Drivers for Windows
Compressed Modes
User’s Guide
Version 2.1
NVIDIA Corporation
October 24, 2002
NVIDIA Drivers Compressed Modes User’s Guide Version 2.1
Published by
NVIDIA Corporation
2701 San Tomas Expressway
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Copyright © 2002 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
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NVIDIA Corporation
C HAPTER
1
Overview
The Purpose of Compressed Modes
About This Document
OMPRESSED
C
Advanced NVIDIA graphics processors and software drivers have greatly increased the
number of possible display mode combinations.
Compressed Modes is NVIDIA’s method for efficiently specifying any number of desired
display modes without having to add huge mode lists to the Windows registry.
• The information in this document applies to NVIDIATM Display Drivers for Windows®
NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP—Release 40 and later—and explains how to
construct a master display mode list using the compressed modes method.
• Revision History
Revision Date Description
1.0 3/29/02 Initial Release
1.1 3/29/02 Simplified the
2.0 8/29/02 Revised to reflect the new compressed mode architecture for
Release 40 drivers.
2.1 10/24/02
Effective in version 41.00:
eliminate separate product groupings. All products are now
specified within the same INF entry.
Adding Mode Deltas to the INF
Simplified the INF entry to
ODES
M
section.
Removed use of the UseCompressedModeFormat registry
key.
NVIDIA Corporation
Compressed Modes User’s Guide – Version 2.1 1
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Compressed Modes
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Using Compressed Modes
Constructing the Mode List
The basic steps for constructing a master mode list are as follows:
For a graphics card or group of graphics cards, determine which modes you want to
1
make available at which refresh rates.
To simplify the mode delta list, group the modes according to common refresh rates.
For example, all modes that are available at refresh rates of 60, 70, and 85 Hz should
be grouped together.
Add the following entry to the “Add registry” section of the adapter INF.
2
1
,, NV_Modes, %REG_MULTI_SZ%, "{
HKR
group 1)
Where—
(mode group 2)
;
; ...;{
PCI ID header 1}(mode
PCI ID header 2
} ...”
PCI ID header n
•
= a list, or range, of values that correspond to product PCI IDs,
separated by commas. “{*}” indicates all PCI IDs.
See “Understanding the PCI ID Header” on page 3 for a detailed explanation.
mode group n
•
See “Understanding the Mode Group Structure” on page 3
= string data for each mode group.
for a detailed
explanation.
Install the driver using the new INF.
3
1. For Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000—
“HKR” in the INF represents the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\nv4\\Device X
where X is one of 0, 1, 2, 3, ….
For Windows XP—
“HKR” in the INF represents the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\Vid eo\\GUID \\XXXX
where the “GUID” stands for an ID string and “XXXX” can be either 0000, 0001, 0002, etc.
The exact path represented by “GUID\\XXXX” is found in the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\hardware\\Devicemap\\Video\\Device\VideoX,
where “X” is one of 0, 1, 2, etc. If an NVIDIA card is the first or only card installed, the key is
Video0, which is the most common case.
NVIDIA Corporation
2 Compressed Modes User’s Guide– Version 2.1
Understanding the PCI ID Header
The PCI ID header specifies which graphics cards to apply the succeeding modes.
• The PCI ID header consists of any combination of single PCI IDs as well as ranges.
“{*}” indicates all PCI IDs:
Examples:
{*} = all PCI IDs
•
{100-309} = the inclusive range of PCI IDs from 0x100 through 0x309
•
{100-103,113} = PCI ID 0x113, and the inclusive range of 0x100 through 0x103
•
• If the graphics card matches any one of the ID s listed in the PCI ID header, then the
succeeding modes apply until another PCI ID header is encountered.
Understanding the Mode Group Structure
Mode delta groups consist of one or more modes, and are separated by a semicolon. Each
mode within the mode group consists of one or more of the items shown in Figure 1.1.
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Compressed Modes
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SHV 2048x1536x32=1;
Mode type
Resolution
Bit depth
Refresh Rate
Figure 1.1
Mode Group Structure
Mode Type
The mode type entry specifies whether the modes that follow include standard or spanning
modes.
• The entry can include any combination of S, H, or V.
= Standard mode
•
S
= Horizontal spanning mode
•
H
= Vertical spanning mode
•
V
SH 800x600
Example
: “
(horizontal spanning).
” specifies resolutions of 800x600 (standard) and 1600x600
• The mode type applies to all modes that follow, until another mode type is specified.
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Compressed Modes User’s Guide – Version 2.1 3
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Compressed Modes
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Resolution
Format - Horizontal resolution x vertical resolution
Bit Depth
•
•
When no bit depth is specified, then all bit depths (8, 16, and 32 bpp) are applied
automatically.
To specify a subset, list the specific bit depths, separated by commas.
Format: “[
The bit depth applies only to the resolution that it follows.
•
x8
] or [
x8,16]
or [
x8,32]
or [
x16
] or [
x16,32]
or [
x32
]”
Refresh Rate
At the end of each mode group, specify the refresh rates to apply to all the modes in
•
the mode group.
Format: “=[refresh rate code];”
Refresh Rate Code for Standard Refresh Rates:
•
Specify standard refresh rates using a hexadecimal number, where each bit
represents a specific refresh rate as defined in Figure 1.2.
15
X X X 240 200 170 150 144 140 120 100 85 75 72 70 60
Figure 1.2
Example
Refresh Rate Code for Custom Refresh Rates
•
Specify custom refresh rates (those not included in Figure 1.2) using a four digit hex
number in the format
custom refresh rate.
Refresh Rate Code Bit Definitions
: 1 = 60 Hz; 1DF = 144, 140, 120, 85, 75, 72, 70, and 60 Hz.
8XXX
, where
is the hexadecimal representation of the
XXX
0
Bits
Refresh
Rates
Example
4 Compressed Modes User’s Guide– Version 2.1
: 8014 specifies a custom refresh rate of 20 Hz.
NVIDIA Corporation
Mode List Example
Sample INF Entry
HKR,, NV_Modes, %REG_MULTI_SZ%, “{*}S 720x480 720x576=1;320x200 640x400=2B;SHV
1920x1200x32=1;{100-309}SH 2048x1536x32=1;1600x900x32 1920x1200x8,16=8014;
{100-18B,200}SV 1920x1080x32=10;1920x1440x32 2048x1536x8,16=39;”
Understanding the Sample INF Entry
• The sample INF entry can be divided into sections and subsection as follows:
{*}
S 720x480 720x576=1;
320x200 640x400=2B;
SHV 1920x1200x32=1;
{100-309}
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SH 2048x1536x32=1;
1600x900x32 1920x1200x8,16=8014;
{100-18B,200}
SV 1920x1080x32=10;
1920x1440x32 2048x1536x8,16=39;”
• The following table shows the actual modes that are specified by the sample INF entry:
PCI ID Resolution Bit Depths Refresh Rates Comments
Don’t care 720x480 8,16,32 60Hz
Don’t care 720x576 8,16,32 60Hz
Don’t care 320x200 8,16,32 60Hz, 70Hz, 75Hz, 100Hz
Don’t care 640x400 8,16,32 60Hz, 70Hz, 75Hz, 100Hz
Don’t care 1920x1200 32 60Hz
Don’t care 2840x1200 32 60Hz Horizontal spaning mode
Don’t care 1920x2400 32 60Hz Vertical spanning mode
0x100–0x309 2048x1536 32 60Hz
0x100–0x309 4096x1536 32 60Hz Horizontal spanning mode
0x100–0x309 1600x900 32 20Hx Custom refresh rate
0x100–0x309 3200x900 32 20Hz Horizontal spanning mode,
0x100–0x309 1920x1200 8, 16 20Hz Custom refresh rate
Custom refresh rate
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Compressed Modes
PCI ID Resolution Bit Depths Refresh Rates Comments
0x100–0x309 3840x1200 8, 16 20Hz Horizontal spanning mode,
Custom refresh rate
0x100–0x18B,
0x200
0x100–0x18B,
0x200
0x100–0x18B,
0x200
0x100–0x18B,
0x200
0x100–0x18B,
0x200
0x100–0x18B,
0x200
1920x1080 32 85Hz
1920x2160 32 85Hz Vertical spanning mode
1920x1440 32 60Hz, 75Hz, 85Hz, 100Hz
1920x2880 32 60Hz, 75Hz, 85Hz, 100Hz Vertical spanning mode
2048x1536 8, 16 60Hz, 75Hz, 85Hz, 100Hz
2048x3072 8, 16 60Hz, 75Hz, 85Hz, 100Hz Vertical spanning mode
NVIDIA Corporation
6 Compressed Modes User’s Guide– Version 2.1
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