blob: 16aa08453911cba57f0616f5a472e9c6ecc5e14e [file] [log] [blame]
Linus Torvalds1da177e2005-04-16 15:20:36 -07001
2
3 modedb default video mode support
4
5
6Currently all frame buffer device drivers have their own video mode databases,
7which is a mess and a waste of resources. The main idea of modedb is to have
8
9 - one routine to probe for video modes, which can be used by all frame buffer
10 devices
11 - one generic video mode database with a fair amount of standard videomodes
12 (taken from XFree86)
13 - the possibility to supply your own mode database for graphics hardware that
14 needs non-standard modes, like amifb and Mac frame buffer drivers (which
15 use macmodes.c)
16
17When a frame buffer device receives a video= option it doesn't know, it should
18consider that to be a video mode option. If no frame buffer device is specified
19in a video= option, fbmem considers that to be a global video mode option.
20
21Valid mode specifiers (mode_option argument):
22
Rolf Eike Beer04fee892011-06-15 11:27:02 +020023 <xres>x<yres>[M][R][-<bpp>][@<refresh>][i][m][eDd]
Linus Torvalds1da177e2005-04-16 15:20:36 -070024 <name>[-<bpp>][@<refresh>]
25
26with <xres>, <yres>, <bpp> and <refresh> decimal numbers and <name> a string.
27Things between square brackets are optional.
28
Antonino A. Daplas96fe6a22005-09-09 13:09:58 -070029If 'M' is specified in the mode_option argument (after <yres> and before
30<bpp> and <refresh>, if specified) the timings will be calculated using
31VESA(TM) Coordinated Video Timings instead of looking up the mode from a table.
32If 'R' is specified, do a 'reduced blanking' calculation for digital displays.
33If 'i' is specified, calculate for an interlaced mode. And if 'm' is
34specified, add margins to the calculation (1.8% of xres rounded down to 8
35pixels and 1.8% of yres).
36
37 Sample usage: 1024x768M@60m - CVT timing with margins
38
Rolf Eike Beer04fee892011-06-15 11:27:02 +020039DRM drivers also add options to enable or disable outputs:
40
41'e' will force the display to be enabled, i.e. it will override the detection
42if a display is connected. 'D' will force the display to be enabled and use
43digital output. This is useful for outputs that have both analog and digital
44signals (e.g. HDMI and DVI-I). For other outputs it behaves like 'e'. If 'd'
45is specified the output is disabled.
46
47You can additionally specify which output the options matches to.
48To force the VGA output to be enabled and drive a specific mode say:
49 video=VGA-1:1280x1024@60me
50
51Specifying the option multiple times for different ports is possible, e.g.:
52 video=LVDS-1:d video=HDMI-1:D
53
Antonino A. Daplas96fe6a22005-09-09 13:09:58 -070054***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo *****
55
56What is the VESA(TM) Coordinated Video Timings (CVT)?
57
58From the VESA(TM) Website:
59
60 "The purpose of CVT is to provide a method for generating a consistent
61 and coordinated set of standard formats, display refresh rates, and
62 timing specifications for computer display products, both those
63 employing CRTs, and those using other display technologies. The
64 intention of CVT is to give both source and display manufacturers a
65 common set of tools to enable new timings to be developed in a
66 consistent manner that ensures greater compatibility."
67
68This is the third standard approved by VESA(TM) concerning video timings. The
69first was the Discrete Video Timings (DVT) which is a collection of
70pre-defined modes approved by VESA(TM). The second is the Generalized Timing
71Formula (GTF) which is an algorithm to calculate the timings, given the
72pixelclock, the horizontal sync frequency, or the vertical refresh rate.
73
74The GTF is limited by the fact that it is designed mainly for CRT displays.
75It artificially increases the pixelclock because of its high blanking
76requirement. This is inappropriate for digital display interface with its high
77data rate which requires that it conserves the pixelclock as much as possible.
78Also, GTF does not take into account the aspect ratio of the display.
79
80The CVT addresses these limitations. If used with CRT's, the formula used
81is a derivation of GTF with a few modifications. If used with digital
82displays, the "reduced blanking" calculation can be used.
83
84From the framebuffer subsystem perspective, new formats need not be added
85to the global mode database whenever a new mode is released by display
86manufacturers. Specifying for CVT will work for most, if not all, relatively
87new CRT displays and probably with most flatpanels, if 'reduced blanking'
88calculation is specified. (The CVT compatibility of the display can be
89determined from its EDID. The version 1.3 of the EDID has extra 128-byte
90blocks where additional timing information is placed. As of this time, there
91is no support yet in the layer to parse this additional blocks.)
92
93CVT also introduced a new naming convention (should be seen from dmesg output):
94
95 <pix>M<a>[-R]
96
97 where: pix = total amount of pixels in MB (xres x yres)
98 M = always present
99 a = aspect ratio (3 - 4:3; 4 - 5:4; 9 - 15:9, 16:9; A - 16:10)
100 -R = reduced blanking
101
102 example: .48M3-R - 800x600 with reduced blanking
103
104Note: VESA(TM) has restrictions on what is a standard CVT timing:
105
106 - aspect ratio can only be one of the above values
107 - acceptable refresh rates are 50, 60, 70 or 85 Hz only
108 - if reduced blanking, the refresh rate must be at 60Hz
109
110If one of the above are not satisfied, the kernel will print a warning but the
111timings will still be calculated.
112
113***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo ***** oOo *****
114
Linus Torvalds1da177e2005-04-16 15:20:36 -0700115To find a suitable video mode, you just call
116
117int __init fb_find_mode(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,
118 struct fb_info *info, const char *mode_option,
119 const struct fb_videomode *db, unsigned int dbsize,
120 const struct fb_videomode *default_mode,
121 unsigned int default_bpp)
122
123with db/dbsize your non-standard video mode database, or NULL to use the
124standard video mode database.
125
126fb_find_mode() first tries the specified video mode (or any mode that matches,
127e.g. there can be multiple 640x480 modes, each of them is tried). If that
128fails, the default mode is tried. If that fails, it walks over all modes.
129
130To specify a video mode at bootup, use the following boot options:
131 video=<driver>:<xres>x<yres>[-<bpp>][@refresh]
132
133where <driver> is a name from the table below. Valid default modes can be
134found in linux/drivers/video/modedb.c. Check your driver's documentation.
135There may be more modes.
136
137 Drivers that support modedb boot options
138 Boot Name Cards Supported
139
140 amifb - Amiga chipset frame buffer
141 aty128fb - ATI Rage128 / Pro frame buffer
142 atyfb - ATI Mach64 frame buffer
Krzysztof Heltcf6d8802008-04-28 02:15:07 -0700143 pm2fb - Permedia 2/2V frame buffer
144 pm3fb - Permedia 3 frame buffer
145 sstfb - Voodoo 1/2 (SST1) chipset frame buffer
Linus Torvalds1da177e2005-04-16 15:20:36 -0700146 tdfxfb - 3D Fx frame buffer
147 tridentfb - Trident (Cyber)blade chipset frame buffer
Krzysztof Heltcf6d8802008-04-28 02:15:07 -0700148 vt8623fb - VIA 8623 frame buffer
Linus Torvalds1da177e2005-04-16 15:20:36 -0700149
Rolf Eike Beer04fee892011-06-15 11:27:02 +0200150BTW, only a few fb drivers use this at the moment. Others are to follow
151(feel free to send patches). The DRM drivers also support this.