NeXTdimension

<p>The NeXTdimension (ND) is an accelerated <a href="/facts/32-bit/TDMVce8s">32-bit</a> color board manufactured and sold by <a href="/facts/NeXT/71CK18lB">NeXT</a> from 1991 that gives the <a href="/facts/NeXTcube/qJEB01jb">NeXTcube</a> color graphics capabilities. It is a NeXTBus (<a href="/facts/NuBus/5UIn0nv8">NuBus</a>-like) full size card for the NeXTcube, filling one of the four slots in the machine, another one being used by the original CPU board. The list price for a NeXTdimension sold as an add-on to the NeXTcube was US$3,995 (equivalent to $9,220 in 2024), and another $2,995 (equivalent to $6,910 in 2024) for the MegaPixel Color Display.
</p><p>The NeXTdimension is based on the <a href="/facts/Intel_i860/e2wRyFV1">Intel i860</a> <a href="/facts/64-bit/AgvkQHkM">64-bit</a> <a href="/facts/RISC/aQbGM62p">RISC</a> processor running at 33 MHz. A stripped down <a href="/facts/Mach_(kernel)/rqK8DES2">Mach kernel</a> was ported to the i860, and the system's software runs under that kernel. It includes 8 MB main memory (expandable to 64 MB via eight 72-pin <a href="/facts/SIMM/JnNyfhBF">SIMM</a> slots) and 4 MB <a href="/facts/Video_RAM/jjt4zoQB">VRAM</a> for a resolution of 1120x832 at 24-bit color plus 8-bit alpha channel. The resulting system is so fast that it produces 24-bit color graphics faster than the original system's 2-bit greyscale. Output is via a <a href="/facts/DB13W3/RP430jem">DB13W3</a> RGB connection to a monitor, and also includes <a href="/facts/S-Video/shm26vB5">S-Video</a> input and output. Because the main board includes the greyscale video logic, each NeXTdimension allows the simultaneous use of an additional monitor. Up to three NeXTdimension cards could be installed in a single machine, but they would have to be connected to separate monitors.: 168 
</p><p>The NeXTdimension was originally designed to run the entire <a href="/facts/Display_PostScript/Kt6Pj1D0">Display PostScript</a> (DPS) system on the i860, offloading the rendering of DPS to pixels to the card. This would have offered even greater performance improvements as the amount of data travelling from the 68040 CPU to the i860 would be reduced, and the large amount of data output from the DPS instructions would move about entirely on the card, avoiding trips across the NeXTBus. This functionality was not completed in time for release, and development was never completed. As a result, much of the system's theoretical performance was never realized.
</p><p>When it was first announced, the system was to also include a <a href="/facts/C-Cube/2pLwpXBI">C-Cube</a> CL550 chip for <a href="/facts/MJPEG/X68g4FvS">MJPEG</a> video compression,: 168 : 169  but an estimated three-month delay in delivering the CL550 caused NeXT to redesign the product without it and instead adding a connector to accept a daughterboard providing image compression functionality. Few engineering prototypes for the MJPEG daughterboard exist.
</p><p>The card also included two <a href="/facts/S-video/shm26vB5">S-video</a> ports and two <a href="/facts/Composite_video/FIsE6mBz">composite video</a> ports, which could output up to 640 x 480 video in <a href="/facts/NTSC/HYWIvxCR">NTSC</a> format, as well as be used as inputs. If equipped with the CL550, the system was to have supported a single 640 x 480 window running 30 frames per second video output,: 168  significantly higher resolution than the Apple <a href="/facts/QuickTime/rA3GQp2j">QuickTime</a> system, introduced the same year, which used only the internal CPU and graphics hardware.
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NeXTdimension<table><tbody><tr><th>Outputs</th><th>Inputs</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/DB13W3/RP430jem">13W3</a></td><td>Composite (2x)</td></tr><tr><td>S-Video</td><td>S-Video</td></tr><tr><td>RGB using <a href="/facts/Enhanced_Graphics_Adapter/VFU5QRyp">EGA</a> 9-pin D-shell</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

NeXTdimension open-in-new

NeXTdimension