CompuServe Thread

#Using 1942 with T4000

5 messages in this thread
#72699From: Barbara AndrewJan 21, 1994 8:25 AM
I'm using my new Toaster4000 with a CBM 1942 monitor. I've got the sync-strainer whatsit attached and all seems fine. What I can't figure out is a simple way of switching the screen modes back and forth between NTSC for using the toaster and DbleNTSCNoFlicker when I'm doing other stuff. To run the various screen modes you need the driver in the monitors directory in devs. But the toaster gets upset if the DbleNTSC is still in there, so you have to take it out and put in back into the storage directory. But when I want to work on the A4000 on stuff other than the toaster, I have to put back the DbleNTSE icon into the devs directory and power off before the ScreenMode program can switch it back. Is there any way I can do up a macro to automate this process? Thanks, Barbara
#72758From: Bruce RobertsonJan 21, 1994 10:28 PM
As the designer of the Sync Strainer hardware, I, too, would be most interested and most grateful if someone could explain the DblNTSC driver phenomena. As near as I can tell, some sort of AmigaDOS function (Mode Promotion?) is doing us the *favor* of running DblNTSC when we aren't really interested. What some customers do is to let DblNTSC crash the Toaster, then warm boot and Start Toaster a second time. Works fine. It turns out that the first Start Toaster DOES get the gen-lock running; upon warm boot, ALL screen modes are limited to NTSC scan rates, so DblNSTC is thwarted. It's not clean, but it does work. Again, any light on the above that anyone can shed would greatly be appreciated.
#72814From: Barbara AndrewJan 22, 1994 4:36 PM
Well, if a person who knows enough about the electronics to design the Sync Strainer is puzzled, I figure I'm in good company <g>. Thanks for the tip about booting twice. Not fancy, but if it works …. Barbara
#72839From: Christopher LapriseJan 23, 1994 4:15 AM
Barbara, I know.. isn't it awful? IMHO, the _worst_ part about the Toaster's incompatability with DBLNTSC is the fact that if you want to do anything detailed in Lightwave (3D) you have to spend hours and hours staring at little lines on a flickering INTERLACED screen. Even if the rest of the Toaster has no use for DBLNTSC, there is no good reason why Lightwave can't use it. If the Toaster can _disable_ DBLNTSC for the Switcher. then it can _enable_ DBLNTSC for Lightwave.
#72898From: Bruce RobertsonJan 23, 1994 10:19 PM
The reason that Toaster needs NTSC (15.x kHz Horizontal scan) is that real time control information is passed from the Amiga Denise chip within the H and V blanking intervals. If the Amiga is not running an NTSC-compatible scan rate, then the Toaster doesn't get any control data. You do make a good arguement about not caring about the Switcher when you're off in LW3D. I'm sure that are plenty of people who would not care what happens to the Toaster's video output when running the modeler. __ /__) ,_ _ _ /__) / /__/ /_ /_-'