6300/6300+ character attributes

[Bill Mayhew]

Olivetti "corretly" emulated the yucky attributes of the IBM CGA
card on their P6 and P8 indigenous video controller boards on the
6300 and 6300+.  The olivetti faithfullness of emulation includes
the lack of true underlining whilst in RGB output mode.  The blue
gun bit is customarily used to indicate underlining.  If you have
an AT&T monochrome monitor and turn the blue gun on, voila, you'll
get underlining; on an RGB monitor, you'll get blue letters.

There isn't an easy way I know of (but it would be quite easy for
me to be wrong) of faking out the video controller and convincing
the controller to do underlining on and RGB display, thought the
controller is perfectly capable of doing so, without actually
plugging in the correct type of display.  The video mode is
controlled by a sense lead on the 25 pin plug that to the best of
my knowledge is not software addressable.  I suppose one could
concoct a gender bender that woudl lie to the controller about the
type of monitor installed.  I beleive the mono and RGB tubes are
both 25 KHz * 60 Hz noninterlaced so it should work.


Bill


-- 
Bill Mayhew      NEOUCOM Computer Services Department
Rootstown, OH  44272-9995  USA    phone: 216-325-2511
wtm at uhura.neoucom.edu   ....!uunet!aablue!neoucom!wtm
via internet: (140.220.001.001)