAX: 208-263-8772