The NeXTdimension (ND) is an accelerated 32-bit color board manufactured and sold by NeXT from 1991[1] that gives the NeXTcube color graphics capabilities. It is a NeXTBus (NuBus-like) full size card for the NeXTcube, filling one of the four slots in the machine, another one being used by the original CPU board. The list price for a NeXTdimension sold as an add-on to the NeXTcube was US$3,995 (equivalent to $9,220 in 2024), and another $2,995 (equivalent to $6,910 in 2024) for the MegaPixel Color Display.[2]

The NeXTdimension is based on the Intel i860 64-bit RISC processor running at 33 MHz. A stripped down Mach kernel was ported to the i860, and the system's software runs under that kernel. It includes 8 MB main memory (expandable to 64 MB via eight 72-pin SIMM slots) and 4 MB VRAM for a resolution of 1120x832 at 24-bit color plus 8-bit alpha channel. The resulting system is so fast that it produces 24-bit color graphics faster than the original system's 2-bit greyscale. Output is via a DB13W3 RGB connection to a monitor, and also includes S-Video input and output.[3] Because the main board includes the greyscale video logic, each NeXTdimension allows the simultaneous use of an additional monitor.

The NeXTdimension was originally designed to run the entire Display PostScript (DPS) system on the i860, offloading the rendering of DPS to pixels to the card. This would have offered even greater performance improvements as the amount of data travelling from the 68040 CPU to the i860 would be reduced, and the large amount of data output from the DPS instructions would move about entirely on the card, avoiding trips across the NeXTBus. This functionality was not completed in time for release, and development was never completed. As a result, much of the system's theoretical performance was never realized.

When it was first announced, the system was to also include a C-Cube CL550 chip for MJPEG video compression,[4]: 168 [5]: 169  but an estimated three-month delay in delivering the CL550 caused NeXT to redesign the product without it and instead adding a connector to accept a daughterboard providing image compression functionality.[6] Few engineering prototypes for the MJPEG daughterboard exist.

NeXTdimension
Outputs Inputs
13W3 Composite (2x)
S-Video S-Video
RGB using EGA 9-pin D-shell

See also

References

  1. ^ Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful ..., By Owen W. Linzmayer, Page 215, "...1990 August: NeXTdimension introduced...1991 April: NeXTdimension ships minus compression chip..."
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Scott, Greg (November 12, 1990). "New Machines from NeXT". U-M Computing News. Vol. 5, no. 19. p. 9. Retrieved March 24, 2024. The NeXTdimension board provides 32-bit color, and includes an Intel i860 graphics accelerator chip. A custom chip from C-Cube Microsystems supports real-time image compression and decompression.
  4. ^ Baran, Nick; Linderholm, Owen (November 1990). "Fast New Systems from NeXT". Byte. pp. 165–168. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Kim, Yongmin (December 1991). "Chips Deliver Multimedia". Byte. pp. 163–164, 166, 169, 171, 173. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  6. ^ "Minigrams". Unigram/X. April 22, 1991. p. 6. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXTdimension
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