HP V
ISUALIZE
fx
2
+, fx
4
6
+ and Texture
Module User’s Guide
Printed in USA June 2000
Manufacturing Part Number: HP Part No. A5021-90001
Edition 0600
© Copyright 2000 Hewlett-Packard Company
Page 1: ...HP VISUALIZE fx2 fx4 fx6 and Texture Module User s Guide Printed in USA June 2000 Manufacturing Part Number HP Part No A5021 90001 Edition 0600 Copyright 2000 Hewlett Packard Company ...
Page 2: ...r consequential damages in connection with the furnishing performance or use of this material Hewlett Packard assumes no responsibility for the use or reliability of its software on equipment that is not furnished by Hewlett Packard This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright All rights reserved No part of this document may be photocopied reproduced or translated ...
Page 3: ...e fx Driver 25 Troubleshooting 33 Adding a Texture Module to Your fx Graphics Card 40 Removing the Left Side Panel 40 Removing the HP Visualize fx Graphics Card 40 Installing the HP Visualize Texture Module 42 Installing Your Graphics Card and Texture Module 46 Replacing the Left Side Panel 48 Checking the Installation 49 A Regulatory Information and Warranty Regulatory Information 52 FCC 53 HP Ha...
Page 4: ...g Parts Warranty Service 57 HP Telephone Support Services 57 HP Software Product License Agreement and Software Product Limited Warranty 57 HP Software Product License Agreement 58 HP Software Product Limited Warranty 59 ...
Page 5: ...utions Electrostatic charges can damage the integrated circuits on printed circuit boards To prevent such damage from occurring observe the following precautions during board unpacking and installation Stand on a static free mat Wear a static strap to ensure that any accumulated electrostatic charge is discharged from your body to ground Create a common ground for the equipment you are working on ...
Page 6: ...e Personal Workstation must be located close to a power outlet that is easily accessible For your safety never remove the HP VISUALIZE Personal Workstation s cover without first removing the power cord from the power outlet and any connection to the telecommunications network Always replace the cover on the Personal Workstation before switching it on To avoid electric shocks do not open the power ...
Page 7: ... instructions provided Customers who elect to have the product installed by our field personnel are charged the applicable field installation charge as covered under the standard terms and conditions For more information please contact your local sales representative Revision History The revision history for each edition of the manual is listed below Edition Revision History E0600 Second Printing ...
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Page 9: ...9 1 HP VISUALIZE fx2 fx4 fx6 Graphics Cards and Texture Module ...
Page 10: ... Graphics Card and the HP VISUALIZE fx Texture Module This section then provides important safety instructions that you should follow when handling the HP VISUALIZE fx Card and Texture Module The HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card The HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card is a high end OpenGL graphics card that features the latest high performance 3D graphics technology ...
Page 11: ...ro It brings you A world class geometry engine using dedicated floating point processors based on PA RISC technology 18MB SGRAM video memory Full OpenGL 1 1 hardware features and extensions support HP Color Recovery dithering Acceleration of the HP OpenGL occlusion culling extension Stereo vision support Optional hardware texture accelerator module with 16MB SDRAM of dedicated texture memory The H...
Page 12: ...should turn all equipment OFF Do not let your clothes touch the accessory To equalize the static electricity rest the antistatic bag on top of the Personal Workstation while you are removing the accessory from it You should also handle the accessory as little as possible and with care WARNING For your safety never remove the Personal Workstation s cover panels without first removing the power cord...
Page 13: ...x Graphics Card Installing the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card This section contains the following subsections Removing the Left Side Panel Installing the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card Replacing the Left Side Panel Updating the HP VISUALIZE fx Driver Configuring the HP VISUALIZE fx Driver Troubleshooting ...
Page 14: ...dule Installing the HP Visualize fx Graphics Card Removing the Left Side Panel The procedure in this section explains how to remove the left side panel of your Personal Workstation use the Personal Workstation s front panel as the reference Front Panel Left Side Panel ...
Page 15: ... Graphics Cards and Texture Module Installing the HP Visualize fx Graphics Card 1 Remove the left side panel s two thumb screws found at the back of the unit See Figure 1 1 Figure 1 1 Removing the Left Side Panel Thumb Screws Thumb Screws ...
Page 16: ... shown in Figure 1 2 Figure 1 2 Sliding the Left Side Panel to the Rear of the Personal Workstation 3 Remove the left side panel by grasping the rear part of the panel as shown in Figure 1 3 and pulling the panel outward Next lift the panel up and away from the Personal Workstation and place it where its exterior surface cannot be damaged Figure 1 3 Removing the Left Side Panel This gap is approxi...
Page 17: ...d is occupying these slots please follow this vendor s directions for removing the card before proceeding 2 Ensure that all power cords and telecommunications cables are disconnected 3 Ensure that all cables are correctly routed and flat against the system so that they do not obstruct the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics card Since the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card occupies two accessory slots one AGP Pro...
Page 18: ...y bulkhead slot and the right edge of the card with the guide located to the right on the plastic speaker and fan mount Use the slot as a guide to carefully slide the card down toward the AGP Pro and PCI connectors on the system board 6 Align the card s AGP contact fingers and PCI contact fingers with their appropriate system board connectors and push the card firmly into position Guide on Fan Mou...
Page 19: ...Graphics Card 7 Verify that the card s contact fingers are fully seated in their connectors before securing them with the three screws two accessory slot screws and one retaining screw The retaining screw you need to secure is located on the plastic speaker and fan mount as shown below RR Retaining Screw ...
Page 20: ...e fx2 fx4 fx6 Graphics Cards and Texture Module Installing the HP Visualize fx Graphics Card The accessory slot screws which must be secured are located on the bulkhead side of the chassis as shown below Accessory Slot Screw ...
Page 21: ...ide Panel This section explains how to replace the left side panel of your Personal Workstation use the Personal Workstation s front control panel as the reference The inside view of this panel is shown to help you with the terminology used in this manual Panel Hook there are four Lock Latch Panel Guide Left Side Panel Rear Edge of Panel ...
Page 22: ...e left side panel follow this procedure 1 Place the panel guide over the system s inside bottom edge leaving a half inch gap between the front edge of the panel and the front of the chassis System s inside bottom edge Panel Guide Hook Slot There are four of them on this edge The four panel hooks fit into these slots 0 5 inch gap ...
Page 23: ...lots with the four panel hooks on the left side panel Next push the left side panel inward in the direction of the arrow Note that in some cases you might have to lift up slightly on the panel to get the panel hooks to fit in the slots 3 Screw the left side panel thumb screws in place to complete the left side panel replacement on the Personal Workstation Gap is aprox 0 5 inches Thumb Screws ...
Page 24: ...em On the next screen click on the Drivers button Scroll to the list entry for HP VISUALIZE fx4 and fx6 Open GL Graphics Accelerator Then click on the link to download the driver NOTE A README file is supplied with the driver Please read it carefully as it provides instructions to install the driver Moreover the information contained in the README file supersedes any information contained in this ...
Page 25: ...roperties dialog box To display the Display Properties dialog box click Start point to Settings and click Control Panel In Control Panel double click Display When the HP VISUALIZE fx driver is installed the Display Properties dialog box contains four extra panels About Administrator Gamma Correction Options If you want information on an item Click at the top of the dialog box To close the pop up w...
Page 26: ... Panel The About panel displays useful information including the version of the driver OpenGL version and extensions and the presence and size of the texture memory module The figure above shows the About panel for an HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics card with driver version FX 00 01 14 and a 16 MByte texture memory module installed ...
Page 27: ...x are automatically configured for the selected application If your application is not listed select Compatibility Mode The Settings Panel Use the Settings panel to change the screen resolution number of colors and refresh rate Click List All Modes to view all combinations of colors desktop area and refresh frequency supported by the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics card If you select a mode click Test to...
Page 28: ...Group Box Option Description Max Compatibility The Max Compatibility setting provides maximum compatibility for those applications that mix OpenGL and Windows GDI rendering in double buffered windows contrary to Microsoft requirements If your application is not listed choose this option Max Performance The Max Performance setting will provide the maximum graphics throughput However many applicatio...
Page 29: ...aits for a vertical refresh to finish This is especially true for large windows Fast Buffer Swaps Fast Buffer Swaps take advantage of HP s multi buffer hardware The hardware has a physical front and back buffer that can be swapped very quickly For compatibility with some applications this option can be turned off and the back buffer copied to the front buffer instead Multi Buffer GDI This option c...
Page 30: ...atly enhanced at higher refresh rates for example 120 Hz Finally note that the stereo effect will only be visible when using appropriate stereographic glasses or headsets Hardware Accumulation For formats of 1280 1024 and less this option speeds the standard OpenGL functionality which requires texture memory on the optional texture board The following restrictions apply only 8 bits of resolution a...
Page 31: ...esults are poor and actual hardware acceleration with the texture module will be slightly slower than this simulated performance MRU Texture Reload When this option is set the most recently used texture is replaced when texture memory is full This is most useful when many textures are used sequentially because it minimizes the number of textures that are downloaded Object Space Lighting Enabling t...
Page 32: ...ic images or scanned photographic images that have not already been gamma corrected Creating Custom Driver Configurations The Options panel allows you to create customized driver configurations for the HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card These configurations appear in the Application group box To create a customized profile 1 Set the desired options in the Settings group box This will select the Custom ...
Page 33: ...ated Useful routine checks especially if you have just moved the Personal Workstation Check the display s contrast and brightness settings Make sure that all cables and power cords are plugged in Make sure the power outlet is working If possible try another monitor and set of cables Useful routine checks especially if you have just moved the computer Check the LCD screen of your Personal Workstati...
Page 34: ... is displayed correctly using a replacement graphics card your HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card may be faulty Solution Explanation Solution Explanation Remove the HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card and then re insert it Ensure that the graphics card is properly inserted in the AGP Pro slot MaxiLife does not detect this error as it only checks the VGA controller that is located on the PCI daughter Check th...
Page 35: ...emove the card s strengthening bar and then replace it You can use a Torx screwdriver or a flat blade screwdriver of the correct size Run the diagnostics tool For more information on the diagnostics tool see the section Diagnostics Tool Check that you are using the correct video driver The video driver version is displayed in the About panel you may have updated the HP VISUALIZE fx driver with the...
Page 36: ...te application For more information see the section Driver Basic Configuration When an application is selected the driver settings are automatically configured for optimum performance and visual comfort for that application Run the diagnostics tool For more information on the diagnostics tool see the section Diagnostics Tool Check the HP web site for an updated driver version for your application ...
Page 37: ...s tool to test your HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card This tool is also available on the HP CD ROM provided with your Personal Workstation and on the HP web site http www hp com go visualizesupport The diagnostics tests include an in depth check of the graphics ASICS frame buffer and texture module if present CAUTION To run the diagnostics tools you must start Windows NT in VGA mode ...
Page 38: ... The results for each test are displayed on the right side of the window Troubleshooting Performance Problems Problem Graphics performance is below expectations Solution Explanation Check the HP web site for an updated driver version for your application http www hp com go visualizesupport HP frequently updates the HP VISUALIZE fx driver to incorporate feature and performance enhancements or to fi...
Page 39: ... texture module You can simulate the performance that would be obtained by installing the texture module by enabling the NOOP option in the Settings group box of the Options panel If the texture memory module is not installed texture mapping is performed via the software Since this involves a very high number of complex calculations the performance impact can be significant Solution Explanation ...
Page 40: ...Removing the Left Side Panel For information regarding the removal of the left side panel of your Personal Workstation read the subsection Removing the Left Side Panel in the section Installing the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card Removing the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card CAUTION Be very careful when handling the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card Bumping bending or dropping the card can cause irreparabl...
Page 41: ...ve the two accessory card mounting screws located on the bulkhead and the retaining screw located on the plastic mount for the speaker and fan Carefully ease the card up and out of the Personal Workstation s chassis using the card s bulkhead and right edge CAUTION When sliding the card up ensure that the card does not snag or catch against the Personal Workstation s chassis or cables 5 Place the c...
Page 42: ...ection explains how to add the HP VISUALIZE Texture Module to the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card 1 Remove the two screws from the card s strengthening bar and then remove the strengthening bar from the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card You can use a Torx screwdriver or a flat blade screwdriver of the correct size fx Graphics Card Texture Module Strengthening Bar Screw Screw ...
Page 43: ...erminator from the HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card Store the terminator in a safe place you may need it at a later date 3 Before installing the texture module ensure that all four corner screws on the texture module are fully retracted and that the terminator and strengthening bar are removed Terminator Terminator Strengthening Bar and its screws ...
Page 44: ... Module Adding a Texture Module to Your fx Graphics Card 4 Carefully line up the connectors on the HP VISUALIZE Texture Module and the HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card 5 Then using both thumbs press the texture module into place fx connectors Texture Module connectors ...
Page 45: ...nectors on the HP VISUALIZE fx Texture Module are fully inserted before securing it into place with the captive screws Note that you need to use the four captive screws located on the texture module to mount it to the HP VISUALIZE fx graphics card The four captive screws will fit into the four screw standoffs on the fx graphics card Standoff ...
Page 46: ...they do not obstruct the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card 2 Hold the card s bulkhead edge with your left hand and the card s right edge with your right hand Align the card and then slide it downward toward the AGP Pro and PCI connectors along the fan mount guide on the right and the bulkhead openings on the left 3 Align the cards s AGP contact fingers and PCI contact fingers with their appropriate sy...
Page 47: ... Your fx Graphics Card 4 Verify that the card s contact fingers are fully seated in their connectors before securing them with the two accessory slot screws and one retaining screw The retaining screw that you need to secure is located to the right on the plastic speaker and fan mount as shown below ...
Page 48: ...ry slot screws which must be secured are located on the bulkhead side of the chassis as shown below Replacing the Left Side Panel For information regarding the replacement of the left side panel of your Personal Workstation read the subsection Replacing the Left Side Panel in the section Installing the HP VISUALIZE fx Graphics Card ...
Page 49: ...is correctly installed follow these steps 1 Switch on your Personal Workstation 2 When in Windows NT open the Display Properties window by clicking the Start button selecting Settings Control Panel and double clicking Display 3 Click the About tab If the texture module was correctly installed the About window will contain the text Hardware Texture Mapping Installed To check that you have the lates...
Page 50: ...50 Chapter1 HP Visualize fx2 fx4 fx6 Graphics Cards and Texture Module Adding a Texture Module to Your fx Graphics Card ...
Page 51: ...51 A Regulatory Information and Warranty ...
Page 52: ...FCC Part 15 Level A Japan VCCI Class A and is certified by British Standards Institute ISO 9002 for Hewlett Packard Australia New Zealand AS NZS 3548 1995 HP Fort Collins CCQD HTC Supplementary information The product herewith complies with the requirements of the following Directives and carries the CE marking accordingly the EMC directive 89 336 EEC and 92 31 EEC and 93 68 EEC the Low Voltage Di...
Page 53: ...re cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate ...
Page 54: ...used in accordance with the Product documentation provided by HP including any instructions for installing patches or upgrades provided that all other products e g hardware software firmware used in combination with such HP Product s properly exchange date data with it If the Specifications require that specific HP Products must perform as a system in accordance with the foregoing warranty then th...
Page 55: ...HP in the country of use it must be returned to the country of purchase for service Response time for on site service and parts delivery turn around time for parts service are subject to changes from standard conditions based upon non local parts availability Limitation of Warranty The above warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from misuse unauthorized modification operation or storage ou...
Page 56: ...cement of the component when necessary and pay shipping charges duty and taxes for any part that HP asks to be returned On site visits caused by non Hewlett Packard products whether internal or external to the system processor unit are subject to standard per incident travel and labor charges On site service for this product is restricted or unavailable in certain locations In HP Excluded Travel A...
Page 57: ...Telephone Support Services HP Free telephone support for your Personal Workstation is available during the first year from date of purchase This service will also provide technical assistance with the basic configuration and setup of your HP VISUALIZE Personal Workstation and for the bundled or pre loaded operating system Telephone support is available at the end of the first year from date of pur...
Page 58: ...pyrighted and protected under the copyright laws Customer acknowledges and agrees that the software may have been developed by a third party software supplier named in the copyright notices included with the software who shall be authorized to hold the Customer responsible for any copyright infringement or violation of this Agreement PRODUCT RECOVERY CD ROM If your computer was shipped with a prod...
Page 59: ...rrant that the software will be uninterrupted or error free In the event that this software product fails to execute its programming instructions during the warranty period Customer s remedy shall be a refund or repair Should HP be unable to replace the media within a reasonable amount of time Customer s alternate remedy shall be a refund of the purchase price upon return of the product and all co...
Page 60: ...TORT OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY Some states or provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you Obtaining Warranty Service Warranty service may be obtained from the nearest HP sales office or other location indicated in the owner s manual or service booklet Consumer transactions in Australia and the U...
