Plantronics Colorplus

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Short description: Graphics card for IBM PC computers
Plantronics Colorplus
Plantronics Colorplus video card.
Release date1982; 42 years ago (1982)
ArchitectureMotorola MC6845
Cards
Entry-levelPlantronics Colorplus
High-endATI Graphics Solution, Paradise AutoSwitch EGA 480
History
PredecessorCGA
SuccessorEGA

The Plantronics Colorplus is a graphics card for IBM PC computers, first sold in 1982. It implements a superset of the then-current CGA standard, using the same monitor standard (4-bit digital TTL RGBI monitor) and providing the same pixel resolutions.[1] It was produced by Frederick Electronics (of Frederick, Maryland), a subsidiary of Plantronics since 1968, and sold by Plantronics' Enhanced Graphics Products division.[2][3]

The Colorplus has twice the memory of a standard CGA board (32k, compared to 16k). The additional memory can be used in graphics modes to double the color depth, giving two additional graphics modes—16 colors at 320×200 resolution, or 4 colors at 640×200 resolution.[4]

It uses the same Motorola MC6845 display controller as the previous MDA and CGA adapters.[1]

The original card also includes a parallel printer port.

Output capabilities

Simulated image as displayed using Plantronics 640×200 with 4 colors graphics resolution, corrected for aspect ratio
Simulated image as displayed using Plantronics 320×200 with 16 colors graphics resolution, corrected for aspect ratio

CGA compatible modes:

  • 160×100 16 color mode (actual a text mode using , ▌, ▐ and █)
  • 320×200 in 4 colors from a 16 color hardware palette. Pixel aspect ratio of 1:1.2.
  • 640×200 in 2 colors. Pixel aspect ratio of 1:2.4
  • 40 × 25 with 8 × 8 pixel font text mode (effective resolution of 320×200)
  • 80 × 25 with 8 × 8 pixel font text mode (effective resolution of 640×200)

In addition to the CGA modes, it offers:[4]

  • 320×200 with 16 colors
  • 640×200 with 4 colors
  • "New high-resolution" text font, selectable by hardware jumper

The "new" font was actually the unused "thin" font already present in the IBM CGA ROMs, with 1-pixel wide vertical strokes. This offered greater clarity on RGB monitors, versus the default "thick" / 2-pixel font more suitable for output to composite monitors and over RF to televisions but, contrary to Plantronics' advertising claims, was drawn at the same 8 × 8 pixel resolution.

Software support

Few software made use of the enhanced Plantronics modes, for which there was no BIOS support.

A 1984 advertisement[2] listed the following software as compatible:

  • Color-It
  • UCSD P-system
  • Peachtree Graphics Language
  • Business Graphics System[5]
  • Graph Power
  • The Draftsman
  • Videogram
  • Stock View
  • GSX
  • CompuShow (320×200 mode)[6]

Some contemporary software has added support for Plantronics modes:

  • Planet X3, released by American YouTuber David "The 8-Bit Guy" Murray in 2019, was the first video game known to have Colorplus support (320×200 with 16 colors). This support was added by Planet X3 enthusiast Benedikt Freisen.[7]
  • Attack of the Petscii Robots by American YouTuber David "The 8-Bit Guy" in 2020, ported to MS-DOS computers with a graphics mode providing support for Plantronics Plus.
  • Benedikt Freisen produced updated drivers in 2021 that add Colorplus support to Sierra's adventure games that ran on Sierra's Creative Interpreter.[8]
  • FastDoom, a port of Doom (1993 video game) developed by Victor Nieto, added support for ColorPlus 320×200 with 16 colors mode in 2021.[9]

Hardware clones

Some third-party CGA and EGA clones, such as the ATI Graphics Solution and the Paradise AutoSwitch EGA 480,[10] could emulate the extra modes (usually describing them simply as 'Plantronics mode').

The Thomson TO16 (a PC-XT compatible)[11] and the Olivetti M19 supported Plantronics modes,[12] along with CGA.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Machrone, Bill (July 1983). "Three Alternative Graphics Boards". PC Magazine: pp. 435–438. https://books.google.com/books?id=V2588uIxmAQC&dq=%22Orchid+Graphics+Adapter%22+-wiki&pg=PA435. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 (in English) Colorplus High Resolution Color Graphics Adapter from Plantronics. Frederick Electronics. 1984. http://archive.org/details/1984-colorplus-plantronics. 
  3. ↑ Staff writer (July 1, 1975). "Modern industries heart of area economy". The News (Frederick, Maryland): 4, 8. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-modern-industries-heart-of-area/128178246/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Elliott, John (March 28, 2015). "Plantronics ColorPlus Notes". https://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/plantronics.html. 
  5. ↑ "Business Graphics System". PC Magazine 4 (12): pp. 203. June 11, 1985. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFw924nLBSoC&pg=PA203. 
  6. ↑ Berry, Bob (1993). "CompuShow v8.60 Documentation". Canyon State Systems. http://cd.textfiles.com/clipart1996/UTILS/CSHOW860/ABOUT860.TXT. 
  7. ↑ Murray, David (19 February 2019). "Planet X3 is Here! And with new video modes!". http://www.the8bitguy.com/4032/where-is-planet-x3/. Retrieved 6 September 2019. 
  8. ↑ Freisen, Benedikt (2022-12-13), FOSS SCI Drivers, https://github.com/roybaer/foss_sci_drivers, retrieved 2023-01-24 
  9. ↑ Nieto, Victor (Aug 16, 2021). "FastDoom 0.8.7 release notes". https://github.com/viti95/FastDoom/releases/tag/0.8.7. Retrieved 18 November 2022. 
  10. ↑ Hart, Glenn (December 22, 1987). "EGA Plus Cards: VGA res for EGA monitors". PC Magazine: pp. 218. https://books.google.com/books?id=gC-DsOtl2MgC&pg=PA218. 
  11. ↑ "Ordinateur : Le Thomson TO16 XP HD" (in fr). 2007. http://mo5.com/musee-machines-thomsonto16xphd.html. 
  12. ↑ (in Italian) Caratteristiche techniche Personal Computer M19. Olivetti. March 1986. https://www.sba.unipi.it/sites/default/files/10.pdf. 

External links



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