Apple Enterprise - NeXTanswers Support Archive

Installing Update 1 of the Weitek Power 9000 Display Adapter Device Driver for NEXTSTEP Release 3.2 for Intel Processors

These instructions show you how to install the Weitek Power 9000 display adapter device driver on an Intel-based computer running NEXTSTEP(TM) Release 3.2. The driver is distributed in an Installer package file named WeitekP9000Driver.pkg.

Supported Display Adapters

The Weitek Power 9000 display adapter device driver supports three models of display adapters: The Diamond Viper VLB, the Diamond Viper PCI, and the Genoa VideoBlitz 9200VL. The following three charts show the display modes supported for each model of adapter.

Warning: Some vendors claim that you can use their display adpaters at display modes with resolutions and refresh rates that exceed what their RAMDACs can support. You can permanently damage your display adapter and computer by doing this. Read the owner's guide that comes with your display adapter or contact its manufacturer to ensure that your adapter's RAMDAC can support the display mode you set in Configure.

Diamond Viper VLB Display Adapter Display Modes
(BT485 110MHz RAMDAC)

8-bit Grayscale 16-bit Color 32-bit Color

800x600 1MB VRAM 800x600 1MB VRAM 640x480 2MB VRAM
56, 60, 72, or 75 Hz 56, 60, 72, or 75 Hz 60, 72, or 75 Hz

1024x768 1MB VRAM 1024x768 2MB VRAM 800x600 2MB VRAM
60, 70, 72, 75, or 80 Hz 60, 70, 72, 75, or 80 Hz 56, 60, 72, 75 Hz

1280x1024 2MB VRAM 1152x900 2MB VRAM
60 Hz 60 or 70 Hz

1152x900 1MB VRAM
60, 70, 72, or 74 Hz

Diamond Viper PCI Display Adapter Display Modes
(BT485 135MHz RAMDAC)

8-bit Grayscale 16-bit Color 32-bit Color

800x600 1MB VRAM 800x600 1MB VRAM 640x480 2MB VRAM
56, 60, 72, or 75 Hz 56, 60, 72, or 75 Hz 60, 72, or 75 Hz

1024x768 1MB VRAM 1024x768 2MB VRAM 800x600 2MB VRAM
60, 70, 72, 75, or 80 Hz 60, 70, 72, 75, or 80 Hz 56, 60, 72, 75 Hz

1280x1024 2MB VRAM 1152x900 2MB VRAM
60, 72, 74, 75 Hz 60 or 70 Hz

1600x1200 2MB VRAM
60 Hz

1152x900 1MB VRAM
60, 70, 72, or 74 Hz

Genoa VideoBlitz 9200VL Display Adapter Display Modes
(ATT20C 505-13 (135MHz) RAMDAC)

8-bit Grayscale 16-bit Color 32-bit Color

800x600 1MB VRAM 800x600 1MB VRAM 640x480 2MB VRAM
56, 60, 72, or 75 Hz 56, 60, 72, or 75 Hz 60, 72, or 75 Hz

1024x768 1MB VRAM 1024x768 2MB VRAM 800x600 2MB VRAM
60, 70, 72, 75, or 80 Hz 60, 70, 72, 75, or 80 Hz 56, 60, 72, 75 Hz

1280x1024 2MB VRAM 1152x900 2MB VRAM
60, 72, 74, 75 Hz 60 or 70 Hz

1600x1200 2MB VRAM
60 Hz

1152x900 1MB VRAM
60, 70, 72, or 74 Hz

Supported Displays

NeXT designs and tests its display adapter device drivers using displays that can support display modes with very high resolutions and non-interlaced refresh rates, such as the NEC 5FG, NEC 6FG, and Nokia Multigraph 445X. Read the owner's guide that comes with your display to ensure it can support the display mode you set in Configure.

Installing the Device Driver

1. If you received the WeitekP9000Driver.pkg file via NeXTmail(TM) or another electronic source, place a copy of the file in a location where you can access it when you log in as root.
2. Log in as root.
Only the superuser, root, can install the updated device driver. If you're not sure how to log in as root, see your system administrator.
3. If you received the WeitekP9000Driver.pkg file on a floppy disk, insert the disk in the floppy disk drive and choose Check for Disks from the Workspace Manager(TM) application's Disk menu. When the disk icon appears in the File Viewer, double-click it to open it.
4. Double-click the WeitekP9000Driver.pkg file.
5. Click the Install button in the Installer package window. When the panel asks you to confirm that you want to install software for Intel-based computers, click Install.
6. When the installation is complete, choose Quit from the Installer menu.
7. Start up the Configure application by double-clicking Configure.app (it's in /NextAdmin).
8. Click the Display icon at the top of Configure's Summary window and click the Add button near the top of the window.
9. Select your model of Diamond Viper or Genoa VideoBlitz display adapter in the scrolling list in the Add Display Devices panel. Then click Add.
10. Click Select in the Display Mode area of the Display Devices window, and in the Select Display Mode panel, select the mode of color, resolution, and refresh rate appropriate for your adapter and display. Then click OK.
11. Choose Save from Configure's Configuration menu and then choose Quit.
12. If you created a copy of the WeitekP9000Driver.pkg file in step 1, drag the copy to the recycler.
13. Choose Log Out from the Workspace menu and then click the Restart button in the Login window.
Note: You must restart your computer after installing and configuring the device driver.
The next time you start up your computer, it will use the new driver to display NEXTSTEP in the display mode you selected in Configure.

For information about logging in and out, the Workspace Manager application, and the Installer application, see the NEXTSTEP User's Guide. For information about the Configure application, see Installing and Configuring NEXTSTEP Release 3.2 for Intel Processors.

NeXT, the NeXT logo, NEXTSTEP, NeXTmail, and Workspace Manager are trademarks of NeXT Computer, Inc.

WeitekP9000Driver.ReadMe.rtf, Update 1, 04-08-94

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