NEC μPD7220
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The High-Performance Graphics Display Controller 7220 (commonly μPD7220 or NEC 7220) is a video display controller and a Graphics processing unit, capable of drawing lines, circles, arcs, and character graphics to a bit-mapped display. It was developed by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in order to support the Kanji character set efficiently, which explains why the APC computer line had superior graphics compared to competing models. The chip was first used in the NEC N5200 and in later computers, such as the NEC PC-9801, APC II and APC III, the NECcomputer, the optional graphics module for the DEC Rainbow, the NCR Decision Mate V, the Tulip System-1, and the Epson QX-10.[1]
Release date | 1981-12 |
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History | |
Successor | μPD72120 Advanced Graphics Display Controller |
The μPD7220 was one of the first implementations of a graphics display processor as a single Large Scale Integration (LSI) integrated circuit chip, enabling the design of low-cost, high-performance video graphics cards such as those from Number Nine Visual Technology. It was one of the best known graphics chips of the 1980s.[2]