ATI Technologies 100-505181 - FireGL 256 MB PCI-Express Card User manual

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FireGL™ X2-256t
FireGL™ X2-256
FireGL™ X1-128
FireGL™ Z1-128
User’s Guide
P/N: 137-50015-40
© Copyright 2004, by ATI Technologies Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form, without the
express written permission of ATI Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited.
ATI and all ATI product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks
of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features, performance and specifications are
subject to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in the diagrams.
FireGL, FIRE GL, HYDRAVISION – ATI Technologies Inc.; Athlon – Advanced Micro
Devices. Inc.; Fire Wire – Apple Computer Inc.; Direct3D, Windows 2000, Windows XP –
Microsoft Corp.; IEEE – The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc.; AGP
(Accelerated Graphics Port), Celeron, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III – Intel Corporation;
VGA – International Business Machines Corp.; OpenGL - Silicon Graphics Inc.; VESA – Video
Electronics Standards Association.
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated, which may be registered in
certain jurisdictions.

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Disclaimer
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
document, ATI Technologies Inc. assumes no liability with respect to
the operation or use of ATI hardware, software or other products and
documentation described herein, for any act or omission of ATI
concerning such products or this documentation, for any interruption of
service, loss or interruption of business, loss of anticipatory profits, or
for punitive, incidental or consequential damages in connection with
the furnishing, performance, or use of the ATI hardware, software, or
other products and documentation provided herein.
ATI Technologies Inc. reserves the right to make changes without
further notice to a product or system described herein to improve
reliability, function or design. With respect to ATI products which this
document relates, ATI disclaims all express or implied warranties
regarding such products, including but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-
infringement.
Documentation updates
ATI is constantly improving its product and associated documentation.
To maximize the value of your ATI product, you should ensure that you
have the latest documentation. ATI’s documentation contains helpful
installation/configuration tips and other valuable feature information.

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Contents
Getting Started............................................................... 1
Using this Guide ............................................................................................ 2
Viewing the User's Guide Online........................................................... 3
Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's Guide?............................. 3
Customer Care ............................................................................................... 4
FireGL Card Features ........................................................................... 5
System Requirements and Tools ................................................................... 7
Quick Installation .......................................................................................... 8
Installing the Hardware and Software ......................... 9
Installing the Hardware ................................................................................. 9
Preparing your Computer ..................................................................... 10
Installing the Card ................................................................................ 14
Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation ...................... 20
Installing the Software................................................................................. 23
Before you Start: Information, Tips, and Hints.................................... 24
Software Installation for Windows 2000 and Windows XP ................ 25
Using Your FireGL Card.............................................. 27
Using Two Monitors.................................................................................... 29
Using the DualScreen Tab .................................................................. 30
Changing the Video Settings ....................................................................... 31
How to Switch to the Display Properties ............................................. 31
Setting Resolution, Color Depth and Refresh Rate............................. 31
Adjusting the Monitor Display............................................................. 33
Using Application Profiles and Advanced Functions.................................. 36
Configuring Application Profiles ......................................................... 36
Setting Advanced Functions................................................................. 39
see also
HYDRAVISION™ User’s Guide

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Reference ..................................................................... 41
Removing the FireGL Drivers..................................................................... 41
Troubleshooting........................................................................................... 43
Technical Details ......................................................................................... 46
Product Specifications.......................................................................... 46
Pin Assignments................................................................................... 48
Video Modes ........................................................................................ 49
Warranty Service Information..................................................................... 51
Compliance Information.............................................................................. 53

1
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
Your ATI FireGL card is an advanced workstation 3D graphics
accelerator based on a high-bandwidth, parallel pipeline
geometry and rendering architecture. The card delivers
workstation-class performance to designers, engineers and
animators, running the leading OpenGL and DirectX
applications
Features of your FireGL workstation graphics accelerator:
• Real-time photo-realistic rendering and animation
• Stable and reliable software support for Windows® and
Linux® platforms
• Optimized support for the leading workstation applications
• SMARTSHADER™ technology for creating complex visual
effects
• SMOOTHVISION™ technology for advanced full-scene
anti-aliasing
IN THIS CHAPTER...
■Using this Guide on page 2
■FireGL Card Features on page 5
■System Requirements and Tools on
page 7
■Quick Installation on page 8

2 Getting Started
Using this Guide
Many hyperlinks provide easy access to any information you
may want. To make it useful in a printed format, too, a -
hyperlinked - table of contents and page numbers are provided.
Since this guide was designed to be used online and printed, the
quality of some images on screen or in print may be affected.
The organization of this guide is as follows:
Installing the Hardware and Software on page 9 provides
instructions for installing your FireGL card, loading the driver
and connecting video output devices to your card.
Using Your FireGL Card on page 27 explains how you can
take advantage of the advanced features of your FireGL card.
Reference on page 41 provides troubleshooting tips and
regulatory compliance information for your card.
HYDRAVISION™ User’s Guide provides information on
using HYDRAVISION, a multi-monitor and desktop
management utility to control multiple display desktops.

Getting Started 3
Viewing the User's Guide Online
You can easily read the User's Guide online - important
hypertext links, such as Table of Contents entries, World Wide
Web, and E-mail addresses are active.
Place your mouse cursor over Table of Contents entries or main
headings. If the hand icon changes to a pointing index finger,
simply click and you will move to that place in the document.
Displaying the provided bookmark and thumbnail views may
help you with the navigation in the User's Guide. Some E-mail
or Web addresses inside this manual may be active as well. Go
directly to a Web, FTP site, or E-mail program simply by
clicking on an active link.
This manual might be displayed with slightly-reduced
magnification in your Reader. If you experience any difficulty
reading certain files online, use the Reader's Zoom To feature
from the View menu and increase the magnification to about
150%. To view details of some screenshot images you may need
to increase magnification.
Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's Guide?
You can also print this User's Guide to access it off-line. The
manual then will look like any standard document with a table
of contents and page numbers.
For printing the User's Guide, a print resolution of 600 dpi or
higher is recommended.

4 Getting Started
Customer Care
If you require assistance to get the most out of your product, the
following options are available:
•Online: For product information, video drivers, Frequently Asked
Questions and Email support visit:
http://www.ati.com and select CUSTOMER CARE.
•FireGL Workstation dedicated toll free support line:
*866-284-2093
Available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
*Access to Telephone Support is available to workstation users at no
additional cost. For complete details please visit:
http://www.ati.com/support/contact.html
•Mail:
ATI Technologies Inc.
Attention: Customer Service
1 Commerce Valley Drive East
Markham, Ontario
Canada L3T 7X6
ATI Customer Care Product Online Registration
By registering your ATI product you will be able take advantage of
driver update notification, technical updates, online store specials and
promotions, contests / giveaway announcements and information
specific to your product.
Product Online Registration is available at:
http://www.ati.com/online/registration

Getting Started 5
FireGL Card Features
• Video memory: DDR SDRAM
- unified frame buffer, Z-buffer, texture storage
- 128-bit floating point precision frame buffer for
photo-realistic renderings.
- 256-bit memory interface for fast 3D graphics
• Pixel pipeline architecture provides enhanced rendering
power.
FireGL VPU Video
Memory
Rendering
Pipelines
FireGL X2-256t FGL 9800XT 256 MB 8
FireGL X2-256 FGL 9800 256 MB 8
FireGL X1-128 FGL 9700 128 MB 8
FireGL Z1-128 FGL 9500 128 MB 4
VPU: Visual Processing Unit
FireGL X2-256t pictured

6 Getting Started
• Supports AGP 3.0 standard (AGP 4X/8X), providing a two
way high-speed interface between the graphics subsystem
and the workstation
• OpenGL 1.3 with 1.4 extensions
DirectX® 9.0 functionality in OpenGL®
• Full DirectX® 9.0 support
• DDC1/2b/2b+ monitor support on all operating system
platforms
• Support for two analog or digital monitors
High resolutions up to 2048 x 1536, 32-bit
Independent resolutions and refresh rates for any two
connected monitors
9.1 Mpixel, 3840 x 1240 single-display support
• Application-specific display profile utilities for optimal
performance
• Intel Pentium® 4 Streaming SIMD and AMD Athlon
3Dnow!™ support for Windows 2000, Windows XP and
Linux operating systems.
For more detailed information on features and
performance please refer to the section Technical
Details on page 46.
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Getting Started 7
System Requirements and Tools
Computer
system
• Intel® Pentium® 3, Pentium® 4, Xeon®
AMD® Athlon® XP/MP/Opteron
or compatible
• 128 MB of system memory
256 MB or more for best performance
• Motherboard with free AGP slot and
correct AGP chipset-driver
• CD-ROM drive
Operating
system
• Windows®2000 with Service Pack 1
(or higher)
• Windows®XP
• Linux XFree86 4.X.0
Service Pack
Information for
Windows2000
You must be running Windows 2000, updated with
Service Pack 1 (or higher) prior to installing the
FireGL drivers.
Service Packs are available from Microsoft's web
site, www.microsoft.com.
Tools • A screwdriver to remove and reinstall the PC
cover screws and card mounting screws. See
your PC manual for specific requirements.
• ATI INSTALLATION CD-ROM for your FireGL
card
Monitor • High-resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency
monitors or other VGA monitors.
• Digital flat-panel (DFP) displays or digital CRT
displays

8 Getting Started
Quick Installation
• Brief instructions on how to get to work with the FireGL card
in the shortest possible time.
• Recommended for experienced users and system
administrators only.
• For more detailed information on installation and operation
of your graphics accelerator, please refer to Chapter 2 and
Chapter 3.
Installation Steps
1If you are replacing an existing graphics card, un-install the
drivers and software for your old graphics card.
2Disable any on-board graphics solution on the
motherboard.
3Shut down and disconnect your computer system.
4Remove the installed (AGP or PCI) graphics card.
5Install the new FireGL card.
6Reassemble and connect your computer system.
7Install the FireGL drivers and configuration software from
the ATI INSTALLATION CD-ROM:
- automatic ATISETUP utility or
- Start > Run > X:\ATISETUP.EXE
where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive

9
CHAPTER 2
Installing the
Hardware and Software
Installing the Hardware
The hardware installation includes the following steps:
• Preparing your Computer
• Installing the Card
• Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation
IN THIS CHAPTER...
■Installing the Hardware on
page 9
■Installing the Software on
page 23

10 Installing the Hardware and Software
Preparing your Computer
Information Before you Start
Do This First! Install the latest AGP chipset driver for your
motherboard.
• Each motherboard requires the installation of a
custom-built virtual GART (AGP) driver. This
chipset driver is required by your FireGL card to
function correctly with your motherboard.
• You must install the correct AGP chipset driver
before installing the FireGL card in your system.
• Contact your supplier or motherboard/chipset
manufacturer to obtain and install the latest AGP
chipset driver for your motherboard.
An incorrect or missing chipset driver can result in
AGP memory not being detected or a black screen
after Windows® starts.
How to determine
what motherboard
chipset is present
on your system
• Right-click My Computer and select Properties.
• Click the Hardware tab and select Device
Manager.
• Scroll to the bottom of the device list. Select
System devices.
• Scroll through the list of System devices until
you find a listing for the AGP controller.
• The chipset manufacturer’s name will appear as
the device name.

Installing the Hardware and Software 11
Turn off the power to your system and discharge
your body's static electric charge by touching a
grounded surface (for example, the metal
surface of the power supply) before performing
any hardware procedure.
The manufacturer assumes no liability for any
damage, caused directly or indirectly, by
improper installation of any components by
unauthorized service personnel. If you do not
feel comfortable performing the installation,
consult a qualified computer technician.
Damage to system components, the accelerator
card, and injury to yourself may result if power is
applied during installation.
What do you
need to use your
FireGL card?
System Requirements and Tools
• Motherboard with free AGP 8x/4x slot:
• Correct AGP GART chipset driver installed for
your motherboard.
• 128 MB of system memory
256 MB or more for best performance
• System interrupt (IRQ) which is free. This may
have to be reserved in the computer's BIOS. For
help with this subject, refer to the manual for your
mainboard
• Intel® Pentium® 3, Pentium® 4, Xeon®; AMD®
Athlon® XP/MP, or compatible
• Supported operating system
- Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1 (or higher)
- Windows® XP
- Linux XFree86 4.X.0
• A screwdriver to remove and reinstall the PC
cover screws and card mounting screws. See
your PC manual for specific requirements.
• ATI INSTALLATION CD-ROM for your FireGL
card.

12 Installing the Hardware and Software
What monitors do
you need?
Your FireGL card is configured to be combined with
digital flat-panel (DFP) displays and digital CRT
displays.
Note: Your DFP monitor must have a data cable with
digital-only DVI plug (DVI-D) - but not with integrated
analog/digital DVI plug (DVI-I). Check with your
monitor's documentation.
You can also connect the FireGL card to high-
resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency monitors or
other VGA monitors.
Notes: (1) You need a Plug-and-Play monitor that
supports VESA's Display Channel specifications
(DDC1 or DDC2) to take advantage of the
DDC1/DDC2b+ features
(2) You can use the full power of the graphics card
only if your monitor supports the horizontal (kHz) and
vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required by the
graphics card. Refer to your monitor's
documentation for recommended refresh rates
Where are the
drivers?
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP drivers are
provided on the ATI INSTALLATION CD-ROM.
The most recent certified drivers are available
from www.ati.com/FireGL.
• Linux drivers and installation instructions are
available for downloading from
www.ati.com/support.
Are you planning
a multi-monitor
system?
• You may connect two monitors to the FireGL™
card.
• If DDC support is available, the respective
resolution and refresh rate for each monitor is
automatically detected.
• The following multi-monitor and Desktop
Management utilities are provided:
- HYDRAVISION™
- DualScreen

Installing the Hardware and Software 13
Replacing an
existing graphics
card
Before you install your FireGL card, we recommend
that you first uninstall the driver for your current
graphics card.
Replacing
integrated
graphics
Please refer to the manual or contact your
motherboard manufacturer to determine how to
disable your on-board graphics.
Illustrations
The illustrations provided in this section are for
instructional use only; the card shown may look
different than the one you purchased.
Note the serial number and the part number of your
FireGL card before installing it in your computer. You
need these numbers for the product warranty
registration. You will find the numbers on the product
label on the back of your FireGL card.
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14 Installing the Hardware and Software
Installing the Card
To install your graphics accelerator card, follow these steps:
Switch off your computer and all external options
(monitor, printer, and others). Then disconnect all cables
from the back of your computer. Unplug all power cables
from the electrical source.
1
Note: If you are disconnecting a peripheral from the
computer or are removing a component from the
system board, wait 10 - 20 seconds after
disconnecting the computer from the electrical outlet
before disconnecting the peripheral or removing the
component to avoid possible damage to the system
board. To verify that all power has been disconnected
from the system, make sure that the standby power
light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has
gone out.

Installing the Hardware and Software 15
Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your
computer system manual about removing the cover.
2
Remember to discharge your body's static electricity
by touching the power supply or the metal surface of
the computer chassis.
1 Power Supply.

16 Installing the Hardware and Software
Remove any existing graphics card from your
computer.
Connecting power to the card
Use the supplied Power Extension Cable to connect the
FireGL™ card to the computer’s hard drive power connector.
1Remove the power cable from the hard drive power
connector.
2Connect Aof the Power Extension Cable to the FireGL
card as shown. (the cable may already be connected to the
graphics card.)
3Connect Bto the power supply connector
The FireGL™ card requires connection to your
PC’s internal power supply for operation. A 300W
power supply or greater is recommeded to ensure
normal operation where a number of other internal
devices are installed.
3
• Unscrew the screw attached to your existing
graphics card. Then pull the card straight out.
• If the old graphics card sticks rock it gently from
end to end. Remember to save the screw.
• If your computer has any on-board graphics
capability, you may need to disable it on the
motherboard. Refer to your computer's manual
for more information.
4