|
MPDD Pro ManualDocumentation release 1.0 - October 26th, 2002Table of Contents
1. IntroductionThe MPDD Pro graphics card is designed to offer Macintosh users an easy and affordable way to connect a second (or third) display. The included controls and operation make this task very simple for all levels of users. We understand that often old displays are used as second display, so MPDD Pro supports them very easily, even if you have an old 13"- or a portrait-display. Our development team worked harder to make the MPDD Pro card fully integrated with the Macintosh operating system. Nowadays, the simpler tools look and are to use, the more engineering effort is involved. The result is that you will not need any new special knowledge in order to use the MPDD Pro graphics card. It will behave exactly as you expect, fully integrated in the operating system and controlled with standard Mac OS Configuration Panels. This small manual is aimed to give you the installation information and provide the starting points to get the full control over the MPDD Pro, using standard Mac OS features. Of course, we recommend that you read these few pages before you start installing the MPDD Pro graphics card; this way you will have confirmation that yes, it really is that easy!
2. Installing the HardwareThe MPDD Pro graphics card has to be physically installed in a PCI slot inside your Macintosh. The following steps must be performed.
3. Connecting the Display(s)At this point the MPDD Pro graphics card is installed and ready for use. MPDD Pro has two display connectors for compatibility with Apple and VGA standards, but only one can be connected at a time. If you purchased the MPDD Pro to use an additional display, usually the additional display should be connected to it. The graphic engine embedded in your Macintosh will be used to drive the regular, main display. The opposite approach is also possible, depending on performance considerations and display technical specifications. If you purchased the MPDD Pro as an upgrade solution, you will connect the main display to MPDD Pro and leave the Macintosh video connector open for the future use of a second display solution (recommended for your working productivity).
4. Installing the Software on Mac OS XThe MPDD Pro graphics card operates without any additional software, thanks to the advanced ROM-based drivers. In order to experience the full performance of the graphics card and take advantage of the hardware acceleration, a small driver installation should be performed. If you are working with two displays, do not worry if you do not see the display arrangement you expect (what is shown on what display): This topic will be addressed in the next section. The following steps must be performed to properly install the acceleration drivers in Mac OS X, both for 10.1.5 (Puma) and 10.2.x (Jaguar).
5. Installing the Software on Mac OS 7-8-9The MPDD Pro graphics card operates without any additional software, thanks to the advanced ROM-based drivers. In order to experience the full performance of the graphics card and take advantage of additional features, a few system Extensions have to be installed on Mac OS 7, 8 or 9. If you are working with two displays, do not worry if you do not see the display arrangement you expect (what is shown on what display): This topic will be addressed in the next section. The following steps must be performed to properly install the software in Mac OS 7, 8 or 9.
6. Configuration on Mac OS XConfiguring the attributes of the MPDD Pro video modes is performed using the standard "Displays" System Preferences Panel. If you are using more than one display, this System Preferences Panel is very important because it will let you to logically arrange the position of each display, i.e. your Mac should know which display is on the right side and which on the left side, in order to let you move your mouse cursor from one display to the other as expected. This System Preferences Panel has the additional "Arrange" function if more than one display is installed in the system. The following picture shows a Mac with three connected displays.
This System Preferences Panel allows the configuration of, among others, the following options:
More details about this System Preference Panel can be obtained from the Mac OS standard documentation or online help. If you are using only one display, the Displays System Preferences Panel will not offer "Arrange" functions, but you can still use it to choose a preferred color depth, resolution and scan rate.
7. Configuration on Mac OS 7-8-9Configuring the attributes of the MPDD Pro video modes is performed using the standard "Monitors" or "Monitors & Sound" Control Panels (depending on your Mac OS version). If you are using more than one display, this Control Panel is very important because it will let you to logically arrange the position of each one, i.e. your Mac should know which display is on the right side and which on the left side, in order to let you move your mouse cursor from one display to the other as expected. This Control Panel has the additional "Arrange" function if more than one display is installed in the system. The following picture shows a Mac with three connected displays.
This Control Panel allows the configuration of, among others, the following options:
More details about this Control Panel can be obtained from the Mac OS standard documentation. If you are using only one display, the "Monitor" or "Monitor & Sound" Control Panels will not offer "Arrange" functions, but you can choose a preferred color depth, resolution and scan rate.
8. Working With Two DisplaysAfter the configuration is performed, you will immediately recognize how to use the additional display: Just drag your mouse off the main display, to the left or to the right, to appear on the second display. Of course you can drag windows on and off of any display. If this feature does not perform as expected, review the above configuration section to ensure that the displays are properly aligned.
9. Screendoubler (Panning) Video ModesScreendoubler resolutions are panning video modes that cause the screen to automatically scroll when you move the mouse cursor outside of the border. Screendoubler mode is a video mode that offers a resolution two or four times bigger than standard. Note that the funtionality of this feature may be restricted depending of the operating system currently in use. Please refer to the "Read Me" file available in your driver distribution set or online on our web site. As sometimes happens, the description is more complicated than the direct experience. The best way to understand the functionality is to try it. So, let's suppose you have currently selected the resolution of 800x600 at 75 Hz on your MPDD Pro. Using the system configuration panels, it is now possible to pick an additional resolution of 800x1200 at 75 Hz. It is the same as the one currently in use but with double the vertical resolution. After the selection, just moving the mouse cursor below the lower edge of the screen will reveal the power of this feature. The size of the usable screen area just doubled. Not only is there double the vertical height, but also pan modes with double horizontal and double vertical double horizontal resolutions exist. Since the mode list options are sorted by the horizontal resolution number, the list must be scrolled to see the additional resolutions of 1600x600 and 1600x1200. Because a 1600x1200 standard (not panning) resolutions exists, attention must be put to pick the correct one in order to have panning. A good hint is to look at the refresh frequency: panning modes always carry the same refresh rate of the original base mode. The list of the available vide modes changes dynamically to reflect the currently selected base resolution. This means that having selected 800x600 at 75 Hz, the resolutions of 800x1200, 1600x600 and 1600x1200 are also available in panning mode at the same frequency. After selecting a different resolution like 1024x768, its new panning modes will be added (1024x1536, 2048x768, 2048x1536, in the example). A smart caching algorithm removes the unused panning resolutions from the list. Please note that available color depths may vary depending on the panning resolution selected. The provided Monitors&MP custom Control Panel (for Mac OS 7-8-9 only) does not handle the dynamic changes in the list of video modes as it happens in Mac OS X. A specific Extension for Mac OS 7-8-9 is installed to activate the dynamically changing video mode list. If you want to disable this feature, just disable the Extension. It is called "VT Panning Support". 10. Monitors & MPIf you are a MacOS 7-8-9 power user, or if you want to connect a special display, you may need some functions that go beyond Apple's "Monitors" Control Panel. The Village Tronic Contol Panel "Monitors & MP" provides this extra power for Mac OS 7-8-9 users:
11. Installed Extensions in Mac OS 7.x, 8.x, 9.xAs a reference, the following Extensions are installed in pre-Mac OS X systems (Mac OS 7.x, 8.x, 9.x); in the Extensions folder you will find:
In the Control Panels folder you will find:
12. Mac OS X CompatibilityBecause of some limitations of Mac OS X in display handling, the following notes must be observed
|
 |
Use the active toolbar at the top of the page to navigate the site, or click the site map at any time |