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| Release date | April 1987 |
|---|---|
| Cards | |
| Entry-level | IBM PS/2 Model 30 & 25 motherboards; Epson Equity Ie motherboard; Delta Computer DG-630 motherboard[1] |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Color Graphics Adapter |
| Successor | Video Graphics Array |
The Multi-Color Graphics Array or MCGA is a video subsystem built into the motherboard of the IBM PS/2 Model 30, introduced in April 1987, and Model 25, introduced later in August 1987; no standalone MCGA cards were ever made.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
The MCGA supports all CGA display modes plus 640 × 480 monochrome at a refresh rate of 60 Hz, and 320 × 200 with 256 colors (out of an 18-bit RGB palette of 262,144) at 70 Hz. The display adapter uses a DE-15 connector, sometimes referred to as HD-15.
MCGA is similar to VGA in that it had a 256-color mode (the 256-color mode in VGA was sometimes referred to as MCGA) and uses 15-pin analog connectors. The PS/2 chipset's limited abilities prevent EGA compatibility and high-resolution multi-color VGA display modes.
The tenure of MCGA was brief; the PS/2 Model 25 and Model 30 were discontinued by 1992, and the only manufacturer to produce a clone of this display adapter was Epson, in the Equity Ie and PSE-30, since the VGA standard introduced at the same time was considered superior.[9][10]
- ^ Brownstein, Mark (May 30, 1988). "Delta Announces PC-Compatible Product Line". InfoWorld. 10 (22). IDG Publications: 27 – via Google Books.
- ^ Sanchez, Julio; Canton, Maria P. (2003). The PC Graphics Handbook. CRC Press. p. 122. ISBN 9780203010532.
- ^ "MCGA Games (PC/DOS) - LCD vs CRT \ VOGONS".
- ^ "Epson Equity 1e". 20 December 2014.
- ^ "Nerdly Pleasures: Unique PC Hardware & Game Support". 28 April 2012.
- ^ "Epson Equity 1e". YouTube. 4 August 2015.
- ^ "Epson Equity 1e a second look". YouTube. 23 May 2022.
- ^ "The secret story of MCGA". 26 December 2020.
- ^ REM (1989). Equity Ie - CGA/EGA/VGA/MCGA Video Mode Compatibility (PDF). Epson. p. 13.
- ^ Farquhar, Dave (May 2022). "MCGA vs VGA". The Silicon Underground.