Planar DOME Md4/PCX Installation Manual

Md4/PCX™ Display Controller

Installation Guide

DOME® imaging systems, inc.

®

Copyright © DOME

imaging systems, inc., 2000. All rights reserved.

This document contains proprietary information of DOME imaging
systems, inc. It is DOME’s exclusive property. It may not be reproduced
or transmitted, in whole or in part, without a written agreement from
DOME. No patent or other license is granted to this information.

The software, if any, described in this document is furnished under a
license agreement. The software may not be used or copied except as
provided in the license agreement.

DOME imaging systems, inc. provides this publication as is without
warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not
limited to the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose. DOME may revise this document from time to time
without notice. Some states or jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of
express or implied warranties in certain transactions; therefore, this
statement may not apply to you.

Information in this document about products not manufactured by
DOME is provided without warranty or representation of any kind, and
DOME will not be liable for any damages resulting from the use of such
information.

DOME imaging systems, inc.
400 Fifth Avenue
Waltham, MA 02451-8738
[phone] phone
[phone] fax
Internet address for product information:
Internet address for sales information:
Internet address for technical support:
World Wide Web site:

www.dome.com

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

Part No. 40-MD4PCX-07
Product No. 55-MD4PCX2
November 2000

DOME and the DOME logo are registered trademarks, and Calibration
TQA, DIMPL, DimplX, Luminance Calibration System, Md4/PCX,
Md5/PCX, and Md5/DFP are trademarks of DOME imaging systems,
inc. Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, DirectDraw,
Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 are trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. Number Nine and T2R are trademarks of
Number Nine Computer Corporation. OpenWindows, Solaris, Sun, and
Ultra are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. VGA is a trademark of
International Business Machines Corporation.

FCC Compliance Statement iii

FCC Compliance Statement

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause interference to radio communications. It has been tested and
found to comply with the limits of a Class A computing device pursuant
to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide rea­sonable protection against interference when operated in a commercial
environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely
to cause interference, in which case the user will be required at his or her
own expense to take whatever measures may be required to correct the
interference.

If the equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, one or
more of the following measures may reduce or eliminate the problem.

• Move the equipment and the receiver to different branches of your
AC electrical system.

• Move the equipment away from the receiver with which it is
interfering.

• Reposition the equipment or receiver. Reposition the receiver’s
antenna.

• Be sure that the equipment is plugged into a grounded outlet and that
the grounding has not been defeated with a cheater plug.

If none of the measures resolves your interference problems, write to the
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 20402, for the
booklet
Stock Number 004-000-000498-1.

This equipment is a Class A digital apparatus that complies with the
Radio Interference Regulations CRC C.1374.

In addition, 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 residential installations.

Interference to Home Electronic Entertainment Equipment Handbook

,

iv Md4/PCX Display Controller Installation Guide

EU Declaration of Conformity

The Md4/PCX board (model 55-MD4PCX2) meets the essential health
and safety requirements, is in conformity with, and the CE marking has
been applied according to the relevant EU Directives listed below using
the relevant section of the following EU standards and other normative
documents;

EU EMC Directive 89/336/EEC
EU Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive
EN 60601-1-2 1993 Medical Electrical Equipment

Part 1: General requirements for safety
Section 1.2 collateral standard electromagnetic
compatibility requirements

EN 55011 Class B

Limits and methods of measurements for Radio
interference characteristics of industrial, scientific, and
medical equipment

IEC 801-2 Electrostatic discharge requirements for industrial

process measurement and control equipment

IEC 801-3 Radiated electromagnetic field requirements for

industrial process measurement and control equipment

IEC 801-4 Electrically fast transients for industrial process

measurement and control equipment

IEC 801-5 Surge requirements

Contents v

Contents

About This Guide xi

Purpose xi
Audience xi
Documentation conventions xii
What’s in this guide xiii
Related documentation xiii

Chapter 1: Planning the Md4/PCX Board
Installation 1

About the Md4/PCX Board 2
Planning the Installation 4

Cross-platform requirements 4
Platform-specific requirements 4
Installation Order 5
To determine the board’s part number 6

Chapter 2: Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in
a PC 7

Installing the Board in a PC 8

To unpack the board 8
To prepare for board installation 9
To support VGA with another VGA board 9
To support VGA display with the Md4/PCX

board 10
To enable and disable VGA mode 11
To install the board 15
To install multiple Md4/PCX boards 17

Connecting the Monitors 18

To connect the monitors to the board 18

Installing the PCX Windows NT 4.0 Driver 20

To install the driver 20

vi Md4/PCX Display Controller Installation Guide

Configuring Display Settings 22

To set the display resolution and refresh rate 22
Using the DOME tab to change display properties 25
Setting palette options 29

Additional Options for Windows NT 33

Dynamic link library 33
DOME large fonts 33
To customize item and font size 36
DOME DlgFix software 37
DOME DPMS Screen Saver for Windows NT 39

Installing the PCX Windows 2000 Driver 44

To support multiple DOME screens 44
To install the driver 45
To finish the installation 47
To enable the sister display 48

Configuring Display Settings in Windows 2000 51

To determine screen assignments 51
Using the DOME tab to change display properties 52
Setting palette options 55
To set custom syncs 58

Uninstalling DOME Devices 62

To uninstall a single-headed DOME device 62
To uninstall a dual-headed DOME device 65

Dynamic Link Library 67

DIMPL library 67
DimplX control 67

Using Calibration TQA on Windows 2000 68
Troubleshooting Tips 69

To uninstall the sister device for a dual-headed DOME

display board 69
To uninstall a single-headed DOME display board 69
Unsigned driver cannot be loaded message 70
Impaired screen resolution 70

Contents vii

Chapter 3: Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in
a Sun PCI Workstation 71

Disabling Parity on a Sun Ultra System 72

To disable parity for a 33 MHz bus 72
To disable parity for a 66 MHz bus 73
To disable parity for an Ultra 450 system 73
To check parity status 74
To reenable parity 74

Installing the Board in a Sun PCI Workstation 75

To unpack the board 75
To install the board 76
To set switch S1 to disable VGA mode 79
Switch S2 79

Connecting the Monitors 82

To connect the monitors to the board 82
To install the stereo cable for stereo viewing 83

Installing the PCX Solaris Driver 84

To install the Md4/PCX driver for Solaris 84
Setting up display for stereo mode 86
Environment variables for panning/scrolling and

screen position 87
To set the environment variables 90

Configuring Display Settings 91
Using the Default Monitor Mode 92

To check the default mode 92
To program the default mode 93

Overriding the Default Monitor Mode 95

To modify the OWconfig file 96

Using Visual Classes 99

To emulate a PseudoColor visual class 99
To check the default visual 100

Configuring the Windowing Environment 103

To run OpenWindows 103

viii Md4/PCX Display Controller Installation Guide

To configure CDE 104
To use the DPMS Screen Saver with CDE 105

Changing the Console 108

Chapter 4: Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in
a Digital UNIX Workstation 109

Installing the PCX Digital UNIX Driver 110

To install the driver 110
Determining your kit name 111
To run the setld program 112
To add or remove display boards 115
Resolving booting problems with the new kernel 115
Uninstalling the kit 116

Installing the Board and Driver in a Digital UNIX
Workstation 117

To unpack the board 117
Supported configurations 118
To prepare for board installation 118
To install the board 119
To install multiple Md4/PCX boards 119
Supporting VGA with the Md4/PCX board 120
To support VGA with another VGA board 121
Enabling and disabling VGA mode 122

Connecting the Monitors 125

To connect a grayscale monitor 125
To connect a color monitor 126
To connect the monitors to the board 126

Configuring the Display Monitor 127

To set the monitor configuration 127

Issues with Digital Personal Workstations 129

Limitations of the Digital UNIX 64-bit PCI slots 129

Contents ix

Appendix: Md4/PCX Board Resolutions and Refresh
Rates 131

Resolutions and Refresh Rates for PCs 132

Customizing sync parameters for Windows NT 133

Resolutions and Refresh Rates for Sun PCI
Workstations 135

Resolutions and Refresh Rates for Digital UNIX
Workstations 137

Index

139

About This Guide xi

About This Guide

Read this guide carefully before you unpack the board.
It provides all necessary information about installing
the Md4/PCX board and software driver for your
operating system.

Purpose

This guide explains how to install the Md4/PCX™ board
in these systems:

•PC

• Sun™ PCI workstation

• Digital
It also describes how to install and use the DOME

for these operating systems:

• Microsoft

• Sun Solaris™

• Digital UNIX

Audience

This guide is written for anyone who is installing the
Md4/PCX board and software in a computer. You should
be familiar with installing and configuring hardware and
software. You should also be familiar with the system in
which you are installing the board and driver.

®

UNIX™ workstation

®

Windows NT

®

and Windows

®

2000

®

drivers

xii Md4/PCX Display Controller Installation Guide

Documentation conventions

This guide uses these conventions.

This convention... Indicates...

Monospaced

type

Italic type

Bold type
File -> Open

<Key>

Computer code or directory; backslash (\) indicates
continuation of previous line of UNIX code.

New or technical term; book title; or variable, such as x .
Menu selection.

Select Open from the File Menu.
Key name, such as <Return>
Information you should know regarding a particular topic

or procedure.

Information that can prevent potential damage to
hardware or software.

Information that can prevent injury to a person, such as
electrical shock.

A helpful tip or an alternative method of performing a
procedure.

About This Guide xiii

What’s in this guide

This table describes the organization of this guide.

This chapter… Provides…

Chapter 1
Planning the Md4/PCX Board
Installation

Chapter 2
Installing the Md4/PCX Board
in a PC

Chapter 3
Installing the Md4/PCX Board
in a Sun PCI Workstation

Chapter 4
Installing the Md4/PCX Board
in a Digital UNIX Workstation

Appendix
Md4/PCX Board Resolutions
and Refresh Rates

Related documentation

Refer to these books for more information:

• PCX Products Developer’s Guide

• Stereo Library Installation and Developer’s Guide

An overview of the Md4/PCX board,
including features and installation
requirements

Instructions for installing and configuring the
Md4/PCX board and its Windows NT or
Windows 2000 driver in a PC

Instructions for installing and configuring the
Md4/PCX board and its Solaris driver in a
Sun PCI workstation

Instructions for installing and configuring the
Md4/PCX board and its Digital UNIX driver
in a Digital UNIX workstation

Resolutions and refresh rates supported by
the Md4/PCX board in PCs, Sun PCI
workstations, and Digital UNIX workstations

• DIMPL Library Reference

• Microsoft documentation

• Sun documentation

• Digital documentation

Planning the Md4/PCX Board Installation 1

Chapter 1

Planning the Md4/PCX Board
Installation

In This Chapter

• About the Md4/PCX Board 2

• Planning the Installation 4

2 Chapter 1

About the Md4/PCX Board

This table describes the features of the Md4/PCX board.

Md4/PCX Board Features

This feature… Provides this benefit…

10-bit, high-precision DAC • Support for over 1,000 unique output levels

• True gamma correction of the display for
grayscale fidelity

• Rapid rise and fall times

Flexible support for display
resolutions

Software-programmable resolutions up to
1728 x 2304 pixels in both landscape and
portrait modes

Multi-head support One board drives either one or two monitors,

in either color or grayscale modes
Hardware copy accelerator On-board copy speeds up to 300 MB/sec.
Optimized zero wait-state PCI

local bus
Calibration support through on-

board luminance calibration port

Rapid image transfer to the board from

system memory and other PCI cards

• Guaranteed image integrity over time and
between monitors

• Precise calibration and matching of display
monitors for accurate grayscale imaging

On-board VGA™ support Booting in MS-DOS™ and Windows
128-bit hardware GUI accelerator:

Number Nine

®

T2R™ chip

Support for complex drawing and copy
functions for outstanding GUI performance

®

Multi-boot ROM technology Full operating-system support for PCI-based

computers, including these operating
systems:

• MS-DOS™

• Microsoft

®

Windows

• Microsoft Windows

NT

®

2000

®

• Sun™ Solaris™

• Digital

®

UNIX™

Planning the Md4/PCX Board Installation 3

Md4/PCX Board Features (Cont.)

This feature… Provides this benefit…

Support for the DOME

®

Image­Processing Library (DIMPL™)
and its ActiveX™ interface, the
DimplX™ control

Image handling and processing, including
16-bit windowing/lev eling, fractional zooming,
image rotation, and mirroring

4 Chapter 1

Planning the Installation

Before you install the Md4/PCX board in your system,
review these installation requirements to make sure you
have all of the necessary items.

Cross-platform requirements

You can install the Md4/PCX board in a PC, Sun PCI work­station, or Digital UNIX workstation. All platforms require
these items:

• Md4/PCX board

• Compatible monitor that can support your desired
display resolution

Multiple monitors for PCs must have the same resolution.

Platform-specific requirements

This table lists the platform-specific requirements for
system specifications, operating system, and DOME driver.

Installation Requirements

Platform System Specs Operating System DOME Driver

PC • PCI slot for each board

• 2 MB hard disk space

• 32 MB of RAM

• Disk drive for 3.5-inch
diskettes

Sun PCI
workstation

• PCI slot for each board

• 500 KB hard disk space
for driver and DDX
installation

• CD-ROM drive

Windows NT 4.0
or Windows 2000

Solaris 2.5.1 or
later

Windows NT 4.0 or
Windows 2000
driver for Md4/PCX

Solaris driver for
Md4/PCX

Planning the Md4/PCX Board Installation 5

Installation Requirements (Cont.)

Platform System Specs Operating System DOME Driver

Digital UNIX
workstation

• PCI slot for each board

• Disk drive for 3.5-inch
diskettes

Digital UNIX 4.0D
or later

Digital UNIX driver
for Md4/PCX

Installation Order

Use this table to find the installation instructions for the
Md4/PCX board in your operating system.

Installation Order

For this operating
system… First install the… Then install the…

Windows NT 4.0 Board as described in

“Installing the Board in a
PC” on page 8

Windows 2000 Board as described in

“Installing the Board in a
PC” on page 8

Solaris 2.5.1 or
later

Board as described in
“Installing the Board in a
Sun PCI Workstation” on
page 75

Driver as described in
“Installing the PCX
Windows NT 4.0 Driver”
on page 20

Driver as described in
“Installing the PCX
Windows 2000 Driver” on
page 44

Driver as described in
“Installing the PCX Solaris
Driver” on page 84

Digital UNIX 4.0D
or later

Driver as described in
“Installing the PCX Digital
UNIX Driver” on page 110

Board as described in
“Installing the Board and
Driver in a Digital UNIX
Workstation” on page 117

6 Chapter 1

To determine the board’s part number

Check the sticker with the CE mark. This sticker is on the
connector. The part number has this format:

55-MD4PCX2- xx
where xx is the revision number.
For example, if your board’s sticker reads 55-MD4PCX2-32,

you are using a revision -32 board.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 7

Chapter 2

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and
Driver in a PC

In This Chapter

• Installing the Board in a PC 8

• Connecting the Monitors 18

• Installing the PCX Windows NT 4.0 Driver 20

• Configuring Display Settings 22

• Additional Options for Windows NT 33

• Installing the PCX Windows 2000 Driver 44

• Configuring Display Settings in Windows 2000 51

• Uninstalling DOME Devices 62

• Dynamic Link Library 66

• Using Calibration TQA on Windows 2000 67

• Troubleshooting Tips 68

8 Chapter 2

Installing the Board in a PC

This section describes how to install the board in a PC.

To unpack the board

Remove the Md4/PCX board slowly from its package and
protective sleeve slowly to protect against static discharge
to the board.

Static electricity can damage the board. Wear an anti-static
wrist strap or touch one hand to a bare metal surface on
the power supply to discharge static electricity.

• While performing any part of the installation that
involves touching the board or parts of the motherboard,
keep one hand touching the metal surface to provide
grounding.

• If you can’t perform a step with one hand, use both and
return one hand occasionally to the bare metal surface.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 9

To prepare for board installation

1. Turn off the power to your computer.

Leave the computer plugged into a grounded power
outlet. This allows the power cord to serve as a ground
for the computer.

If you leave the computer turned on, you could get an
electrical shock and cause damage to your computer’s
components and the Md4/PCX board.

2. Remove the cover from the computer according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Determine which board you want to support VGA dis-

play: the Md4/PCX board (see page 10) or another
VGA board (see below).

To support VGA with another VGA board

Disable VGA mode on the Md4/PCX board. For
instructions, see “To disable VGA mode” on page 13

When you install the Md4/PCX board in a computer that
has an existing VGA board, only one of the boards can
support the Windows operating system. You can run
Windows on either board, but you cannot run Windows
on both boards simultaneously.

10 Chapter 2

To support VGA display with the Md4/PCX board

1. Remove the existing VGA board from your computer.

2. Enable VGA mode on the Md4/PCX board; follow the

instructions under “To enable VGA mode” on page 12.

3. Attach the VGA ribbon cable to the Md4/PCX board.

(The connector is keyed to ensure it is plugged in
correctly.)

4. Install the Md4/PCX board in your PC by following the

Attaching a VGA ribbon cable

instructions on page 15.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 11

To enable and disable VGA mode

You must set switch S1 on the Md4/PCX board, as
described in the following sections.

DIP switches on the

Md4/PCX board

The Md4/PCX board has two switches:

• Switch S1 controls VGA display; see “Setting switch S1”
on page 12.

• Switch S2 is reserved for software use; its default settings
are all OFF.

12 Chapter 2

Setting switch S1

This table shows the options for setting switch S1 on the
Md4/PCX board. Change these settings to enable or dis­able VGA mode, as described in the following sections.

DIP Switch Settings on Switch S1

DIP Switch On Off

1 VGA disabled VGA enabled*
2 BIOS enabled* BIOS disabled
3 Standard Md4/PCX* VGA boot messages appear

on high-resolution monitor

4 Select low BIOS* Select high BIOS

* Indicates factory setting

To enable VGA mode

Slide the DIP switches into the positions shown in this
table.

DIP Switch Settings

on Switch S1 to

Enable VGA Mode

DIP Switch Position

1 OFF
2ON
3ON
4ON

Enable VGA mode on the Md4/PCX board if you are
using the Md4/PCX board to support VGA.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 13

To disable VGA mode

Slide the DIP switches on switch S1 into the positions
shown in this table.

DIP Switch Settings

on Switch S1 to

Disable VGA Mode

DIP Switch Position

1ON
2 OFF
3 OFF
4ON

Disable VGA mode on the Md4/PCX board if you are
using it with an existing VGA board. In addition, disable
VGA on additional Md4/PCX boards if you are installing
more than one.

14 Chapter 2

To enable VGA boot messages on a
high-resolution monitor

Use this table to set switch S1 to direct VGA boot messages
to a high-resolution monitor.

Enabling VGA Mode Boot Messages

DIP Switch Position Note

1 OFF If OFF, the Md4/PCX board acts as

the V GA de vice. The output, ho we ver ,
is directed to the high-resolution
screen instead of the VGA connector.

ON If ON, the Md4/PCX board copies the

text from the VGA device to the high-

resolution monitor.
2 ON Must be ON.
3 OFF Must be OFF. Lets you direct VGA

boot messages to the high-resolution

monitor.
4 ON Must be ON.

The setting of DIP switch 3 on switch S1 determines
whether the Md4/PCX board can display boot messages
to a high-resolution monitor. The setting of DIP switch 2
on switch S1 determines whether VGA is enabled or
disabled.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 15

To install the board

1. Remove the blank bracket from the back of any
available PCI slot.

Removing a

blank bracket

Installing an

Md4/PCX board

2. Insert the Md4/PCX board firmly into the slot.

16 Chapter 2

3. Make sure the board connector pins are aligned with
the slot.

Md4/PCX board

Installed

4. Secure the mounting bracket with the bracket screw.

If you are not supporting VGA with the Md4/PCX
board, go to step 8.

5. Remove a blank bracket from the back of the slot you
choose for the VGA output.

6. Insert the VGA bracket and secure the mounting
bracket with the bracket screw.

7. Attach the VGA monitor to the 15-pin connector.

Repeat steps 1–4 for each Md4/PCX board you want
to install.

8. Replace the system unit cover.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 17

To install multiple Md4/PCX boards

Repeat the installation instructions on page 15 for each
board.

Tips

Remember these tips when installing multiple boards:

• You can install as many Md4/PCX boards as your sys-

• Each board requires less than 3 amps of +5V.

• The Windows NT driver (version 4.4.0 or later) supports

tem’s power supply and available PCI slots can support.

up to eight (8) Md4/PCX boards (16 screens).

• The Windows NT driver (versions 4.01–4.3.3) supports

up to four (4) Md4/PCX boards (eight (8) screens).

• You cannot mix DOME board types in one system; for

example, you cannot run one Md4/PCX boards and one
Md5/PCX™ board.

• If you are using multiple Md4/PCX boards, disable

VGA mode on each additional Md4/PCX board. See
“To disable VGA mode” on page 13.

18 Chapter 2

Connecting the Monitors

When the Md4/PCX board is installed in your system,
connect the monitors to the board with the cable provided.
Grayscale cables have two branches, each with three con­nectors. Color cables have one branch with five connectors.

To connect the monitors to the board

1. Attach the D-shell connector to the Md4/PCX
board, securing the connection with the screws
on the connector.

Connecting the

cable to a

grayscale monitor

2. Attach each of the output cables to the appropriate
BNC terminal on your monitor.

Connecting the

cable to a

color monitor

The cable labeling in these illustrations applies to the
DOME Md4/PCX cable. If you are using a cable from
another source, the cable labeling may be different.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 19

Refer to your monitor documentation for more infor­mation about the connector assignments.

For color display, the Md4/PCX board supports only
one monitor per board.

3. Repeat step 2 for each monitor that you want to connect
to the Md4/PCX board.

20 Chapter 2

Installing the PCX Windows NT 4.0 Driver

This procedure assumes that the Windows NT 4.0 operat­ing system is already installed on your system. If it is not,
refer to the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 documentation.

To install the driver

1. Turn on the power to your computer, and select

Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA] .

2. Log in as administrator.
You need administrator privileges to change the

display settings.

3. Select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Display
icon -> Settings tab.

The Settings tab appears.

4. Click Display Type… .
The Display Type dialog box appears.

5. Click Change… in the Adapter Type section of the
dialog box.

The Change Display dialog box appears.

6. Click Have Disk… .
The Install From Disk dialog box appears, containing

this field:
Copy manufacturer’s files from:

A:\

7. Insert the DOME Windows NT 4.0 Drivers for
Mdx/PCX diskette in your computer’s disk drive.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 21

8. If you inserted the diskette in the A drive, click OK.
If you inserted the diskette in another drive, type:

X:\

where

represents the drive.

X

The Change Display dialog box appears, with these
choices:

DOME imaging systems Md4/PCX
DOME imaging systems Md5/PCX

9. Select

DOME imaging systems Md4/PCX

, and

click OK.
The Third-party Drivers dialog box appears,

prompting you:
Do you wish to proceed?

10. Click

Yes

.

A progress bar appears. The Installing Driver dialog
box appears with this message:

The drivers were successfully installed.

11. Click

12. Click

OK

Close

.

on the Display Type dialog box and on the

Display Properties dialog box.
The System Settings Change dialog box appears,

prompting you:
Do you want to restart your computer now?

13. Click

14. When the system restarts, select

Yes

.

Windows NT

Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA]

and then configure

your display settings, as described in the next section.

22 Chapter 2

Configuring Display Settings

After you install the board and driver, set the
resolution and refresh rate. You can then update
any other configuration options.

To set the display resolution and refresh rate

1. Log in as administrator.
The Invalid Display Settings dialog box appears.

2. Click OK.
The Settings tab appears.

3. Click List All Modes….

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 23

The Detected Adapter dialog box appears.

Sample Detected

Adapter dialog box

The dialog box on your screen displays the values that
exist in your binary

.cfg file, which may be different

from the values displayed in this illustration. For infor­mation on editing these values, see “Customizing sync
parameters for Windows NT” on page 133.

4. Select the desired resolution and refresh rate, and
click OK.

Your monitor(s) must be connected to test these
resolutions.

5. Click Test.
The Testing Mode dialog box appears, explaining that

the new mode will be tested.

6. Click OK.
A test bitmap appears.
The Testing Mode dialog box appears, prompting you:
Did you see the test bitmap properly?

24 Chapter 2

7. Click Yes if the test bitmap displayed correctly. Proceed
to step 10.

Click No if the test bitmap did not display correctly.
If No, the Testing Mode dialog box appears, prompting

you to try different settings for your display.
Click OK. Repeat steps 6–9 using a different resolution

and refresh rate.

8. Select Large Fonts in the Font Size area.

Selecting Large Fonts on the Settings tab does not
make a significant difference in font size at very high
resolutions. The DOME driver installs extra-large font
options in your

C:\dome\tools directory. To add

those fonts to your display properties, follow the
instructions for “DOME large fonts” on page 33.

9. Click OK.
The display resolution is now set properly for the

Md4/PCX board.
This message appears:
Do you want to restart your computer now?

10. Click No.
You can now change your display properties using the

DOME tab.

11. Select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Display
icon -> DOME tab.

A dialog box prompts you to choose a configuration file
(because the system is currently in VGA mode).

12. Click Open to use the default configuration file
(

md4pcx.cfg) on your system.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 25

The DOME tab appears.
You can make several changes to your display settings

at one time. See the next section, “Using the DOME
tab to change display properties.”

13. Click OK or Apply when you have selected all the new
settings and want them to take effect.

This message appears:
Do you want to restart your computer now?

14. Click Yes.
The system prompts you to select an operating system.

15. Select Windows NT Workstation 4.00.

Using the DOME tab to change display properties

You can change your configuration options on the
DOME tab.

Changing Display Properties

To complete this task… See page …

Use the DOME tab online help 27
Change resolution and refresh rate 27
Set screen configuration 27
Set monitor preferences 28
Set driver options 28
Set palette options 29

26 Chapter 2

To change display properties

1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties ->
DOME tab.

The DOME tab appears.

2. Select your desired settings; see the following sections.

3. Click Apply or OK when you are finished setting these
options.

You can make several changes to your configuration at
one time. When you have selected all the new settings
and want them to take effect, Restart your computer.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 27

To use the DOME tab online help

The Windows NT driver (version 4.4.0 or later) provides
online, context-sensitive help for the DOME tab. You can
access the help in two ways:

• Click the question mark (?) button on the title bar and

then click the area of the DOME tab with which you need
assistance.

• Move the cursor to the area with which you need assis-

tance and then press <F1>.

To change the resolution and refresh rate

Highlight the desired options on the DOME tab. Valid
options for resolution and refresh rate are listed in the
Resolution and Refresh rate section of the DOME tab.

To set the screen configuration

Highlight the desired number and configuration.

Tips

Remember these tips when setting the screen
configuration:

• Each Md4/PCX board supports up to two monitors.

• Windows NT Version 4.4.0 or later supports up to eight

boards (sixteen screens).

• Windows NT Version 4.01–4.3.3 supports up to four

boards (eight screens).

• The screens are assigned to the boards in the order in

which the boards are found on the bus. For example,
if the first board is a dual-headed board, it controls
screens 0 (zero) and 1 (one).

• Screen 0 (zero) is the upper-left screen. The rest of the

screens are counted down and then across.

28 Chapter 2

For example, with four screens in a 2 x 2 pattern, the
screens are numbered as follows.

Screen 0 is upper-left Screen 2 is upper-right
Screen 1 is lower-left Screen 3 is lower-right

Setting monitor preferences

In the Monitor Preferences section of the DOME tab, you
can select Sync on Green, Composite Sync, and Pedestal.
If your monitor is set for these options, you should select
them here. Refer to your monitor manufacturer’s
recommendations for more information.

To disable DirectDraw

Select Disable DirectDraw on the DOME tab if desired.
DirectDraw™ is an Application Program Interface (API)

that allows direct manipulation of the video display.
DirectDraw applications expect the screen to be repre-

sented as a single element. If you are using multiple
Md4/PCX boards, more than one screen can represent
the Windows NT desktop.

With multiple displays representing the desktop,
DirectDraw applications cannot access the entire desktop
and therefore may not function properly.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 29

In addition, DirectDraw applications may not function
properly with screen sizes larger than 2048 x 2048 pixels,
due to a limitation of the Windows NT 4.0 operating
system, Build 1381. Microsoft is aware of this problem and
plans to correct it in a future release of Windows NT.
DOME has made efforts to provide whatever support pos­sible within this limitation but cannot ensure DirectDraw
compatibility with multiple screens or if the total screen
size is greater than 2048 x 2048 pixels.

DIMPL library

The DOME Image-Processing Library, DIMPL, uses the
DirectDraw facilities in the Windows NT operating system
and works cooperatively with the DOME Md4/PCX
driver.

Setting palette options

You can set palette options through the DOME tab. In the
Windows NT 4.0 operating system, the Md4/PCX board
supports these palette options, in addition to color:

• Dynamic gray

• Static gray

• Nonlinear static gray

30 Chapter 2

This illustration shows features of the grayscale
palette options.

Dynamic gray palette

The dynamic gray palette reserves the first 10 and last 10
entries in the palette for the Windows NT operating sys­tem, but you can manipulate the middle 236 entries. Your
application can create a 256-entry gray ramp in any 8-bit
driver by calling the Windows API function,

PaletteUse(), but doing so causes all icons to be redrawn

in black and white.
The dynamic gray palette accommodates gray-mapped

Windows colors for the first 10 and last 10 palette entries.

SetSystem-

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 31

Static gray palette

The static gray palette provides 256 shades of gray in a
linear static palette. This palette does not reserve the first
and last 10 palette entries for icons and other standard
Windows graphics, which frees the entire grayscale ramp
for applications.

The static gray palette does not provide gray-mapped
Windows colors for the first 10 and last 10 palette entries.
Because the framebuffer assumes the Windows palette is
in use, applications that draw directly to the framebuffer
display incorrectly. For example, icons and button bitmaps
may display in black and white.

Calibration with static gray palette

To run DOME calibration with the static gray palette,
you need either Luminance Calibration System 1.5 or later,
or Calibration TQA™ 2.0 or later.

Nonlinear static gray palette

The nonlinear static gray palette sets the first 10 and last 10
palette entries to gray-mapped Windows colors. The mid­dle 236 entries are ramped in ascending order, excluding
the first 10 and last 10 palette entries. Windows applica­tions that use the first 10 and last 10 palette entries as
Windows colors display correctly on the screen.

Although the nonlinear static gray palette provides correct
colors for applications using the Windows palette, colors
display incorrectly if the application assumes that a static
palette is always ramped.

32 Chapter 2

Calibration with nonlinear static gray palette

To run the DOME Calibration software with the nonlinear
static gray palette, you need Calibration TQA 2.0 or later
software.

Applications cannot set the static gray or nonlinear static
gray palette. They must read the palette from the operat­ing system and use it when drawing directly to the frame­buffer. Application colors display incorrectly if the
application assumes all 8-bit framebuffers have palettes
that can be set.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 33

Additional Options for Windows NT

This section describes additional driver features.

To configure this option… See page…

Dynamic link library 33
DOME large fonts 33
Fonts for high-resolution display 36
DOME DlgFix software 37
DOME DPMS screen saver 39

Dynamic link library

The display driver automatically installs the dynamic link
library (DLL) in your system. The DLL (
group of functions that can link to DOME applications,
such as the DIMPL library and Calibration TQA.

mdpcint.dll) is a

DOME large fonts

The DOME driver supplements the standard Windows
fonts with DOME large fonts to compensate for high­resolution display. When you install the DOME Windows
NT driver, it places the large fonts in the
directory. If you want to use the DOME large fonts, you
must add them to your display properties.

C:\dome\tools

34 Chapter 2

To install DOME large fonts

This section describes how to add DOME large fonts from
your

tools folder to your display properties:

1. Double-click My Computer -> C: -> DOME -> Tools.
A list of files appears.

2. Double-click the desired font from the list of files:

• DOME large

• DOME extra large

• DOME extra extra large

3. Close all applications and windows.

4. Reboot your computer.
DOME large fonts are now available for use in Display

Properties.

5. Select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Display
icon -> Appearance tab.

The Appearance tab appears.

6. Click the Scheme pull-down arrow, and select the
desired font.

7. Click OK.

Installing DOME large fonts does not automatically
increase the size of your cursor.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 35

To uninstall DOME large fonts

1. Double-click My Computer -> C: -> DOME -> Tools.
A list of files appears.

2. Double-click WinStand.reg.

3. Click OK.

4. Close all applications and windows.

5. Reboot your computer.

6. Select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Display
icon -> Appearance tab.

The Appearance tab appears.

7. Click the Scheme pull-down arrow, and select
Windows Standard.

8. Click OK.

To increase the cursor size

1. Select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel ->
Mouse icon -> Pointers tab.

The Pointers tab appears.

2. Click the Scheme pull-down arrow, and select
Windows Standard (extra large).

3. Click OK.

4. Close the Control Panel dialog box.
To return to the standard cursor size, follow steps 1–2

of this procedure, and select Windows Standard from
the Scheme pull-down arrow.

36 Chapter 2

To customize item and font size

You can customize the appearance of fonts and the
sizes of icons, menus, and title bars. To do so, choose the
Appearance tab from the Display Properties dialog box and
adjust the Item size and Font size fields.

This table provides recommended font and icon sizes for
high-resolution displays.

Font Settings for High-Resolution Displays

This
selection…

Active Title Bar Active window title

Icon Icons on the

Menu All menus, both

Message Box All message box text Item size: n/a

Tool Tip All tool tip text, both

a. The Item size adjusts automatically if the font size changes.

b. If the Item or Font size is too large, the icon and text may be cropped. If

this occurs, adjust Icon spacing by right-clicking on the desktop and
choosing Line Up Icons or Arrange Icons. You can also change icon
spacing by choosing Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing
(Vertical), and adjusting the Size setting to a larger number. (The
default spacing is 43.)

Controls font and
size of this item…

bar

desktop

system- and
application-level

system- and
application-level

b

Its default
settings are…

Item size: 18
Font size: 8

Item size: 32
Font size: 8

Item size: 18
Font size: 8

Font size: 8
Item size: 18

Font size: 8

Its recommended
Md4/PCX settings are…

Item size:a -­Font size: 10 or 12

Item size: 48
Font size: 10

Item size:a -­Font size: 10 or 12

Item size: n/a
Font size: 10 or 12

Item size: -­Font size: 10 or 12

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 37

DOME DlgFix software

DOME DlgFix software automatically relocates all dialog
boxes to the upper-left screen, preventing dialog boxes
from splitting across screens.

Dialog box splits across screens when DlgFix is not running

Dialog box displays in upper-left screen when DlgFix is running

38 Chapter 2

The Windows NT driver automatically installs DOME

DlgFix software.

To run DlgFix

Type this command at the DOS prompt:

C:\dome\tools\DlgFix

The DOME DlgFix icon appears on your taskbar to
indicate that

DlgFix is running.

To add DlgFix to the startup menu

DlgFix will not automatically restart each time you restart

your computer. To automatically run
place

DlgFix into your startup menu programs by typing

DlgFix at startup,

this command at the DOS prompt:

C:\dome\tools\DlgSetup

Limitations of DlgFix

Because of limitations in the Windows NT operating sys­tem,

DlgFix cannot modify dialog box locations until you

run the startup programs; login dialog boxes are still split
between screens.

To uninstall DlgFix

Your system will experience a slight performance
degradation while running
performance unacceptable, uninstall the software by
typing this command at the DOS prompt:

C:\dome\tools\DlgUnins

DlgFix. If you find system

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 39

DOME DPMS Screen Saver for Windows NT

Display Power Management Signaling (DPMS) provides a
method for shutting off the video signal to a monitor when
it has not been used for a specified amount of time. The
DOME DPMS Screen Saver allows you to reduce the
amount of power your monitor uses and to extend the life
of your monitor’s CRT.

How the screen saver works

Like other Windows screen savers, the DOME DPMS
Screen Saver is invoked after the system has received no
user input for a specified number of minutes. The DOME
DPMS Screen Saver, however, does not display anything
on the monitor. It launches another screen saver that you
select to protect the display. Then, after a predetermined
number of minutes, it uses DPMS to shut off the video
power to the display.

There are two delay periods before DPMS is invoked. The
first is the standard screen saver delay from the last user
input until the screen saver launches. The second delay is
from the time the screen saver launches until DPMS shuts
off the video power to the monitor. After the second delay,
DPMS places the monitor in power-off mode.

The DOME DPMS Screen Saver allows you to select the
other screen saver to use before it invokes power-off mode.
It also allows you to specify up to four time periods during
the day, with different settings for when and if power-off
mode is invoked during each period.

40 Chapter 2

To select the DOME DPMS Screen Saver

1. Right-click the desktop, and select Properties -> Screen
Saver tab.

The Screen Saver tab appears.

2. Select DOME DPMS Screen Saver from the list of
screen savers.

3. Set the Wait: field with the delay time until you want
the first screen saver to appear.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 41

Setting up the DOME DPMS Screen Saver

Follow these steps to set up the DOME DPMS Screen Saver:

1. Click Settings….
This dialog box appears.

2. Select a Screen Saver from the pull-down list of avail-

able screen savers.
The screen saver you select will appear on your moni-

tor before DPMS power-off mode is invoked. You can
select any other installed Windows screen savers to
protect the monitor during that time. Use the Settings
and Preview buttons to adjust the screen saver settings
and view a sample of what each screen saver looks like.

42 Chapter 2

You can set up to four distinct DPMS periods through­out the day, with different settings for each period.

3. Set the start time in the Starting at: field.
Use a 24-hour time format. For example, use 16:30 to

indicate 4:30 p.m. This field determines if and when
power-off mode will be invoked for up to four different
periods of the day.

You can leave the start time for a period blank if you
don’t want to use it.

4. Enter the number of minutes of additional inactivity
(after the first screen saver begins) until the monitor
is placed in power-off mode in the Invoke DPMS
after: field.

5. If desired, select Wake at start of period to force the
monitor to wake up if it is in power-off mode at the
start of the period.

6. If desired, select Never sleep during this period to
prevent a switch to power-off mode during the period.

7. Click OK to keep your settings or Cancel to discard
them.

The Display Properties dialog box appears.

8. Click OK.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 43

Screen saver tips

Remember these tips when you set the screen saver:

• The two delay periods are cumulative. If it takes 15 min-

utes of user inactivity for the DOME DPMS Screen Saver
to start, and there is a 30-minute delay until power-off
mode is invoked for the current time period, power­off mode starts only after a total of 45 minutes of user
inactivity.

• After the monitor has been in power-off mode for a

long time, it can take up to 30 minutes to reach optimal
performance conditions when the video power is turned
on again. To ensure that the monitor is performing opti­mally when you need it, use the DOME DPMS Screen
Saver to force the monitor to wake up before periods of
heavy use begin.

44 Chapter 2

Installing the PCX Windows 2000 Driver

Before you install the DOME Windows 2000 driver, make
sure these components are installed on your system:

• Windows 2000 operating system

• DOME board capable of supporting VGA display or any

VGA board

Only system administrators should perform the driver
installation procedures described in this section.

Install all DOME boards before you install the driver.
See “To install the board” on page 15 for instructions.
Then reboot your system and install the driver for each
board individually. See “To install the driver” on page 45
for instructions.

To support multiple DOME screens

1. Install the DOME driver for the board to enable a single
display driven by the board.

2. Reinstall the DOME driver for each additional display
(sister display) driven by the board. See “To enable the
sister display” on page 48.

3. Extend the Windows 2000 desktop settings for the first
DOME screen onto the sister display. See “To set the
resolution and refresh rate for the sister display” on
page 49.

You must reinstall the driver for each Md4/PCX
board installed in your system, otherwise the driver
may malfunction.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 45

To install the driver

1. Turn on the computer, and select Microsoft Windows
2000 Professional.

2. Log in as administrator.

3. Right-click the desktop, and select Properties ->
Settings tab.

The Settings tab appears with display 1 highlighted.

4. Click the Display list and select Default Monitor on
Number Nine Visual Technologies Revolution X.

5. Click Advanced -> Adapter tab -> Properties ->

Driver tab -> Update Driver button.

46 Chapter 2

The Upgrade Device Driver Wizard dialog box
appears.

6. Click Next.
The Install Hardware Device Drivers screen appears.

7. Select Display a list of the known drivers for this
device…, and click Next.

8. Insert the DOME Windows 2000 Driver diskette into
your computer’s disk drive. Click Have Disk at the
Select a Device Driver dialog box.

The Install From Disk dialog box appears.

9. Click OK if the diskette is in the A drive.
Click Browse… if the diskette is in another drive and

select mdxpcx.inf -> Open -> OK.
The Select a Device Driver dialog box appears.

10. Select DOME board Md4/PCX, Md5/PCX, or
Md5/DFP, and click Next.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 47

11. The Update Driver Warning dialog box appears.

12. Click Yes, then Next.
The Digital Signature Not Found dialog box appears.

13. Click Yes to continue the installation.
If the Digital Signature Not Found dialog box does

not appear, or you receive a warning that the driver
cannot be installed, see “Troubleshooting Tips” on
page 68.

The system copies the driver files.

14. Remove the diskette from the disk drive when the
copying is complete.

To finish the installation

1. Click Finish -> Close -> Yes to restart the computer.
When the system restarts, it prompts you to select an

operating system.

2. Select Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and
log in.

3. Right-click the desktop, and select Properties ->
Settings tab.

4. Click Display list and select Default Monitor on
DOME Md4/PCX, Md5/PCX, or Md5/DFP.

5. Click Advanced -> Adapter tab -> List All Modes
button, highlight the desired resolution and refresh
rate, then click OK.

6. Click Apply -> OK from the Default Monitor and
DOME Md4/PCX, Md5/PCX, or Md5/DFP Properties
dialog box.

48 Chapter 2

7. Select Extend my Windows desktop to this monitor,
and click Apply.

The Display Properties dialog box appears with this
message:

Windows will now apply your new desktop settings.
The Original desktop is restored if the settings are not
applied correctly.

8. Click OK to accept the new settings or Cancel to revert
to the original settings.

Now that you’ve installed the driver for one display,
follow the instructions below to install the driver for
the sister display.

Not all boards support two displays. Boards with
part number 55-MD4PCX2-xx drive two monitors.
To determine the part number of your Md4/PCX
board, check the sticker with the CE mark on the
video connector.

To enable the sister display

1. Double-click the Add/Remove Hardware icon in the
Microsoft Control Panel.

The Add/Remove Hardware Wizard appears.

2. Click Next.
The Choose a Hardware Task appears.

3. Select Add/Troubleshoot a device, and click Next.
The Choose a Hardware Device dialog box appears.

4. Select Add a new device, and click Next.
The Find New Hardware dialog box appears.

5. Select No, I want to select the hardware from a list,
and click Next.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 49

The Hardware Type dialog box appears.

6. Select Display Adapters, and click Next.
The Select a Device Driver dialog box appears.

7. Select DOME imaging systems in the Manufacturers
column and DOME Md4/PCX, Md5/PCX, or Md5/DFP
in the Models column. Click Next.

The Start Hardware Installation dialog box appears.

8. Click Next.
The Digital Signature Not Found dialog box appears.

9. Click Yes to copy the display driver files.

10. Insert the DOME Windows 2000 driver diskette into
drive A, and click OK.

The Completing the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard
dialog boxes appear.

11. Click Finish to complete the installation.

12. Return to the Display Properties dialog box.

To set the resolution and refresh rate for the
sister display

1. Right-click the desktop, and select Properties ->
Settings tab.

2. Click the Display list and select the desired sister
display.

3. Click Advanced -> Adapter tab -> List All Modes
button.

50 Chapter 2

4. Select the same resolution and refresh rate that you
used for the first DOME screen for the sister display,
and click OK.

Set the resolution and refresh rate to identical values
on the first and second DOME screens of a dual­headed DOME display board; otherwise one screen
appears garbled.

5. Click Apply -> OK from the Default Monitor and
Md4/PCX, Md5/PCX, or Md5/DFP Properties
dialog box.

6. Select Extend my Windows desktop to this monitor,
and click Apply.

The Display Properties dialog box appears.

7. Click Identify on the Settings tab to check whether the
sister displays are enabled.

When you click Identify, the screen numbers display on
the enabled screens.

See the next section to configure the display settings for
your enabled Windows 2000 displays.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 51

Configuring Display Settings in Windows 2000

After you install the board and driver and set the default
monitor and refresh rate, you can change the resolution
and refresh rate or any other configuration options.

Setting the Default Monitor and Refresh Rate

Use this menu... To set the default monitor and refresh rate for...

DOME tab Displays attached to the Windows 2000

desktop

Properties ->
Settings tab

Displays not attached to the Windows
2000 desktop

The Windows 2000 operating system renumbers and
reassigns screens as they are added to the configuration.
Set resolutions or preferences only after all boards and
screens are installed. Then restart your system to make
sure the screen assignments are stable.

To determine screen assignments

Use the Identify button in the Settings tab to see which
screens are associated with which boards.

52 Chapter 2

Using the DOME tab to change display properties

You can change these display properties using the
DOME tab after the display is attached to the Windows
2000 desktop.

Changing Display Properties

To complete this task… See page…

Change the resolution and refresh rate 53
Select palette options 55
Set monitor preferences 54
Set driver options 54
Set custom syncs 58

To change display properties

1. Log onto Windows 2000 as administrator.

2. Right-click the desktop, and select Properties ->
Settings tab.

The Settings tab appears.

3. Select Default Monitor on DOME Md4/PCX,
Md5/PCX, or Md5/DFP from the Display box.

Make sure the Extend my Windows desktop onto
this monitor box is checked.

4. Click Advanced -> DOME tab to select a resolution and
refresh rate.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 53

The DOME tab appears.

To change the resolution and refresh rate

1. Select a resolution and refresh rate from the DOME tab,
and click Apply.

When you use the DOME tab to set the resolution and
refresh rate for one of the displays of a dual-headed
DOME display board, the second display will assume
the same resolution and refresh rate.

54 Chapter 2

The DOME Display Resolution dialog box appears.

2. Click OK within 15 seconds to accept the new settings.
Ignore the message to revert to the original settings.

The resolution changes on both installed screens, and a
message appears prompting you to accept or cancel the
new resolution.

3. Click OK to set this resolution, or Cancel to return to
the DOME tab.

If you select OK, this message appears.

4. Click OK. You can now use the display.

To set monitor preferences

Select Pedestal on the DOME tab if desired. Refer to your
monitor documentation for more information.

To disable DirectDraw

Select Disable DirectDraw on the DOME tab if desired.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 55

Setting palette options

DOME palette options must coordinate with the primary
display. All monitors must be set to either palette devices or
non-palette devices.

Palette Options

Palette Devices Non-Palette Devices

Dynamic gray Static gray
Color palette

a. Color options are available only for flat-panel

displays.

All DOME boards that support multiple displays support
differing palette options on multiple screens attached to the
same board.

This illustration describes the available palettes.

a

Nonlinear static gray
True color

a

56 Chapter 2

Palette options with multiple displays

The Microsoft Developer’s Network (MSDN) Select

Palette and RealizePalette functions work across all

monitors if the primary monitor is palettized. The palettes
of all palettized devices are synchronized. If, however, the
primary monitor is not palettized,

RealizePalette select the palette into the background,

SelectPalette and

and palettized devices are not synchronized.

Desktop icons

The palette specifications of the primary display determine
how desktop icons are drawn. For example, the desktop
icons appear gray in a color screen if the primary display is
set to a gray palette.

The following table defines the palette options that work
on primary and secondary displays. The third column
indicates whether the listed palette combinations (in the
primary and secondary display columns) work.

Palette Options on Multiple Displays

Primary Display Secondary Display Combination OK

Commodity board at 16 bits
per pixel (bpp)

Commodity board at 16 bpp Static gray Yes
Commodity board at 16 bpp Nonlinear gray Yes
Commodity board at 16 bpp True color Yes
Dynamic gray Commodity board at 16 bpp Yes
Dynamic Gray Dynamic gray Yes
Dynamic gray Static gray No
Dynamic gray Nonlinear static gray Yes
Dynamic gray True color Yes

Dynamic gray No

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 57

Palette Options on Multiple Displays (Cont.)

Primary Display Secondary Display Combination OK

Dynamic gray Pseudocolor Yes
Static gray Commodity board at 16 bpp Yes
Static gray Dynamic gray No
Static gray Static gray Yes
Static gray Nonlinear static gray Yes
Static gray True color Yes
Static gray Pseudocolor No
Nonlinear static gray Commodity board at 16 bpp Yes
Nonlinear static gray Dynamic gray No
Nonlinear static gray Static gray Yes
Nonlinear static gray Nonlinear static gray Yes
Nonlinear static gray True color Yes
Nonlinear static gray Pseudocolor No
True color Commodity board at 16 bpp Yes
True color Dynamic gray No
True color Static gray Yes
True color Nonlinear static gray Yes
True color True color Yes
True color Pseudocolor Yes
Pseudocolor Commodity board at 16 bpp Yes
Pseudocolor Dynamic gray Yes
Pseudocolor Static gray No
Pseudocolor Nonlinear static gray Yes
Pseudocolor True color Yes
Pseudocolor Pseudocolor Yes

58 Chapter 2

To set custom syncs

Right-click the desktop, and select Properties -> Settings
tab -> Advanced -> DOME tab -> Custom Mode.

The Custom Mode dialog box appears.

The Custom Mode dialog box enables you to perform
these tasks:

• Customize modes

• Create modes

• Remove modes

• Restore original modes (configuration file)

The mode changes you make are stored in a
the driver loads the

.dom file at boot time. See “Restoring

.dom file, and

the original modes” on page 61 for more information.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 59

To customize or add modes

1. Connect a monitor to your installed Md4/PCX board.

2. Return to the Settings tab and select the test display
from the Display list.

3. Make sure Extend my Windows desktop onto this
monitor is selected and click Apply.

The display extends to the selected test display.

4. Click Advanced -> DOME tab -> Custom Mode.
Do not test custom modes with the primary display or

any sister devices attached to the primary display.

5. Highlight the Resolution of the mode you want to
change.

6. Edit the Mode Values section of the dialog box to
create the mode you want.

7. Click Test.
The Display Resolution dialog box appears. The system

is about to test the customized resolution.

8. Click OK to test the mode or Cancel to abort testing.

You must test a mode before you can save it.

The test pattern displays on the screen you selected in
the Settings tab.

A message appears indicating that the new mode is
about to be tested.

9. Click OK.

10. Click Save Mode -> OK to save the mode.

60 Chapter 2

If your edits result in a new mode (that is, the X, Y, BPP,
and refresh rate is not already included in the configu­ration file), the control panel adds the new mode to the

.dom file.

If your edits result in a refresh rate that matches the
whole-number value of an existing refresh rate for an
existing resolution, the mode corresponding to the new
refresh rate overwrites the mode corresponding to the
existing refresh rate in the

.dom file.

For example, assume you are editing a mode of 1024
x 768 x 8 with a refresh rate of 70.08 Hz. If you make
changes that result in a new refresh rate of 70.4 Hz,
1024 x 768 x 8@ 70.4 Hz replaces 1024 x 768 x 8 @

70.08 Hz when you save the mode.

11. Click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box,
and Restart your system.

The new mode takes effect after you restart the
system.

To remove modes

1. Highlight the resolution for the mode you want to
remove, and click Remove Mode.

A dialog box asks whether you are sure you want to
remove the mode.

2. Click Yes to remove the mode, or No to cancel.

3. Click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box and
Restart your system.

Settings take effect after you restart the system.

You can remove any mode except the current mode.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 61

Restoring the original modes

You can restore your original mode settings after you have
modified the configuration. This list provides important
information about restoring the original modes:

• The original configuration is stored in a

.cfg file. When

you make changes that affect the configuration (such as
adding, deleting, or modifying syncs), the system writes
the changes to a

.dom file. The .cfg file remains

unchanged.

• The name of the

.cfg and .dom files derive from the

board type. For example, the Md4/PCX board files are
named

• At boot time, the driver uses the

otherwise, it uses the
the driver does not read the

md4pcx.dom and md5pcx.cfg.

.dom file if it exists;

.cfg file. If the .dom file exists,

.cfg file.

To restore the original modes

1. Click Restore Original Mode List in the Custom Syncs
dialog box.

The control panel restores the original
deleting the

.dom file. A dialog box appears, explaining

that the original modes have been restored.

2. Click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box.

.cfg file by

3. Click Restart to restart your system.

To load a custom
changes its suffix to

dir>\system32\drivers directory, and then restart

the computer.

When you restart, the system loads the

.cfg file created in Windows NT 4.0,

.dom, move it to the <windows

.cfg file.

62 Chapter 2

Uninstalling DOME Devices

You can uninstall DOME devices using the Uninstall
DOME Device feature on the DOME tab and also by using
the Microsoft control panel.

• Uninstall single-headed DOME devices using the

Microsoft control panel.

• Uninstall dual-headed DOME devices by clicking

Uninstall DOME Device on the DOME tab, and then by
removing the device through the Microsoft control panel.
Make sure you remove the sister device first.

Tips

Remember these tips when uninstalling DOME devices:

• You can uninstall both single- and dual-headed DOME

display boards.

• The device that you are uninstalling cannot have system

resources if its sister display is installed.

• The device that you are uninstalling must be attached to

the Windows 2000 desktop.

• You cannot uninstall the primary display.

To uninstall a single-headed DOME device

You can uninstall a single-headed DOME device through
the Microsoft control panel as described in the following
steps:

1. Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel ->
Administrative Tools icon.

2. Click Computer Management.
The Systems Tools dialog box appears.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 63

3. Click Device Manager.

4. Click Display Adapters.
A list of currently installed display devices appears.

5. Highlight the Adapter you want to remove. Right-click
and choose Uninstall.

6. Click OK in the Confirm Device Removal dialog box.
The Systems Settings Change dialog box appears.

7. Click Yes to restart your computer.
The device is now removed from Windows 2000.

8. After your computer restarts, turn it off and remove the
Md4/PCX board.

Refer to your Microsoft documentation for more
information on the removing devices through the
Microsoft control panel.

64 Chapter 2

To uninstall a dual-headed DOME device

You must uninstall a dual-headed DOME device on a
display-by-display basis. Uninstall the sister device first
and the primary device second.

The DOME control panel determines if the user is unin­stalling the devices in the proper order.

Uninstalling a Dual-Headed DOME Device

Step 1 Use the Uninstall DOME Device button on the

DOME tab to begin uninstalling a dual-headed
DOME device.

Step 2 Use the Microsoft control panel to finish uninstalling

a dual-headed DOME device.

To uninstall a dual-headed DOME device

1. Right click on the desktop, select Properties ->
Advanced for the sister device.

2. Click DOME tab ->Uninstall DOME Device button.
You are prompted to restart your computer.

3. Restart your computer.

Once you restart, the sister device no longer appears
in Windows Display Properties.

4. Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel ->
Administrative Tools icon.

5. Click Computer Management.
The Systems Tools dialog box appears.

6. Click Device Manager.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 65

7. Click Display Adapters.
A list of currently installed display devices appears.

8. Highlight the Adapter that is illustrated with the Dis­play Warning icon. Right-click and choose Uninstall.

9. Click OK in the Confirm Device Removal dialog box.
The device is now removed from Windows 2000.

10. Restart your computer.
To finish uninstalling the initial device of the dual-

headed DOME display board, follow the steps in “To
uninstall a single-headed DOME device” on page 62.

66 Chapter 2

Dynamic Link Library

The mdpcint.dll Dynamic Link Library (DLL) installs
automatically when you install the DOME Windows 2000
driver.

DIMPL library

The DOME Image-Processing Library, DIMPL, provides a
library of functions for image manipulation. The DIMPL
library uses the DirectDraw facilities in the Windows 2000
operating system and works cooperatively with the
DOME driver.

DimplX control

The DimplX control is the ActiveX interface to the DIMPL
library. It provides an easy-to-use interface to the powerful
DIMPL functions. It also uses the DirectDraw facilities in
the Windows 2000 operating system.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 67

Using Calibration TQA on Windows 2000

DOME Calibration TQA™ 2.0.1 or later works on a
Windows 2000 system that meets the r equirements of either
full or partial Windows NT 4.0-compatible mode.

The Windows 2000 system must meet these requirements:

• All DOME screens must use the same palette options.

• All DOME screens must have the same refresh rate to

within 0.01 Hz.

• All DOME screens must be in non-negative space on the

Windows desktop.

Refer to the PCI or PCX Developer’s Guide for more
information about the Windows NT 4.0-compatible modes.

You can run Calibration TQA 2.0.1 on a system that
includes both DOME and non-DOME boards.

Do not change Windows display settings while Calibration
TQA is running.

-reliant applications behave unpredictably if changes are

made while the application is active.

Calibration TQA and other mdpcint.dll

68 Chapter 2

Tr oubleshooting Tips

Read this section for troubleshooting tips.

To uninstall the sister device for a dual-headed
DOME display board

Use the DOME tab to begin uninstalling the sister device.
If you click Uninstall DOME Device to uninstall the initial
display, this dialog box appears:

To uninstall a single-headed DOME display board

Use the Windows Control Panel’s Administrative Tools to
uninstall a single-headed DOME display board. If you do
try to uninstall a single-headed board by clicking Uninstall
DOME Device on the DOME tab, this dialog box appears:

This message also appears if you try to uninstall the initial
display of a dual-headed device through the DOME tab
after you have uninstalled its sister device.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a PC 69

Unsigned driver cannot be loaded message

If an unsigned driver cannot be loaded message
appears on the screen, set the

Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Driver Signing

key to allow installation of DOME drivers.

1. Select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System.
The System Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Driver
Signing… in the Device Manager section.

3. Select either Ignore or Warn to allow installation of the
DOME driver and other unsigned drivers

• If you select Ignore, the installation program

ignores the lack of a valid Catalog file with a
digital signature.

• If you select Warn, the installation displays the

message

Digital Signature Not Found and

prompts you to continue or cancel.

HKCU\Software\

Impaired screen resolution

If one screen of a dual-headed board looks strange after
you change another screen’s resolution, make sure the
sister displays have the same resolution settings by
doing one of the following:

• Boot into VGA mode and change settings on one screen

to match the other.

• Use the DOME tab to change resolution. It automatically

changes the sister display resolution to match.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 71

Chapter 3

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and
Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation

In this Chapter

• Disabling Parity on a Sun Ultra System

• Installing the Board in a Sun PCI Workstation 75

• Connecting the Monitors 82

• Installing the PCX Solaris Driver 84

• Configuring Display Settings 91

• Using the Default Monitor Mode 92

• Overriding the Default Monitor Mode 95

• Using Visual Classes 99

• Configuring the Windowing Environment 103

• Changing the Console 108

72 Chapter 3

Disabling Parity on a Sun Ultra System

A fault in the Number Nine T2R chip causes the
Md4/PCX board to mishandle parity generation. To
run the Md4/PCX board in a Sun UltraSPARC system,
you must disable the PCI bus parity.

You must disable parity before you install the Md4/PCX
board in an Ultra system. Otherwise, you will not be able
to boot the system.

To disable parity for a 33 MHz bus

1. Power on or halt the system to get to the ok> prompt
before you install the Md4/PCX board.

2. Type the following code to shut off the parity during
initial boot for the Ultra 5, Ultra 30, and Ultra 60:

ok> nvedit
0: 00 1fe.0100.0004 1d spacew!
1: ^C
ok> nvstore
ok> setenv use-nvramrc? true

If you are using an Ultra 450, see “To disable parity for
an Ultra 450 system” on page 73.

3. Boot the operating system, and then add this line to the

/etc/system file:
set pci:pci_per_enable=0

4. Turn off the power to your workstation and install the
Md4/PCX board, as described in “Installing the Board
in a Sun PCI Workstation” on page 75.

Now, it is safe to boot the system.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 73

To disable parity for a 66 MHz bus

The command to turn off the 66 MHz bus is similar to that
for the 33 MHz bus.

At the ok> prompt, type:

00 1fe.0180.0004 1d spacew!

This command disables parity on the 66 MHz PCI bus.
To make parity stay off when you turn off power to the
computer, put this command in the nvram and edit the

/etc/system file, as described in “To disable parity for a

33 MHz bus” on page 72.

To disable parity for an Ultra 450 system

The Ultra 450 has six bridges: three 5-volt, 33 MHz, and
three 3.3-volt, 33 or 66 MHz. This procedure disables parity
checking on all the buses. To disable parity on individual
buses, follow the instructions in “To disable parity for a 33
MHz bus” on page 72 and To disable parity for a 66 MHz
bus on page 73.

1. Power on or halt the system to get to the ok> prompt
before you install the Md4/PCX board.

2. Type these lines to shut off the parity during initial
boot; observe all spaces:

ok> nvedit
0: 00 1fe.0100.0004 1d spacew!
1: 00 1fe.0180.0004 1d spacew!
2: : parity-off-bc
3: 00 1c8.0100.0004 1d spacew!
4: 00 1c8.0180.0004 1d spacew!
5: 00 1cc.0100.0004 1d spacew!
6: 00 1cc.0180.0004 1d spacew!
7: ;
8: : probe-io-patch parity-off-bc probe-io ;
9: patch probe-io-patch probe-io probe-all

10: ^C

74 Chapter 3

ok> nvstore
ok> setenv use-nvramrc? true

3. Boot the operating system, and add this line in the

/etc/system file:
set pci:pci_per_enable=0

4. Turn off the power to your workstation and install the
Md4/PCX board, as described in “Installing the Board
in a Sun PCI Workstation” on page 75.

Now, it is safe to boot the system.

To check parity status

For a 33 MHz bus, type:

00 1fe.0100.0004 1d spacew?

For a 66 MHz bus, type:

00 1fe.0180.0004 1d spacew?

When parity is disabled, these commands return 6; when
parity is enabled, they return a number other than 6, such
as 46 or 146.

To reenable parity

1. Type this line at the ok> prompt:

setenv use-nvramrc? false

2. Boot the operating system.

3. Remove this line from the

set pci:pci_per_enable=0

/etc/system file:

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 75

Installing the Board in a Sun PCI Workstation

This section describes how to unpack and install the
Md4/PCX board in a Sun PCI workstation.

You must disable parity on a Sun Ultra workstation before
installing the board. If you do not, you will not be able to
boot the computer. See “Disabling Parity on a Sun Ultra
System” on page 72.

To unpack the board

Remove the Md4/PCX board slowly from its package and
protective sleeve, being careful to protect against static dis­charge to the board.

Static electricity can damage the board. When you install
the board, wear an anti-static wrist strap or touch one
hand to a bare metal surface on the power supply to dis­charge static electricity.

• While performing any part of the installation that

involves touching the board or parts of the motherboard,
keep one hand touching the metal surface to provide
grounding.

• If you can’t perform a step with one hand, use both and

return one hand occasionally to the bare metal surface.

76 Chapter 3

To install the board

1. Turn off the power to your computer.
Leave the computer plugged into a grounded power

outlet so that the power cord can serve as a ground for
the computer.

If you do not turn off the computer, you could get an
electric shock and cause damage to your computer’s
components and the board.

2. Remove the case cover according to the computer
manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Locate the slot you selected for the Md4/PCX board.
If the slots are not labeled on the motherboard, refer to

your system documentation for a slot ID chart.
You must disable parity in the Sun PCI workstation

before installing the board. See “To check parity
status” on page 74.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 77

4. Remove the backplate from a slot. Refer to your
Sun documentation for more information.

Removing

the backplate

5. Position the board’s backplate into the opening
at the back of the computer.

Installing an

Md4/PCX board

6. Make sure the board’s connectors are aligned with

the connectors on the motherboard.

78 Chapter 3

7. Press down until the board is firmly seated.

Md4/PCX board

Installed

8. Secure the board with the screw for the backplate.

9. Replace the system unit cover.

10. Turn on your workstation, and boot up with the -r
option.

To install multiple boards

Repeat the process described in “To install the board” on
page 76.

Tips

Remember these tips when installing multiple boards:

• You can install as many Md4/PCX boards as your sys-

tem’s power supply and available PCI slots can support.

• Each board requires less than 3 amps of +5V.

• You can install different types of DOME boards (for

example, one Md4/PCX board and one Md5/PCX™
board) in the same Sun PCI system.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 79

To set switch S1 to disable VGA mode

The Md4/PCX board cannot operate as a VGA board in
a Sun PCI workstation, so you must disable VGA on the
Md4/PCX board. To do so, slide the DIP switches on
switch S1 into the positions shown in this table.

DIP Switch Settings

on Switch S1

to Disable VGA Mode

DIP Switch Position

1ON
2ON
3ON
4ON

Switch S2

The default settings for switch S2, located to the right of
switch S1, are all OFF. If you change the default settings,
switch S2 overrides the software settings for default
monitor mode. See “Using the Default Monitor Mode” on
page 92 for more information.

80 Chapter 3

Set DIP switches 1, 2, and 3 on switch S2 as shown in this
table to set the corresponding video mode.

Setting the Default Monitor Mode with Switch S2

For this default monitor mode… Set these DIP switches to…
Resolution Mode 1 2 3

1280 x 1024 @ 76 Hz* I OFF OFF OFF
1728 x 2304 @ 69 Hz A ON OFF OFF
1408 x 1408 @ 73 Hz C ON ON OFF
1536 x 2304 @ 70 Hz D OFF OFF ON
1200 x 1600 @ 76 Hz E ON OFF ON
1200 x 1600 @ 66 Hz F OFF ON ON
1600 x 1200 @ 73 Hz G ON ON ON
1280 x 1024 @ 76 Hz I OFF ON OFF
* Default setting

To set the blanking pedestal

This table describes how to set the blanking pedestal with
DIP switch 4 on switch S2.

Setting the Blanking Pedestal with Switch S2

For this pedestal setting… Set DIP switch 4 to…

Pedestal disabled OFF
Pedestal enabled ON

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 81

By default, the blanking pedestal is disabled.

To set these default modes and pedestal through soft­ware, make sure the DIP switches on switch S2 are all
OFF, and see “To program the default mode” on page 93.

82 Chapter 3

Connecting the Monitors

When the Md4/PCX board is installed in your system,
connect the monitors to the board with the cable provided.
Grayscale cables have two branches, each with three con­nectors. Color cables have one branch with five connectors.

To connect the monitors to the board

1. Attach the D-shell connector(s) to the Md4/PCX
board, securing the connection with the screws
on each connector.

2. Attach each output cable to the appropriate BNC
terminal on your monitor.

Connecting the

cable to a

grayscale monitor

Connecting the

cable to a

color monitor

The cable labeling in these illustrations applies to the
DOME Md4/PCX cable. If you are using a cable from
another source, the cable labeling may be different.

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 83

Refer to your monitor documentation for information
about the connector assignments.

For color display, the Md4/PCX board supports only
one monitor per board.

3. Repeat steps 1–2 for each monitor to which you want to
connect the Md4/PCX board.

To install the stereo cable for stereo viewing

1. Connect the stereo cable to the Md4/PCX board at the
PS/2 connector.

2. Connect the appropriate connector to your emitter or
stereo screen device.

To optimize your stereo display, see “Setting up display for
stereo mode” on page 86. For more information, refer to the
Stereo Library Installation and Developer’s Guide.

84 Chapter 3

Installing the PCX Solaris Driver

This section describes how to install the Md4/PCX
software driver on the Solaris 2.5.1 or later operating
system.

To install the Md4/PCX driver for Solaris

Installing the Md4/PCX driver for your Sun host requires
about 500 KB of free space:

200 KB in /kernel/drv
100 KB in /usr/openwin/server/modules
200 KB in

The installation procedure for Solaris performs these tasks:

• Adds the device driver

• Adds the OpenWindows™ loadable DDX driver

/usr/lib

• Modifies the

• Installs the

OWconfig file

DOMEmdlib shared object library

To install the driver

1. Log in as root.
If a previous version of the driver software exists on

your system, you must remove it before you install the
new package. To do so, type

DOMEmd4px and DOMEmdlib packages for removal.

DOMEmdlib package already installed on your

If the
system is newer than that on the CD, do not remove it.

2. Insert the DOME Md4/PCX Software CD in the CD
drive.

pkgrm and select the

Installing the Md4/PCX Board and Driver in a Sun PCI Workstation 85

3. Mount the CD device if the system does not automount
it. Then type:

cd /cdrom/dome

4. To transfer the software packages to the system, type:

pkgadd -d md4pxZZZ.pkg

where ZZZ=the version of the software on the CD
For example, for version 1.2.1, type:

pkgadd -d md4px121.pkg

Check the file name on the CD for the software version.

If you are using the Md4/PCX board for stereo
display, you must install version 1.2.1 or later of the
driver to access the entire screen in stereo mode.

This message appears:

The following packages are available:
1 DOMEmd4px DOME Md4/PCX Display

Support (sparc) 1.2.x

2 DOMEmdlib DOME MD library

(sparc) 1.0.x

Select package(s) you wish to process

(or ‘all’ to process all packages).
(default:all) [?,??,q]:

5. Press <Return> to install all packages or the number 1
(one) to install the

DOMEmd4px package only.

Messages appear, followed by this prompt:

Do you want to continue with the installation

of the package [y,n,?]

6. Type y.
Messages describe the progress of the installation, fol-

lowed by these messages:

86 Chapter 3

Installation of <DOMEmd4px> was successful.
Installation of <DOMEmdlib> was successful.

You do not need to reboot your system unless you did
not boot it with the

-r option after you installed the

board. See page 78.

7. Set up your system for stereo display, if necessary, as
described in the next section.

If you are not using the Md4/PCX board to support
stereo display, see “Configuring Display Settings” on
page 91. For additional information about stereo
mode, refer to the Stereo Library Installation and Devel-
oper’s Guide.

Setting up display for stereo mode

When you enable stereo mode, parts of the screen (on the
right and bottom) may be hidden if the stereo screen reso­lution is smaller than the non-stereo resolution. If any
objects or icons are located on the right or bottom of your
screen before you enable stereo mode, they may become
invisible when you first enable stereo mode.

The driver software for the Md4/PCX board (version 1.2.1
or later) provides environment variables that enable pan­ning and scrolling while in stereo mode. After you set these
variables, moving the cursor out of the visible area will
automatically cause previously hidden areas to pan or
scroll into the visible area.