Display Device Driver Reference for OS/2
By IBM
Reprint Courtesy of International Business Machines Corporation, © International Business Machines Corporation
About this Book
The device drivers described in the Display Device Driver Reference provide information and code to enable you to start developing your own OS/2 display device drivers.
Note: To verify that your driver signature is unique, contact the IBM Driver Development Support Center (DDSC) Bulletin Board System (the DUDE) on (407) 982-4239.
How This Book Is Organized
16-Bit VGA Display Driver This chapter presents the 16-bit VGA driver, a dynamic link library that converts device-independent graphics calls into VGA-specific device instructions.
8514/A Display Driver This chapter covers the differences between the 16- bit VGA display driver and the 8514.
32-Bit VGA Display Driver This chapter presents the 32-bit VGA driver, contained in two Dynamic Link Libraries: one hardware-independent, the other hardware-dependent.
Also described are the responsibilities of the driver to the Presentation Manager graphics engine, which loads the Dynamic Link Libraries for the display driver.
32-Bit Super VGA Display Driver This chapter discusses the differences between the VGA and the Super VGA device drivers.
SVGA Base Video Subsystem This chapter has been rewritten and now describes how the SVGA base video subsystem handles all non-graphical primitive video device functions. It also describes how to handle the mode set function.
Physical Video Device Drivers This chapter describes the Video Device handlers, and lists functions used to read and write to the EGA registers. The DPRINTF Print Formatting Package information has been moved from the end of SVGA Base Video Subsystem to the end of this chapter.
Virtual Video Device Drivers This chapter describes the design, implementation, and interfaces of virtual video device drivers, including the virtualization and windowing of DOS sessions on an OS/2 platform. A virtual video device driver is required when it is necessary for multiple DOS sessions to share one or more video devices. "Super VGA Virtual Video Device Driver Support" describes how to add support for an Super VGA capable chip set.
Seamless Windows Support This chapter provides information on how to execute Windows applications in one or more windows on the OS/2 desktop, and includes a Checklist for Palette Management Support in seamless display drivers. It also includes an overview of the Distributed Console Access Facility (DCAF), which provides remote console functions.
PM Palette Management Support This chapter describes Presentation Manager Palette Management, special code that enables applications to specify exact color values for a drawing or image on a particular device. The application's color requests are mapped as closely as possible to the actual colors available in the device's hardware color palette. When possible, the hardware palette is modified to exactly provide the requested RGB values.
Distributed Console Access Facility (DCAF) This chapter discusses the design and purpose of DCAF within the OS/2, DOS and WINDOWS environments.
DBCS Video Driver Support This chapter describes double-byte character set (DBCS) video driver support.
Installing and Configuring Display Device Drivers This chapter describes the OS/2 display driver installation utility program (DSPINSTL.EXE), which provides all the facilities for installing and configuring the IBM Operating System/2 and Presentation Manager display device drivers. This installation utility program also can install and configure WIN-OS/2 (both full-screen and windowed) display drivers, and can install base video service (VIO) and DOS virtual device drivers. A sample DSPINSTL Script is included to assist you in SVGA BBS installations.
Graphics Test Suites This chapter describes test suites that are designed for System Verification Test and Function Verification Test.
Display Test Tool This chapter describes the Display Test Tool, a Presentation Manager application that enables the user to select one or more display tests and execute them.
VIDEOCFG.DLL Exported Functions This chapter describes the VIDEOCFG syntax as working samples, adhering to the style of the "C" programming language. The VIDEOCFG.DLL exported functions, formerly in Chapter 5, are now in this revamped and revised chapter. Also covered is a section on a Generic Video Configuration Interface.
VIDEOPMI.DLL Exported Functions This chapter presents the VIDEOPMI syntax as working samples, adhering to the style of the "C" programming language.
VIDEO Protect-Mode Interface This chapter discusses the format and syntax used to define the necessary data for setting a video mode while in OS/2 protect mode, and to enable virtualization in multiple DOS sessions. The objective is to achieve a protect-mode interface to Super VGA hardware.
Appendixes
Appendix A. OS/2 Version Compatibility Considerations This table describes information added to or changed since the availability of OS/2 Warp, Version 3 in terms of version compatibility.
Appendix B. GRE Function Tests (by Function Name) This appendix consists of a table that lists the various GRE function tests, organized by function name.
Appendix C. GRE Function Tests (by Test-Case Name) This appendix consists of a table that lists the various GRE function tests, organized by test-case name.
Appendix D. Graphics Engine Functions This appendix consists of several tables, each of which lists a different type of graphics engine function.
Appendix E. DTT Script File Command Summary This appendix contains a summary of the commands used in a DTT script file.
Appendix F. DTT Command-Line Options Summary This appendix contains a summary of the command-line options.
Appendix G. Sample DTT Script File This appendix contains the code for a sample script file.
Appendix H. Glyph Codes This appendix contains a table that lists the reserved glyph codes and the relationship between glyph pattern and glyph code ID in code page 932.
Appendix I. S3 Display Driver This appendix contains a discussion on the architecture of the S3 Display Device Driver and covers the portions of the driver that require modification in order to support other graphics accelerator chip sets.
Appendix J. S3.DSP (Sample File for Installation and Configuration) This appendix consists of a sample S3 display (DSP) file that contains DSPINSTL installation and configuration commands.
Appendix K. Deciphering File Names in the S3 Driver This appendix consists of a list of S3 file names with an explanation of how the file names are derived.
Appendix L. Color Palette Default Values This appendix contains tables listing the default values for VGA (4bpp), XGA (8bpp) and XGA (16bpp) color palettes.
Miscellaneous
A glossary and index are included.
Assistance
Technical support for device driver development is provided by the IBM Driver Development Support Center (DDSC) through a bulletin board system ( BBS) known as the "DUDE". You are encouraged to use the DUDE to obtain support by sending in your questions and reviewing the question and answer database which can be downloaded for off-line review.
To access the DUDE, dial 512-838-9717 (using a modem) to register and access the support system. For voice support in the United States, call 512 -838-9493.
Additional assistance is available through the IBM Solution Developer Program. For membership information:
Internet: ibmsdp@vnet.ibm.com
US/Canada: 800-627-8363
International: 770-835-9902
International Fax: 770-835-9444
Ordering Information
For an illustration of OS/2 Technical Publications and other related product documents, see the figure labeled "OS/2 Technical Publications". The documents represented in this illustration are available only in English.
In addition to the actual tools and source code available on The IBM Developer Connection Device Driver Kit for OS/2, this CD-ROM also includes the following DDK reference books in online format.
�The Physical Device Driver Reference
�The Storage Device Driver Reference
�The Input/Output Device Driver Reference
�The Pen for OS/2 Device Driver Reference
�The Virtual Device Driver Reference
�The Presentation Device Driver Reference
�The Display Device Driver Reference
�The Printer Device Driver Reference
�The Graphics Adapter Device Driver Reference
�The MMPM/2 Device Driver Reference (Multimedia)
To order the DDK call:
/----------------------------------------------------------------\ |U.S.A.: |1-800-633-8266 | | |--------------------+---------------------+---------------------| |Canada: |1-800-561-5293 | | |--------------------+---------------------+---------------------| |When calling from |� English |(+45) 48101500 | |Europe, the Middle |� French |(+45) 48101200 | |East, or Africa, the|� Italian |(+45) 48101600 | |number depends on |� German |(+45) 48101000 | |the language you use|� Spanish |(+45) 48101100 | |to place the order: |� Dutch |(+45) 48101400 | | |� Danish |(+45) 48101300 | | |� Finish |(+45) 48101650 | | |� Swedish |(+45) 48101150 | | |� Norwegian |(+45) 48101250 | | |� FAX |(+45) 48142207 | |--------------------+---------------------+---------------------| |When ordering from |� Bolivia | 02-35 1840 | |Latin America or |� Columbia | 01-257-0111 | |South America, the |� Dominican Republic | 566-5161 | |number depends on |� El Salvador | 02-98 5011 | |the country from |� Honduras | 32-2319 | |which you are |� Paraguay | 021-444 094 | |calling: |� Urugruay | 02-923 617 | | |� Chile | 02-633-4400 | | |� Costa Rica | 223-6222 | | |� Ecuador | 02-56 5100 | | |� Guatemala | 02-31 5859 | | |� Panama | 02-639 977 | | |� Peru | 014-36 6345 | | |� Venezuela | 02-908-8901 | | |� Argentina | 01-313-0014 | |--------------------+---------------------+---------------------| |To order from Asia/ |� All except Japan |(61) 2-354-7684 | |Pacific: |� Japan |(81) 3-3495-2045(Fax)| | | |Fax request to: | | | |DAP-J, IBM Japan | |--------------------+---------------------+---------------------| |To order from SE |(021) 800-6120(Voice)| | |Brazil: |(021) 800-6936(Fax) | | |--------------------+---------------------+---------------------| |To order from |� Mexico City |627-2444 | |Mexico: |� Country |91-800-00639 | \----------------------------------------------------------------/
What's New
There were no major changes to this release of the Display Device driver Reference.
The table that appears in #OS/2 Version Compatibility Considerations identifies any compatibility issues associated with updates made to this book.
Try Our New Improved Model!
Are you tired of device-driving late into the night? You may want to consider using the new GRADD (short for GRaphics Adapter Device Driver) model to write your next video driver on OS/2 Warp, Beta Version 99.99.
The GRADD driver model, provided on this DDK CD, requires 10 times less lines of code than previously required to write an OS/2 video device driver. Some of the advantages incorporated in the GRADD model include the following:
- Simplifies development effort
- Reduces cycle time
- Allows incremental development; requires fewer mandatory functions
- Both This eliminates the need to write a seamless WinOS/2 driver.
If you are writing new video drivers for OS/2 Warp, Beta Version 99.99, you can take advantage of these development savings. Refer to the GRADD Device Driver Reference and code samples on this CD to get started today.
This chapter is based in part on the VESA SVPMI (Video Electronics Standards Association Super VGA Protect Mode Interface) proposal.
Display Device Driver Reference for OS/2:OS/2 Version Compatibility Considerations