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 F. Ohland, Peter H. Wendt, David L. Beem, William R. Walsh, Tatsuo Sunagawa, Tomáš Slavotínek, Jim Shorney, Tim N. Clarke, Kevin Bowling, and many others.

Ardent Tool of Capitalism is maintained by Tomáš Slavotínek.
Last update: 24 Mar 2024 - Changelog | About | Legal & Contact