Manufacturer “X-Pert Computer Services”
4 expansions in database
Domino
Manufacturer
X-Pert Computer Services / Village Tronic, Germany
Date
1992
Amiga
A2000, A3000, A4000
Interface
Zorro II
Autoconfig ID
2162 / 1,2
2167 / 1,2
    RTG graphics card
  • the card has a standard ISA connector with a PC display card plugged into it
  • Tseng Labs ET4000
  • 1 MB RAM
    six predefined screen modes
  • 1280×1024 87 Hz interlaced, up to 16 colours from a 18 bit (262144) palette
  • 1152×900 60 Hz, up to 256 colours from 18 bit
  • 1120×832 65 Hz, up to 256 colours from 18 bit
  • 1024×768 70 Hz, up to 256 colours from 18 bit
  • 800×600 72 Hz, up to 32768 colours from a 15 bit (32768) palette
  • 640×480 81 Hz, up to 32768 colours from 15 bit
    notes
  • socket for monitor switcher
  • video passthrough connector
  • HD15 VGA connector
  • CyberGraphX 2, Picasso96, EGS and custom drivers
  • supported by NetBSD and OpenBSD
Photos
X-Pert Computer Services / Village Tronic Domino - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Village Tronic Domino - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Village Tronic Domino - back side
back side
Driver / Installation Disk
Vintage Advert

Advert (US)
1993-05

Advert (DE)
1992-10

Advert (DE)
1992-12

Advert (DE)
1993-02

Merlin
Manufacturer
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev, Germany
Date
1993
Amiga
A2000
A3000, A4000

-
-
Interface
Zorro II
Zorro III
Autoconfig ID
2117 / 3,4,201
    RTG graphics card
  • Tseng Labs ET4000W32
    • 85 MHz dot clock in 8 bit modes
  • Brooktree Bt482 RAMDAC with hardware cursor
  • 2 or 4 MB DRAM
    • although the Merlin was advertised to support 8 or 16 MB, that would be possible with ET4000W32i or ET4000W32p chips only
    • only 2 MB is possible in Zorro II mode
  • two SIMM sockets for custom made SIMMs
    • 1× 2 MB, 32 bit (labeled as "2 MB 32 Bit")
    • 2× 2 MB, 16 bit (labeled as "2 MB")
    • 1× 4 MB, 32 bit, 60 ns
  • the clock speed of the blitter and memory can be selected with jumpers between 50-65 MHz (55 MHz is the default setting)
    optional video module, X-Calibur (Photo)
  • activates the S-VHS and Composite output connectors
  • provides RGB, S-VHS and Composite inputs on a separate slot cover
    • the RGB input is fake - the signal is converted to NTSC Y/C and then digitized
    • the ProDev digitizing software supports the Composite input only
  • provides up to 800×600 @ 16 bit
  • works only in Zorro II mode because the ET4000W32 does not support digitizing in its 32 bit mode
  • a switch is provided for easy switching between Z2 and Z3 modes (connects to the Z2/Z3 jumper)
    notes
  • a genlock module was developed but never sold
  • the design of Merlin was not finished when the card went into production, leading to many problems
    • compatibility problems with other Zorro cards
    • incompatibility with 060 processors
    • incompatibility with all GVP processor cards
    • reset problems
    • the small registers of the ET4000 chip led to problems with 24 bit screens larger than 680×576 (8 and bit screens have no problems)
  • X-Pert and ProDev both offered fixes but only ProDev's methods could cure all problems
  • Ingenieurbüro Riedel still offers fixing of problematic Merlin cards
  • HD15 VGA connector
  • S-VHS, RGB, F-BAS output connectors
  • automatic monitor switch and video pass through
  • every Amiga graphics function is supported except the Copper
  • if more than one screen is opened the next one can be seen through a window on the foremost screen
  • Picasso96, EGS and ProBench drivers
  • supported by NetBSD and OpenBSD
Photos
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev Merlin - Analogue Video Converter module front side
Analogue Video Converter module, front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev Merlin - with RAM installed front side
with RAM installed, front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev Merlin - no RAM installed front side
no RAM installed, front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev Merlin - back side
back side
Manual
  • merlin-e.pdf
    Ingenieurbüro Riedel
    merlin hardware fix (incl. 060 fix)
    26 kB
  • merlin.pdf
    Ingenieurbüro Riedel
    Merlin Umbauanleitung (incl. 060-Fix)
    20 kB
Driver / Installation Disk
Vintage Advert

Advert (US)
1993-11

Advert (DE)
1993-02

Advert (DE)
1993-03

Advert (AU)
1993-07

Advert (DE)
1993-07

Advert (DE)
1993-11

Visiona
Manufacturer
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development, USA
Date
1990
Amiga
A2000, A3000, A4000
Interface
Zorro II
Autoconfig ID
2117 / 1,2
    RTG graphics card
  • Inmos IMS G300C (85, 110 or 135 MHz) programmable RAMDAC and sync generator
  • no blitter, line drawing engine, or other general purpose graphics processing capability
  • Visiona Paint: 2 MB 20 ns VRAM in 16 ZIP sockets
  • Visiona Paint+: 4 MB 20 ns VRAM in 32 ZIP sockets
    screen modes
  • maximum resolution is only limited by the amount of VRAM installed
  • 24/32 bit: up to 1024×1024
  • 8 bit: up to 2048×2048
  • 2 bit: up to 4096×4096
  • 1 bit: up to 8192×4096
  • the resolutions above need 4 MB VRAM - with 2 MB VRAM, the maximum resolution is limited
  • maximum horizontal frequency: 80 kHz
  • resolutions above 1600×1280 flicker badly
    notes
  • Visiona Paint can be converted to a Visiona Paint+ by adding 16 RAM chips and a new control PAL
  • the VRAM uses 2 resp. 4 MB in the Zorro II address space:
    • limits Zorro II RAM expansions to 6 resp. 4 MB
    • the VRAM can be used by the Amiga as memory expansion using Addmem program (Visiona library must not be activated)
    • content of the Video RAM can be changed by the CPU and the Video Controller (which accesses the Video RAM with a DMA controller)
  • two separate oscillators for PAL and NTSC signals - two additional sockets for eg. SECAM
  • 15 pin VGA connector
  • five HF-PCB connectors
  • supports several Sync options:
    • output: separate H-Sync/V-Sync, Composite Sync on H-Sync, Sync-on-Green
    • input: external synchronization (on H-Sync) with a TBC possible (needs small hardware expansion)
  • EGS driver
  • the Visiona, the GVP EGS-110/24 and EGS-28/24 Spectrum were all designed by Hendrik Horak
    DIP switch settings
    Jumper Description ON OFF
    1 Amount of Video RAM 4 MB 2 MB
    2 ROM selection selected deselected
    3 - 6 reserved - -
    7 Video Standard NTSC PAL
    8 Interlace setting Interlace on Interlace off
    9 not used - -
Photos
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - back side
back side
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Viona Development Visiona - back side
back side
Manual
  • Visiona.pdf
    Bedienungsanleitung / german user manual
    1350 kB
Driver / Installation Disk
Vintage Advert

Advert (US)
1992-11

X-Calibur
Manufacturer
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev, Germany
Date
1993
Amiga
A2000, A3000, A4000
  • X-Calibur is the optional video module of Merlin
  • activates Merlin's S-VHS and Composite output connectors
  • provides S-VHS and Composite inputs
  • it runs only in Z2 mode of Merlin, due to limitations of the ET4000W32
  • a switch is provided for easily switching Merlin between Z2 and Z3
Photos
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev X-Calibur - front side
front side
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev X-Calibur - back side
back side
X-Pert Computer Services / Prodev X-Calibur - Merlin with X-Calibur front side
Merlin with X-Calibur, front side