Ahead VGA Enhancer Z

@8002.ADF SuperVGA/MC Display Adapter, Ver. 3.0
@8002.ADF AHEAD SYSTEMS INC., VGA ENHANCER-Z, Rev. A (rename)
@8202.ADF AHEAD SYSTEMS INC., VGA ENHANCER-Z, Rev. A

Ahead VGA Enhancer Z Manual (from David Beem)
Ahead VGA Enhancer Z Utilities (from David Beem)

Ahead V5000 Programming (extracted from Advanced Programmer's Guide to SuperVGAs)

Ahead VGA Enhancer Z
   W5 Function
Video ROM
Features
Slot Requirements
ADF Sections (both ADFs use same sections)


Ahead VGA Enhancer Z [P] [P] [P] [P]

J1 Pads for 5-pin header
SP1 Pads for "spare" IC
U1-7,14-16 Pads for additional DRAM?
U8-13 64Kx4 DRAM (different brands)
U18 Pads for unknown IC
U19 C&T F82C451 / Ahead V5000-50PC
U20 Video BIOS ROM
U22 Pads for osc (pins 1 & 3 bridged)
U27 40.000 MHz osc
U32 Pads for osc (not bridged)
W1-4 Pads for 2-pin jumpers
W5 Jumper to set adapter ID
W6 Pads for 3-pin jumper

U8-13 64Kx4 DRAM (socketed), different brands and speeds - Micron MT4067-10, Hynix HY53C464LS-80, NEC D41464C-10, or equivalent.

U19 Most cards have the VGA controller chip labeled as Ahead V5000-50PC (rev. -A or -B). This is either a pin-compatible alternative to C&T F82C451 or perhaps even the same chip (rebadged). Some cards come with the C&T variant (rev. -B) (thx David!).

W5 Sets adapter ID in case there is a conflict. When W5 is jumpered, card ID is 8002. When W5 is open, card ID is 8202 (Ed. very naughty!).

W6 Pads for 3-pin jumper. Some boards have pins 1 & 2 permanently bridged, on other boards pins 2 & 3 are bridged. Purpose?

Note: There's no video connector on this adapter! More info HERE.


Video ROM (dumped by David Beem)

Device: 1x 27C128 16Kx8 EPROM

VGA-Z104 PS/2 VGA ENHANCER-Z, COPYRIGHT 1989, REV 1.04
VGA-Z104E PS/2 VGA ENHANCER-Z, COPYRIGHT 1989, REV 1.04E


Features

The Enhancer Z provides the following enhancement features in addition to the standard IBM VGA modes:

  • 16-bit high speed VGA chip
  • 80 column x 34 row text (IBM 3278/79 MOD3)
  • 80 column x 45 row text (IBM 3278/79 MOD4)
  • 132 column x 28 row text (IBM 3278/79 MOD5)
  • 132 column x 25 row text (AHEAD modes 23h and 50h)
  • 132 column x 44 row text (AHEAD modes 22h and 52h)

Typical applications for these features are 132-column text for larger Spread Sheets & Word Processing. IBM mainframe Terminal Emulations, Desktop Publishing, CAD/CAM applications, DEC VT100, VT220, VT240, HP and Tektronix Terminal Emulations, etc.

It also supports 640 x 480 / 256 colors, 640 x 400 / 256 colors on VGA monitors.

Optionally the VGA Enhancer Z supports 800 x 600 / 256 colors and 1024 x 768 / 16 colors on Multisync monitors. (Ed. This requires additional video RAM and possibly a faster base video RAMDAC?)


Slot Requirements

The VGA Enhancer Z adapter doesn't have its own RAMDAC or video connector! It's designed to use the base video from the planar and thus must be installed in a Micro Channel slot with the Auxiliary Video Extension (AVE).

MachineAVE Slot
Model 50/50ZSlot #3
Model 60/80Slot #6
Model 55SX/70Slot #1


AdapterId 08002h and 08202h AHEAD SYSTEMS INC., VGA ENHANCER-Z, Rev. A

VGA Enhancer-Z Disable
      <"DISABLE">, ENABLE 

Video BIOS ROM Address Select
   The EPROM size can be either 8K (2764) or 16K (27128) or disabled.
      <"BIOS size= 16K starting @C000h">  0C0000h-0C3fffh, DISABLE BIOS,"BIOS size= 8K starting @C000h"  0C0000h-0C1fffh

Content created and/or collected by:
Louis Ohland, Peter Wendt, David Beem, William Walsh, Tatsuo Sunagawa, Jim Shorney, Tim Clarke, Kevin Bowling, Tomáš Slavotínek, and many others.

Ardent Tool of Capitalism - MAD Edition! is maintained by Tomáš Slavotínek.
Last update: 28 May 2023 - Changelog | Legal Info & Contact