---
name: "zx"
section: "4"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/zx/4"
---

# zx(4)

accelerated 24-bit color frame buffer

## NAME

**zx** – accelerated 24-bit color frame buffer

## SYNOPSIS

**zx\* at sbus?** **wsdisplay\* at zx?**

## DESCRIPTION

The ZX and TurboZX are dual-slot SBus color frame buffers, with graphics acceleration and overlay capabilities. They are also known as the Sun “Leo” graphics card.

The **zx** driver interfaces the frame buffer with the [wscons(4)](/wscons/4.md) console framework. It does not provide direct device driver entry points but makes its functions available via the internal [wsdisplay(4)](/wsdisplay/4.md) interface.

## DISPLAY RESOLUTION

The following resolutions are supported by the ZX frame buffer:

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Resolution** | **Refresh Rate** | **Details** |
| 1280x1024 | 76 Hz | Non-interlaced |
| 1280x1024 | 67 Hz | Non-interlaced |
| 1152x900 | 76 Hz | Non-interlaced |
| 1152x900 | 66 Hz | Non-interlaced |
| 1024x768 | 76 Hz | Non-interlaced |
| 1024x768 | 60 Hz | Non-interlaced |
| 960x680 | 112 Hz | Stereo, non-interlaced 56 Hz field rate per eye |
| 960x680 | 108 Hz | Stereo, non-interlaced 54 Hz field rate per eye |
| 770x575 | 50 Hz | Interlaced - PAL |
| 640x480 | 59.94 Hz | Interlaced - NTSC |

If the ZX frame buffer is connected to a monitor at boot time, it will select its display resolution depending of the monitor ‘select code’ provided by the 13W3 connector. If the frame buffer is not connected to a monitor, the default resolution of 1152x900, with a 66 Hz refresh rate, will be selected. The selected resolutions are:

| | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Monitor** | **Resolution** | **Refresh** | **Monitor** |
| **sense code** |  | **Rate** | **Type** |
| 0 | 1024x768 | 76 Hz | X449A |
| 1 | 1152x900 | 66 Hz |  |
| 2 | 1280x1024 | 76 Hz | X248A, GDM-205S |
| 3 | 1152x900 | 66 Hz | GDM-1955A15, GDM-1604A15, CPD-1790 |
| 4 | 1280x1024 | 67 Hz | GDM-20D10, GDM-1962 |
| 5 | 1152x900 | 66 Hz |  |
| 6 | 1152x900 | 76 Hz | GDM-1662B, 17SMM4 |
| 7 | 1152x900 | 66 Hz |  |

## SEE ALSO

[intro(4)](/intro/4.md), [sbus(4)](/sbus/4.md), [wscons(4)](/wscons/4.md), [wsdisplay(4)](/wsdisplay/4.md)

## CAVEATS

There is currently no software interface to change the frame buffer resolution at runtime.