Megatek Series 7000 Graphics System?

[Mark Green]

Megatek was one of the main high end graphics vendors in the 1970s and early
1980s, the other one was Evans and Sutherland.  They were both largely
knocked out of the market when SGI came along.  I always wanted one, but my
employers could never afford something that high end.  Internally they are
vector displays, they connected to a host computer to download the display
program to produce the graphics.  One of the interesting features of some of
the later models is that they could be hooked up to a vector or raster
display.  I think they could also support both from the same controller.
Megatek saw that the world was going raster, and they moved in that
direction a little too late.  A very nice architecture.  I believe one of
the early versions of Foley and van Dam has a high level description of the
architecture.  I've searched the web multiple times looking for information
on them, but had little luck.

If the one that you have has raster output there is a good chance that you
could get a modern monitor to display the output.  If it has vector output
you really need the display unit.  They are less likely to survive than the
other components unfortunately.  

By the way, if anyone on the list has Evans and Sutherland documentation I
would be very interested in talking to them.  I have an E&S picture system
that I would like to get fully functional again, but I have no documentation
for it.

-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Holm Tiffe
Sent: December 11, 2016 1:16 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Megatek Series 7000 Graphics System?

Al Kossow wrote:

> 
> 
> On 12/10/16 10:42 AM, Al Kossow wrote:
> > I have a similar design and a monitor that I've promised to Richard 
> > Mine is vector
> > 
> > Docs are hard to find.
> > 
> > On 12/10/16 12:58 AM, Holm Tiffe wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I've got a card cage full of cards that seems to be a Megatek 
> >> Graphics Subsystem. I've found a board with coaxial connectors that 
> >> seems to be the Video Output Board, a CPU build out of two stacked 
> >> cards, one with 8 pcs. AM2901BC and some Memory..
> >>
> 
> Dug out my board set this morning and it's MUCH older. No bit slice parts
at all.


On my set they are in the middle of a 2 boards sandwich ...

Regards,

Holm
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