Cirrus Logic CL-GD542X User manual

CL-GD542X Display Drivers
and Utilities
User Guide
Product: GDS542X-X-D141P
Software revision: 1.41
Document release date: January 10, 1994
Document revision: 1.41

1
Notice
CIRRUS LOGIC, Inc. believes the information contained in this
document is accurate and reliable. However, CIRRUS LOGIC, Inc.
reserves the right to make corrections, improvements, or changes to
this manual at any time and without notice. No responsibility is
assumed by CIRRUS LOGIC, Inc. for its use; nor for infringements
of patents or other rights of third parties. This document implies no
license under patents or copyrights, other than those explicitly
stated.
This manual is copyrighted. All rights reserved. This document may
not, in whole or part, be copied; photocopied, reproduced,
translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable
form without prior consent, in writing, from CIRRUS LOGIC, Inc.
Copyright 1992 - 1994, CIRRUS LOGIC, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Trademarks
Windows, MS-DOS, and MS Word are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
AutoCAD is a registered trademark, and AutoShade and AutoSketch are trademarks
of Autodesk, Inc. Display List Driver-VGA, TurboDLDClassic, CustomColors, are
trademarks of Panacea Inc. GEM is a trademark of Digital Research, Inc. Lotus, 1-2-
3, and Symphony are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. PC-DOS, OS/2
and Presentation Manager are trademarks of IBM Corporation. Ventura Publisher is a
trademark of Xerox Corporation. WordPerfect is a trademark of WordPerfect
Corporation. WordStar is a trademark of WordStar Corporation. RenderMan is a
registered trademark of Pixar. VESA, VBE/PM, and DPMS are trademarks of Video
Electronics Standards Association. All other brand and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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Contents
Page
Introduction 3
Installation 6
Utility software 10
CLMode 11
SetRES 17
Power management screen saver 18
Display drivers 23
Microsoft Windows 3.1 24
Autodesk - ADI 4.2 28
GEM/3 55
Lotus 123 v2.x, Symphony, and Report Writer 57
Lotus 123 v3.X 58
OS/2 2.0 60
OS/2 2.1 62
Ventura Publisher 68
Microsoft Word 69
WordPerfect 5.1, 6.0 70
WordStar 72
Index 73

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Introduction
This manual provides operating instructions for user utilities and
installation instructions for the display drivers supplied with your
CIRRUS LOGIC VGA.
The CIRRUS LOGIC VGA graphics system is 100% VGA
compatible. The utilities and drivers supplied with your CIRRUS
LOGIC VGA provide support for additional features of your
CIRRUS LOGIC VGA, such as greater speed, higher resolution, and
more available colors.
Before you begin
The following instructions assume that the user is familiar with DOS
and certain DOS commands. Please review the associated DOS
commands before performing the installation.
Notational conventions
Throughout this manual, the term 'DOS' refers to both MS-DOS and
PC-DOS, except when noting features that are unique to one or the
other.
Table 1 shows the typographic conventions that are used throughout
this manual:
Type Style Description
User Input This text must be typed exactly as it
appears. Text within brackets indicates
certain keyboard keys (such as [Enter],
[F10], etc.).
Bold System output. Any message that is
displayed by the computer.
ALL CAPITALS Directory names, files and acronyms.
Table 1: Notational conventions
Easy installation
The installation utility is provided to facilitate the smooth
installation of the display drivers and utility software. The
installation program is menu-driven and allows you to select and

4
install only those display drivers for software and applications
currently in use.
It is important to note that some display drivers need to have the
associated vendor's application program already installed on the
system prior to loading the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA display drivers.
In other cases, the loading of the display driver may be an integral
part of the vendor's product installation process. Please review the
driver product section below for specific instructions prior to
running the installation program.
The installation utility is located on the diskette labeled Disk 1.
To install the desired display drivers and utilities, insert the diskette
into the A: drive, type
A:[Enter]
INSTALL[Enter]
Follow the instructions on the screen to install the listed display
drivers. At any time you may press [Esc] to abort the installation
process and go back to DOS.
Selected drivers are simply copied to the specified disk and
directory. Applications may require additional installation as
described in the Display drivers section of this manual.
Technical support
If you need technical support, the telephone number for CIRRUS
LOGIC technical support is [phone], Monday through
Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm Pacific Standard Time. If you get a voice
mail greeting, most likely the line is busy. In that case, leave a
message and your call will be returned within 24 hours.
Software upgrades
CIRRUS LOGIC releases new drivers and utilities about 3 times a
year. You can get the latest releases of software two ways. The first
way is to call the CIRRUS LOGIC BBS (see below). The second
way is to call the CIRRUS LOGIC Software Upgrade Service. The
phone number for upgrades is 1-800-764-7200, Monday through
Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time. The upgrade
service is provided by an outside contractor, so they cannot provide
any technical support or answer any questions. If you do require

5
technical support, please refer to the previous section. When calling
them, you should tell them that you need the GD542X upgrade kit
and that your current software is version 1.41. The upgrade kit
includes the latest version of all software and a new user guide.
There is a twenty-five dollar charge for the kit, plus shipping and
handling charges. The twenty-five dollar charge covers the
telephone call as well as the production costs for the kit.
CIRRUS LOGIC BBS
If there are any newer versions of the software provided with your
VGA adapter, they will be available on the CIRRUS LOGIC BBS. It
is a WILDCAT! BBS. The phone number is [phone]. It can
handle modems running up to 9600 baud. The modem should be set
to NO parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. Before you are able to download
software, you must join the conference(s) for the product(s) that you
are interested in.

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Installation
Installing the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA adapter
To install CIRRUS LOGIC VGA, you may need some or all of the
following tools:
•medium size flat blade screwdriver,
•medium sized phillips head screwdriver,
•a 3/16 inch nutdriver or wrench.
Preparation
The CIRRUS LOGIC VGA adapter may or may not be shipped with
the zero-wait-state jumper installed. If so, the zero-wait-state jumper
will be set to not assert the zero-wait-state line. You may achieve
better performance in some systems by installing this jumper. If any
problems are encountered with zero-wait-state enabled, remove the
jumper to disable this feature.
PC, XT and compatible users
The CIRRUS LOGIC VGA card requires a 16-bit expansion slot.
This means that it is not compatible with PC, XT and other 8 bit
compatible systems.
IBM AT and AT compatible system users
The IBM AT, IBM XT-286 and compatible computers use a
program typically called Setup to tell the computer what equipment
is installed in your system. The Setup program is usually part of the
package of programs provided with your AT or AT compatible
computer. The 'Guide To Operations' (or equivalent manual) will
explain the use of the Setup program. After the VGA adapter is
installed, Setup will need to be run to configure the computer for
proper operation with the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA card.
Open the computer system
Before opening the system, be sure that the power to the computer

7
system unit and all devices connected to it is off. Disconnect the
cables from the back of the system in order to give more room to
work. Note how all cables are connected prior to disconnection.
In a typical IBM AT compatible computer all cover mounting
screws are located on the back of the computer. Remove these
screws.
Carefully remove the cover. On most computers the cover will slide
forward or backward, or tilt off.
Choose an expansion slot for the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA adapter
card.
Your VGA adapter must use a 16-bit expansion slot. Do not insert it
into an 8-bit slot.
Installing the VGA adapter in your computer
Check that the power is turned off.
If necessary, remove a system expansion slot cover by removing its
retaining screw and lifting it out. Save the screw.
Hold the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA adapter by its top corners and slide
it into the system unit. Make sure that it is correctly seated in the
expansion slot.
Secure the VGA card with the screw that you removed in the step
above.
Are the computer system's switches and jumpers correctly set?
Check the user's manual for your computer for any additional
configuration instructions.
Replace and secure the system cover.
Plug a VGA compatible or multi-frequency display into the 15 pin
'D' shaped video connector at the back of the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA
adapter.
Important note: If you are using a multi-frequency monitor, you may
need a special 15 pin PS/2 compatible adapter cable, and you will
need to make sure that your multi-frequency monitor is configured
properly for a PS/2 compatible analog VGA signal. Some multi-
frequency displays have a switch to select 'TTL' or 'analog'
operation; set this switch for 'analog'. Check the manual that came
with your monitor for additional information on configuring it.

8
IBM AT and AT compatible users
After the VGA card is installed in the AT compatible system, use
the Setup program supplied with the system to tell the computer
about the equipment installed. When using AT and compatible
Setup programs with the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA adapter, please
follow these steps.
Run Setup to configure the computer. Sometimes this utility comes
on a disk, sometimes it is built in to your system's ROM BIOS.
When you arrive at the part of the program where video support is
specified, the program may ask you if the monitor you are looking at
will be the primary monitor, answer yes. If you are presented with a
list of video options, select the option for VGA .
If no option for VGA is listed, select support for EGA. The CIRRUS
LOGIC VGA adapter will look to many systems like an EGA card.
If you don't see an option for EGA, try the option for NO
MONITOR, RESERVED or SPECIAL. These will usually work. If
not, see your equipment dealer. At the conclusion of the Setup
program, the computer will restart as if you had just turned on the
power.
Operation
If you have followed the installation instructions in this manual, you
are now ready to use your CIRRUS LOGIC VGA equipped
computer system. Most software that is compatible with IBM's
Personal System/2, VGA or EGA will run automatically on your
system using the VGA Card. Just turn on your computer system and
install your application package for PS/2 model 50, 60 or 80 video,
VGA, or EGA as instructed by the software manufacturer.
FCC information
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular

9
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.
This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference and, (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Notice to user: Changes or modifications to this product not
approved by the party responsible for FCC compliance could
void your authority to operate this equipment.
In order for an installation of this product to maintain compliance
with the limits for a Class B device, shielded cables must be used for
the connection of any devices external to this product.

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Utility software
Several utility programs are supplied with you CIRRUS LOGIC
VGA. The following section describes these utilities and how to use
them.
CLMode is a program supplied with your CIRRUS LOGIC VGA to
configure it's various options.
SetRES lets the user change the operating resolution and the number
of colors from within Windows.

11
CLMode
The CLMode utility allows the user to configure the panel options,
define the type of monitor attached, and set the video modes
supported by the CIRRUS LOGIC VGA.
USING CLM ODE'S MENU-DRIVEN INTERFACE
At the DOS prompt type: CLMODE[Enter]
The main popup window consists of a number of buttons. Each
button represents a different option or menu. The underlined letter
of a button name specifies the hot key combination for that item.
For example, press the [Alt] and the underlined letter keys
simultaneously or just the underlined letter key to select an option.
Note that to use a mouse, a mouse driver should be installed prior to
running the CLMode utility in order to use the mouse pointer for
button selection.
Choosing the attached monitor type
Selecting the proper monitor type will allow the CIRRUS LOGIC
VGA to display the highest quality output that it is capable of with
the attached monitor. The monitor type determines what video
modes will be available to your system. It will also determine the
vertical refresh rates available. Generally, the higher the refresh, the
better the screen will look. A description of the available monitor
types is given in the table at the end of this section.
Select the Monitor Type button. The Monitor Type setup window
will be displayed. The current monitor type will be highlighted
initially. Use the cursor keys or the mouse to choose the type of
monitor attached. Selecting the Advanced monitor type will enable
you to customize the monitor timings for the monitor you are using.
To customize the monitor timings, use the mouse or the tab key to
select the gray Set Advanced button. It will only be available if the
Advanced monitor type is selected. This will bring up a new dialog
box with drop down menus for each available resolution. Select the
desired refresh rate for each resolution. Consult the manual for your
monitor to discover the correct rate. When all of the settings are
correct, select the OK button. If there are any problems or you
change your mind, select the Cancel button.

12
Before saving the new monitor type, you may want to select the
Verify button to view each of the new video timings that you have
selected to verify that they are compatible with your monitor. After
each test screen is displayed, press [Enter] or the left mouse
button to see the next video mode. If there is a problem, press
[Esc] or the right mouse button will return you to the Monitor
Type Setup dialog box. Try a slower setting for the resolution that
did not work and try verifying your choices again.
Once you are sure that everything is correct, press the Save button to
set the new monitor type. Press the Cancel button to discard any
changes. Press the Help button to get a detailed explanation on the
monitor types and the VGA refresh rates.
On some systems the monitor type will be remembered from one
session to the next. To test this, select a monitor type and exit the
CLMode program. Turn the computer off for ten seconds. After
rebooting the computer, run CLMode and verify whether or not the
monitor that you selected is still enabled. If it is, it should not ever
need to be set again in normal use. If the monitor type was not kept
then you should select the option to have CLMode save the monitor
type in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You will be given this choice
after selecting the Save button.
Available video modes
Select the Video Modes button. The Video Modes Preview window
displays all the modes supported according to the monitor type
attached and the amount of video memory present. This list of video
modes will tell you which are available in your current configuration
for use with extended resolution drivers. To see what different video
modes look like on your monitor, select the Preview button. After
each test screen is displayed, press [Enter] or the left mouse
button to see the next video mode. If you don't want to see any more
video modes press [Esc] or the right mouse button will return you
to the Video Modes Preview window.
CENTERING ADJUST
Centering is available while in Video Modes Preview (only for
extended Graphics modes 58h and greater). While in Preview, you
have the option to use the Right/Left/Up/Down arrow keys to adjust
your screen accordingly. The screen adjustments have predefined

13
limits, and in some cases, the limit for the right side adjustment for
some modes will have already been reached when entering the
Preview mode. In that case, no right side adjustment will be
allowed. Once a mode has been adjusted, the new values for
horizontal and/or vertical positioning are saved within CLMode.
When exiting from CLMode, you are prompted on whether you
want to save these new parameters to TSR (CENTER.COM). If you
choose to do this, the values to be used for the adjusted modes are
stored in CENTER.COM on exit. CENTER.COM can then be
loaded outside of CLMode. Once this is accomplished, all the
modes which you have adjusted will be the active modes set when
that mode request is made. To unload CENTER.COM, you must
change the MONTYPE currently set in CLMode. This will unload
CENTER.COM and uninstall all centering adjustments previously
redefined. To save new centering adjustments for a different
MONTYPE, repeat the above procedure as before. Your new
adjustments will be written into CENTER.COM over the previously
defined adjustments.
An additional adjustment for monitor SYNC POLARITY is also
available while centering is active. To adjust the polarity of the
current mode, simply press the PgUp or PgDn keys (while in
Preview) to cycle through the available options, (Vertical Sync
Polarity/Horizontal Sync Polarity):
+/+, +/-, -/+, -/-
Note: Centering will not be allowed if CENTER.COM has been
loaded. You must unload CENTER.COM before attempting to save
new adjustments.
Limitations: You may only adjust and save 16 modes at a time
to CENTER.COM. You must use BIOS version 1.30 or greater
or centering will not be made available.

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Retrieving the current VGA controller status
The information in the main window displays the VGA controller
type, the BIOS version number and the amount of video memory
present.
Getting help
CLMode provides Help for the following items: Configuration,
Monitor Type, Video Modes, Mouse, Keyboard and About
CLMode. The Configuration help window explains the flat panel
configuration options. The Monitor Type help window explains the
different capabilities of each monitor type. The Video Modes help
window defines the information given in the Video Mode window.
The Keyboard and Mouse help windows explain how to use the
keyboard and the mouse to make selections. The About window
displays the CIRRUS LOGIC copyright message and the CLMode
version number.
Exiting the CLMode
To exit CLMode at any time, press the [Alt] and [F4] keys
simultaneously, or click the left mouse button on the system button
of the main window (i.e., the top left corner button of the window
which is shown as a dot), or select the Exit button. When the
CLMode utility exits, the current video mode, monitor type, and
VGA refresh rate will be displayed.
USING CLMODE'S COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
When command line options for CLMODE.EXE are given at the
DOS prompt, the menu-driven windows will not be displayed.
Instead, configuration, monitor type, video mode and refresh rate
will be set at the DOS prompt. The command line options for
CLMODE.EXE are listed below:
CLMODE {modenum} {m{montype} | {s n}
}[Enter]
Where:
{modenum} mode number
{montype} monitor type

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Valid monitor types:
0 VGA
1 8514
2 Super VGA
3 Extended Super VGA
4 Multifrequency
5 Extended Multifrequency
6 Super Multifrequency
7 Extended Super Multifrequency
{montype} monitor type
t6=x(Hz) 640x480 @ (0 = 60, 1 = 72)
t8=x(Hz) 800x600 @ (0 = 56, 1 = 60, 2 = 72)
t1=x(Hz) 1024x768 @ (0 = 87i, 1 = 60, 2 = 70)
t2=x(Hz) 1280x1024 @ (0 = 87i, 1 = Not available)
s List status information.
For example, to set video mode 3:
CLMODE 3 [Enter]
For example, to select custom monitor timings with 640x480 at
60Hz and 800x600 at 72Hz refresh type:
CLMODE t6=0 t8=2 [Enter]
Typing an invalid option will display the command line help text.
Typing [S] as a command line option will display the current CLM
ODE settings.
On the next page is a table of common monitor types and their
associated values.

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Monitor
Type
Examples Horizontal
Frequency
(kHz)
Vertical
Frequency (Hz)
Display
Resolutions
0 IBM 8512,
8513,
8503
31.5 60 640x480
1 IBM 8514,
8515
31.5
35.5
60
43.5 - interlaced
640x480
1024x768
2 NEC 2A 31.5
35.2
60
56
640x480
800x600
3 NEC II 31.5
35.2
35.5
60
56
43.5 - interlaced
640x480
800x600
1024x768
4 NEC 3D 31.5
37.8
37.8
60
60
43.5 - interlaced
640x480
800x600
1024x768
5 Sony
CPD-
1304,
NEC
3FGx,
Nanao
9065S,
9070U
31.5
48.0
48.0
48.0
60
72
60
43.5 - interlaced
640x480
800x600
1024x768
1280x1024
6 NEC 4D,
4FG,
Nanao
T240i
31.5
48.0
56.0
48.0
60
72
70
43.5 - interlaced
640x480
800x600
1024x768
1280x1024
7 NEC 5D,
5FG, 6FG,
Nanao
T550i,
T560i,
T660i,
F550i,
F750i,
31.5
48.0
58.3
48.0
60
72
72
43.5 - interlaced
640x480
800x600
1024x768
1280x1024
Table 2: Monitor type examples

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SetRES
The SetRES utility runs under Windows 3.1 and allows the user to
change the screen resolution, number of available colors, and to
select either large or normal size fonts and system resources.
After new options have been selected, the user can either
immediately restart Windows, in which case the new resolution will
take effect immediately, or continue working in the current
resolution, in which case the new resolution will take effect the next
time Windows is started.
This application assumes that the Windows drivers have been
correctly installed and configured using Windows Setup.
Installation
•Start Windows.
•In the Program Manager, choose File Run.
Specify the diskette drive where the
Windows Drivers and Utilities Diskette is inserted, and run the
install program. For instance if the floppy is in drive A:, type
A:\INSTALL[Enter]
•When prompted, specify the Windows directory.
•Install and configure the actual Windows driver following the
instructions in the Windows 3.1 section of this manual.
SetRES may now be run by selecting the SetRES icon. The first
time that you run SetRES, the settings for the current driver won't be
correct, but go ahead and set them once, and they will be correct
from then on.
If you are unsure what resolutions and colors your video card can
support, refer to the section of this manual on CLMode for
information on how to determine available resolutions.
For help on the SetRES utility, select Help from the program menu.

18
Power management screen saver
About the screen saver
The Display Power Manager for Windows 3.1 provides a
mechanism to control the amount of power used by a computer's
monitor. It provides a total of 5 levels of power savings.
The first level is a conventional screen saver that turns the screen
black and bounces a logo around. The black screen provides
substantial power savings and the animation lets you know that the
computer is still active.
The other four levels of power savings are...
Reduced on mode - Reduced on mode is an optional power saving
state that allows the computer to use some power savings while still
fully operational. Currently this is limited to some portable
computers that can lower the power usage on their LCD displays.
This causes some degradation of display quality.
Stand by mode - Stand by mode is an optional power saving state
that gives minimal power savings, but provides the fastest recovery
time. It is enabled by blanking the screen and lowering the
horizontal rate to less than 10 Hz with less than a 25% duty cycle.
There is no change to vertical timing.
Suspend mode - Suspend mode is a mandatory state in which
substantial power savings are achieved by the display. The trade off
is that recovery times are longer than from stand by mode. It is
enabled by blanking the screen and lowering the vertical rate to less
than 10 Hz with less than a 25% duty cycle. There is no change to
horizontal timing.
Off mode - Off mode provides the highest level of power savings
and the longest recovery times. With this mode the display is
actually turned off so that recovery times are equivalent to switching
the monitor on. It is enabled by blanking the screen and lowering
both the horizontal and vertical rates to less than 10 Hz with less
than a 25% duty cycle.
They match the power saving modes defined by the VESA VBE/PM
(see below) standard. As you move down from one mode to the
next, the amount of power being saved is greater, but so is the
amount of time that it takes for a monitor to recover and be ready to

19
display data.
The screen saver will cycle through all of the selected power saving
modes one after another until the maximum selected power saving
mode has been reached. The number of minutes that is specified for
each level is the number of minutes after the previous mode has
been enabled. It is not the total time before entering that mode.
Please refer to your Windows Users Guide for information on how
to install screen savers in Windows.
PM.EXE
BIOS versions prior to v1.40 do not include the function calls
required to fully support the Display Power Management screen
saver. To use these BIOSs with power management software
requires that PM.EXE be excuted before starting Windows 3.1. To
run PM.EXE type
C:\WINDOWS\PM[Enter]
Where C:\WINDOWS is the directory where Windows 3.1 is
installed on your computer. For convenience, PM.EXE may be put
into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Special considerations
Some of these power saving modes are intended for specific display
types, so not all of them are available on all video controllers. On
some controllers, only the animated logo will be available.
For the power saving modes to have any effect beyond just blanking
the screen, the monitor being used must have specific power saving
features.
Note that if the screen saver is in any of the power saving modes,
moving the mouse will not wake it up. This is different from
normal screen savers and is used to keep the monitor from
waking up because of accidents such as bumping the desk that
the computer is sitting on. This is especially important if the
password option is enabled, since once the password dialog box
pops up, it stays there until the user turns it off. This is a
limitation of the Windows 3.1 screen saver interface.