🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <C1ICop.Hz@brunel.ac.uk> ma90alb@brunel.ac.uk (Ashley L Brandwood) writes:
>schludermann@sscvx1.ssc.gov wrote:
>: In article <C1DxDv.BEr@austin.ibm.com>, oquinn@elder.austin.ibm.com (Jim O) writes:
>: >   1)  Is TIGA still around, if so how to I get in touch with them.
>
>: I think it's still alive and well. I just bought a TMS34020-40 w/TMS34082-40
>
>They are definitely around.

"TIGA" isn't a company, it's an acronym for "Texas Instruments
Graphics Architecture", and yes, TI is definitely still around.


>The performance is out standing, due to the fact that the TMS340?0 chips are 
>full graphics co-processors, (not like S3 based video cards which are windows 
>optimised ) this means basically if the processor wants to draw a circle (for 
>instance), it sends the card the center of the circle, and it radius and colour
>and lets the card draw the circle, rather than transfering a picture of the 
>circle to the card.

Well there are two things to remember, hardware implementation isn't
always faster than software implementation.  For example, the loop
instruction on the '486 uses more clock cycles than using an
increment-compare-branch instruction sequence would to do the same
job.

Another thing to know is that the TMS340 only has instructions for
drawing lines as far as geometrical entities goes.  circle (and other
polygon) drawing will have to be done by software. (I could be wrong,
I might have missed the instruction while scanning my 340 user's
guide)  What it does have, is built in bit block transferring.

>If you are really rich and can afford the expense, it is definitely worth 
>getting a TMS34020 with its own co-processor TMS34082 board (as this makes it 
>rediculously fast)

FYI: the 34082 is an FPU (for those who didn't know)

>It should be able to work at all standard SVGA resolutions/colours and
>probably a lot more (like some are capable of >2048 resolutions) and upto
>24-bit colour.

The 34020 is capable of 1,2,4,8,16, and 32-bit color, the 34010 is
only capable of up to 16 bit color. The resolution is really dependant
on how much VRAM you have connected to it. (and what your monitor's
capable of)

I'm rambling, I know. If anyone really cares, I've got the 34020 and
34010 user's guide if you have any questions.


Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with TI, I'm just a satisfied customer.


-- 
John Knutson (johnk@cs.utexas.edu)
	"A lot of people I know believe in positive thinking, and so
	 do I.  I believe everything positively stinks."
		-- Lew Col