6845 CRT Controller

Overview

The 6845 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Controller interfaces a microprocessor to a raster-scan CRT display. The microprocessor can access 19 registers that in turn work with the CRT Controller control logic to generate display timing signals (Horizontal Sync, Vertical Sync, and Display Enable); memory addresses (14-bit Refresh Memory Address and 5-bit Row Address) for alphanumeric display memory subsystems; a cursor output (a single signal, Cursor) which is valid for the current Refresh Memory Address and Row Address outputs; and, light pen strobe input (a single signal, LPSTB) which forces the internal capture of the Refresh Memory Address for read by the microprocessor.

The primary function of the CRTC is to generate refresh addresses (MA0-MA13), row selects (RA0-RA4), and video monitor timing (HSYNC, VSYNC) and Display Enable. Other functions include an internal cursor register which generates a Cursor output when its contents compare to the current Refresh Address. A light-pen strobe input signal allows capture of Refresh Address in an internal light pen register.

All timing in the CRTC is derived from the CLK input. In alphanumeric terminals, this signal is the character rate. Character rate is divided down from video rate by external High Speed Timing when the video frequency is greater than 3MHz. Shift Register, Latch, and MUX Control signals are also provided by the external High Speed Timing.

The processor communicates with the CRTC through a buffered 8-bit Data Bus by reading/writing into the 18-register file of the CRTC.

The Refresh Memory address is multiplexed between the Processor and the CRTC. Data appears on a Secondary Bus which is buffered from the processor Primary Bus. A number of approaches are possible for solving contentions for the Refresh Memory.

1. Processor always get priority.

2. Processor gets priority access anytime, but can be synchronized by an interrupt to perform accesses only during horizontal and vertical retrace times.

3. Synchronize processor by memory wait cycles.

Synchronize processor to character rate. The 6800 MPU family lends itself to this configuration because it has constant cycle lengths. This method provides zero burden on the processor because there is never a contention for memory. All accesses are "transparent".

The secondary data bus concept is in no way precludes using the Refresh RAM for other purposes. It looks like any other RAM to the Processor. For example, using Approach 4, a 64K byte RAM Refresh Memory could perfrom refresh and progamme storage functions transparently.

The CRTC consists of  programmable horizontal and vertical timing generators, programmable linear address register, programmable cursor logic, light pen capture register, and control circuitry for interface to a processor bus.

All CRTC timing is derived from CLK, usually the output of an external dot rate counter. Coincidence (CO) circuits continuously compare counter contents to the contents of the programmable register file, R0-R17. For horizontal timing generation, comparisons result in: (1) Horizontal sync pulse (HS) of a frequency, position, and duration determined by the registers.

The Horizontal counter produces H clock wich drives the Scan Line Counter and, Vertical Control. The contents of the Raster Counter are continuously compared to the Max Scan Line Address Register. A coincidence resets the Raster Counter and clocks the Vertical Counter.

Comparisons of Vertical Counter contents and Vertical Registers result in: (1) Vertical sync pulse (VS) of a frequency and position determined by the register - the width is fixed at 16 raster lines in the vertical control section and is not programmable, (2) Vertical Display of a frequency and position determined by the registers.

The Vertical Control Logic has other functions:

1. Generate row selects, RA0-RA4, from the Raster Count for the corresponding interlace or non-interlace modes.

2. Extend the number of scan lines in the vertical total by the amount programmed in the Vertical Total Adjust Register.

The Linear Address Generator is driven by CLK and locates the relative positions of characters in memory with their positions on the screen. Fourteen lines, MA0-MA13, are available for addressing up to four pages of 4K characters, 8 pages of 2K characters, etc. Using the Start Address Register, hardware scrolling through 16K characters is possible. The Linear Address Generator repeats the same sequence of addresses for each scan line of a character row.

Source: Tomas Karlsson