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ATI hardware, software, or other products and documentation provided herein. ATI Technologies Inc. reserves the right to make changes without further notice to a product or system described herein to improve reliability, function or design. With respect to ATI products which this...
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User’s Guide iii IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS • Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. • Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. • Heed Warnings - All warnings on the product and the operating instructions should be adhered to.
Table of Contents Getting Started......1 FireGL™ Features System Requirements Before You Begin Record Your Serial and Part Numbers Uninstall Previous Graphics Card Drivers Quick Installation...
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Aspect Ratio Using Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter Reference ....... . 35 Troubleshooting General Problems Customer Care...
FireGL™ Features 1 CHAPTER 1: Getting Started Your ATI FireGL™ card is an advanced workstation 3D graphics card based on a high-bandwidth, parallel pipeline geometry and rendering architecture. The card delivers workstation-class performance to designers, engineers, and animators, and runs the latest OpenGL® and Microsoft® DirectX®...
2 System Requirements • Dual-link DVI output (offered on the FireGL™ V3400 and V5200) allows support of monitors with resolutions up to 3840 x 2400. System Requirements Make sure you meet the following system requirements before installing your FireGL™ card. Hardware •...
Before You Begin 3 Before You Begin Before you begin installing your new graphics card, please do the following. Record Your Serial and Part Numbers The serial number and 102 part number on the graphics card are required for registration. They are located on a sticker on the back of the card. Write these numbers down before installing your new ATI product.
4 Quick Installation Note: If the previously installed graphics card has any additional software installed, it should also be removed at this point. Turn off your system and remove the old graphics card. Quick Installation Experienced users and system administrators can follow these brief instructions for installing the FireGL™...
Detailed Installation 5 CHAPTER 2: Installing Hardware This chapter will guide you through the physical installation of your new graphics card. Detailed Installation The following instructions will take you step by step through the installation of your new FireGL™. Turn off the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices. Unplug the computer’s power cord and disconnect all cables from the back of your computer.
6 Connecting Display Devices Locate the appropriate slot and, if necessary, remove the metal back- plate cover. Align your ATI graphics card with the slot and press it in firmly until the card is fully seated. Screw in or fasten the graphics card securely and replace the computer cover.
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Connecting Display Devices 7 DVI-I Connection (Supports HD Component Adapter) FireGL™ V5200 Baseplate DVI-I Connection (Supports dual-link output) DVI-I Connection (Supports dual-link output and HD Component adapter) Using a VGA-to-DVI-I Adaptor VGA Monitor Connector VGA-to-DVI-I Adaptor DVI-I Connection Make sure all cables are securely connected before turning on your system.
8 Display Configurations Display Configurations The FireGL™ graphics card provides dual display functionality. The following table lists the different ways you can connect displays to your card. Display Connector(s) Comments Configuration Used Single DFP DVI-I connector DFP - digital flat panel display. display Single CRT VGA connector...
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Display Configurations 9 Turning on the System WARNING - Turn on your monitor before you turn on your computer. Failure to do so could damage your monitor. If you have properly installed your graphics card, operating system messages will appear once the boot procedure is finished. Your monitor will be running in a basic video mode.
HydraVision™ Multi-monitor Management 11 CHAPTER 3: Installing Software and Drivers This chapter will guide you through the installation of the drivers and software associated with your FireGL™ graphics card. HydraVision™ Multi-monitor Management The HydraVision™ multi-monitor and desktop management software will install automatically with the Express driver installation of the ATISETUP utility.
12 Installing Drivers and Software in Windows® Software Installation Prerequisites To install or remove the drivers, you must have administrator rights or be logged on as a user with administrator rights. Your operating system must be installed and running before you can install the FireGL™...
Monitor Configuration 13 When the Setup complete message appears, select Yes, I want to restart my computer now and click Finish . Monitor Configuration Once the drivers and software have been installed, you can configure your monitor. Warning - Choosing a refresh rate unsupported by your monitor may damage your monitor.
14 Monitor Configuration Note: When you use multiple monitors with your FireGL™ card, one monitor will always be Primary. Any additional monitors will be designated as Secondary. Clone Display Mode When two displays are connected and only one display is enabled, you can clone (copy the image of) your Primary display onto a Secondary display on the fly, without rebooting.
Reinstalling Drivers 15 • Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Advanced button > ATI Displays tab. • Click the red enable/disable button to enable the Secondary display. Click the to span the desktop horizontally Click the to span the desktop vertically.
ATI Displays Tab 17 CHAPTER 4: Display Properties This chapter describes how to use the advanced display, multiple-monitor, and 3D graphics features in ATI’s Display Properties options. ATI Displays Tab The ATI Displays tab provides control over multiple-monitor features. Here you can enable/disable display devices and swap the assignment of Primary and Secondary displays.
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18 ATI Displays Tab ATI Displays Tab Scheme Displays the drop-down list of available display-device configurations that have previously been created. New configurations can be entered here and then saved using the Save button. Hotkey Associates a hotkey with a scheme. To input the hotkey, highlight the field and press the appropriate key combination on your keyboard.
ATI Color Tab 19 Click Save to save the scheme. Dynamic Display Reassignment You can change the assignment of your Primary and Secondary display on the fly, without rebooting. If you have more than one display device available and have the proper adapters or connectors, you can plug it in to your FireGL™...
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20 ATI Color Tab The Color Tab ATI Color Tab Desktop radio Select Desktop to configure your desktop color settings. button Full Screen 3D Select Full Screen 3D to configure the color settings for radio button your 3D applications. Note that the configured settings will only be apparent within a full-screen 3D application environment.
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ATI Color Tab 21 ATI Color Tab Save button Saves your current color settings to a Desktop or Full Screen 3D profile, using the name you specified in the list box. To restore these settings later, simply select the Profile name from the list and click Apply or OK. Delete button Deletes the profile that is selected in the Profiles list box.
22 ATI Color Tab To create a Desktop or Full Screen 3D profile Choose either the Desktop or Full Screen 3D radio button, as desired. Adjust the Gamma , Brightness , and Contrast sliders to the desired settings, either individually or using the All Colors checkbox. Type a profile name in the Profile list box.
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ATI Color Tab 23 The Color Hotkeys Settings dialog To access the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog Select the Full Screen 3D radio button. Click the Hotkeys button to access the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog. The easiest way to apply your own color settings from within a full screen 3D application is to create a Full Screen 3D profile and save it, assign hotkeys for the “Load Current Profile”...
24 ATI Options Tab ATI Options Tab The ATI Options tab provides detailed driver information and access to your graphics card’s version information and specifications. The Options Tab ATI Options Tab When enabled, improves the performance of .WMV format Acceleration video files.
ATI Configuration Tab 25 ATI Options Tab Show ATI icon on Removes/replaces the ATI icon from the system tray taskbar without disabling the ATI icon applications. Disable quick The quick resolution feature is accessible by left-clicking resolution feature the ATI icon in the system tray. Checking this option disables this feature.
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26 ATI Configuration Tab The Configuration Tab Activating a configuration profile The Configuration Profiles listbox displays a number of common applications whose optimal configuration profile are factory-set by default. To activate a particular profile, select the application name from the list and click Apply.
ATI Advanced Settings Tab 27 Modifying the configuration parameters To change the configuration settings of a specific application, select the name of that application from the Configuration Profiles listbox. Click the Modify button. Now select or clear the rest of the configuration controls on this tabbed dialog to obtain the desired display parameters for the selected application.
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28 ATI Advanced Settings Tab The Advanced Settings Tabs How to Use SMOOTHVISION™ The Application preference setting provides OpenGL® and Direct 3D® applications with the ability to enable anti-aliasing automatically. If an application does not utilize an anti-aliasing setting, it is disabled. This option results in high-quality images at the price of a negligible reduction in the application’s performance.
Installing Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter 29 CHAPTER 5: ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter Give presentations, watch movies, and browse the internet using your High Definition Television (HDTV). The ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter converts standard DVI-I video output to component video suitable for use with most HDTVs.
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30 Installing Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DVI-I connection HDTV Component Adapter HDTV Video Inputs Turn on your component input device, and then set it to YPbPr input (see your HDTV or component input device manual for further instructions). Turn on your workstation.
Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches 31 Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches Configure the DIP switches to set the appropriate display mode and aspect ratio. This sets the modes which appear when you select Show all Modes in the ATI Control Panel as described in See “Using Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter”.
32 Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches In the above example, the component input display supports 480i, 480p, 1080i, and 16:9. Using Your ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter Use the HDTV Component Video Adapter to watch DVD movies on your High Definition Television.
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Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches 33 Note: The YPbPr Properties page opens. The DIP switch settings of the Component Video Adapter are shown as selected in Dongle Settings.
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34 Setting the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter DIP Switches To override the DIP switch settings, click Custom Settings button and select the desired modes. Click OK . Click the Advanced button. Click the Adapter tab, then click the List All Modes button. Select a desired resolution.
Troubleshooting 35 CHAPTER 6: Reference This chapter offers troubleshooting tips and provides customer-care, warranty, and compliance information. Troubleshooting The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems. ATI’s documentation contains helpful installation/configuration tips and other valuable feature information. Please contact your dealer for more advanced troubleshooting information.
36 Troubleshooting General Problems Problem Possible Solution Computer Does • Verify that the installation instructions were properly Not Boot-Up followed. Properly • Check that the card is properly installed in your system and connected to your monitor. • If you have problems during start-up, restart your computer in Safe Mode.
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Troubleshooting 37 Problem Possible Solution Off-Center • Try adjusting the brightness, sharpness, contrast, and Screen Image, color balance controls of your monitor. Odd Colors or No • Try adjusting the centering and positioning controls of Picture your monitor to position the picture on the screen. Note: The Screen Position settings in Display Properties >...
38 Customer Care Problem Possible Solution Bus Address or • It is necessary to ensure that the I/O and memory Interrupt addresses reserved for the graphics board are not Conflicts used by other hardware devices. • The integrated on-board VGA controller of your FireGL™...
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• English: 7:00AM - 7:00PM Countries • Monday to Friday • Complimentary • International and local toll charges to Canada will apply. ATI TECHNOLOGIES INC. Mail • Complimentary. Attention: Customer Care 1 Commerce Valley Drive East Markham, Ontario Canada L3T 7X6...
Warranty Information Hardware Warranty Service Statement ATI Technologies Inc. warrants to the original purchaser of the hardware that the product is in good working condition, according to its specifications at the time of shipment, for a period of three years from the date of original purchase.
Additional Accessories 41 • Standard warranty service consists of repair upon receipt. • ATI reserves the right to replace the product with a serviced product at their sole discretion at any time. • You are responsible for the cost of shipping the product to ATI. ATI plays the cost of returning the product to you.
42 Compliance Information Compliance Information This section details the compliance information for this product. FCC Compliance Information This FireGL™ product complies with FCC Rules part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions • This device may not cause harmful interference. •...
Compliance Information 43 CE Compliance Information EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendments 91/263/EEC, 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, Class B Digital Device EN 55022:2003/CISPR 22 Class B, Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics Information Technology Equipment. EN 55024:1998/CISPR 24:1997 +A1:2001 +A2:2003, Immunity of Information Technology Equipment (ITE), including EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5, EN 61000-4-6 Informations de conformité...
44 Compliance Information VCCI Class B ITE Compliance Information MIC Certification Information BSMI Certification Information Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Compliance This product was manufactured by ATI Technologies Inc.
Glossary Acronym for “two dimensional,” a term applied to computer graphics that are “flat.” Typical desktop applications such as word processors, spreadsheet programs, or other programs that manipulate print or simple graphics (such as pictures or line art) are generally considered to be operating within a 2D environment, even when they include simple three dimensional elements, such as buttons.
Anisotropic Filtering A technique that preserves the surface details of an object as it recedes into the distance by utilizing and blending together the object’s texture maps. This makes 3D objects appear more realistic as the detail of their surface texture is retained in a smooth, seamless fashion on the sections that move or fade away into the background.
Bit Depth Refers to the number of data bits required to store color information about a pixel. Larger bit depth means a greater range of color information is capable of being encoded into each pixel. For example, 1 binary bit of memory can only encode to either “0”...
Color Correction Correct discrepancies between the real color value and the way a screen displays it. Color discrepancies can be caused by a variety of sources, including the lighting conditions in the work area and gradual shifts in color over time on monitors or flat panel displays. Color Curve A color curve represents all possible intensity values (from 0 to 255) for a color component (Red, Green or Blue).
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Dithering A computer graphics technique that takes advantage of the human eye’s tendency to mix two colors that are adjacent to each other to produce smooth boundary transitions. Dithering adds intermediate color values between two or more boundaries, producing smoother, more natural look to 2D images or 3D objects.
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Frame Buffer The portion of the memory buffer on the graphics card used to store the image being displayed. All rendering processes have been accomplished by this stage and this buffer contains only a one-to-one relationship of the data to be relayed to the display. Frames Per Second In terms of 3D graphics, refers to the rate at which the graphic processor can render new screens per second.
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Refers to a specific color within the visible spectrum of light, defined by its dominant wavelength. A light wave with a central tendency within the range of 565-590 nm is visible as yellow. In the standard RGB color space used by most computer displays, hue refers to a coordinate of the color as described by its red, green, and blue values, minus any additional brightness or saturation values for that color.
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KTX Buffer Region Extension This OpenGL® programming term refers to a feature that rapidly updates portions of the display of 3D modelling applications that change very quickly, or have been moved or occluded. It does this by optimizing the storage of buffer regions in the graphics card’s memory buffer. Other applications are typically not adversely affected when this is enabled.
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OpenGL® Short for “Open Graphics Library,” this is an industry standard for cross- platform 3D graphics development. It consists of a large number of functions that can be called upon in various programs, such as games, CAD, and virtual-reality systems, to produce complex 3D objects from simpler, more “primitive”...
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Pixel All computer images are made up of tiny dots. Each individual dot is called a pixel, a word created from the term “picture element.” A pixel is the smallest indivisible unit of a digital image and can be only a single color. The size of the pixel depends on how the display resolution has been set.
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Saturation Refers to the intensity of a specific hue (color). A highly saturated hue is vivid and intense, whereas a less saturated hue appears more grey. A completely unsaturated color is grey. In terms of the RGB color model, a fully saturated color exists when you have 100% brightness in one of the three channels (say, red) and 0% in the two others (green and blue).
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Specular Highlight The bright, usually small, intense light reflected from a 3D surface with a high refraction value. From the intensity and spread of this highlight users can differentiate between a “hard,” smooth surface, such as metal or porcelain, or a “soft,” textured surface, such as fabric or skin. Texel Short for “texture element,”...
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Vertex Shader Three-dimensional objects displayed on a screen are rendered using polygons, each of which is made up of intersecting triangles. A vertex is a corner of a triangle where it connects to another triangle, and each vertex carries a considerable amount of information describing its coordinates in 3D space, as well as its weight, color, texture coordinates, fog, and point size data.
Index Numerics 102 part number 16:9 (aspect ratio) 45, 51, 55 full-screen 4:3 (aspect ratio) 5:4 (aspect ratio) 45, 53 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) accessories Advanced Settings tab Alpha blending 46, 55 Anisotropic filtering 46, 55 Anti-aliasing Aspect Ratio ATI taskbar applications disabling enabling ATISETUP utility...
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color preview color settings color settings brightness color preview 19, 21 contrast desktop gamma Hotkeys profiles Color Tab Compliance Information configuration multiple monitors primary monitor Configuration Tab 21, 22 contrast color settings 3, 13 Control Panel Control point 48, 49, 55 Depth Buffer desktop color settings...
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drivers installing uninstalling DVI operational mode DVI-A DVI-D DVI-I FCC Compliance Flat Shading Frame Buffer Frames per second (fps) full-screen 3D 21, 22, 50 gamma color settings gamma correction 49, 50 Gouraud Shading Graphical Processor Unit (GPU) HDTV Help 8, 50 High Definition Television (HDTV) High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection (HDCP) Hotkeys...
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Mac OS X Microsoft DirectX Mipmapping motherboard multimedia multi-monitor NTSC Offscreen Memory 52, 53 OpenGL OpenGL ® Options Tab 45, 53 PCI Express (PCIe) Pipeline 54, 55 Pixel pixel shaders Pixel-shading primary display primary monitor assigning profiles color 51, 55 Red Green Blue (RGB) 13, 54 Refresh Rate...
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Software installing Specular highlight stereographics troubleshooting SXGA system requirements Texel texture buffer Texture mapping Texture Preference Trilinear filtering UXGA Vertex shader vertex shaders vertical refresh rate 8, 54, 57 VGA connector Video Graphics Array video memory Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Compliance 15, 53 Windows 8, 34...
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