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Requirements
Warning!
Prevent static electric damage. Static charges can cause severe
damage to microcircuits, but here are some easy ways to see that
it doesn't happen:
Hold the graphics card by its edges only. Don't touch edge connectors
or exposed circuitry.
Leave the card in the anti-static protective bag until ready to
install it in your computer.
If possible, ground your body when handling the card. A metal
power supply in your computer is generally considered the best
place to ground yourself.
Do not place the graphics card on a metal surface.
Make as few movements as possible to avoid building up static
electricity from your clothing, carpets and furniture.
Preparing the Fire GL 1000 Card
This board offers high performance in resolutions, refresh rates and colors. Ergonomic refresh rates up to 120 Hz provide absolutely flicker-free performance. The board is optimally configured to be combined with high-resolution MultiSync monitors.
Of course the board can also be connected to other VGA monitors.
Please be aware of the fact that you can only get use of the full
power of the graphics board if the horizontal (kHz) and vertical (Hz)
refresh rates of your monitor are as high as required by the graphics
board.
Example: The technical specifications of a MultiSync monitor
could be as follows: max. resolution 1280 x 1024; max. horizontal
frequency 50 kHz; max. vertical frequency (refresh rate) 90 Hz.
If you wish to use a specific video mode, then all three of the above mentioned parameters may not exceed the specifications of this monitor.
In our example, the mode 1024 x 768 with a horizontal frequency
of 48.5 kHz and a refresh rate of 60 Hz may be selected, whereas
the next higher refresh rate of 70 Hz (at the same resolution)
is not possible, as the required horizontal frequency is 56.5
kHz in this case, which exceeds the specifications of the monitor.
Warning!
If you operate your monitor at frequencies higher than those for which it is designed, you may permanently damage the monitor.
Before you start to change the refresh rate, check your monitor
manual for its technical data (horizontal and vertical refresh
rate, possible resolutions).
Set your monitor to analog mode. You may need a new cable or a 9- to 15-pin cable adapter to use this mode.
Check your monitor owner's manual for further information.
Please note, that the applications you want to install drivers
for have to be already completely installed (for Standard VGA
- 640 x 480) on your system prior to using the software. It is
a good idea to do this before removing an existing graphics adapter
as not every application permits the configuration of the video
mode used from the DOS level.
Checking for Existing Graphics / VGA Controllers
You cannot run more than one active VGA board in a PC. Refer to your motherboard or PC manual to find out if you have a system with a VGA display adapter built into the motherboard. If this is the case, you must disable the motherboard VGA display adapter before installing the Fire GL 1000.
Today, most computer systems will automatically select a VGA on the graphics board with priority.
Please check your motherboard or PC manual for more information.
Note: You need the VGA controller of the FIRE GL 1000 enabled for installing the driver software. However, if you prefer using the motherboard VGA after the software has been installed, disable the VGA on the Fire GL 1000 (Set the jumper JP2 to pins 2 and 3). You need a second monitor connected to the VGA connector on the motherboard to watch the start messages when booting your system.
Changing your PC's BIOS SETUP
If another graphics/VGA board was previously installed, it is
necessary to change the PC's hardware configuration. This is sometimes
done by changing a jumper on the motherboard after removing the
old board (check your motherboard or PC manual) although it is
more common to change your PC's BIOS SETUP. Check your PC manual
for information on its BIOS SETUP.
Warning!
Simultaneously using two active VGA/EGA units in one PC will inevitably lead to system failure!
Opening the Computer Cabinet
Preparing the
Fire GL 1000 Card
| P3: | Monitor connector- 15-pin Sub-D | |
| JP1: | PCI class setting | |
| JP2: | On-board VGA enable/disable |
| Jumper | Pins 1-2 | Pins 2-3 | |
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| JP1 | PCI 2.1 even if your system is PCI 2.1 compatible, try this setting only if you experience problems in Windows 95 with the PCI 2.0 setting | PCI 2.0 Standard Setting | |
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| JP2 | On board VGA enabled Standard Setting | On-board VGA disabled required only if you want to use a VGA controller already present in your system | |
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| Default Settings: | Pins 2 and 3 jumpered for JP1 Pins 1 and 2 jumpered for JP2 | ||
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| Note: You need the VGA controller of the FIRE GL 1000 enabled for installing the driver software. | |||
Install the board in a PCI expansion slot.
Installation in a PCI expansion slot
Note: The following step is very important in order to ground your graphics card properly.
Note: If you have disabled the on-board VGA controller with jumper JP2, connect a second monitor to the VGA connector on the PC's motherboard if you want to watch the system's boot messages.
Please switch on your monitor before you switch on your computer.
Doing it the other way round could damage your monitor.
Note that your monitor is running in standard modes and that higher
refresh rates etc. are not available at this stage of the installation!
It is necessary to run tuning programs, or tuning utilities of
the operating system, in order to optimize the board's output
signals for use with specific monitors.
The board has been designed to 'plug & play' without any modifications
being made to the default switch or jumper settings. However,
if it appears that the card is not performing optimally, you can
change the settings. Refer to the section Technical Details
for more information.
To support the special graphics processor on the Fire GL 1000
the system BIOS will automatically assign a system interrupt to
the PCI slot where the Fire GL 1000 is installed. However, there
may be problems if a system interrupt is used for more than one
device. In case of problems:
check your computer's BIOS SETUP for the interrupt assignments.
Refer to your PC manual for information on its BIOS SETUP and
if possible
try to manually change the interrupt assignment for any other
device sharing the interrupt with the Fire GL 1000. Check the
documentation supplied with these devices for information on hardware
switches for interrupt setting.
Hardware Compatibility: the PCI Bus and the Graphics Board
The functionality of a graphics system depends mainly on two components: the graphics board and the mainboard.
If you have correctly installed the board, the DOS messages will
then appear on your monitor when the boot procedure is finished.
If your system does NOT boot as it should,