Using Video Modes With Banks
Intro
We’ve got a pretty good idea of how to write to VRAM using screen resolutions under 64k, but how do
we do it with the higher screen resolutions? If we decided to just use the usual equation (x,y) =
video_screen[screen_width*y+x]; it would totally crash our program using resolutions with screen
sizes larger that 64k. The problem is that we only have a 64k window to access ALL of VRAM. Before
you start crying in disbelief, let me tell you that there is still hope! Let’s say our current video mode is
640x480x256. Divide that screen size by 64k and we’ll get 4.6. That means we could fill our usual 64k
space 4+ times! What the video card industry decided was to give us a means of bank switching.
Realize that none of this tutorial is applicable if we have access to a mode that uses a Linear Frame
Buffer. If that is the case, we use that instead and move memory normally!
Methodology
Using this strategy we can fill in the 1st screen, set our bank to 1, fill it again, set our bank to 2, fill etc.
until it is full. So if our bank is set to 3, we can start writing at 0xA000 and instead of starting at (0,0)
it will actually be part way down the screen.
One problem that does exist is the function that actually
does that bank switching may greatly vary from card to
card. The way to get around this is to access the VESA Bank 11
Bank
function for getting screen information and get a pointer
to the function. Another alternative is to use the VESA Bank 22
Bank
BIOS functions for switching. If we decide to go this
route, then we need to know what the screen granularity
is. Basically, this tells us how large the chunks of memory
Bank 33
Bank
are grouped together, sort of like the size of a memory
page. This size isn’t regulated by the VESA standard so Bank 44
Bank
it will vary from card to card as well. Here’s some code
that will get the job done, remember that we have to run
the GetVESAModeInfo(..) function some time before
utilizing this function, otherwise we won’t know the specific granularity of the screen and it won’t look
correct.
Using Video Modes With Banks 1
Selecting the Bank
void SetBankBIOS(short bank)
{ bank<<=modeinfo.WinGranularity;
__dpmi_regs r;
r.x.ax = 0x4F05;
r.x.bx=0x0000;
r.x.dx =bank;
__dpmi_int(0x10,&r);
}
or in normal C++
void SetBankBIOS(short bank)
{ bank<<=modeinfo.WinGranularity;
union REGS regs;
regs.x.ax=0x4F05;
regs.x.bx=0x0000;
regs.x.dx=bank;
int86(0x10,®s,®s);
}
Both functions are extremely simple. We are simply filling in the appropriate CPU registers using
REGS to store them, then calling the VGA Interrupt (0x10)! Remember that we have to run
GetVESAModeInfo() before attempting to change the bank because we need to know the correct granu-
larity for the screen. There is a slight possibility that the program will dump, but the most likely event
will be that the correct bank won’t be switched and the screen will end up looking like garbage which
is almost as bad!
VESA 2.0+
void (Video::*SetBank)(short);
void Video::SetBankAlt(short bank)
{ bank<<=modeinfo.WinGranularity;
asm( “call *%0”
:
:”r” (pm_bank),”b” (0),”d”(bank)
: “%eax”,”%ebx”,”%ecx”,”%edx”,”%esi”,”%edi”);
}
I also included a version of the new SetBank function using the Protected Mode pm_bank function.
I’ve only found this information in one place. We have to use a special loadup scheme in order for our
pm_bank function to work correctly. In our Video constructor we check to see if VESA is available and
Using Video Modes With Banks 2
find the version number if it does. If it is VESA version 2.0+, then it will set our SetBank function
pointer to the SetBankAlt routine. This doesn’t involve the BIOS, making it a great alternative to our
previous version!
Usually, you won’t find modes that don’t have Linear Frame Buffers unless the card is under VESA
version 2.0. If it is, then you will find that these functions come in pretty handy! If you have any
questions, comments, rude remarks please give me some feedback!
Contact Information
I just wanted to mention that everything here is copyrighted, feel free to distribute this document to
anyone you want, just don’t modify it! You can get a hold of me through my website or direct email.
Please feel free to email me about anything. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be of ANY help, but I’ll sure
give it a try :-)
Webpage : http://www.inversereality.org
Using Video Modes With Banks 3
