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source: vbox/trunk/src/VBox/Devices/Graphics/BIOS/vbe_display_api.txt@ 63594

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1VBE Display API
2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 This document is part of the Bochs/VBEBios documentation,
4 it specifies the bochs host <-> vbebios client communication.
5
6 That means, the display code implementation and the vbebios code depend
7 very heavily on each other. As such, this documents needs be synchronised
8 between bochs CVS and the vgabios CVS.
9
10 This document does not describe how the VBEBios implements the VBE2/3 spec.
11 This document does not describe how the Bochs display code will display gfx based upon this spec.
12
13
14API History
15-----------
160xb0c0 supports the following VBE_DISPI_ interfaces (present in Bochs 1.4):
17 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ID
18 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_XRES
19 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_YRES
20 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BPP
21 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE
22 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BANK
23
24 Bpp format supported is:
25 VBE_DISPI_BPP_8
26
270xb0c1 supports 0xb0c0 VBE_DISPI_ interfaces, additional interfaces (present in Bochs 2.0):
28 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_VIRT_WIDTH
29 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_VIRT_HEIGHT
30 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_X_OFFSET
31 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_Y_OFFSET
32
330xb0c2 supports 0xb0c1 VBE_DISPI_ interfaces, interfaces updated for
34 additional features (present in Bochs 2.1):
35 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BPP supports >8bpp color depth (value = bits)
36 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE supports new flags VBE_DISPI_NOCLEARMEM and VBE_DISPI_LFB_ENABLED
37 VBE i/o registers changed from 0xFF80/81 to 0x01CE/CF
38
390xb0c3 supports 0xb0c2 VBE_DISPI_ interfaces, interfaces updated for
40 additional features:
41 VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE supports new flags VBE_DISPI_GETCAPS and VBE_DISPI_8BIT_DAC
42
430xb0c4 VBE video memory increased to 8 MB
44
45
46History
47-------
48 Version 0.6 2002 Nov 23 Jeroen Janssen
49 - Added LFB support
50 - Added Virt width, height and x,y offset
51
52 Version 0.5 2002 March 08 Jeroen Janssen
53 - Added documentation about panic behaviour / current limits of the data values.
54 - Changed BPP API (in order to include future (A)RGB formats)
55 - Initial version (based upon extended display text of the vbe bochs display patch)
56
57
58Todo
59----
60 Version 0.6+ [random order]
61 - Add lots of different (A)RGB formats
62
63References
64----------
65 [VBE3] VBE 3 Specification at
66 http://www.vesa.org/vbe3.pdf
67
68 [BOCHS] Bochs Open Source IA-32 Emulator at
69 http://bochs.sourceforge.net
70
71 [VBEBIOS] VBE Bios for Bochs at
72 http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/vgabios/
73
74 [Screenshots] Screenshots of programs using the VBE Bios at
75 http://japj.org/projects/bochs_plex86/screenshots.html
76
77Abbreviations
78-------------
79 VBE Vesa Bios Extension
80 DISPI (Bochs) Display Interface
81 BPP Bits Per Pixel
82 LFB Linear Frame Buffer
83
84
85#defines
86--------
87vbetables-gen.c
88 #define VBE_DISPI_TOTAL_VIDEO_MEMORY_MB 8
89
90vbe.h
91 #define VBE_DISPI_BANK_ADDRESS 0xA0000
92 #define VBE_DISPI_BANK_SIZE_KB 64
93
94 #define VBE_DISPI_MAX_XRES 1024
95 #define VBE_DISPI_MAX_YRES 768
96
97 #define VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_INDEX 0x01CE
98 #define VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_DATA 0x01CF
99
100 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ID 0x0
101 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_XRES 0x1
102 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_YRES 0x2
103 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BPP 0x3
104 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE 0x4
105 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BANK 0x5
106 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_VIRT_WIDTH 0x6
107 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_VIRT_HEIGHT 0x7
108 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_X_OFFSET 0x8
109 #define VBE_DISPI_INDEX_Y_OFFSET 0x9
110
111 #define VBE_DISPI_ID0 0xB0C0
112 #define VBE_DISPI_ID1 0xB0C1
113 #define VBE_DISPI_ID2 0xB0C2
114 #define VBE_DISPI_ID3 0xB0C3
115 #define VBE_DISPI_ID4 0xB0C4
116
117 #define VBE_DISPI_DISABLED 0x00
118 #define VBE_DISPI_ENABLED 0x01
119 #define VBE_DISPI_VBE_ENABLED 0x40
120 #define VBE_DISPI_NOCLEARMEM 0x80
121
122 #define VBE_DISPI_LFB_PHYSICAL_ADDRESS 0xE0000000
123
124API
125---
126 The display api works by using a index (VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_INDEX) and
127 data (VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_DATA) ioport. One writes the index of the parameter to the index port.
128 Next, the parameter value can be read or written.
129
130[0xb0c0]
131 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ID : WORD {R,W}
132 This parameter can be used to detect the current display API (both bochs & vbebios).
133 The bios writes VBE_DISPI_ID0 to the dataport and reads it back again.
134 This way, the display code knows the vbebios 'ID' and the vbebios can check if the correct
135 display code is present.
136 As a result, a PANIC can be generated if an incompatible vbebios/display code combination is detected.
137 This panic can be generated from the bochs display code (NOT the bios, see Notes).
138
139 Example values: VBE_DISPI_ID0
140
141 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_XRES : WORD {R,W}
142 This parameter can be used to read/write the vbe display X resolution (in pixels).
143 It's illegal to set the XRES when the VBE is enabled (display code should generate PANIC).
144
145 If the value written exceeds VBE_DISPI_MAX_XRES, the display code needs to generate a PANIC.
146
147 Example values: 320,640,800,1024
148
149 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_YRES : WORD {R,W}
150 This parameter can be used to read/write the vbe display Y resolution (in pixels).
151 It's illegal to set the YRES when the VBE is enabled (display code should generate PANIC).
152
153 If the value written exceeds VBE_DISPI_MAX_YRES, the display code needs to generate a PANIC.
154
155 Example values: 200,400,480,600,768
156
157 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BPP : WORD {R,W}
158 This parameter can be used to read/write the vbe display BPP.
159 It's illegal to set the BPP when the VBE is enabled (display code should generate PANIC).
160
161 If the value written is an incompatible BPP, the display code needs to generate a PANIC.
162
163 Example values: VBE_DISPI_BPP_8
164
165 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE : WORD {R,W}
166 This parameter can be used to read/write the vbe ENABLED state.
167 If the bios writes VBE_DISPI_ENABLED then the display code will setup a hostside display mode
168 with the current XRES, YRES and BPP settings.
169 If the bios write VBE_DISPI_DISABLED then the display code will switch back to normal vga mode behaviour.
170
171 Example values: VBE_DISPI_ENABLED, VBE_DISPI_DISABLED
172
173 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BANK : WORD {R,W}
174 This parameter can be used to read/write the current selected BANK (at 0xA0000).
175 This can be used for switching banks in banked mode.
176
177[0xb0c1]
178 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_VIRT_WIDTH : WORD {R,W}
179 This parameter can be used to read/write the current virtual width.
180 Upon enabling a mode, this will be set to the current xres
181 Setting this field during enabled mode will result in the virtual width to be changed.
182 Value will be adjusted if current setting is not possible.
183
184 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_VIRT_HEIGHT : WORD {R}
185 This parameter can be read in order to obtain the current virtual height.
186 This setting will be adjusted after setting a virtual width in order to stay within limit of video memory.
187
188 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_X_OFFSET : WORD {R,W}
189 The current X offset (in pixels!) of the visible screen part.
190 Writing a new offset will also result in a complete screen refresh.
191
192 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_Y_OFFSET : WORD {R,W}
193 The current Y offset (in pixels!) of the visible screen part.
194 Writing a new offset will also result in a complete screen refresh.
195
196
197[0xb0c2]
198 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_BPP : WORD {R,W}
199 The value written is now the number of bits per pixel. A value of 0 is treated
200 the same as 8 for backward compatibilty. These values are supported: 8, 15,
201 16, 24 and 32. The value of 4 is not yet handled in the VBE code.
202 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE : WORD {R,W}
203 The new flag VBE_DISPI_NOCLEARMEM allows to preserve the VBE video memory.
204 The new flag VBE_DISPI_LFB_ENABLED indicates the usage of the LFB.
205
206[0xb0c3]
207 * VBE_DISPI_INDEX_ENABLE : WORD {R,W}
208 If the new flag VBE_DISPI_GETCAPS is enabled, the xres, yres and bpp registers
209 return the gui capabilities.
210 The new flag VBE_DISPI_8BIT_DAC switches the DAC to 8 bit mode.
211
212[0xb0c4]
213 * VBE_DISPI_TOTAL_VIDEO_MEMORY_MB set to 8 (moved to auto-generated vbetables.h)
214
215Displaying GFX (banked mode)
216--------------
217 What happens is that the total screen is devided in banks of 'VBE_DISPI_BANK_SIZE_KB' KiloByte in size.
218 If you want to set a pixel you can calculate its bank by doing:
219
220 offset = pixel_x + pixel_y * resolution_x;
221 bank = offset / 64 Kb (rounded 1.9999 -> 1)
222
223 bank_pixel_pos = offset - bank * 64Kb
224
225 Now you can set the current bank and put the pixel at VBE_DISPI_BANK_ADDRESS + bank_pixel_pos
226
227Displaying GFX (linear frame buffer mode)
228--------------
229 NOT WRITTEN YET
230
231Notes
232-----
233 * Since the XRES/YRES/BPP may not be written when VBE is enabled, if you want to switch from one VBE mode
234 to another, you will need to disable VBE first.
235
236 * Note when the bios doesn't find a valid DISPI_ID, it can disable the VBE functions. This allows people to
237 use the same bios for both vbe enabled and disabled bochs executables.
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