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Plantronics Colorplus

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Plantronics Colorplus
Plantronics Colorplus video card.
Release date1982; 43 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,[1] first sold in 1982. It is 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.[2] It was produced by Frederick Electronics, of Frederick, Maryland.

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.[3]

It uses the same Motorola MC6845 display controller as the previous MDA and CGA adapters.[2]

The original card also includes a parallel printer port.

Output capabilities

Simulated image as displayed using Plantronics 640x400 with 4 colors graphics resolution, corrected for aspect ratio.
Simulated image as displayed using Plantronics 320x200 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:[3]

  • 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[1] listed the following software as compatible:

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.[6]
  • Benedikt Freisen produced updated drivers in 2021 that add Colorplus support to Sierra's adventure games that ran on Sierra's Creative Interpreter.[7]
  • FastDoom, a port of Doom (1993 video game) developed by Victor Nieto, added support for ColorPlus 320 × 200 with 16 colors mode in 2021.[8]

Hardware clones

Some third-party CGA and EGA clones, such as the ATI Graphics Solution and the Paradise AutoSwitch EGA 480,[9] could emulate the extra modes (usually describing them simply as 'Plantronics mode').

The Thomson TO16 (a PC-XT compatible)[10] and the Olivetti M19 supported Plantronics modes,[11] along with CGA.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Colorplus High Resolution Color Graphics Adapter from Plantronics. Frederick Electronics. 1984.
  2. ^ a b Machrone, Bill (July 1983). "Three Alternative Graphics Boards". PC Magazine. pp. 435–438.
  3. ^ a b Elliott, John (March 28, 2015). "Plantronics ColorPlus Notes". John Elliott's homepage. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  4. ^ "Business Graphics System". PC Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 12. June 11, 1985. p. 203.
  5. ^ Berry, Bob (1993). "CompuShow v8.60 Documentation". cd.textfiles.com. Canyon State Systems.
  6. ^ Murray, David (19 February 2019). "Planet X3 is Here! And with new video modes!". The 8-Bit Guy. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  7. ^ Freisen, Benedikt (2022-12-13), FOSS SCI Drivers, retrieved 2023-01-24
  8. ^ Nieto, Victor (Aug 16, 2021). "FastDoom 0.8.7 release notes". FastDoom at GitHub.com. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  9. ^ Hart, Glenn (December 22, 1987). "EGA Plus Cards: VGA res for EGA monitors". PC Magazine. p. 218.
  10. ^ "Ordinateur : Le Thomson TO16 XP HD". Association MO5.COM (in French). 2007.
  11. ^ Caratteristiche techniche Personal Computer M19 (PDF) (in Italian). Olivetti. March 1986.
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