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Video Seven V7VGA emulation?

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First post, by Jo22

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Hello everyone.

Does anybody know if the Video Seven ISA VGA card is being emulated, already?
Maybe in MESS/MAME or any other, obscure emulator projects?

I'm asking, because there is a Video Seven SVGA driver in Windows 3.1!

Since usually all basic drivers are 16-Bit/80286 compatible,
this would allow running Standard-Mode in higher graphics fidelity out-of-box
without hunting down rare graphics drivers for OAK/TSENG/Paradise boards.

Anyway, it's just a question.
Old games like Wonderland (Magnetic Scrolls) mentioned the V7, along with the Paradise VGA.

Here's some information about the VGA card.

https://vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/498 … o-seven-l1a4199

The card originally was a full-size card with a feature connector and 256 to 512 KB video RAM.
It had Windows and Windows /386 compatible drivers, as you can see on the box art.
So it's a late 1980s design, just like the Paradise VGA or the Tsengs/OAKs.

Attached are the images from VGA Museum, hope that's okay.
Just in case the site goes down (this happened to old-computers.com just a while ago; it's online again).

Edit: Screenshot of Windows 3.10 Setup added.

Edit: The VGA Museum also has a PDF of technical manual.. It's large, however (about 17MB).

Edit: More information about the FastWrite and V-RAM amd the other V7 models:
https://dosdays.co.uk/topics/Manufacturers/video7.php

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Last edited by Jo22 on 2022-12-19, 08:42. Edited 2 times in total.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 1 of 5, by darry

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I am a bit confused as to the use case of an emulated Video7 VGA card.

An emulated card won't be of use on a baremetal real-mode only capable PC.

An emulated PC doesn't to only emulate a real mode only capable CPU. Emulating a 386 or better would allow running Windows in enhanced mode with most any existing driver for currently commonly emulated SVGA cards .

A VESA driver exists for 256 color modes . https://winworldpc.com/product/generic-svga-d … iver-windows-31

Reply 2 of 5, by Jo22

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darry wrote on 2022-12-19, 06:43:

I am a bit confused as to the use case of an emulated Video7 VGA card.

How ? 😅

darry wrote on 2022-12-19, 06:43:

An emulated card won't be of use on a baremetal real-mode only capable PC.

Windows 3.1 runs in both 16-Bit Protected Mode (80286) and 32-Bit Protected-Mode (80386+).

darry wrote on 2022-12-19, 06:43:

An emulated PC doesn't to only emulate a real mode only capable CPU.

No, it doesn't. I just mentioned Windows 2.x as an example for its good legacy driver support.
Because, there's a screenshot on the box.

darry wrote on 2022-12-19, 06:43:

Emulating a 386 or better would allow running Windows in enhanced mode with most any existing driver for currently commonly emulated SVGA cards .

Yes. And Windows for Workgroups 3.11 runs in 386 Enhanced-Mode only, for example.
Windows 3.1x and Windows for Workgroups 3.10 were the last versions of being capable of running in Standard-Mode.

But that's the point. There are certain moments in which Standard-Mode is more stable than 386 Enhanced-Mode.
It also happens that certain 16-Bit drivers or programs don't correctly work in 386 Enhanced-Mode.

Edit: To name a real world example: Many moons ago, DOSBox was unable to run 3.1 in 386 Enhanced-Mode, I remember.
There also was a conflict with Expanded Memory, so EMS had to be disabled, as an interim solution.
This was in the DOSBox v0.6x days, I vaguely remember. Anyway, Standard-Mode was not affected and worked just fine.

Edit: Or let's take alternate DOSes, like FreeDOS. They struggle executing Windows 3.1 with the Enhanced-Mode kernal, still.

In such a situation, it's nice to have a working installation that doesn't need 386 Enhanced-Mode per se and can work with win /s, too.
Personally, I'm currently using an OAK OTI-67 SVGA card in a real 80286 PC in 640x480 in 256c just fine.

However, getting the correct driver release was a time consuming task.
The V7VGA drivers are, by contrast, directly integrated into Windows 3.1 and work in both Standard/Enhanced Mode.

But it's not just Windows. Some old Super VGA games like Wonderland have explicit Super VGA support for only a hand full of SVGA cards.
By increasing the numbers of available VGA card models, less patching of the game executables would be needed.

Anyway, the main reason of this thread is curiosity.
For example, I'm also secretly wondering if the PAS16 is finally emulated..
But I don't dare to ask. 😅 Sound cards are a hot topic, kind of.

darry wrote on 2022-12-19, 06:43:

A VESA driver exists for 256 color modes . https://winworldpc.com/product/generic-svga-d … iver-windows-31

Yes, but it requires Windows 3.1 to run in 386 Enhanced-Mode.
The Windows SVGA drivers included with WfW 3.11 don't run in Standard-Mode (win /2 or win /s), either.

Edit: My apologies for my English, also. My wording isn't exactly easy too understand every time.
I guess I should have had been better at pointing out what I mean to express. 😅

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 3 of 5, by Jo22

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Just noticed. The V7VGA / Headland VGA was supported by MS Space Simulator, too, among other "forgotten" Super VGAs.:

- ATI VGA Wonder series
- Trident 8900 series (the default VGA in old DOSEmu)

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"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

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