How to enable Sync-on-Green and Csync on G400?

[fsteff]

Hi everybody,

I tried find a solusion to a problem with my G400 using the forum at http://www.matrox.com, but was told to ask the question here instead.
Below is a copy of my question as it appeared on the other site:

-------------------

I've been using a Matrox G400 DH for quiet some time, and have been very satisfied.

However, I've always wanted to use the secondary input (four BNC connectors) on my monitor, and has always found it impossible to do, as the G400 does not output sync-on-green and csync.

Then a few days ago, I found a shareware tool which can enable those missing features, BUT only after the OS (in this case windows) has been loaded. This makes it impossible to see the POST information of the PC, use DOS, and it also makes it impossible to log into the OS.

I've tried to upgrade to the latest G400 BIOS, and I've been searching all over the web for pointers to a solusion, but sofar I've not found anything usefull.

I do hope that a new BIOS or BISO-modification tool exists, that will enable the generation of sync-on-green and csync per default and on PC powerup instead of after some OS has been started.

Please let me know where I can find this BIOS or BIOS-tool.

If I need to make hardware modicications to the card, then please let me know the details, too. (I'm an electronics engineer, and can easily modify the board.)

Best regards,

[Greebe]

See that little search button in the upper right hand corner?

http://forums.murc.ws/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=34545&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

[fsteff]

Hi Greebe,

Yep. I see that button. I did use it before I posted, too. I've been looking through many posts, all containing the word "sync".

Many of them states PowerStrip as the solusion, but atleast the version I've tried only worked after Windows was started - like many others has found out in the past, too. In other words, it's realy usefull if I want to be able to use DOS and other OS's.

Thats the reason why I wrote a detailed letter in the first place.

Best regards,

[Greebe]

Have a look around here... http://grafi.ii.pw.edu.pl/gbm/matrox/

[fsteff]

Thanks Gerrbe, the URL you posted helped me some of the way, but I still have some problems.
The BIOSPROG program available from Matrox, coupled with the information from the URL you posted, helped me to enable Sync on Green aswell as CSync during POST and in DOS mode. It also helps me to see the boot-screen while booting Windows XP. However, when the login-screen appears, the windows-based driver kicks in, and it disables those features I just enabled in the Matrox BIOS.
A solusion could be the shareware program, PowerStrip, which can enable Sync on Green aswell as CSync under windows. BUT, this program is loaded AFTER a user has logged into Windows.

Thus, my question now is: How to make the Windows driver (either the one available from the WinXP install CD, or the one from Matrox's site) respect the settings from the Matrox BIOS?

Best regards,

[Greebe]

I have no idea. What your attempting is extremely rare and when mentioning WinXP, it's never been asked before or tried (from all that have asked similar questions over the past <3 years the G400 has been on the market). Hopefully someone else around here will supply additional input.

[fsteff]

Okay. Thanks for your answer anyway :-)

It's quiet funny to think that this is a rare case. I know many others who use this kind of setup, but with other graphicscards. None of them ever had any problems like this.

Another thing that makes me wonder, is why there are no real G400 FAQ, where typical questions are answered. I mean, this message-forum is okay for communication, but it's not realy good to extract the relavant questions and answers from.

Well... I'll be back if I ever find a solusion.

Best regards,

[mjk]

No Sync-on-Green? -- Won't buy it!

Originally posted by Greebe
I have no idea. What your attempting is extremely rare [...]

Well, at least in Germany, it's quite
common to use sync-on-green monitors.

For instance, I'm currently using a
G200 AGP and a Millennium I to drive
a "normal" multiscan monitor and a
second, fixed freqency, sync-on-green
monitor for a desktop extension or "TV"
(captured from Hauppauge WinTV).

Fixed frequency / sync-on-green monitors
are very affordable, that's why they are
in common use. And they would be excellent
for the Parhelia's triple head view.

If the Parhelia doesn't support sync-on-green
monitors, this will be the end of my
Matrox "membership".

I hope Matrox did not save less than 5 Cents
for two XOR gates, and a few capacitors and
resistors for the sync-on-green and
composite-sync functionality!

Attaching a SOG-adapter makes no sense, as
the picture quality deteriorates then due
to the extra contact transistions, while
that is absolutely no problem when it's
built into the chip (see Millennium and
G200).


Hoping for a positive answer...

Marc-Jano

[TdB]

Originally posted by Greebe
See that little search button in the upper right hand corner?

Sorry. The search function has been disabled by the administrator.

how can you guys use the seach-function?

is it only disabled for me??



edit:

me bad, i didn´t notice the date of that post, nevermind...