Editing Hercules Graphics Card (section)

== Card versions ==
The Hercules Graphics Card had several versions.

=== Hercules Graphics Card ===
Several updated versions of the original '''Hercules Graphics Card''' exist. The original board from 1982 is referenced as '''GB100''', with updated versions in 1983 ('''GB101'''), 1984 ('''GB102''') and 1988 ('''GB102Z''').<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brase |first=Thomas |title=Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, Hercules Graphics Cards (HGC) |url=https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hgc |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=retrocmp.de - BRING OLD HARDWARE BACK TO LIFE AGAIN}}</ref>

=== Hercules Graphics Card Plus ===
The '''Hercules Graphics Card Plus''' or '''HGC+''' ('''GB112''') was released in June 1986 at an original retail price of $299.<ref name="InfoWorld 1 Sep 19862">{{Cite news |last=Welch |first=Mark |date=September 1, 1986 |title=Hercules improves its monochrome card |pages=41 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41}}</ref> It was an enhancement of the HGC, adding support for redefinable fonts called RAMFONT in [[IBM Monochrome Display Adapter|MDA]]-compatible text mode.<ref name="Elliott_2012_HGCPlus2">{{cite web |author-last=Elliott |author-first=John C. |date=2012-08-09 |title=Hercules Graphics Card Plus: Notes |url=http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/hercplus.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123124757/http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/hercplus.html |archive-date=2016-11-23 |access-date=2016-11-23 |website=John Elliott's homepage}}</ref> It was based around a specialty chip designed by Hercules Computer Technology, unlike the original Hercules Graphics Card, which used standard components.<ref>{{cite journal |date=October 1986 |title=Inside the IBM PC: Before you consider the Hercules Graphics Card Plus consider the technology behind it |url=https://archive.org/stream/198610ByteMagazineVol1111InsideTheIBMPC/198610%20Byte%20Magazine%20Vol%2011-11%20Inside%20the%20IBM%20PC#page/n259/mode/2up/search/RAMfont |journal=[[Byte Magazine]] |type=Advertisement |volume=11 |access-date=2016-11-24}}</ref> Software support included [[Lotus 1-2-3]]&nbsp;v2, [[Lotus Symphony (MS-DOS)|Symphony]]&nbsp;1.1, [[Framework&nbsp;II]] and [[Microsoft Word]]&nbsp;3.<ref name="InfoWorld 1 Sep 19862" />

=== Hercules Network Card Plus ===
In 1988 Hercules released the '''Hercules Network Card Plus''', ('''HNC NB112''') a variant of the Graphics Card Plus with an integrated [[TOPS (file server)|TOPS]]/FlashTalk-compatible network adapter.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Stephens |last2=Moran |date=March 21, 1988 |title=Hercules to ship card after 3-month delay |page=21 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9j4EAAAAMBAJ&q=hercules+network+card&pg=PA21}}</ref> Like the HGC+, it supported RAMFONT, but lacked a printer port.<ref>{{cite journal|author=CW|date=1988-04-22|title=Hercules bringt neues PC-Board mit Ramfont: Grafik und Netzwerk auf einer Karte|url=http://www.computerwoche.de/a/grafik-und-netzwerk-auf-einer-karte,1154889|journal=[[Computerwoche]]|language=de|access-date=2016-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|date=1988-05-31|title=Hercules Network Card Plus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=voPUUGTC56UC&pg=PA262|journal=[[PC Magazine]]|access-date=2016-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Patton |first=Carole |date=October 26, 1987 |title=Hercules Weds Networking and Video on 1 Board |pages=20 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_z4EAAAAMBAJ&q=hercules+network+card+parallel&pg=PA20}}</ref>

=== Hercules InColor Card ===
{{Main articles|Hercules InColor Card}}
The '''InColor Card''' ('''GB222''') was introduced in April 1987. It included color capabilities similar to the [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]], with 16 colors from a palette of 64. It retained the same two modes ({{resx|80×25}} text with redefinable fonts and {{resx|720×348}} graphics), and was backward-compatible with software written for the earlier monochrome Hercules cards.<ref name="Elliot_2012_InColor">{{cite web |author-last=Elliott |author-first=John C. |date=2012-08-05 |title=Hercules InColor Card: Notes |url=http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/incolor.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123123816/http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/incolor.html |archive-date=2016-11-23 |access-date=2016-11-23}} (Pictures and programming information)</ref><ref name="Wilton_1993">{{cite book |author-last=Wilton |author-first=Richard |title=Programmer's guide to the PC & PS/2 video systems |date=1987 |publisher=[[Microsoft Press]] |isbn=1-55615-103-9 |edition=1st}} (NB. The second edition does no longer discuss the InColor and [[Multi-Color Graphics Array|MCGA]] cards at detail level.)</ref><ref name="Brown_2000_RBIL">{{cite web |author-last=Brown |author-first=Ralf D. |author-link=Ralf D. Brown |date=2012-01-21 |title=Public Files on FTP.CS.CMU.EDU - The x86 Interrupt List aka "Ralf Brown's Interrupt List" (RBIL) |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ralf/files.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616113421/https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ralf/files.html |archive-date=2016-06-16 |access-date=2016-06-16 |orig-year=2000-07-16}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Brase |first=Thomas |title=Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, Hercules InColor Card (GB222) |url=https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hicc |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=retrocmp - retro computing}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=CBR Staff Writer |date=March 1987 |title=PERSONAL GRAPHICS: HERCULES TO BURST INTO 16 COLOURS |work=Tech Monitor |url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/personal_graphics_hercules_to_burst_into_16_colours}}</ref>

=== Hercules Color Card ===
The '''Hercules Color Card''' ('''GB200''') was a CGA-compatible video board and should not be confused with the InColor Card.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://minuszerodegrees.net/manuals/Hercules/Hercules%20Color%20Card%20GB200%20-%20Owner's%20Manual%20-%20PARTIAL.pdf |title=Hercules Color Card GB200 - Owner's Manual |publisher=Hercules}}</ref> This board could coexist with the HGC and still allow both graphics pages to be used.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brase |first=Thomas |title=Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, Hercules Color Card (GB200) |url=https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hcc |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=retrocmp.de - BRING OLD HARDWARE BACK TO LIFE AGAIN}}</ref> It would detect when the second graphics page was selected and disable access to its own memory, which would otherwise have been at the same addresses. A version without printer port exists<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brase |first=Thomas |title=Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, Hercules Color Card/NP |url=https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hccnp |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=retrocmp.de}}</ref>

=== Hercules Text Card ===
The '''Hercules Text Card''' was a text-only MDA clone, but offered a parallel printer port.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brase |first=Thomas |title=Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, Hercules Text Card |url=https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#htc |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=retrocmp.de - BRING OLD HARDWARE BACK TO LIFE AGAIN}}</ref>