Ardent Tool of Capitalism

Ahead VGA Enhancer Z

@8002.ADF SuperVGA/MC Display Adapter, Ver. 3.0
@8002.ADF AHEAD SYSTEMS INC., VGA ENHANCER-Z, Rev. A (rename)
@8202.ADF AHEAD SYSTEMS INC., VGA ENHANCER-Z, Rev. A

Ahead VGA Enhancer Z Manual (from David Beem)
Ahead VGA Enhancer Z Utilities (from David Beem)

Ahead V5000 Programming (extracted from Advanced Programmer's Guide to SuperVGAs)

Ahead VGA Enhancer Z
   W5 Function
Video ROM
Features
Slot Requirements
ADF Sections (both ADFs use same sections)

Ahead VGA Enhancer Z

U8-13 64Kx4 DRAM (socketed), different brands and speeds - Micron MT4067-10, Hynix HY53C464LS-80, NEC D41464C-10, or equivalent.

U19 Most cards have the VGA controller chip labeled as Ahead V5000-50PC (rev. -A or -B). This is either a pin-compatible alternative to C&T F82C451 or perhaps even the same chip (rebadged). Some cards come with the C&T variant (rev. -B) (thx David!).

W5 Sets adapter ID in case there is a conflict. When W5 is jumpered, card ID is 8002. When W5 is open, card ID is 8202 (Ed. very naughty!).

W6 Pads for 3-pin jumper. Some boards have pins 1 & 2 permanently bridged, on other boards pins 2 & 3 are bridged. Purpose?

Note: There's no video connector on this adapter! More info HERE.

Video ROM (dumped by David Beem)

Device: 1x 27C128 16Kx8 EPROM

VGA-Z104 PS/2 VGA ENHANCER-Z, COPYRIGHT 1989, REV 1.04
VGA-Z104E PS/2 VGA ENHANCER-Z, COPYRIGHT 1989, REV 1.04E

Features

The Enhancer Z provides the following enhancement features in addition to the standard IBM VGA modes:

• 16-bit high speed VGA chip
• 80 column x 34 row text (IBM 3278/79 MOD3)
• 80 column x 45 row text (IBM 3278/79 MOD4)
• 132 column x 28 row text (IBM 3278/79 MOD5)
• 132 column x 25 row text (AHEAD modes 23h and 50h)
• 132 column x 44 row text (AHEAD modes 22h and 52h)

Typical applications for these features are 132-column text for larger Spread Sheets & Word Processing. IBM mainframe Terminal Emulations, Desktop Publishing, CAD/CAM applications, DEC VT100, VT220, VT240, HP and Tektronix Terminal Emulations, etc.

It also supports 640 x 480 / 256 colors, 640 x 400 / 256 colors on VGA monitors.

Optionally the VGA Enhancer Z supports 800 x 600 / 256 colors and 1024 x 768 / 16 colors on Multisync monitors. (Ed. This requires additional video RAM and possibly a faster base video RAMDAC?)

Slot Requirements

The VGA Enhancer Z adapter doesn't have its own RAMDAC or video connector! It's designed to use the base video from the planar and thus must be installed in a Micro Channel slot with the Auxiliary Video Extension (AVE).

AdapterId 08002h and 08202h AHEAD SYSTEMS INC., VGA ENHANCER-Z, Rev. A

VGA Enhancer-Z Disable
      <"DISABLE">, ENABLE 

Video BIOS ROM Address Select
   The EPROM size can be either 8K (2764) or 16K (27128) or disabled.
      <"BIOS size= 16K starting @C000h">  0C0000h-0C3fffh, DISABLE BIOS,"BIOS size= 8K starting @C000h"  0C0000h-0C1fffh