There's the datasheet - https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/companie … ent-tvga9200cxr

Only mentions VGA, EGA, and MDA compatibility - but nothing about CGA or Hercules, safe bet it got removed.

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-23, 00:20:

There's the datasheet - https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/companie … ent-tvga9200cxr

Only mentions VGA, EGA, and MDA compatibility - but nothing about CGA or Hercules, safe bet it got removed.

Hi, thanks yes i already read the datasheet, and think same only MDA not hercules, but after read this tech doc https://github.com/whatisaphone/tower-pc/blob … c4b/TRIDENT.TXT i dont see anything that say "9200 use new register style"

I just ask if someone test, just in case, not to spend money for nothing in a 9200. I have a 9400 VLB and i feel one trident VLB in my collection is fine, exept 9200 have hercules support of course

TVGA8900D datasheet clearly states: "Fully hardware compatible with VGA, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules at the register level".
TVGA9200CXr: "Fully hardware compatible with VGA, EGA, and MDA at the register level".

The conclusion is obvious!

If you're looking for a VLB card with CGA/Hercules compatibility, there's ATI mach32, some WDC, and probably more - but none of the Tridents.

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-23, 04:07:

TVGA8900D datasheet clearly states: "Fully hardware compatible with VGA, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules at the register level". TVG […]
Show full quote

TVGA8900D datasheet clearly states: "Fully hardware compatible with VGA, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules at the register level".
TVGA9200CXr: "Fully hardware compatible with VGA, EGA, and MDA at the register level".

The conclusion is obvious!

If you're looking for a VLB card with CGA/Hercules compatibility, there's ATI mach32, some WDC, and probably more - but none of the Tridents.

Something i learn over the years is that until test nothing is totally obvious! but yes, dont look good

I have some ISA and VLB cards, but i never found good hercules compatibility beside trident ones and at same time good vga and speed, i have a PVGA1A that have hercules compatiblity mode, but is really slow, ET4000AX never work for me hercules mode, CL5422 neither, a realtek ISA same

About VLB i have S3 805, CL2424/8, and trident 9400 same neither do hercules

PCI i dont have sadly a ATi 32, i have a ATI Match 64, but dont do hercules

The trident cards i found very compatible, like windowws 3.0/3.1 work fine in hercules mode without any incompatbility, many old software and games i tested too, even with the PVGA1A i had problem with hercules mode in windows 3.1

Any advice will be helpfull, my idea is to build a late 486 VLB or PCI, with hercules compatiblity mode, or, a fast ISA can help to, faster than trident 8900D or at least similar in speed

thanks

theelf wrote on 2026-03-23, 09:16:

ET4000AX never work for me hercules mode

Empty Sync ROM / XLAT ROM socket, perhaps?
You can easily add the missing ROM, and gain CGA/Hercules emulation at normal VGA frequencies.

CL5422 neither

True, no CGA/Hercules with Acumos / Cirrus Logic 54xx chips.

realtek ISA same

Strange, at least some should work - Re: Arrived ISA 8 bit RTVGA boards

ATI Match 64, but dont do hercules

True, the last backwards-compatible thing from ATI was Mach32.

a fast ISA can help to, faster than trident 8900D or at least similar in speed

Video memory speed in 8900D hits the ISA bus limit - no ISA card can be faster here.
But there's a bunch of ISA cards with equally fast video memory, plus GUI acceleration - but they usually lack CGA/Hercules modes.

I'm only aware of one good candidate:
fast video memory + GUI acceleration + CGA/Hercules compatibility + 8514/A compatibility = ATI Mach32
Available for every bus of its era: ISA, MCA, EISA, VLB, PCI.

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-23, 17:12:

Empty Sync ROM / XLAT ROM socket, perhaps? You can easily add the missing ROM, and gain CGA/Hercules emulation at normal VGA fre […]
Show full quote

theelf wrote on 2026-03-23, 09:16:

ET4000AX never work for me hercules mode

Empty Sync ROM / XLAT ROM socket, perhaps?
You can easily add the missing ROM, and gain CGA/Hercules emulation at normal VGA frequencies.

CL5422 neither

True, no CGA/Hercules with Acumos / Cirrus Logic 54xx chips.

realtek ISA same

Strange, at least some should work - Re: Arrived ISA 8 bit RTVGA boards

ATI Match 64, but dont do hercules

True, the last backwards-compatible thing from ATI was Mach32.

a fast ISA can help to, faster than trident 8900D or at least similar in speed

Video memory speed in 8900D hits the ISA bus limit - no ISA card can be faster here.
But there's a bunch of ISA cards with equally fast video memory, plus GUI acceleration - but they usually lack CGA/Hercules modes.

I'm only aware of one good candidate:
fast video memory + GUI acceleration + CGA/Hercules compatibility + 8514/A compatibility = ATI Mach32
Available for every bus of its era: ISA, MCA, EISA, VLB, PCI.

Hi, sadly ATI mach 32 are very expensive cards, the 64 ones are cheap, but 32 too much

About 4000AX this is the one i have. I will love to have hercules mode, because is a nice card for my 286, and have solid win31 drivers. Some incompatiblities, like dangerous dave but is possible to solve

theelf wrote on 2026-03-23, 19:11:

About 4000AX this is the one i have.

There are two ROM chips: BIOS + Translation.
Try VDIAG.EXE -> CONFIGURATION SUMMARY, does it detect the "Translation ROM:" ?

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-23, 21:19:

theelf wrote on 2026-03-23, 19:11:

About 4000AX this is the one i have.

There are two ROM chips: BIOS + Translation.
Try VDIAG.EXE -> CONFIGURATION SUMMARY, does it detect the "Translation ROM:" ?

yes, say translation rom present

I tried with vmode doing hercules (vmode herc), without luck, it just go out of sync, i tried different vga screen, modern/old, all CRT, nothing

Something does, because for example, i do vmode herc and then i write win (win3.0 with hercules driver workind on trident), and i get garbage on screen in black and white

Any help/advice is welcome!

thanks

theelf wrote on 2026-03-23, 21:42:

I tried with vmode doing hercules (vmode herc), without luck, it just go out of sync, i tried different vga screen, modern/old, all CRT, nothing

You can do "vmode install" first, and try both "VGA display" and "Variable-frequency display" options.
Though I can't see any difference between them - "vmode hercules" always runs near normal VGA frequencies: 31.5 kHz / 68 Hz.

Try also "vmode cga" - works at 31.0 kHz / 59 Hz for me.

Without the Translation ROM, the ET3000/ET4000 run CGA emulation at normal CGA frequency (15 kHz), and Hercules at normal Hercules frequency (18 kHz) - so it's normal for them to go out-of-sync on normal VGA monitors.

If you can't see any other issues with your card, there may be some problem with (or near) the Translation ROM - perhaps re-seat it, meanwhile taking the oportunity to dump it, and compare with other people's dumps?

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-24, 00:26:

You can do "vmode install" first, and try both "VGA display" and "Variable-frequency display" options. Though I can't see any di […]
Show full quote

theelf wrote on 2026-03-23, 21:42:

I tried with vmode doing hercules (vmode herc), without luck, it just go out of sync, i tried different vga screen, modern/old, all CRT, nothing

You can do "vmode install" first, and try both "VGA display" and "Variable-frequency display" options.
Though I can't see any difference between them - "vmode hercules" always runs near normal VGA frequencies: 31.5 kHz / 68 Hz.

Try also "vmode cga" - works at 31.0 kHz / 59 Hz for me.

Without the Translation ROM, the ET3000/ET4000 run CGA emulation at normal CGA frequency (15 kHz), and Hercules at normal Hercules frequency (18 kHz) - so it's normal for them to go out-of-sync on normal VGA monitors.

If you can't see any other issues with your card, there may be some problem with (or near) the Translation ROM - perhaps re-seat it, meanwhile taking the oportunity to dump it, and compare with other people's dumps?

Sorry late response!!! finally you right! stupid me! was "Variable-frequency display" option!! i did not realize, was in VGA! now i have hercules graphic mode with ET4000AX! thanks a lot

About to dump, i have a willem, i tried to dump, but dont know what eprom select, one i can read cic10476ae-80, I tried put willem in 16-pin EPROM 27C64 / 27C32 but nothing, any advice to dump for you is welcome

The bios was easy to dump, here is

thanks

theelf wrote on 2026-03-25, 21:50:

cic10476ae-80

That's the RAMDAC.

FV110S is the Translation ROM - probably 27c256, see the attached dump from another card based on ET4000AX...

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-25, 23:25:

theelf wrote on 2026-03-25, 21:50:

cic10476ae-80

That's the RAMDAC.

FV110S is the Translation ROM - probably 27c256, see the attached dump from another card based on ET4000AX...

Ah! yes i believe was bad dumped because all data look repeated, here is mine, did not check if same as you, im working now, posting from phone

theelf wrote on 2026-03-25, 23:27:

did not check if same as you

They are different.
But if you got it working, there's no need to worry about it...