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XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO

XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO

Eric Steven Raymond

Thyrsus Enterprises

<esr@thyrsus.com>

Copyright © 2000 Eric S. Raymond

$Date: 2003/07/14 21:32:42 $

Revision History
Revision 6.4	2003-07-14	Revised by: esr
URL fixes.
Revision 6.3	2003-02-22	Revised by: esr
URL fixes.
Revision 6.2	2002-02-03	Revised by: esr
Minor corrections about mode line autogeneration.
Revision 6.1	2001-10-29	Revised by: esr
Note that VESA modes top out at 1920x1440.
Revision 6.0	2001-08-09	Revised by: esr
Clearer explanation of DDC and EDID. This HOWTO is now basically obsolete.
Revision 5.0	2000-08-22	Revised by: esr
First DocBook version.

This HOWTO is effectively obsolete. Current (4.0.1 and up) versions of XFree86 compute optimal modelines from the resolution you specify in the Modes section of your X configuration file.

How to compose a mode line for your card/monitor combination under XFree86. The XFree86 distribution now includes good facilities for configuring most standard combinations; this document is mainly useful if you are tuning a custom mode line for an ultra-high-performance monitor or very unusual hardware. It may also help you in using kvideogen to generate mode lines, or xvidtune to tweak a standard mode that is not quite right for your monitor.

Table of Contents

1. Disclaimer

2. Why This HOWTO Is Obsolete

3. Introduction

4. Tools for Automatic Computation

5. How Video Displays Work

6. Basic Things to Know about your Display and Adapter

6.1. The monitor sync frequencies
6.2. The monitor's video bandwidth
6.3. The card's dot clock
6.4. What these basic statistics control

7. Interpreting the Basic Specifications

7.1. About Bandwidth
7.2. Sync Frequencies and the Refresh Rate:

8. Tradeoffs in Configuring your System

9. Memory Requirements

10. Computing Frame Sizes

11. Black Magic and Sync Pulses

11.1. Horizontal Sync:
11.2. Vertical Sync:

12. Putting it All Together

13. Overdriving Your Monitor

14. Using Interlaced Modes

15. Questions and Answers

16. Fixing Problems with the Image.

16.1. The image is displaced to the left or right
16.2. The image is displaced up or down
16.3. The image is too large both horizontally and vertically
16.4. The image is too wide (too narrow) horizontally
16.5. The image is too deep (too shallow) vertically

17. Plotting Monitor Capabilities

18. Credits

		Next
		Disclaimer