News First open-source graphics card available

[CardJoe]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/05...rd-available/1

The Open Graphics Project has announced availability of the worlds first open-source graphics card, but don't think you can just buy it and plug it in - it's a development platform.

[Firehed]

PCI-X... WHY?

I'm loving the idea, but stuff like this just reinforces the idea that open-source products are half-arsed junk the moment it has any vague degree of functionality (at least commercial stuff ticks a few feature boxes first).

[Bluephoenix]

well, since the card just has programable FPGAs, then I think this is far more than a graphics card.

really it can be anything you want it to be an interface card for.

can't wait to get my hands on one and see what it can do, though I'll have to pick up some DVI ends to make device interfaces

[Icy EyeG]

When I first saw this news, the first thing that came to mind was Mininig. Maybe this card will be able to help projects like this (but I may be wrong).

Originally Posted by Firehed

PCI-X... WHY?

Maybe because it's more difficult to implement Pcie communication....

Originally Posted by Bluephoenix

well, since the card just has programmable FPGAs, then I think this is far more than a graphics card.

really it can be anything you want it to be an interface card for.

That's something I'm curious about: what possibilities does this card bring?

[woodshop]

Originally Posted by Icy EyeG

That's something I'm curious about: what possibilities does this card bring?

I'm hoping for H.264 encoding offloading.. maybe even h.264 encoding from the DVI/RBG ports in real time.. no one said they were output only after all.

[talladega]

if it could be made to record video input through hdmi or dvi at 720p and 1080p resolutions id get one.

[Bluephoenix]

Originally Posted by talladega

if it could be made to record video input through hdmi or dvi at 720p and 1080p resolutions id get one.

if you could increase the buffer size I don't see why not.

[Icy EyeG]

Originally Posted by Bluephoenix

if you could increase the buffer size I don't see why not.

Well the Matrox RT.X2 Video Editing card does use a Xilinx FPGA chip......

[Bluephoenix]

I say increase the buffer size because the chip certainly would have difficulty processing at real time, but could certainly do it given time and a large enough buffer.

[Icy EyeG]

Originally Posted by Bluephoenix

I say increase the buffer size because the chip certainly would have difficulty processing at real time, but could certainly do it given time and a large enough buffer.

You're right, the Matrox card uses the Xilinx Virtex-II Pro, which seems to be much more powerful that the Spartan series (used on the OGD1). Besides, the Xilinx Virtex-II Pro has embedded PowerPC processors.