Hercules Graphics Card

Hercules Graphics Card (HGC) is a computer graphics controller and through its popularity a display standard, widely used from the mid 1980s. It was common on IBM PC compatibles connected to a monochrome (green, amber or, less often, black-white) phosphor monitor. It supported a single graphics mode: 720 x 348 pixels at 1 bit per pixel.

Hercules card has certain popularity, especially in specialist applications, such as some Debuggers and CAD programs. Because its graphic page was hardwired to address '0b000h' instead of address '0a000h' in newer (colour) graphic adaptors. Therefore a HGC was connectable alongside another graphic adaptor with fewer problems. Certain software detects a HGC connected to a secondary monitor, and uses the mono display for extra data while running the application on the other display.

See also

• putpixel