NOTES ON VIDEO TESTS Roy Stedman : 08APR92 ---------------------------------------------------------------- The system should be started with a STe color monitor or VGA monitor plugged in. Both monitors will work for most tests. Starting with a STe monitor is required for the 'M' video modes test. The STe monitor will be slightly more compatible and should be used if a choice is available. The VGA monitor is recommended for a test station running the 'V' tests. after running the 'V' tests, the submenu background will be black to signify a VGA monitor. Returning to the main menu will restore the screen background color. ========== Video Test Menu, option C - Color test This is the same as the old STe Color test, it can be viewed on the monitor the system was started with, color or VGA. ========== Video Test Menu, option M - Monitors test This tests the Videl, the TV modulator, and the other video output circuitry. This test should be run with a RS232 terminal attached so all messages will be shown to the tester. The test starts with the color monitor attached, shows the screen from option 1 (below). Then the tester should connect a TV monitor to the modulator connector and verify proper output. The tester then connects a monochrome monitor and presses SPACE to advance to the monochrome test (option 3, below) After verifying monochrome output, the tester then connects a VGA monitor and again presses SPACE. After checking (option 4, below) the VGA output, the tester connectes the color monitor again and presses SPACE to return to the video test menu. note: if the tester presses ESC instead of SPACE, the rest of the test will be skipped and the video test menu will return after a color monitor is connected. each test may be run independantly by using the numbered tests. ========== Video Test Menu, option V - VGA Modes test This test tests more of the Videl circuits by displaying several different video modes on a VGA monitor. Again, a RS232 terminal should be connected in order to recieve the test prompts The first screen is the same as option 4, below. The second screen tests 320 x 480 XGA. NOTE: The second screen does not work on rev. 1 combels and should be skipped by pressing 'B' instead of space after the first screen. The system will most likely crash otherwise. The third screen tests 640 x 200 STe modes and shows the video test menu screen while changing the background colors. There should be four of each color, in order: dim, bright, less, less.. if there are not, there are problems with the STe palette. ========== Video Test Menu, option 1 - Color Screen: 640 x 200 XGA A set of R,G,B color bars on the left half, and a rainbow of colors in a block on the right half. System is ok if all colors are in the bars, and the rainbow colors are the same as a good system. note that the color bars are each one DAC bit. If one is missing, check connections to the DAC. ========== Video Test Menu, option 2 - TV Screen: 640 x 200 XGA same as above, viewed on the TV monitor ========== Video Test Menu, option 3 - Mono Screen: 640 x 400, monochrome A black screen with white blocks, alternating to a white screen with black blocks (same as old STe Hires test) ========== Video Test Menu, option 4 - VGA Screen: 640 x 480, 256 Colors A black screen with crossed white lines, (vertical and horizontal centered, diagonal shifted left) a set of color bars on the right, just left of the color bars, a white block with black lines through it, and the contents of the Sparrow palette in a 16x16 square on the left The system is ok if the screen is stable, the color bars are of increasing intensity for each color, and in the order G,B,R from top down. The system has a problem if the colors are in the wrong order, are mixed, or if the lines or blocks are not steady and clear. note that the color bars are each one DAC bit. If one is missing, check connections to the DAC. NOTE: A rev. 1 combel will show mixed and out of order color bars. ==========