Multi-Color Graphics Array
| Release date | April 2, 1987 |
|---|---|
| Cards | |
| Entry-level | IBM PS/2 Model 30 & 25 motherboards; Epson Equity Ie motherboard; Delta Computer DG-630 motherboard |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Color Graphics Adapter |
| Successor | Video Graphics Array |
The Multi-Color Graphics Array or MCGA is a video subsystem built into the motherboard of the IBM PS/2 Model 30, introduced in April 1987, and Model 25, introduced later in August 1987; no standalone MCGA cards were ever made.
The MCGA supports all CGA display modes plus 640 × 480 monochrome at a refresh rate of 60 Hz, and 320 × 200 with 256 colors (out of an 18-bit RGB palette of 262,144) at 70 Hz. The display adapter uses a DE-15 connector, sometimes referred to as HD-15.
MCGA is similar to VGA in that it had a 256-color mode (the 256-color mode in VGA was sometimes referred to as MCGA) and uses 15-pin analog connectors. The PS/2 chipset's limited abilities prevent EGA compatibility and high-resolution multi-color VGA display modes.
The tenure of MCGA was brief; the PS/2 Model 25 and Model 30 were discontinued by 1990, and the only manufacturer to produce a clone of this display adapter was Epson, in the Equity Ie and PSE-30, since the VGA standard introduced at the same time was considered superior.