ATI Technologies Computer Hardware GL 8800 User Manual

Fire GL 8800 64/128 MB  
User's Guide  
ꢀꢁꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇ ꢈꢉꢇꢇꢇꢇꢊꢋꢌꢇ ꢍꢎꢏꢐꢉꢉꢉꢑꢏ ꢉꢇꢒꢁꢓꢈꢇꢔꢇ  
© Copyright 2001, by ATI Technologies Inc.  
All rights reserved, including those to reproduce this guide or parts thereof, in any form without the  
express written permission of ATI Technologies Inc.  
Products may not be exactly as shown. Features, performance, and specifications may vary depending  
on operating environment and are subject to change without notice. Trademarks and/or registered  
trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.  
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated, which may be registered in certain  
jurisdictions.  
ATI is a registered trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States and/or other  
countries.  
Fire GL is a trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries.  
MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, DirectDraw and Direct3D are either  
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other  
countries.  
Pentium is a registered trademark and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) is a trademark of the Intel  
Corporation.  
OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc.  
AutoCAD, AutoShade, 3D Studio and HEIDI are registered trademarks or trademarks of AutoDesk Inc.  
VGA is a trademark of IBM Corporation  
Table of Contents  
ꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅꢊꢏꢐꢁꢅ ꢈꢂꢉꢊꢅꢂꢃꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓꢅ  
ꢔꢕꢖꢕꢈꢅꢊꢉꢅꢘꢅꢙꢏꢂꢃꢆꢕꢈꢆꢅꢕꢚꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅꢂꢃꢊꢅꢊꢏꢐꢁꢅ ꢈꢂꢉꢊꢛꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ   
)ꢈ*ꢟꢅ,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢘꢆꢂꢕꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ -  
,ꢃꢁꢆꢘꢒꢒꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢅ#ꢆꢊꢠꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ -  
Installing the Hardware and Software .............................7  
ꢙꢏꢊꢠꢘꢏꢂꢃꢄꢅꢖꢕꢈꢏꢅ1ꢕ ꢠꢈꢆꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ 0  
1ꢇꢘꢃꢄꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆꢇꢊꢅꢍꢂꢉꢊꢕꢅ#ꢊꢆꢆꢂꢃꢄꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢌ-  
#ꢊꢆꢆꢂꢃꢄꢅ%ꢊꢁꢕꢒꢈꢆꢂꢕꢃ6ꢅ1ꢕꢒꢕꢏꢅꢠꢆꢇꢅꢘꢃꢉꢅ%ꢊꢚꢏꢊꢁꢇꢅ%ꢘꢆꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢌ-  
1ꢕꢃꢚꢂꢄꢈꢏꢂꢃꢄꢅ:ꢠꢠꢒꢂ*ꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢅꢙꢏꢕꢚꢂꢒꢊꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓ0  
:*ꢆꢂꢢꢘꢆꢂꢃꢄꢅꢘꢅ*ꢕꢃꢚꢂꢄꢈꢏꢘꢆꢂꢕꢃꢅꢠꢏꢕꢚꢂꢒꢊ5ꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋꢋ ꢓ0ꢅ  
iii  
ꢀꢁ ꢂꢃꢄꢅꢆ ꢇꢈꢁ ꢉꢄꢊꢁ ꢋꢌ ꢍꢍꢎꢎ ꢏꢊꢄꢃꢁꢊꢐꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢎ  
ꢓꢁꢘꢈꢅꢄꢘꢙꢖ ꢏꢁꢇꢙꢄꢖꢐꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢚ  
ꢉꢁꢙꢇꢔꢊꢁꢐ ꢙꢅꢛ ꢜꢁꢊꢝꢂꢊ ꢙꢅꢘꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑꢑ ꢒꢚ  
iv  
1
CHAPTER 1  
Getting Started  
Experience the speed and reliability of the FIRE GL™ 8800  
workstation board. Based on the revolutionary next generation  
geometry and rendering technology from ATI, it delivers affordable  
high-end workstation 3D/2D graphics acceleration. FIRE GL™ 8800  
has an optimized high-powered OpenGL® driver to provide  
outstanding 2D and 3D performance. Perfect for MCAD, 3D game  
development and other demanding applications, the FIRE GL™ 8800  
will increase your productivity by enhancing your workstation’s  
performance.  
IN THIS CHAPTER  
Using this Guide on page 2  
page 5  
 
2 Getting Started  
Using this Guide  
For your convenience, this online User’s Guide has been formatted as  
an Adobe® Acrobat® PDF file. This format gives you great flexibility  
when using this documentation.  
Many hyperlinks provide easy access to any information you may  
want. To make it useful in a printed format, too, a - hyperlinked -  
table of contents and page numbers are provided.  
Because it was designed to be used online and printed, some of the  
images may not print clearly or appear very clearly on screen.  
The organization of this Guide is as follows:  
instructions for installing your Fire GL 8800 card and software and  
connecting video output devices to your card.  
Using Your Fire GL 8800 on page 25 explains how you can take  
advantage of the advanced software utilities of your Fire GL 8800.  
Reference on page 40 provides troubleshooting tips and regulatory  
compliance information for your card.  
HYDRAVISION for Fire GL provides information on installing and  
using ATIJHYDRAVISION™, a desktop management utility to  
control multiple display desktops.  
   
Getting Started  
3
Viewing the User's Guide Online  
You can also read the User's Guide online—important hypertext  
links, such as Table of Contents entries, World Wide Web, and email  
addresses are active.  
Place your mouse cursor over Table of Contents entries or main  
headings. If the hand icon changes to a pointing index finger, simply  
click and you will move to that place in the document. Some email or  
World Wide Web addresses inside this manual may be active as well.  
Go directly to a Web, FTP site, or email program simply by clicking  
on an active link. Displaying the provided bookmark and thumbnail  
views may help you with the orientation and navigation in the User's  
Guide.  
This manual might be displayed with slightly-reduced magnification  
in your Reader. If you experience any difficulty reading certain files  
online, use the Reader’s Zoom To feature from the View menu and  
increase the magnification to about 150%. To view some screenshot  
images perfectly clear you may need a larger magnification.  
Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's  
Guide?  
You can easily print this User's Guide to access it off-line. The  
manual then will look like any standard document with a table of  
contents and page numbers.  
For printing the User’s Guide, a print resolution of 600 dpi -or higher  
- is recommended.  
 
4 Getting Started  
Fire GL 8800 Features  
RADEON™ 8800 GPU and 64 MB or 128 MB DDR memory  
CHARISMA ENGINE™ II supports full Transformation,  
Clipping and Lighting (T&L) at 75 million triangles/second peak  
processing capability  
PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II, the 3D rendering engine, powers 2.4  
Gigatexels/second for fast fill rates in 32-bit true color resolution  
VIDEO IMMERSION™ II, industry leading video technology  
Full DirectX 8.1 support  
High resolutions up to 2048 x 1536  
DDC1/2b/2b+ monitor support on all operating system platforms  
DualScreen resolutions up to 2x 1600x1200, 32-bit  
Dual monitor support:  
Single screen Analog  
Single screen DVI (Digital)  
DualScreen Analog + Analog  
DualScreen Analog + Digital  
Optimized OpenGL® software drivers  
Simultaneously run in wire-frame and shaded mode, open or  
close multiple windows and menus without compromising  
performance  
Customize and tune applications to meet your specific  
requirements using the display profile utilities  
For more detailed information on features and  
Note:  
performance please refer to the section Technical Details  
on page 45.  
   
Getting Started  
5
System Requirements and Tools  
Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD®  
K6/Athlon® or compatible  
128 MB of system memory  
256 MB for best performance  
Computer  
system  
Motherboard with free AGP 2x/4x slot  
CD-ROM drive  
Windows® NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 (or  
higher)  
Operating  
system  
Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1 (or  
higher)  
Windows® XP  
You must be running Windows NT 4.0, updated  
with Service Pack 5 (or higher) prior to installing  
the Fire GL 8800 drivers.  
For some languages you can perform the  
Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack update from the  
Fire GL CD when you run the Quick Start utility.  
You must be running Windows 2000, updated  
with Service Pack 1 (or higher) prior to installing  
the Fire GL 8800 drivers.  
Service Pack  
Information for  
Windows NT 4.0  
and  
Windows 2000  
The Service Packs are available from Microsoft's  
A screwdriver to remove and reinstall the  
PC cover screws and card mounting  
screws. See your PC manual for specific  
requirements.  
Tools  
Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL 8800  
High-resolution MultiSync or multi-  
frequency monitors or other VGA monitors.  
To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI  
connector you may use the provided VGA-  
to-DVI adapter.  
Monitor  
Digital flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD displays  
and digital CRT displays  
   
6 Getting Started  
Quick Installation  
Brief instructions on how to get to work with the Fire GL 8800 in  
the shortest possible time.  
Recommended for experienced users and system administrators  
only.  
For more detailed information on installation and operation of  
your graphics accelerator, please refer to the corresponding  
sections of the Fire GL 8800 User’s Guide.  
Installation Steps  
1
2
Un-install the drivers and software for your old graphics card.  
Set the display driver to Standard VGA (only for Windows  
NT 4.0).  
Disable any on-board graphics solution on the motherboard.  
3
4
5
6
7
Shut down and disconnect your computer system.  
Remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card.  
Install the new Fire GL 8800 card.  
Reassemble and connect your computer system.  
Install the Fire GL 8800 drivers and configuration software from  
the Fire GL CD:  
automatic Quick Start utility or  
Start > Run > X:\START EXE  
where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive  
   
7
CHAPTER 2  
Installing the  
Hardware and Software  
IN THIS CHAPTER  
Installing the Hardware on page 7  
Installing the Hardware  
The hardware installation includes the following steps:  
Preparing your Computer  
Preparing your Computer  
Turn off the power to your system and discharge your  
body’s static electric charge by touching a grounded  
surface—for example, the metal surface of the power  
supply—before performing any hardware procedure.  
The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damage,  
caused directly or indirectly, by improper installation of any  
components by unauthorized service personnel. If you do  
not feel comfortable performing the installation, consult a  
qualified computer technician.  
Damage to system components, the accelerator card, and  
injury to yourself may result if power is applied during  
installation.  
   
8 Installing the Hardware and Software  
Information Before you Start  
What do you need to  
use your Fire GL  
8800?  
System Requirements and Tools  
Motherboard with free AGP 2X/4X  
slot.  
128 MB of system memory  
256 MB for best performance  
System interrupt (IRQ) which is free.  
This may have to be reserved in the  
computer’s BIOS. For help with this  
subject, refer to the manual for your  
mainboard  
Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD®  
K6/Athlon® or compatible  
Supported operating system  
- Windows® NT 4.0 with Service  
Pack 5 (or higher)  
- Windows® 2000 with Service  
Pack 1 (or higher)  
- Windows® XP  
A screwdriver to remove and  
reinstall the PC cover screws and  
card mounting screws. See your PC  
manual for specific requirements.  
Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL 8800  
Installing the Hardware and Software 9  
What type of monitors Your Fire GL 8800 is optimally configured  
do you need?  
to be combined with digital flat-panel  
(DFP) TFT LCD displays and digital CRT  
displays. You can also connect the Fire  
GL 8800 to high-resolution MultiSync or  
multi-frequency monitors or other VGA  
monitors.  
To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI  
connector you may use the provided VGA-  
to-DVI adapter.  
Notes: (1) You need a Plug-and-Play  
monitor that supports VESA’s Display  
Channel specifications (DDC1 or DDC2) to  
take advantage of the DDC1/DDC2b+  
features  
(2) You can use the full power of the  
graphics card only if your monitor supports  
the horizontal (kHz) and vertical (Hz)  
refresh rates as required by the graphics  
card. Refer to your monitor's  
documentation for recommended refresh  
rates  
Where are the drivers?  
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000  
and Windows XP drivers are  
provided on the Fire GL CD.  
10 Installing the Hardware and Software  
Are you planning a  
multi-monitor system?  
You may connect two monitors to  
the Fire GL 8800.  
If DDC support is available, the  
respective resolution and refresh  
rate for each monitor is  
automatically detected.  
Desktop Management utilities  
HYDRAVISIONTM  
DualScreen  
Are you installing your Before you install your Fire GL 8800 card,  
Fire GL 8800 in place we recommend that you first uninstall the  
of a card from another the driver for your current graphics card.  
manufacturer?  
Windows NT 4.0: Reconfigure your  
operating system to use the standard  
display driver (VGA). For more information  
about changing to the VGA driver, see  
your operating system documentation.  
Do you have an  
integrated graphics  
solution on the  
motherboard?  
Please refer to the manual or contact your  
motherboard manufacturer to determine  
how to disable your on-board graphics.  
Plug-n-Play?  
The card has been designed to take  
advantage of 'plug–n-play' without  
requiring additional hardware installation  
or configuration.  
The illustrations do  
not show your card?  
The illustrations provided in this section  
are for instructional use only; the card  
shown may look different than the one you  
purchased.  
Installing the Hardware and Software 11  
Setting the Display Driver to Standard VGA  
To avoid possible driver conflicts between your old and new graphics  
card, install the standard VGA driver for your operating system.  
Install the standard VGA driver before you shut down your computer  
and remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card.  
Note: Installing the standard VGA driver is not required for  
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.  
Installing the Standard VGA Driver for Windows NT 4.0  
1
From the Start menu, go to Start > Settings > Control  
Panel, then double-click on Display. The Display Properties  
sheet appears.  
2
3
Click the Settings tab; then click the Display Type button.  
Under Adapter Type, click the Change button. The Change  
Display window appears.  
4
5
Under Manufacturers, select (Standard display types). Under  
Display, choose VGA compatible display adapter.  
Click OK. You may need to insert your Windows NT 4.0 CD-  
ROM.  
6
7
Click Close and OK as often as necessary to accept the changes.  
Windows asks you if you want to restart your computer. Click  
No.  
8
Shut down your computer. You are now ready to remove your  
old graphics card and install your new Fire GL 8800 card.  
12 Installing the Hardware and Software  
Installing the Card  
To install your graphics accelerator card, follow these steps:  
1
Switch off your computer and all external options (monitor,  
printer, and others). Then disconnect all cables from the back of  
your computer. Unplug all power cables from the electrical source.  
Note: If you are disconnecting a peripheral from the computer or are  
removing a component from the system board, wait 10 - 20 seconds  
after disconnecting the computer from the electrical outlet before  
disconnecting the peripheral or removing the component to avoid  
possible damage to the system board. To verify that all power has  
been removed from the system, make sure that the standby power  
light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has gone out.  
   
Installing the Hardware and Software 13  
2
Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your computer  
system manual about removing the cover.  
1
Power Supply  
Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the  
metal surface of the computer chassis  
3
Remove any existing graphics card from your computer.  
If the old graphics card sticks rock it gently from end to end.  
Remember to save the screw.  
If your computer has any on-board graphics capability, you may  
need to disable it on the motherboard. Refer to your computer’s  
manual for more information.  
14 Installing the Hardware and Software  
4
Insert the card into the AGP slot.  
Note: You can use the Fire GL 8800 in either AGP 2x/4x or AGP 2x  
slots.  
Locate the AGP 2x/4x slot. Compare the expansion slots in  
your computer with the following illustration:  
If necessary, remove the metal slot cover from the AGP slot.  
Save the screw to secure the graphics card later.  
Align the Fire GL 8800 with the AGP slot, and press it in  
firmly until fully seated.  
1
2
Fire GL 8800 card  
AGP expansion slot  
AGP cards are designed to fit one way only. Be sure your card is  
properly aligned  
Grasp the card by the top edge and carefully seat it into the AGP slot.  
Be sure the metal contacts are completely pushed into the seat  
Installing the Hardware and Software 15  
5
Replace the screws to fasten the card in place.  
Align the slot in the mounting bracket of the card with the screw  
hole in the rear panel of the computer case.  
Use the screws you removed from the expansion slot cover or a  
previously installed graphics card to secure the card in place.  
6
Reassemble your computer.  
Secure ribbon cables and gently push them down and out of the  
way before you replace the system cover.  
Replace the computer cover.  
Reconnect any peripheral equipment cables you may have  
disconnected.  
16 Installing the Hardware and Software  
Connecting the Cables and  
Completing the Installation  
Connecting the Monitor Cables  
You may connect one or two monitors, either analog VGA or  
DFP/digital CRT to the Fire GL 8800.  
The Fire GL 8800 supports the following monitor combinations:  
single monitor – VGA  
single monitor - DFP/digital CRT  
dual monitor - VGA + VGA (you need the provided DVI-to-  
VGA adapter)  
dual monitor - VGA + DFP/digital CRT  
The Fire GL 8800 does not support the dual monitor  
combination DFP/digital CRT + DFP/digital CRT  
Note  
Connecting analog VGA Monitors  
Securely attach the monitor’s data cable to the 15-pin VGA output  
connector (1) on the card. Attach the cable to the monitor according  
to the monitor's instructions.  
   
Installing the Hardware and Software 17  
Please use the DVI-to-VGA adapter provided with your  
card to connect a second VGA monitor to the DVI  
connector (2).  
Note  
c
VGA connector from  
monitor  
VGA to DVI- I adapter  
a
b
Display cable  
DVI-I connector on card  
d
18 Installing the Hardware and Software  
Connecting a Digital Flat-Panel (DFP) Monitor or  
Digital CRT Monitor  
Securely attach the monitor’s data cable to the DVI output connector  
(2) on the card. Attach the cable to the monitor according to the  
monitor's instructions. Please refer to the documentation that came  
with your monitor if you need additional installation information.  
Setting the Monitor Impedance  
If you can switch the impedance values on your monitor, use the  
following recommended settings:  
RGB video input: 75 Ohm  
Synch: 2.2 kOhm  
Try other 'Synch' settings if you cannot achieve a stable video image.  
If the impedance setting options are 'High' and 'Low' only, try the  
setting that provides the most satisfactory monitor display.  
Installing the Hardware and Software 19  
Start your System  
Switch on your monitor before you switch on your computer. Failing  
to do so could damage your monitor.  
If you have correctly installed the card, operating system messages  
will appear on your monitor when the boot procedure is finished.  
Your monitor is running in standard VGA mode. Higher  
refresh rates etc. are not available at this stage of the  
installation. After you have successfully installed the Fire  
GL 8800 drivers you can use the dialogs in the Display  
Note  
Properties menu to adjust the video settings and set up a  
multi-monitor configuration.  
Your System Does Not Start as it Should?  
Check again to verify that the installation instructions were  
properly followed.  
Check that the card is properly installed in your system and  
connected to your monitor.  
Refer to the documentation that came with your monitor:  
Check your connections to the video and power cables.  
Try adjusting the brightness, sharpness, and contrast controls of  
your monitor.  
If you have problems during start-up, restart your computer in  
SAFE MODE.  
In Windows® 2000 and Windows® XP, press and hold F8 until  
you see the Windows® Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow  
keys to select Safe Mode, and press Enter.  
Check the system configuration utility of your operating system  
for the interrupt assignments.  
Please refer to the Troubleshooting section for more  
information, if it appears that the card is not performing  
optimally.  
Contact the Technical Support.  
20 Installing the Hardware and Software  
Installing the Software  
Hints  
NT 4.0  
Software Installation for Windows 2000  
You will need to install the Fire GL 8800 drivers and software in the  
following cases:  
After you have installed the card to your system.  
After you have re-installed or upgraded your operating system.  
(1) To install or remove the Fire GL 8800 drivers, you  
need administrator rights or you must be logged on as a  
user with administrator rights under Windows NT,  
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.  
(2) Information for Windows NT 4.0:  
You must have Microsoft Windows Service Pack 5 (or  
higher) installed prior to installing the Fire GL 8800  
drivers. The Service Pack is available from Microsoft's  
can also perform the Service Pack update from the  
Fire GL CD when you run the Quick Start utility.  
Notes  
(3) Information for Windows 2000:  
You must have Microsoft Windows Service Pack 1 (or  
higher) installed prior to installing the Fire GL 8800 drivers.  
The Service Pack is available from Microsoft's web page,  
   
Installing the Hardware and Software 21  
Before you Start: Information, Tips, and Hints  
Before you install the drivers for your Fire GL 8800 accelerator,  
make sure your monitor cable is properly attached to the card.  
Do you need a special driver installation?  
The software installation procedure later in this chapter describes  
how to install the drivers for your graphics card after you have  
installed the new card for the first time and have rebooted your  
computer.  
This section offers some additional tips if you want or need to install  
the graphics card drivers in a special working scenario, for example,  
if you have re-installed your operating system, or if you want to  
perform a manual installation.  
You can always install the drivers using the Quick Start utility  
on the Fire GL CD.  
The Quick Start utility will start automatically, if you insert the  
Fire GL CD into your CD-ROM drive after the operating system  
has started. If your CD-ROM auto-run is not enabled and/or the  
Quick Start program does not start automatically:  
Click the Start button in the task bar, click Run, and then select  
START.EXE from the root directory of the Fire GL CD.  
Select Readme from the Fire GL CD start menu to display a  
readme file. Refer to this file for additional and ‘last minute’  
information. Information in this file may not appear in printed  
documentation or online help.  
Where are the drivers? When prompted for a driver installation  
CD, insert the Fire GL CD and enter or browse to the path  
corresponding to your operating system.  
\NT4 - for Windows NT 4.0  
\NT5 - for Windows 2000  
\XP - for Windows XP  
You must be running Windows XP, Windows 2000 - updated  
with Service Pack 1 (or newer), or Windows NT 4.0 - updated  
with Service Pack 5 (or newer), before installing the Fire GL  
8800 drivers.  
   
22 Installing the Hardware and Software  
HYDRAVISIONTM Desktop Management  
The HYDRAVISIONTM desktop management software will install  
automatically with the standard driver installation of the Quick Start  
program. If you do not want to install HYDRAVISIONTM select the  
Custom driver installation and deselect HYDRAVISIONTM  
.
ReadMe file  
Select Readme from the Fire GL CD start menu to display a  
readme file. Refer to this file for additional and ‘last minute’  
information. Information in this file may not appear in printed  
documentation or online help.  
Driver installation dialog  
The installation dialog will display in English if your operating  
system’s language is not supported.  
Software Installation for Windows NT4.0  
1
2
Run the Quick Start utility. The Quick Start utility will start  
automatically, if you insert the Fire GL CD into your CD-ROM  
drive after the operating system has started. If your CD-ROM  
auto-run is not enabled and/or the Quick Start program does not  
start automatically:  
Click the Start button in the task bar, click Run, and then select  
START.EXE from the root directory of the Fire GL CD.  
Click Start Installation.  
If your Windows NT 4.0 is not correctly updated with  
Service Pack 5, you are prompted if you want to install the  
drivers and Service Pack at this time – if the appropriate  
language version is available on the Fire GL CD.  
Note  
If the Fire GL CD cannot install the Service Pack to your  
system, the driver installation stops. Obtain Windows NT  
Service Pack 5 (or higher) from Microsoft, update your  
Windows NT 4.0, and run the Quick Start utility again  
3
Click the button corresponding to the type of installation you  
want. If you select Custom, a list of software components will  
be displayed. Select the check boxes to specify the components  
you want to install.  
   
Installing the Hardware and Software 23  
Click Next to continue the installation.  
4
5
When the ATI FGL Install dialog displays the components to be  
installed click on Next. (Depending on which components you  
chose different windows might appear. Click on the  
corresponding buttons to continue the installation.)  
6
7
When the Installation complete message appears click Next  
again. This will restart your computer.  
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display >  
Settings, or right-click on the Windows desktop, select  
Properties and Settings.  
8
Set the resolution, color depth, and refresh rate that best suit your  
requirements and your monitor's performance.  
Note: Use the ATI Monitor and DualScreen dialogs to adapt  
each monitor's settings in a dual-monitor configuration.  
9
Click OK.  
Software Installation for Windows 2000 and  
Windows XP  
1
Start your system. When the Found New Hardware Wizard  
comes up, click Cancel. When the System Settings Change  
window asks you to restart your computer, click No.  
2
Run the Quick Start utility. The Quick Start utility will start  
automatically, if you insert the Fire GL CD into your CD-ROM  
drive after the operating system has started. If your CD-ROM  
auto-run is not enabled and/or the Quick Start program does not  
start automatically:  
Click the Start button in the task bar, click Run, and then select  
START.EXE from the root directory of the Fire GL CD.  
3
Click Start Installation.  
Windows 2000: If your Windows 2000 is not correctly  
updated with Service Pack 1, the driver installation stops.  
Note  
Obtain Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 from Microsoft,  
update your Windows 2000, and run the Quick Start utility  
again  
   
24 Installing the Hardware and Software  
4
Click the button corresponding to the type of installation you  
want. If you select Custom, a list of software components will  
be displayed. Select the check boxes to specify the components  
you want to install.  
5
6
Click Next to continue the installation.  
When the ATI FGL Install dialog displays the components to be  
installed click on Next. (Depending on which components you  
chose different windows might appear. Click on the  
corresponding buttons to continue the installation.)  
7
8
When the Installation complete message appears click Next  
again. This will restart your computer.  
After Windows 2000/Windows XP reboots, the Found New  
Hardware message displays the Digital Signature Not  
Found dialog and prompts you Do you want to continue  
the installation? Click Yes to install and start the drivers.  
9
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display >  
Settings, or right-click on the Windows desktop, select  
Properties and Settings.  
10 Set the resolution (Screen area), and color depth that best suit  
your requirements and your monitor's performance.  
11 Click the Advanced button and select the Monitor tab.  
12 Set the refresh rate for the monitor connected to the Fire GL  
8800 graphics accelerator in your system.  
Note: If you have two monitors connected this setting applies to  
the monitor connected to the VGA connector. Use the ATI  
Monitor and DualScreen dialogs to adapt each monitor's  
settings in a dual-monitor configuration.  
13 Click OK until you are on the Windows desktop.  
Refer to your Windows online help and documentation for  
further information on using the Monitor and Settings  
dialogs.  
Note  
25  
CHAPTER 3  
Using Your Fire GL 8800  
IN THIS CHAPTER  
on page 37  
SEE ALSO  
As part of its Windows drivers, Fire GL 8800 installs additional  
property pages to your Display Properties control panel. They are  
named as follows.  
Information  
DualScreen  
ATI Monitor  
Adjustment  
Configuration  
The Information dialog displays some card-specific hardware and  
driver information. This information may be helpful when contacting  
Tech Support.  
Use the DualScreen dialog to set up a dual-monitor desktop  
configuration.  
Use the ATI Monitor and Adjustment dialogs, together with the  
Settings and Windows Monitor dialogs, to select your monitor(s)  
and adjust the screen display, resolution, and refresh rate.  
Use the Configuration dialog to customize application profiles for  
individual application settings.  
   
26 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
Changing the Video Settings  
The dialogs in the Display Properties menu allow setting and  
adjusting the video settings to best suit your specific requirements.  
How to Switch to the Display Properties?  
1
2
Start Windows.  
After Windows has finished booting, click Start > Settings >  
Control Panel.  
3
Double-click the Display icon. The Display Properties  
window appears.  
(1) You can also display the Display Properties window  
by right-clicking the Windows Desktop background and  
then selecting the Properties option from the pop-up  
menu.  
Notes  
(2) Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Click the Advanced  
button in the Settings dialog to gain access to the  
Monitor, ATI Monitor, Adjustment, and DualScreen  
dialogs  
Setting Resolution, Color Depth and Refresh Rate  
Windows NT 4.0  
1
2
Select the Settings dialog in the Display Properties window.  
Set the resolution (Desktop Area), Color Palette and  
Refresh Frequency that best suit your requirements and your  
monitors' performance.  
Note: The resolution setting applies to both monitors, if you  
have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.  
   
Using Your Fire GL 8800 27  
Windows 2000 / Windows XP  
1
2
Select the Settings dialog in the Display Properties window.  
Set the resolution (Screen area) and Colors that best suit your  
requirements and your monitors' performance.  
Note: The resolution setting applies to both monitors, if you  
have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.  
3
4
Select the Windows Monitor dialog via Display Properties  
> Settings > Advanced > Monitor.  
Select the refresh rate from the Refresh Frequency box. If  
you have two monitors connected, the refresh rate setting applies  
to the monitor connected to the VGA connector. Use the ATI  
Monitor dialog to set the refresh rate of the second monitor  
Note: Refer to your Windows online help and documentation  
for further information on using the Monitor dialog.  
(1) Check the documentation of your monitor(s) and make  
sure that each monitor supports the planned resolution  
and refresh rate setting.  
(2) Use the DualScreen dialog (in Windows 2000 /  
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\DualScreen) to set up  
your two-monitor desktop.  
Notes  
(3) Use the ATI Monitor dialog (in Windows 2000 /  
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\ATI Monitor) to select  
and set your specific monitor(s).  
Use the Adjustment dialog (in Windows 2000 /  
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\Adjustment) to adapt  
the display of the monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.  
28 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
Setting a DualScreen Configuration  
For settings in the DualScreen dialog you need the  
following:  
Note  
- Two monitors connected to the card  
- Both monitors switched on when you start your  
computer  
1
Windows NT 4.0: Select the DualScreen dialog in the  
Display Properties window.  
Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the DualScreen dialog  
via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced >  
DualScreen.  
Refer to the context sensitive online help for more information on  
setting up your DualScreen configuration.  
       
Using Your Fire GL 8800 29  
2
3
Select your Primary Monitor. The primary monitor is the left  
monitor or top monitor, respectively, of a multiple-monitor  
desktop. Monitor icon 1 is for the monitor connected to the VGA  
connector, monitor icon 2 is for the monitor connected to the  
DVI connector.  
Select your Desktop Setup  
Select Disable Secondary Monitor if you want to work in  
single-monitor mode with the primary monitor.  
Select Clone Mode if you want the display of the primary  
monitor duplicated on the second monitor.  
Select Extended Desktop Horizontal if you want to see the  
left section of your display on the primary monitor and the right  
section on the second monitor.  
Select Extended Desktop Vertical if you want to see the  
upper section of your display on the primary monitor and the  
lower section on the second monitor.  
The Extended Desktop settings will deselect the  
hiding modes that the computer cannot display option  
in the Monitor panel. Do not reset this option manually  
Note  
if you have an Extended Desktop enabled.  
4
Select the Window Placement settings  
Check Use HydraVision for Placement to define your  
window placement with the HYDRAVISION™ desktop  
management software.  
HYDRAVISION™ installation is an option of the video  
Note  
driver installation and may not be automatically  
installed on your system.  
Fullscreen  
Select if you want a full screen window displayed On all  
monitors, or only on the Current monitor - that is the monitor  
where your mouse cursor currently is.  
30 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
Windows  
Select how you want to display sizeable windows that normally  
appear in the middle of the screen:  
Unchanged, or  
Moved fully to that monitor where the top left corner of the  
window is.  
Reports  
Select a monitor where you want to display Windows messages  
that normally display in the middle of the screen. This keeps the  
screen area of the other monitor free for your work. You may  
alternatively opt for displaying the reports Unchanged.  
5
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your DualScreen  
settings.  
(1) Both monitors will operate with the same  
resolution. Check the documentation of your  
monitors and make sure that each monitor  
supports your resolution and refresh rate setting.  
(2) The Settings dialog will display the  
corresponding DualScreen resolution. For  
example, 1024x768 is a single-screen resolution,  
using only one monitor. 2048x768 indicates the  
same resolution for Extended Desktop Horizontal  
using both monitors, and 1024x1536 indicates the  
same resolution for Extended Desktop Vertical  
Notes  
using both monitors  
(3) Refer to your Windows online help and  
documentation for further information on using the  
Settings dialog.  
(4) Use the ATI Monitor dialog (in Windows 2000:  
Settings\Advanced\ATI Monitor) to select and  
set your specific monitor(s).  
Use the Adjustment dialog (in Windows 2000 /  
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\Adjustment) to  
adapt the display of the monitors connected to the  
Fire GL 8800.  
Using Your Fire GL 8800 31  
Selecting your Monitor  
1
Windows NT 4.0: Select the ATI Monitor dialog in the  
Display Properties window.  
Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the ATI Monitor dialog  
via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > ATI  
Monitor.  
In Windows 2000 / Windows XP the ATI Monitor dialog is  
not active  
- if you have only one monitor connected to the card  
- if you have disabled the secondary monitor in the  
DualScreen dialog.  
Note  
Use the Windows Monitor dialog (Display Properties >  
Settings > Advanced > (Windows) Monitor) to select  
your specific monitor.  
Use the Adjustment dialog (in Windows 2000 /  
Windows XP: Settings\Advanced\Adjustment) to adapt  
the display of the monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800.  
       
32 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
You can customize the settings of the connected monitors. For  
more information on setting up the monitors refer to the context  
sensitive online help.  
2
3
Click the tab for the monitor you want to set up. Monitor 1 is  
the monitor connected to the VGA connector, Monitor 2 is the  
monitor connected to the DVI connector.  
Set the desired operation mode for your monitor.  
Custom Modes  
Use resolution and refresh rates for this monitor as specified in  
the Settings dialog and menus in Display Properties. This  
option allows you to take full advantage of the resolution/refresh  
rate capabilities of the video chip.  
Warning! Selecting a resolution or refresh rate that  
your monitor does not support can permanently  
damage the monitor.  
Check the monitor’s documentation and verify that it  
supports the selected resolution and refresh.  
Select from list  
Use resolution/refresh rate settings optimized for your specific  
monitor.  
Select your monitor from the displayed monitor list. To  
select your monitor, scroll to the manufacturer of your  
monitor and highlight the manufacturer in the list. Click on  
the + sign and select your monitor.  
A list on the right menu pane displays resolutions and -  
for each resolution - the maximum refresh rate, as  
supported by the selected monitor.  
If the current video mode (specified in the Settings  
dialog) is not supported by the selected monitor, the  
resolution/refresh rate setting will be automatically  
reduced.  
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your monitor  
selection.  
Using Your Fire GL 8800 33  
Select from list (continued)  
If the list does not display your monitor type and you have a  
disk from the monitor manufacturer, use the Have Disk button  
to import the monitor information to the internal monitor list.  
Click the Have Disk button, insert the disk, and select the  
directory or file containing information about your monitor.  
Then select your monitor and click the Apply or OK  
button.  
Click the Display FireGL Monitor List button to switch  
the displayed monitor list back from the manufacturer's  
disk to the internal monitor list..  
DDC Monitor  
Select this option and click the Apply or OK button if you want  
the driver to automatically decode the monitor's DDC (Display  
Data Channel) information on each reboot or Windows start.  
To detect a new DDC monitor immediately, click the Detect  
now button. An error message will be displayed if the  
connected monitor does not support DDC  
Refresh Frequency  
for Monitor 2 - the monitor connected to the DVI connector -  
only.  
Select the desired refresh rate. All refresh rates supported by  
the monitor for the currently selected resolution are displayed.  
NOTE: Use the Settings or (Windows) Monitor dialogs of the  
Display Properties to set the refresh rate for Monitor 1 - the  
monitor connected to the VGA connector  
4
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your monitor settings.  
34 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
Adjusting the Monitor Display  
Using this dialog you can adjust the display of the connected  
monitor(s). For more information on adjusting the monitor's display  
refer to the context sensitive online help.  
1
Windows NT 4.0: Select the Adjustment dialog in the  
Display Properties window.  
Windows 2000 / Windows XP: Select the Adjustment dialog  
via Display Properties > Settings > Advanced >  
Adjustment.  
     
Using Your Fire GL 8800 35  
2
Monitor Tuning:  
Monitor Tuning is available only for VGA monitors. If you  
have two monitors connected to the Fire GL 8800:  
Note Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector,  
Monitor 2 is the VGA monitor connected to the DVI  
connector.  
With the buttons in the Move and Size sections you can tune the  
position and size of the monitor's display for the indicated  
resolution and refresh rate  
(1) Use the hardware setting controls on your  
monitor, if available, to adjust your display size or  
position - instead of the software controls in  
'Adjustment - Monitor Tuning.' Check the  
documentation of your monitor for information on  
Notes  
your monitor's hardware controls  
(2) Resizing the display slightly changes the actual  
refresh rate. If you operate a fixed-frequency monitor  
check the documentation of your monitor for  
information on refresh rate tolerances.  
Sync Polarity: If you do not get a satisfactory display with the  
default sync polarity setting for the current resolution, you may  
try and change the settings.  
Undo: Click this button to undo the last change you made (when  
you clicked Apply). If you have made a modification that causes  
your screen to go blank or to be unreadable, the keyboard  
shortcut for ‘Undo’ is Alt-U.  
Default: Click this button to set the Monitor Tuning to the  
manufacturer's default settings.  
36 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
(1) Press the ESC key on your keyboard to undo the  
changes if your monitor has lost synchronization. You may  
also use the keyboard shortcut for ‘Undo’ - Alt-U.  
Notes  
(2) If you change the resolution (in Settings) and/or the  
refresh rate (in Monitor), you may need to re-adjust the  
monitor's display.  
3
Gamma Correction Adjustment: Adjust the monitor's  
gamma correction for optimal brightness with the red, green and  
blue slider bars.  
When these sliders are changed the gamma correction table  
modifies each pixel's color value.  
The Gamma Correction Adjustment settings apply to both  
monitors, if you have two monitors connected to the Fire GL  
8800.  
Note  
The brightness produced at the face of the display is proportional  
to the input voltage raised to the power gamma. This nonlinearity  
must be compensated to achieve correct reproduction of the  
image's brightness. The effect of display gamma is to darken the  
midtones relative to the dark and light regions. The gamma  
correction adjustment affects the entire screen display. The  
possible setting range is 0.3 - 4.0. The default setting is 1.0.  
With Link sliders selected, the three sliders move together as  
you drag any individual slider. With the check box unchecked,  
you can adjust colors individually by dragging the applicable  
slider.  
Click the >1< button - for each color - to set the gamma  
correction to the default value of 1.0.  
4
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your Adjustment  
settings.  
Using Your Fire GL 8800 37  
Configuring Application Profiles  
Use the Configuration dialog to customize application profiles for  
individual application settings.  
How to switch to the Configuration dialog?  
Windows NT 4.0: Select Display Properties > Configuration.  
Windows 2000 Windows XP: Select Display Properties >  
Settings > Advanced > Configuration.  
Activating a configuration profile:  
For some of the most popular applications the optimal configuration  
profile is factory-set by default. Select the application from the list in  
the Configuration Profiles section. This will add necessary  
Windows registry settings. Click Apply and, if prompted, restart  
Windows.  
If you experience problems with your application, or if you want to  
try to optimize the performance of your system on specific  
applications, you may modify the configuration settings.  
   
38 Using Your Fire GL 8800  
(1) The configuration default settings typically require  
modification only for the following:  
diagnostic purposes  
fine-tuning a specific application/system  
configuration  
specific settings recommended by your hardware or  
software documentation  
Notes  
tuning your application/system environment for best  
performance and memory usage  
(2) Only experienced users should modify the  
configuration settings  
 
Using Your Fire GL 8800 39  
Adding a new application profile:  
Click the Add button in the Configuration Profiles section and  
enter the new application for which you want to set the configuration  
parameters.  
Modifying the configuration parameters:  
To change the configuration settings of a specific application, for  
example, CATIA, select the application from the list in the  
Configuration Profiles section and click the Modify button. To  
remove the selected configuration profile completely, click Delete.  
Note: You cannot delete the factory-set configuration profiles.  
If you add or modify a configuration profile, select or clear the  
checkboxes the Settings section according to your requirements.  
Default Settings  
Enable 8-Bit double-buffered Overlay Planes  
Use 8 bits of each 32-bit frame buffer pixel as double-buffered  
overlay planes.  
Force copy swap  
Force blit copy from back to front buffer.  
Wait for vertical retrace  
Buffer swap 'synched' to vertical retrace. Enable this function for best  
picture quality. If you disable ‘Wait for vertical retrace’ you may  
experience visual artifacts such as tearing. However, this function  
may be disabled for performance benchmarking.  
Click the Apply or OK button to enable your Configuration  
settings.  
40  
CHAPTER 4  
Reference  
IN THIS CHAPTER  
Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers on  
page 40  
Troubleshooting on page 42  
Technical Details on page 45  
Removing the Fire GL 8800 Drivers  
This section describes how to properly remove your graphics card  
software from your system should you need to do so.  
(1) Before removing the Fire GL 8800 video driver, please  
close all open application programs and disable any anti-  
virus software that is running on your computer until the  
driver is removed.  
Notes  
(2) To install or uninstall the Fire GL 8800 drivers, you  
need administrator rights or you must be logged on as a  
user with administrator rights under Windows.  
1
2
From the Start menu, click Start > Programs > ATI FGL,  
Click ATI FGL Install/Uninstall. The ATI FGL Install dialog  
appears.  
   
Reference 41  
3
Click Add/Remove component.  
Select ATI Fire GL 8800 Video Accelerator and uncheck the  
checkbox  
Note: Make sure that only those components are unchecked that  
you want to remove now. (Click Back and Add/Remove  
component to select specific software components for  
removal.)  
4
5
Click Next. to remove the Fire GL 8800 driver  
Follow further instructions displayed on your screen.  
After you have removed the software according to the instructions,  
you may remove the hardware.  
1
2
Shut down your computer.  
Remove the computer case as outlined in the hardware  
installation instructions.  
3
4
Ground yourself by touching the power supply box.  
To remove the hardware, simply reverse the hardware  
installation procedures.  
42 Reference  
Troubleshooting  
Your board is a complex electronic device and can only be repaired  
by authorized technical personnel with special equipment. Do not  
attempt to change or repair any parts of this product. Doing so will  
render your warranty invalid.  
If you experience a problem using the Fire GL 8800, check the  
following sections for advice on how to solve your problem.  
Technical Support and FAQs  
You may find information on Technical Support, as well as  
Frequently Asked Questions and their answers at the web sites of  
No image appears on monitor when computer system is turned  
on  
Make sure that the Fire GL 8800 is firmly seated and lined up  
properly in its AGP slot, and that the monitor cable is firmly and  
correctly connected to the card. For more information, please  
Make sure that your computer and monitor are plugged into  
electrical outlets and receiving power.  
Is the monitor turned on and receiving power?  
Screen image defects appear  
Check if your monitor supports the resolution, horizontal (kHz) and  
vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required by the graphics card.  
Check for your current resolution, refresh rate, and color depth  
settings in the Settings and Monitor dialogs of the Display  
Properties.  
Warning! Be sure that both video card and monitor support  
resolution and refresh rates you select. Incompatible  
resolution/refresh rate selection may result in monitor  
damage. Refer to your monitor's documentation for  
recommended resolutions and refresh rates.  
     
Reference 43  
Screen image is off-center, color balance is wrong, or there is  
no picture  
Try adjusting the brightness, sharpness, contrast, and color  
balance controls of your monitor.  
Try adjusting the centering and positioning controls of your  
monitor to position the picture on the screen.  
Note: The Monitor Tuning settings in Display Properties >  
Adjustment tune the position of the picture on the screen via  
the video signal.  
Set the monitor’s RGB inputs (and sync switches, if this option  
is available) to 75 Ohms, with the sync set to external.  
Operating system warns that the video card is not configured  
properly  
Check the driver installation and make sure that all software is  
correctly loaded corresponding to your operating system and  
applications. For more information, please see Installing the  
Set Windows back to ‘Standard VGA’ and re-install the Fire GL  
8800 drivers.  
How to enable a two-monitor desktop?  
1
You need two monitors connected to the card.  
Both monitors must be switched on when you start your  
computer.  
2
Check the DualScreen page of the Display Properties. Make  
sure that Disable Secondary Monitor is not checked.  
44 Reference  
Checking for address and interrupt conflicts  
It is necessary to ensure that the I/O and memory addresses  
reserved for the graphics board are not used by other  
hardware devices.  
The integrated on-board VGA controller of your Fire GL 8800  
uses the following addresses (hex):  
I/O Address:  
Standard VGA I/O: 3B0-3DF  
Memory Addresses:  
Video RAM: A000-BFFF  
Video ROM: C000-C7FF  
Note: You cannot change the addresses of your Fire GL 8800.  
In case of an address conflict, try to modify the I/O address of  
the add-on card that causes the conflict.  
Resolving Interrupt Conflicts  
To support the special graphics processor on the Fire GL 8800 the  
system BIOS should automatically assign a system interrupt to the  
AGP slot where the card is installed. However, there may be  
problems if your graphics card does not receive an interrupt or a  
system interrupt is used for more than one device. In case of  
problems check the system configuration utility of your operating  
system for the interrupt assignments.  
Reference 45  
Technical Details  
Features and Performance on page 45  
Pin Assignments on page 47  
Video Modes on page 49  
Features and Performance  
General  
Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000, Windows® XP  
Operating  
environment  
Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD® K6/Athlon® or  
compatible  
System  
requirements  
FCC/DOC, ICES-003, CE/DOC, SMA C-Tick, MIC,  
BSMI, VCCI  
Certifications  
Dimensions  
Length: 174.6 mm (6.9 inches)  
Width: 108.0 mm (4.25 inches)  
+ 3.3 Volts DC: 15 Watts maximum  
+ 5 Volts DC: 5 Watts maximum  
+ 12 Volts DC: 4 Watts maximum  
Power  
requirements  
     
46 Reference  
Functional  
Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000,  
Windows® XP  
System  
AGP 2x or AGP 4x/2x  
Bus System  
RADEONTM 8800 GPU  
Graphic  
controller  
Fire GL 8800 /64 MB: 64 MB SDRAM  
Fire GL 8800 /128 MB: 128 MB SDRAM  
Video memory  
BIOS  
128 Kbyte BIOS FlashROM, reprogrammable by  
software, 3.3 V  
30-bit Palette DAC  
DAC speed : 400 MHz  
Digital/analog  
converter  
256 bit – graphics core  
128 bit – memory interface  
Data width  
VGA output connector: 15-pin D-shell, female  
DVI-I output connector: analog and digital output,  
female  
Connectors  
Separate horizontal and vertical sync at TTL  
levels  
H/V Sync output  
signals  
The Fire GL 8800 graphics accelerator is 100%  
IBM VGA compatible and occupies the same  
memory area and specific addresses in the I/O  
range. The memory range above 1 MB is  
automatically assigned through the PCI BIOS  
interface  
Fire GL 8800  
card addresses  
I/O addresses: 3B0 – 3DF (Standard VGA i/O)  
Video RAM: A000-BFFF  
Video ROM: C000-C7FF  
Reference 47  
3D Performance  
Test system: Intel P4 1.5 GHz, single processor, 512 MB Rambus  
12.5 Million antialiased 3D 10-pixel vectors per second  
29.1 Million 3D 10-pixel vectors per second, non-antialiased  
45.1 Million 1-pixel triangles per second  
12.3 Million 25-pixel triangles per second, Gouraud-shaded, Z-  
buffered, non-textured  
12.3 Million 25-pixel triangles per second, Trilinear Texture,  
Mip-mapped  
1.06 Giga Pixels/second fill rate, Gouraud shaded, Z-buffered,  
non-textured  
1.06 Giga Pixels/second Trilinear Texture fill rate (Mip  
mapped)  
Pin Assignments  
VGA Output Connector  
Pin Function  
Pin  
Function  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Red  
9
+ 5V (fused 750 mA)  
ground (sync return)  
not connected  
Green  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
Blue  
not connected  
ground (analog)  
Red Return (ground)  
Green Return (ground)  
Blue Return (ground)  
SDA (DDC Data)  
Horizontal Sync (+)  
Vertical Sync (-)  
SCL (DDC Clock)  
   
48 Reference  
Pin Function  
DVI-I Output Connector  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
T.M.D.S. Data2-  
T.M.D.S. Data2+  
T.M.D.S. Data2/4 Shield  
T.M.D.S. Data4-  
T.M.D.S. Data4+  
DDC Clock  
DDC Data  
Analog Vertical Sync  
T.M.D.S. Data1-  
10 T.M.D.S. Data1+  
11 T.M.D.S. Data1/3 Shield  
12 T.M.D.S. Data3-  
13 T.M.D.S. Data3+  
14 + 5V Power  
DVI: Digital Visual Interface  
DDC: Display Data Channel  
15 ground (for + 5V)  
16 Hot Plug Detect  
17 T.M.D.S. Data0-  
18 T.M.D.S. Data0+  
19 T.M.D.S. Data0/5 Shield  
20 T.M.D.S. Data5-  
21 T.M.D.S. Data5+  
22 T.M.D.S. Clock Shield  
23 T.M.D.S. Clock+  
24 T.M.D.S. Clock-  
T.M.D.S: Transition Minimized  
Differential Signal  
MicroCross Pins:  
C1 Analog Red Video Out  
C2 Analog Green Video Out  
C3 Analog Blue Video Out  
C4 Analog Horizontal Sync  
C5 Analog Common Ground  
Return (Red, Green, Blue  
Video Out)  
Reference 49  
Video Modes  
All video modes comply with VESA DMT (Discrete Monitor  
Timing) or VESA GTF (General Timing Format) standards. The Fire  
GL 8800 supports HiColor, 16-bit modes and TrueColor, 32-bit (24  
color, 8 α) modes. There is no support for 8-bit modes.  
Analog and digital monitors with 15-pin VGA connector –  
single monitor  
Resolution  
Line Frequency  
(kHz)  
Refresh Rate  
(Hz)  
Color  
Depth  
(Bits)  
640 x 480  
800 x 600  
1024 x 768  
1152 x 864  
1280 x 960  
31.5, 37.5, 43.3, 50.9 60, 75, 85, 100, 16 / 32  
37.7, 46.9, 54.1, 63.9 60, 75, 85, 100  
48.4, 60.0, 68.7, 80.8 60, 75, 85, 100  
53.7, 67.5, 77.1, 91.5 60, 75, 85, 100  
60.0, 75.1, 85.7, 101.7 60, 75, 85, 100  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
1280 x 1024 64.0, 80.0, 91.1, 107.0 60, 75, 85, 100  
1600 x 1000 62.1, 78.3, 89.2, 105.9 60, 75, 85, 100  
1600 x 1024* 63.6, 80.2, 81.3, 91.4, 60, 75, 76, 85,  
107.5  
100  
1600 x 1200 75.0, 93.8, 106.3  
1792 x 1344 83.6, 106.3, 119.9  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
1920x1080** 67.1, 84.6, 96.4, 114.4 60, 75, 85, 100  
1920 x 1200* 74.5, 94.0, 95.0,  
107.1, 127.1  
60, 75, 76, 85,  
100  
2048 x 1536 95.3, 120.2, 137.0  
60, 75, 85  
16 / 32  
*: Wide Screen Aspect Ratio Mode (16:10)  
**: Wide Screen Aspect Ratio Mode (16:9)  
   
50 Reference  
Digital Monitors with DVI connector – single monitor  
Resolution  
Refresh Rate (Hz)  
Color Depth (Bits)  
16 / 32  
640 x 480  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60  
800 x 600  
16 / 32  
1024 x 768  
1152 x 864  
1280 x 960  
1280 x 1024  
1600 x 1000  
1600 x 1024*  
1600 x 1200  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
60  
16 / 32  
60  
16 / 32  
Dual Screen - 2 Monitors with VGA connector  
Resolution  
Refresh Rates (Hz)  
Color Depth  
(Bits)  
Dual  
Monitor 1  
Monitor 2  
640 x 480  
800 x 600  
1024 x 768  
1280 x 1024  
1600 x 1200  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100 16 / 32  
60, 75, 85, 100 16 / 32  
60, 75, 85, 100 16 / 32  
60, 75, 85  
60  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector  
Monitor 2 is the monitor connected to the DVI connector  
Reference 51  
Dual Screen -  
Resolution  
1 Monitor with VGA connector and  
1 Monitor with DVI connector  
Refresh Rates (Hz)  
Color Depth  
(Bits)  
Dual  
Monitor 1  
Monitor 2  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60, 75  
60  
640 x 480  
800 x 600  
1024 x 768  
1280 x 1024  
1600 x 1200  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
60, 75, 85, 100  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
16 / 32  
Monitor 1 is the monitor connected to the VGA connector  
Monitor 2 is the monitor connected to the DVI connector  
52 Reference  
Compliance Information  
FCC Compliance Information  
FCC - DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY  
FOR A CLASS B DIGITAL DEVICE  
We, the Responsible Party  
ATI Research Inc.- Fire GL Graphics  
4 Mount Royal Avenue, Marlborough, MA  
01752-1978 USA; Phone: (508) 303-3900  
declare that the product Fire GL 8800 AGP  
complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. The compliance with those  
standards is confirmed in an accreditation certificate.  
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:  
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and  
(2) This device must accept any interference received, including  
interference that may cause undesired operation.  
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the  
graphics card is required to ensure compliance with FCC  
regulations.  
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by  
the party responsible for compliance could void the user's  
authority to operate this equipment  
Industry Canada Compliance Statement  
ICES-003  
This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian  
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.  
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences  
du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.  
   
Reference 53  
CE Compliance Information  
EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendments 91/263/EEC,  
92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC, Class B Digital Device  
EN 55022:1998/CISPR 22 Class B, Limits and Methods of  
Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics Information  
Technology Equipment.  
EN 55024:1998, Immunity of Information Technology Equipment  
(ITE), including  
EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5,  
EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11  
EN 60950:92 + A1:93 + A2:93 +A3:95 + A4:97  
Directive EMC 89/336/CEE et amendements 91/263/CEE,  
92/31/CEE et 93/68/CEE, dispositif numérique de Classe B  
EN 55022 :1998/CISPR 22 Classe B, Limites et méthodes de mesure  
des caractéristiques d'interférences radiophoniques, Matériel des  
technologies de l'information.  
EN 55024:1998, Norme sur l'immunité de matériel des technologies  
de l'information, et comprenant  
EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5,  
EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11  
EN 60950:92 + A1:93 + A2:93 +A3:95 + A4:97  
EMC Richtlinie 89/336/EEC und Änderungen 91/263/EEC,  
92/31/EEC und 93/68/EEC, Digitales Gerät der Klasse B  
EN 55022:1998/CISPR 22 Klasse B, Beschränkungen und Verfahren  
der Messung von informationstechnischen Ausrüstungen mit  
Funkstörmerkmalen  
EN 55024:1998, Unempfindlichkeits-Standard für  
informationstechnische Ausrüstungen, einschliesslich  
EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5,  
EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11  
EN 60950:92 + A1:93 + A2:93 +A3:95 + A4:97  
54 Reference  
VCCI Class B ITE Compliance Information  

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