No OpenBoot Bios Required
The Solaris OS generally requires a graphics device that employs the OpenBoot Bios (OBB). Many (most?) SPARC machines have a Sun-supplied graphics chip or card that has an associated OBB. This allows the OS to boot the system with the incumbent graphics driving the boot console. After the system is booted, Xi Graphics' xsvc Solaris kernel driver, X server, and specific graphics driver for the new ATI card is installed. After installation, the X server is started, which then proceeds to initialize the new ATI card using its Intel bios, and the system is off and running. The incumbent graphics chip/card is not used in the subsequent configuration, although is some cases it might be possible, such as in the case of an incumbent Matrox G550 card.

MX Series FireMV Support on SPARC
The Summit MX Series provides 2D multi-head, multi-card support for both models of the FireMV cards. Monitors that are driven by the same graphics chip can be configured in an SLS (SingleLogicalScreen) manner, but SLS cannot be stretched across cards or graphics chips (this capability requires the HX Series). MX provides the capability of utilizing two xscreens per graphics chip if the chip is driving two monitors. See the description of DualView for more info on monitor configurations.

HX Series FireMV Support on SPARC
Console or WallDisplays that need to stretch an image across monitors driven by different graphics chips/cards, the Summit HX Series is required. HX features SingleLogicalScreen capability across multiple graphics chips, and can be licensed for up to 4, up to 8, or up to 16 monitors per system. An HX system can be configured to have more than one x screen. HX Series provides 2D support only. The final QA testing of FireMV with the SingleLogicalScreen (HX) Series is awaiting some marketing feedback on the level of interest.

Solaris 8 Demo Available
The demos available for download have been tested with Solaris 8. Solaris 9 and 10 are available on short notice, but will require the short-term loan of the target SPARC platform and OS for final QA testing. While PCIe is generally transparent to Xi Graphics PCI drivers, these cards have not been tested on PCIe SPARC platforms.

Xsun Server is Replaced
Note that Xi Graphics' Accelerated-X server in installed in place of Sun's X server. Accelerated-X is X Window Systems compliant through X11R6.4 and also has some additional extensions and additions available. The Xi Graphics X servers are generally somewhat faster and more up to date than the Sun X servers, so unless special features available only from Sun - such as some of those in "Trusted Solaris" or other non-X specified features are used - the X server swap should be transparent. It is important that the demo be tested on the target machine and with target applications to insure the operation is satisfactory before licensing.

Accelerated-X and Solaris History
Xi Graphics has supported SPARC and Solaris since about Solaris v2.6 or earlier. Solaris support on Intel extends to v10, but v9 and v10 have not been tested on SPARC.