The ATi Wonder series represents some of the first graphics

Graphics

Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...

 add on products for IBM

IBM

International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...

 PCs

Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

 and compatibles introduced by ATi Technologies

ATI Technologies

ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...

 in the mid to late 1980s. These cards were unique at the time as they offered the end user a considerable amount of value by combining support for multiple graphics standards (and monitors) into a single card. The VGA Wonder series added additional value with the inclusion of a bus mouse port, which normally required the installation of a dedicated Microsoft Bus Mouse adapter.

The VGA Wonder series later merged with the ATI Mach

ATI Mach

The ATi Mach line was a series of 2D graphics accelerators for personal computers developed by ATI Technologies. It became an extension to the ATI Wonder series of cards. The first chip in the series was the ATi Mach8. It was essentially a clone of the IBM 8514/A with a few notable extensions such...

 series of cards in 1990. The ATi Graphics Ultra (VRAM) and ATi Graphics Vantage (DRAM) cards both featured independent VGA Wonder ASICs in addition to their Mach8 8514 compatible coprocessor chips. The Graphics Ultra was later renamed the VGA Wonder GT. In 1992, their following product line, the Mach32, integrated the VGA wonder core and coprocessor into a single IC. At this point the VGA Wonder line was cancelled and replaced with a cost reduced DRAM based version of Mach32 known as the "ATi Graphics Wonder".

MDA/CGA Cards

Release Date: 1986

ATi Color Emulation Card

• Did at least support CGA graphics output to a TTL Monochrome monitor

ATi Graphics Solution plus (1987)

• Chipset
  Chipset
  A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...
  
  : ATI CW16800-B
• Supports CGA, Plantronics
  Plantronics
  Plantronics is an electronics company producing audio communications equipment for business and consumers. Its' products provide unified communications, mobile use, gaming and music...
  
   CGA & Hercules Graphics Card
  Hercules Graphics Card
  The Hercules Graphics Card was a computer graphics controller made by Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. which, through its popularity, became a widely supported display standard. It was common on IBM PC compatibles connected to a monochrome monitor . It supported one high resolution text mode and...
  
   graphics modes
• Compatible with MDA, CGA (and therefore also EGA displays), DIP switch
  DIP switch
  DIP switches are manual electric switches that are packaged in a group in a standard dual in-line package...
  
   selectable
• 64kb of DRAM
• Port: 8-bit PC/XT bus

Graphics Solution Plus SP

• Chipset: ATI CW16800-B
• Adds Serial/Parallel Ports

Graphics Solution SR

• Chipset: ATI CW16800-B
• Uses Static RAM

ATi Small Wonder Graphics Solution (1988)

• Chipset: ATI 18700
• Also known as Graphics Solution Single Chip or just GS-SC
• Single-chip version of the graphics solution plus
• 64kb of static RAM
• Composite Output

Graphics Solution Single Chip or GS-SC with Game (1988)

• Includes a game port
  Game port
  The game port is a device port found on IBM PC compatible systems throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was the traditional connector for joystick input devices until superseded by USB in the 21st century....
  
  
• Lacks external composite connector

EGA Cards

Release Date: 1987

ATi EGA Wonder (March 1987)

• Chipset: ATI16899-0 + CHIPS P86C435
• Supports CGA, Hercules mono & EGA graphics modes
• Removes support for plantronics mode/Single-page Hercules mode/composite output
• Compatible with MDA, CGA and EGA displays (DIP switch selectable)
• Internal composite port for machines such as IBM 5155 Portable
• 256kb DRAM
• Port: 8-bit PC/XT bus
• Original MSRP: $399

ATi EGA Wonder 800

• Added support for extended EGA text and graphics modes (requires multisync monitor
  Multisync monitor
  A multisync monitor is a monitor that can properly synchronise with various horizontal and vertical scan frequencies. In contrast, fixed frequency monitors can only synchronise with a specific horizontal and vertical frequency, limiting their flexibility...
  
  )
• Added support for 16-colour VGA modes

ATi EGA Wonder 800+

• Rebadged VGA Edge lacking the analogue VGA port
• Chipset: ATI 18800
• Can auto-detect monitor type connected (DIP switches no longer present)

VGA Cards

Release Date: 1987

ATi VIP or VGA Improved Performance (1987)

• Chipset: ATi 16899-0 & Chips P82C441
• Supports CGA, Hercules mono, EGA & VGA graphics with Softsense automatic mode switching
• Compatible with MDA, CGA, EGA and VGA displays (DIP switch selectable)
• 9-pin TTL and 15-pin analogue connectors
• 256kb DRAM
• Port: 8-bit PC/XT bus
• Original MSRP: $449 ($99 for Compaq expansion module)

ATi VGA Wonder (1988)

• Chipset: ATI 18800
• Adds support for SVGA graphics modes
• Adds support for monitor auto-sensing (switchless configuration)
• Uses on-board EEPROM to store configuration information
• 256kb or 512kb DRAM
• Port: 8-bit PC/XT bus

ATi VGA Edge 8

• Cost Reduced VGA Wonder
• 256KB DRAM

ATi VGA Wonder 16 (1988)

• Speed enhancements due to a wider bus
• VGA pass through connector
• Bus mouse connector
• 256KB or 512KB DRAM
• Port: 16-bit
  16-bit
  -16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
  
   PC/AT bus (ISA), 8-bit
  8-bit
  The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
  
  compatible
• Original MSRP: $499 or $699 respectively

ATi VGA Edge-16

• Cost reduced VGA Wonder 16
• Lacks the bus mouse connector and the digital TTL output
• 256kb DRAM (not expandable to 512kb)

ATi VGA Wonder+ (1990)

• Chipset: ATI 28800-2, -4, or -5
• Based on a new chipset which claimed to offer speeds rivalling VRAM based cards
• Dual page mode memory access
• Dynamic CPU/CRT interleaving
• 256KB or 512KB DRAM

ATi VGA Integra (1990)

• Cost reduced version based on new ATi 28800 ASIC
• Lacks bus mouse connector
• Uses a much smaller PCB with a surface mount BIOS & RAMDAC
• Supports SVGA Graphics with 72 Hz refresh rates
• 512KB DRAM

ATi VGA Basic-16 (1990)

• PCB layout similar to VGA Integra but using cheaper RAMDAC
• Only supports the basic 60 Hz VGA modes of the IBM VGA standard from 1987
• 256KB DRAM (not upgradable)

ATi VGA Charger (1991)

• Similar to VGA Basic-16, but can be upgraded to 512KB

ATi VGA Wonder XL (May 1991)

• Sierra RAMDAC adds support for 15-bit colour in 640x480@72 Hz, 800x600@60 Hz
• Supports a flicker-free vertical refresh rate of 72 Hz
• 256KB, 512KB or 1MB DRAM
• Original MSRP: $229, $349, $399 respectively

ATi VGA Stereo·F/X

• Chipset: ATI 28800
• Combines a VGA Wonder XL with a Sound Blaster 1.5
• Features "fake" stereo sound
• 512KB or 1MB DRAM

ATi VGA Wonder XL24 (1992)

• Contains a Brooktree Bt481KPJ85 RAMDAC that adds support for hi and true colour graphics modes
• 512KB or 1MB DRAM

ATi VGA Wonder 1024

• A series of OEM cost reduced versions of several VGA Wonder models
• Typically lacks the bus mouse connector and/or the digital TTL output

External links

• YJFY Computer Component Museum
• IT Blog: Full ATI TimeLine 1984-2006
• VGA Legacy