Crazy idea: Design open-source graphics chip - DONE

Not so crazy - it is already done :-)

http://www.opencores.org/projects/vga_lcd/

FEATURES

CRT and LCD display support
24bit Standard VGA interface
Separate VSYNC/HSYNC and combined CSYNC synchronization signals Composite BLANK signal
TripleDisplay support
12bit Interface
Compatible with DVI transmitters and 12bit VGA ADCs
4 different output modes
Can be used simultaneous with the 24bit interface
User programmable video resolutions
User programmable video timing
User programmable video control signals polarization levels 32bpp, 24bpp and 16bpp color modes
8bit gray-scale and 8bit pseudo-color modes
Supports video- and/or color-lookup-table bankswitching during vertical retrace
32bit WISHBONE revB.3 compliant slave and master interfaces Operates from a wide range of input clock frequencies
Static synchronous design
Fully synthesizeable

STATUS

VGA/LCD core v2.0 is ready and available in verilog from OpenCores CVS via cvsweb or via cvsget.
Low level abstraction layer available in C from CVS.
Character simulation software is currently under development.

But to get a board that gives you anything more than a cheap old VGA board the XServer should be running on the board! (PowerPCs are good for embedding) But for some applications you might need to talk directly to the frame buffer...

/RogerL

Roger Larsson
Skellefteå
Sweden