README.TXT - Documentation Supplement November 30, 1995 - Release 4.00 Hercules Graphite Terminator Professional (models GT3020/3040, GT3220/3240) Installation Diskette Windows Display Driver Diskette Thank you for purchasing a Hercules Graphite Terminator product. This file contains changes or additions to the printed Installation Guide. CONTENTS: --------- What's New in this Release Windows 3.x vs. Windows 95 Installation Hercules Phone, Fax and BBS Access Numbers Internet Support, FTP Sites and our WWW Page Warranty Registration Upgrading Graphite Terminator 64/VRAM cards Enabling the Snoop Function Video for Windows Runtime 1.1e for Windows 3.x Power Playback for Video Acceleration Limitations Graphite Terminator Series Software Revision History What's New in this Release -------------------------- 1) Installation diskette: Windows 3.x: Updated the Hercules Touch utilities. New README.TXT file. Windows 95: Added the SETUP.EXE program for installing under Windows 95. If you're using Windows 95, you no longer need to use the DOS-based INSTALL.EXE program. See \WIN95\README.TXT on the Windows Display Driver Diskette for complete installation instructions. 2) Windows Display Driver diskette: Windows 3.x: Added 15 bpp modes. Windows 95: New Hercules PowerDrive driver for Windows 95. 3) Video for Windows diskette: Updated to Video for Windows version 1.1e. Note this is needed for Windows 3.x, for Windows 95 already has Video for Windows built in. Windows 3.x vs. Windows 95 Installation --------------------------------------- Windows 3.x / MS-DOS: In DOS, follow the instructions for running INSTALL.EXE in the Installation Guide. Windows 95: It is not necessary to use the DOS-based INSTALL.EXE program documented in the Installation Guide. Our new SETUP.EXE is a native Windows 95 utility that will install The Hercules Touch and help you configure your refresh rates. See \WIN95\README.TXT on the Windows Display Driver Diskette for complete installation instructions. Hercules Phone, Fax and BBS Access Numbers ------------------------------------------ Corporate Headquarters ---------------------- Company Address................. Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. 3839 Spinnaker Court Fremont, California 94538, USA Technical Support............... (800) 323-0601 or (510) 623-6050 Technical Support Fax........... (510) 490-6745 Fax On Demand................... (800) 711-HERC or (800) 711-4372 BBS............................. (510) 623-7449 (V.32bis) CompuServe...................... GO HERCULES Internet........................ support@hercules.com sales@hercules.com World Wide Web.................. http://www.hercules.com/ Anonymous FTP................... ftp.hercules.com Sales Group..................... (800) 532-0600 Other Inquiries................. (510) 623-6030 Europe ------ Fr Technischen Support......... +49-89-8989 0573 (Montag-Freitag, 10.00 Uhr bis 16.00 Uhr MEZ) Fax an den Technischen Support.. +49-89-8989 0584 BBS............................. +49-89-8989 0576 (V.32bis) Internet Support, FTP Sites and our WWW Page -------------------------------------------- Hercules Computer Technology now offers a wide range of services via the Internet. Our technical support department may be reached at: support@hercules.com Our sales department may be reached at: sales@hercules.com Software updates and other files are available via anonymous FTP from the following sites: ftp.hercules.com or ftp.netcom.com:/pub/he/hercules To use anonymous FTP, logon as "anonymous" after using FTP to connect to the site, and then use your login id and site name for your password. If you have questions about FTP, contact your system administrator. You can use the Hercules Information Server, HIS (TM), to find out about new software releases and to obtain spec sheets and other product information. By subscribing to the HIS mailing list for your product, you will be automatically notified via e-mail whenever a new software update is available. This saves you the time and effort of regularly checking our BBS or FTP sites for new files. To subscribe to the HIS mailing list, send e-mail to: listserv@hercules.com With this line in the body of the message (not on the subject line): subscribe For the Graphite family of products, use the word graphite as the product name. For the Dynamite family of products, use the word dynamite as the product name. For the Stingray family of products, use the word stingray as the product name. For example: subscribe stingray Mary Smith We also have a World Wide Web page: http://www.hercules.com/ Our WWW page contains lots of useful information, including a technical support knowledge base, a monitor database, and information on the latest drivers for your product. Warranty Registration --------------------- Please take a few minutes to fill out and return the enclosed Warranty Registration Card. It is essential that we receive your registration information so that we can provide you with the following service and support: * Free technical support via phone, fax, BBS, and Internet. * Software updates via mail, BBS, and Internet. * Third party support information via mail, BBS, and Internet. You may also register with Hercules via our dialup BBS instead of mailing in your registration card. To register on-line, call our BBS at (510) 623-7449. At the main menu, type ONREG. You will be asked a set of questions matching the questions on your Warranty Registration Card. Once you've successfully completed the on-line registration, there is no need to mail in your registration card. Register today! Upgrading Graphite Terminator 64/VRAM cards ------------------------------------------- Graphite Terminator 64/VRAM cards configured with 2MB of memory (models GT2220 and GT2020) can be upgraded to 4MB using standard VRAM chips. You can obtain a Graphite Terminator Memory Upgrade KIT (model GT-KIT) from your reseller or driectly from Hercules. You can also use standard VRAM chips from the following qualified memory manufacturers: Samsung Electronics Part#: KM428C256J-7 or KM428C257J-7 This is currently the only memory certified to run correctly on the Graphite Terminator 64/VRAM cards. Using other memory may cause video noise or other visual problems and is not recommended. Due to limitations of the S3 Vision968 and the 220MHz IBM RGB524 Palette DAC, Graphite Terminator Professional cards configured with 2MB of memory CANNOT be upgraded. Enabling the Snoop Function --------------------------- Some add-in boards must obtain the palette data from a motherboard bus (eg. PCI bus), in addition to the video data at the feature connector, in order to operate properly. If a motherboard does not enable the snoop function on the Terminator, the add-in board will not be able to get the palette data, and you will see wrong colors generated by the add-in board. You can use the S3SNOOP.COM TSR utility to enable the snoop function. Type S3SNOOP [ENTER] to install the TSR with default values. Type S3SNOOP -U [ENTER] to unload the TSR from memory. Type S3SNOOP -? [ENTER] for a list of options. If you do not have such an add-in board, or your add-in board does not require any palette data, or your motherboard turns on the snoop function properly, then you should not use this TSR. Video for Windows Runtime 1.1e for Windows 3.x ---------------------------------------------- Graphite Terminator Professional models ship with a runtime version of Video for Windows 1.1e for Windows 3.x, which includes the DCI driver for the S3 Vision968. In order to take advantage of the Power Playback video acceleration features on the Terminator Professional, you must install the VfW runtime software. To do this, go to the Windows Program Manager and select File|Run from the menu and type: a:\setup Just follow the directions on screen to complete the installation. Because Power Playback uses DCI, the standard Microsoft Media Player, as well as our new Power Player utility, automatically take advantage of the video acceleration features in the S3 Vision968. Power Playback for Video Acceleration Limitations ------------------------------------------------- Terminator Professional models (S3 Vision968 based): Due to the design limitation of the S3 Vision968 chip, the video acceleration features are not available in the 1280x1024x24 packed pixel mode. Terminator 64/VRAM models (S3 Vision964 based): The Terminator 64/VRAM cards do not support Power Playback for Video, as the Vision964 chip does not include the scaling or color space conversion features found on the Vision968. However, you can still use the Power Preview and the Power Player utilities but there won't be any video acceleration. You must also have Video for Windows installed properly, otherwise, you will get error messages like "Cannot find MSVIDEO.DLL ...". You can obtain the runtime version of Video for Windows from on-line services like America On Line, or from BBS services like Hercules'. Graphite Terminator Series Software Revision History ---------------------------------------------------- Release 4.00 Installation Diskette................... rel. 4.00 11/30/95 Windows Display Driver Diskette......... rel. 4.00 11/30/95 Release 2.10 Installation Diskette................... rel. 2.10 09/12/95 Windows Display Driver Diskette......... rel. 2.10 09/12/95 Release 2.00 -- Added 968 support Installation Diskette................... rel. 2.00 04/20/95 Windows Display Driver Diskette......... rel. 2.00 04/20/95 Release 1.10 Installation Diskette................... rel. 1.10 01/18/95 Windows Display Driver Diskette......... rel. 1.10 01/18/95 Release 1.00 Installation Diskette................... rel. 1.00 11/30/94 Windows Display Driver Diskette......... rel. 1.00 11/30/94 ** End of File **