Graphics software and hardware design with the 82786

Abstract

The 82786 graphics coprocessor has two separate and independent processors on chip, one for drawing and another for display. To use this device to full advantage the device must be programmed to allow efficient use of its resources. The paper describes how the processor sees the 82786. It describes the register model for the programmer and illustrates the data structures in memory which are used for communication between the CPU and the 82786. Examples are presented of how the graphics and display processors are programmed and used by the CPU to draw pictures and display windows on screen.