CRX and HCRX Graphics on PA-RISC

HP CRX and HCRX are graphics adapters for HP 9000 PA-RISC workstations from the 1990s, available in different configurations for HP Unix workstation. They were sold mainly for 2D design and engineering, with some dedicated 3D capabilities for MCAD in the 90s. All CRX and HCRX adapters were supported until HP-UX 10.20, though some may still work in 11.00. There is some third-party support for CRX in open source operating systems.

CRX Adapters

HP Graphics
Evolution HP graphics © 1995 HP

CRX graphics were often used in HP 9000 705, 710, 720, 730, 750 and 735 workstations and output a mostly fixed resolution of 1280×1024. There were CRX adapters as separate add-on cards for various bus types (GSC, SGC) and integrated onboard graphics (Artist and Stinger).

HP CRX video adapters were shipped with and used in 32-bit PA-RISC HP 9000 workstations like HP 9000 715, HP 9000 720, 730, 750 and HP 9000 735 and 755.

Stinger is an integrated CRX graphics adapter in ASP-hased HP 9000 workstations (715 and 725) which supports four different resolution and refresh-rate combinations. Artist was another onboard graphics device, adapter from CRX for the integrated HP 9000 712 workstation.

Device Color
Resolution		 Memory Double
buffer		 3D Output Bus and formfactor
Part number
CRX 8-bit
1280×1024 72Hz		 3 MB Hardware - BNC SGC DIO-II: A1659A
GRX 8-bit gray Software - BNC SGC DIO-II: A1924A
Stinger
(CRX)		 8-bit
1280×1024 gray
1024×768		 1 MB Software - VGA SGC integrated
Artist
(CRX)		 8-bit
1024×768		 1 MB Hardware - VGA GSC integrated
Artist
ext. mem		 8-bit
1280×1024		 2 MB Hardware - VGA GSC integrated
CRX-24 24-bit Hardware
Software		 - BNC
VGA		 SGC DIO-II: A1439A
SGC: A2673A
CRX-24Z 24-bit Z-Buffer yes BNC
VGA		 DIO-II addon: A1454A
SGC addon: A2674A
CRX-48Z 24-bit Hardware
Software
Z-Buffer		 yes BNC/VGA SGC DIO-II: A2091A (external)
SGC: A2675A (external)
GSC external: A4073A + A2091A
GSC external: A4073B + A4074A
CR 2D 8-bit Hardware
Software		 - VGA GSC: A4077A
CR 2D
dual		 8-bit Hardware
Software		 - 2 VGA GSC: A4078A

3D Acceleration (Z)

HP CRX 3D
Hoverball 3D demo © 1996 Hewlett Packard
Videos at HP (1996) archive.org

CRX with Z-suffix denotes an additional 3D acceleration board with a hardware 24-bit Z-buffer. These combined adapters like CRX-24Z support the same visuals as stand-alone versions but always provide 3D acceleration. Hardware acceleration can only be used with Starbase, PHIGS, PowerShade or PEX APIs. CRX-48Z adapters are internal GSC or SGC interface cards with a separate external processing box, which provides RGB output connectors.

Part numbers

Part numbers of CRX video cards:

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HCRX Adapters

HP HCRX are successors to HP CRX graphics adapters, used in HP 9000 and Visualize PA-RISC workstations of the mid-1990s. HCXR were shipped in systems with GSC bus, either integrated into the mainboard or as a separate expansion board. HCRX output a fixed resolution of 1280×1024 and use a HD15 VGA connector.

HCRX adapters were expensive at the time of introduction in 1994: HCRX-8 for $2500, HCRX-24 for $4000, HCRX8Z fpr $ 5500 and HCRX-24Z for $7000. HP billed the HCRX-8 as having the fastest X Window and 2D vector performance on the desktop and offers the fastest 3D vector and wireframe performance, the HCRX-24 having the same performance with up to 16.7 million colors simultaneously. For 3D solid rendering, the HCRX-8Z and HCRX-24Z (Z-versions) provided alpha transparency, deformation animation, texture mapping, and antialiased vectors.

Device Color
max		 Double
buffer		 3D Output Bus and part number
HCRX-8 8-bit Hardware
Software		 - VGA GSC: A4070A/A4070B
GSC-M: A4315A
HCRX-8Z 8-bit Z-Buffer yes VGA GSC: A4079A/A4079B
HCRX-24 24-bit Hardware
Software		 - VGA GSC: A4071A/A4071B
GSC-M: A4316A
HCRX-24Z 24-bit Z-Buffer yes VGA GSC: A4179A
3D Accelerator
for HCRX-8/24		 % Z-Buffer yes - Daughter board: A4072A
Daughter board: A4242A
HCRX-48Z renamed HP Visualize-48 A4244A

HP HCRX video adapters were mainly used in 32-bit PA-RISC HP 9000 715 workstations and many Visualize workstations, C100, C160, C200 and J-Class.

3D Acceleration (Z)

CRX with Z-suffix denotes additional 3D-acceleration board, containing a hardware 24-bit Z-buffer. These combined adapters like HCRX-24Z support the same visuals as stand-alone versions but always provide 3D acceleration. Hardware acceleration can only be used with Starbase, PHIGS, PowerShade or PEX APIs.

HCRX graphics adapters for HP 9000 PA-RISC workstations were suceeded by HP Visualize line of graphics cards. There was briefly a card called HCRX-48Z (A4244A) which was soon renamed and marketed as Visualize-48.

Part numbers

Part numbers of CRX video cards:

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Documentation

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