TheATI Wonder is a series ofvideo cards for theIBM Personal Computer andcompatibles, introduced byATI Technologies in the mid to late 1980s.[1][2][3] 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. TheVGA Wonder series added additional value with the inclusion of abus mouse port,[4] which normally required the installation of a dedicatedMicrosoft Mouse adapter.
TheVGA Wonder series later merged with theATI Mach series of cards in 1990. TheATI Graphics Ultra (VRAM) andATI Graphics Vantage (DRAM) cards both featured independentVGA WonderASICs in addition to theirMach88514 compatiblegraphics processor. TheGraphics Ultra was later renamed theVGA Wonder GT. In 1992, their followingproduct line, theMach32, integrated the VGA wonder core and coprocessor into a singleIC. At this point theVGA Wonder line was cancelled and replaced with a cost reduced DRAM based version ofMach32 known as theATI Graphics Wonder.
One of the early graphics cards from ATI Technologies: aGraphics Solution Rev 3Hercules graphics card from 1986. As can be seen from the PCB the layout was done in 1985, whereas the marking on the central chip CW16800-A says "8639" meaning that chip was manufactured week 39, 1986.
Supports: AllCGA modes on both CGA/EGA andTTL monochrome monitors
Switching between CGA and Hercules compatibility is done via supplied utility (VSET.EXE) and doesn't require a reboot
Composite video output is available on an internal 3-pin connector (no support for colors, works only in the40 × 25 text-mode or320 × 200 graphics modes)
