8x19 Text Mode Font Origins
8 days ago
- #Intel
- #BIOS
- #VGA
- BIOS POST screens on Intel AN430TX and AL440LX boards from 1997 use a custom 8×19 font in 640×480 resolution, differing from standard VGA text modes.
- Phoenix BIOS 4.0 Release 6.0 on these boards was decoded using tools like phoedeco, revealing a unique font encoding method that omits unused characters to save space.
- Intel transitioned from AMI BIOS to Phoenix BIOS around 1997, introducing the 8×19 font, which was later standardized in UEFI specifications for narrow fixed fonts.
- The 8×19 font was used consistently across Intel boards until around 2012-2013, even in EFI implementations, before being replaced by GUI-based BIOS setups.
- Early adopters of 8×19 fonts included laptops with 640×480 screens, where the font resolution was a better fit than standard VGA text modes.
- Compatibility issues with non-standard fonts were mitigated by BIOS switching to standard text modes before booting or when displaying add-on card POST messages.
- The font's origin is unclear, but evidence suggests Intel may have introduced it, as it appears in both AMI and Phoenix BIOS versions used on their boards.