[Info-vax] DEC 54-23104-01 graphics adapter

[John Wallace]

On Dec 13, 12:53 pm, MG <marcog... at SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:
> Does anyone know what the DEC video or graphics card, going by
> the part number 54-23104-01, is or is supposed to offer?
>
> I recently came across it, I saw it on offer on a Brazilian
> auction site, here:
> <http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-213718267-54-23104-01-contr-vi...>
>
> I haven't been able to find any additional information about it.
> This is a DEC PowerStorm-type, isn't it?  If so, there's a good
> chance I once had a system with one of those cards (in an Alpha-
> Server 1000 4/266 of mine, back in the way).
>
>   - MG

Caution: loose logic and vague recollection follows:

If it's PCI that makes it a ZLXp-E* (aka TGA, aka PBXGA-xx) or its
PowerStorm (aka TGA2, aka PBXGB-xx) follow-on. It's not full length
PCI so it's the 8plane not the 24plane.

There's no VGA chip in the picture. The ZLXp-E didn't have a VGA mode
or VGA chip iirc. Iirc the Powerstorm follow-ons had a VGA chip. The
absence of VGA compatibility made the ZLXp-E* pretty much useless in
anything other than a DEC-badged (or compatible) Alpha system, and
they needed specific support in the consoles. The VGA chip on a
PowerStorm means they didn't need specific support in  the console (or
BIOS), they could be driven by VGA emulation (on an Alpha console) or
VGA mode itself, until the OS's real driver took over. (That reads
badly, but...)

If the part number on the |d|i|g|i|t|a|l| chip were readable, that
would be helpful. It is almost  certainly a 21030-xx or a 21130-xx.
21030 is ZLXp-E*, 21130 is TGA2.

If I were in a gambling mood, based on the picture I'd bet at least
one KitKat that this is a ZLXp-E1.

If it's a ZLXp-E1, you may need the switch settings for resolution and
refresh rate, which are in the manual, or alternatively a kind
contributor round here has already posted them for you at:
http://antinode.info/dec/pbxga_settings.html

And if the author of that page is reading: the NT card is the same as
the non-NT card. There were two reasons for the different package part
numbers: the NT package was supposed to come with NT drivers, not
needed on VMS or Tru64, and the different part numbers in theory made
it possible for the right stovepipe/empire within DEC to get credit
for the sale.

hth
john