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SUN TurboGX+ Framebuffer VESA Mod

This repository contains the EPROM for SUNs newer version TurboGX+ Framebuffer (P/N 501-2253), its detokenized FCode, and a modified version with added (nearly) VESA timings and resolutions.

Testing modified FCode

The FCode on the TurboGX+, like on most SBUS cards, is soldered on. Since the FCode is mapped into the first 32k of the SBUS device memory, it can be read on a Solaris system by reading the first 32k of (assuming the card is in SBUS slot 0 of a sun4m system) /devices/iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/sbusmem@0,0:slot0. Fortunately, SUN provided ways to test FCode without having to desolder and replace the FCode PROM. The following assumes an OpenBoot 2.x version.

Independent of which way of loading the modified FCode you choose, you must first disable the loading of the original FCode. This is done by removing the SBUS slot number from the NVRAM variable sbus-probe-list.

Loading FCode via serial connection

One way to test FCode is to send it from a development system to the test system via a serial connection. Assuming the development system is a SPARCstation running Solaris, the easiest way to do this is to connect to the test system using tip hardwire and run the commands below. Normally, you should have ttyb of your development system connected to ttya of your test system.

ok dlbin
Ready for download.  Send binary file.
~C Local Command? cat sun-tgx+-vesa.fcode
ok 0 0 " 0,0" " /iommu/sbus" begin-package
ok 4000 1 byte-load
ok end-package

Loading FCode via TFTP

Some preliminary steps are required for this to work. On a server/development system set up RARPD and TFTPD. Assuming the development system is a Solaris system, this is done as follows: Add the test system to /etc/ethers and /etc/hosts, i.e.,

# echo "08:00:20:c0:ff:ee test" >> /etc/ethers
# echo "192.168.0.13 test" >> /etc/hosts

and uncomment the tftp line in /etc/inetd.conf. Next, create /tftpboot and place the FCode file sun-tgx-vesa.fcode+ there. Finally, make sure the relevant services are started on the development system. The easiest way to do this is to reboot.

Now you should be able to load FCode via TFTP with these commands:

ok 4000 dload sun-tgx+-vesa.fcode
Boot device: /sbus/le@0,c00000:,sun-tgx+-vesa.fcode   File and args:
aa00
ok 0 0 " 0,0" " /iommu/sbus" begin-package
ok 4000 1 byte-load
ok end-package

Trying new resolutions

This is done with the following commands

ok cd /iommu/sbus/cgsix@0
ok r1600x1200x60 4 " /iommu/sbus/cgsix@0" " override" execute-device-method drop
ok install-console banner

If the output on the screen is unreadable, simply blind type ttya output and the output should return to the tip connection.

Making the Changes Permanent

I have replaced the PROM on one of my TurboGX+ cards with a PLCC-32 socket. This way it is easy to switch between different FCode versions.

Modified TurboGX+

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Sun TurboGX+ SBUS framebuffer VESA PROM mod

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