Intel releases graphics documentation

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f0dder

Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 3170
Location: Denmark

f0dder

Good news for OS developers and open-source driver writers: intel has released documentation (and that's documentation, not just source code!) for their integrated graphics platform!

Here's the list of chipsets covered by documentation:

Quote:

Short name Full name
G35 Intel® G35 Express Chipset
Q35 Intel® Q35 Express Chipset
Q33 Intel® Q33 Express Chipset
G33 Intel® G33 Express Chipset
965GM Mobile Intel® GM965 Express Chipset
965G G965 Integrated Graphics Controller
965Q Q963/Q965 Integrated Graphics Controller
946GZ 946GZ/GL Integrated Graphics Controller
945G 945G Integrated Graphics Controller
945GM Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller
915G 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family Graphics Controller
915GM Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller
865G 82865G Integrated Graphics Controller
855GM 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device
845G 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device
i830M 82830 Chipset Graphics Controller
815 82815 Chipset Graphics Controller
810 82810 Chipset Graphics Controller
810-DC100 82810-M DC-100 System and Graphics Controller

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01 Feb 2008, 14:05

Madis731

Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 2139
Location: Estonia

Madis731

BIG WOW!!!

Quote:

...register documentation on their R500 and R600 GPUs. These newly released documents by Intel even cover 3D and video programming for their IGPs...

Seems like they're fighting for better open-source support Very Happy

01 Feb 2008, 15:29

f0dder

Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 3170
Location: Denmark

f0dder

You clipped the quote a bit too early - the R500 and R600 refers to AMD/ATI releasing stuff (does anybody have an URL?) but only 2D stuff (they're cleaning up patent/whatever issues before they release 3D), and obviously only for a few of their chips; notably they won't be releasing stuff for HDMI/HDCP capable cards yet, because of DRM issues.

01 Feb 2008, 15:49

bitRAKE

Joined: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 3290
Location: vpcmipstrm

bitRAKE

The documentation is for "Intel® 965 Express Chipset Family and Intel® G35 Express Chipset Graphics Controller PRM". Only source code for other hardware. I do hope there is much backward compatitiblity as I have a 915GM - time will tell.

01 Feb 2008, 19:20

f0dder

Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 3170
Location: Denmark

f0dder

Hm, the list from their site (which I've quoted) says "915GM Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller", but that might be an error?

02 Feb 2008, 02:20

bitRAKE

Joined: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 3290
Location: vpcmipstrm

bitRAKE

The important piece missing from your quote:

Quote:

Supported Hardware
The Linux graphics drivers from Intel support the following Intel® chipsets:

Makes all the difference. The documentation doesn't distinguish the features based on model.

02 Feb 2008, 06:47

f0dder

Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 3170
Location: Denmark

f0dder

Ah, bummer.

03 Feb 2008, 23:27

Madis731

Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 2139
Location: Estonia

Madis731

f0dder wrote:

Ah, bummer.

I tend to disagree - there's enough reading for my lifetime 497+366+338+526=1727 pages of technical text Very Happy

If I finish, there's a lot more info to be read by that time Wink

Btw, does anyone know how to order paperback copies of these?

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05 Feb 2008, 14:45

vid
Verbosity in development

Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Posts: 7105
Location: Slovakia

vid

Madis731: how do you read intel manuals then? you got to get some "overview" first, and then you'll know where to look for part that interests you.

05 Feb 2008, 15:25

edfed

Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 4252
Location: Now

edfed

anybody know why intel make always manuals so... FAT?
is it to discourage little non commercial devellopers or what?

IA manual:
up to 800 page per volume
needed:
only 50 compressed pages.

05 Feb 2008, 15:55

revolution
When all else fails, read the source

Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 18182
Location: In your JS exploiting you and your system

revolution

edfed wrote:

anybody know why intel make always manuals so... FAT?
is it to discourage little non commercial devellopers or what?

IA manual:
up to 800 page per volume
needed:
only 50 compressed pages.

What do you mean? There are a lot of important little details that have to be included to make it useful as a technical reference. If you want just a simplification then buy one of the commercially available books written by independent authors not so focussed on the nitty-gritty.

05 Feb 2008, 15:59

bitRAKE

Joined: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 3290
Location: vpcmipstrm

bitRAKE

Intel is very thorough and all the information I need is no doubt in the documentation I have. This is far far better than Nvidia or ATI is doing currently.

Usually, it is presented from several perspectives: hardware signaling, startup software, general use, compatibility (legacy support). This creates overlap in the material covered. Since Intel produces their own boards they have a solid understanding of what is required for that process, imho.

05 Feb 2008, 16:20

vid
Verbosity in development

Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Posts: 7105
Location: Slovakia

vid

Quote:

needed:
only 50 compressed pages.

Bullshit.

05 Feb 2008, 16:27

edfed

Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 4252
Location: Now

edfed

one page per feature. it's largelly enough.
one day, i'll prouve that, you'll see...the revenge of simplifior, the new super hero! Embarassed

intel developpers manual are more repetitive than anything else.
for exemple, you see many times the definition of linear address space.
and font is big. and the frames are large, efficient text and explanation is ~10% of the total documentation.

Last edited by edfed on 05 Feb 2008, 16:40; edited 1 time in total

05 Feb 2008, 16:36

bitRAKE

Joined: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 3290
Location: vpcmipstrm

bitRAKE

Quite the learning curve! I'm happy to take small bytes... Shocked

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05 Feb 2008, 16:39

f0dder

Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 3170
Location: Denmark

f0dder

bitRAKE: so in effect, you need to read 10x the material of "just" the graphics documentation in order to understand it? Razz

I'm certain that you can get away with a lot less, though, if you're only going to focus on a subset of the graphics documentation; at least I hope so, because we need to extract "just enough" information to set modes / detect current mode... a tiny amount of accelerated 2D wouldn't hurt, either, but is not required.

05 Feb 2008, 23:40

Madis731

Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 2139
Location: Estonia

Madis731

f0dder wrote:

notably they won't be releasing stuff for HDMI/HDCP capable cards yet, because of DRM issues.

Volume 3 says something:
2.5.6 DPLLAMD—DPLL A SDVO/HDMI Multiplier/Divisor Register
Very Happy

me like it very much!

I didn't search for HDMI specifically, but just tried to find MUL. Then I found it by accident. Still there's a lot to read - I'm only 35pages through VOL1 Wink

Btw, look at volume 4 page 415 and you will find all of the instruction set.

06 Feb 2008, 08:41

f0dder

Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 3170
Location: Denmark

f0dder

Cute

HDMI doesn't necessarily imply HDCP, though, does it? And I was referring to AMD/ATI, not intel...

06 Feb 2008, 12:11

bitRAKE

Joined: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 3290
Location: vpcmipstrm

bitRAKE

That is from the ICH-6 docs - which I'm currently wading through.

http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/915g/documentation915g.htm

06 Feb 2008, 15:40

Madis731

Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 2139
Location: Estonia

Madis731

@f0dder - sorry, didn't read carefully...

There's info on the older chpsets that I didn't find earlier, though they seem to be old:
http://mysearch.intel.com/corporate/default.aspx?culture=en-US&q=%22display+registers%22&searchsubmit.x=0&searchsubmit.y=0
810 & 815 have nice explaining pictures in them. From the first look, 965 has less Very Happy

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07 Feb 2008, 06:33

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