phil@pepsi.amd.com (Phil Ngai) (02/01/90)
In article <6603@ubc-cs.UUCP> jalbert@cs.ubc.ca (Francois Jalbert) writes: |Hello everybody. About one month ago, I mentioned my desire to add 64Kb |to my standard 640Kb on my AT. This is possible since I am using mono |and CGA video adapters only (No EGA, VGA, or MCGA). I have been running |such a setup on my PC for 5 or 6 years now. It is time to report my |findings. I think if you had a real EMS 4.0 card it would be a piece of cake. Software like DESQview and the new Above Disc stuff (not to be confused with Intel's products) should be able to do it for you. You might also check out RIBS, +1 303 444 6073. It's not as cheap as you wanted but it's a lot more general. -- Phil Ngai, phil@diablo.amd.com {uunet,decwrl,ucbvax}!amdcad!phil It's a boy!
hania@utrcu1.UUCP (Simon Hania) (02/02/90)
In article <6603@ubc-cs.UUCP> jalbert@cs.ubc.ca (Francois Jalbert) writes: >Hello everybody. About one month ago, I mentioned my desire to add 64Kb >to my standard 640Kb on my AT. >... >I am now giving up this search (unless somebody suggests a new possibility). If you have a 80386 it can be done using QEMM-386 from Quarterdeck. It's a device driver implementing LIM 4.0 using eXTENded memory on an 80386 based AT. It is also capable to fill "empty" locations in the memory map between 640Kb and 1Mb. -- --------------------------------------+----------------------- Simon Hania | Hania@UTwente.NL Computer Centre, University of Twente | HANIA@HENUT5.BITNET Enschede, the Netherlands | hania@utrcu1.UUCP
psfales@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (Peter Fales) (02/03/90)
In article <34529@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante) writes: > Oddly enough, I tripped over a cute program by Chris Dunford, called > EEMRAM v1.01, on the chyde.uwasa.fi archives. It maps up to 96K of my > enhanced expanded memory into the A000-B800 segments, so my machine > thinks it has 736K of main memory. It's worked fine so far; no new > hardware, no cost, no pain. I also have been using EEMRAM (v1.02 I think) and have been very pleased. I have been using 736K on my AT&T 6300 for quite a few months with no problems at all. I use the AT&T EMS card (manufactured by AST) which is a 16 bit card (for the AT&T proprietary 16 bit bus). The only problem with this program is it requires "enhanced" EMS which is not very common, but I think it may work with LIM 4.0 cards as well. -- Peter Fales AT&T, Room 5B-420 N9IYJ 2000 N. Naperville Rd. UUCP: ...att!ihlpb!psfales Naperville, IL 60566 Domain: psfales@ihlpb.att.com work: (708) 979-8031
phil@pepsi.amd.com (Phil Ngai) (02/03/90)
In article <29015@amdcad.AMD.COM> phil@pepsi.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai) writes: |Software like DESQview and the new Above Disc stuff (not to be confused I should have said "Quarterdeck's QRAM product". And yes, I do mean the *new* Above Disc stuff, not the old stuff. I just got some literature from RYBS and they definitely do what you need, with either EMS or C&T NEAT shadow RAM. I'm not claiming this is a hard program to write but if you'd rather buy it, you can. -- Phil Ngai, phil@amd.com {uunet,decwrl,ucbvax}!amdcad!phil It's a boy!
a523@mindlink.UUCP (Frank Murray) (02/09/90)
Humm, my 386 has 1 meg of RAM, not 640K. I use QEMM and LOADHI to achieve 720K of DOS RAM (628K free after DOS, device drivers, mouse). Until I buy some extra 32bit RAM, this is the best solution I could find. Frank Murray [523] MindLink!
jalbert@cs.ubc.ca (Francois Jalbert) (02/10/90)
Hello everybody. About one month ago, I mentioned my desire to add 64Kb
to my standard 640Kb on my AT. This is possible since I am using mono
and CGA video adapters only (No EGA, VGA, or MCGA). Unfortunately, no
memory board was found at the time that filled the bill. There were
a few problems:
1) Memory boards usually can only add 128Kb at a time, not 64Kb.
2) I want a 16-bit memory board, not a 8-bit PC type.
3) The memory must be added at A000H (640Kb), which is unusual.
4) The board must run at 13.8/9.3MHz.
Even though many people had tried to help, all attempts had failed and I
was giving up.
Well... This message brought up even more replies than the original one!
I must again thank heartily all those who made additional suggestions. I
recap as usual:
A) You can use EEMS 3.2 or LIM 4.0 memory to do that sort of
backfilling. There is a very nice utility on SIMTEL (and also
available elsewhere) called EEMRAM Version 2.1 which does the
trick. However, I already have 3Mb of EMS 3.2 only memory and I
don't want to buy an EEMS or LIM memory board just to backfill 64Kb!
Of course, forget any kind of device driver emulators, we want
true hardware.
B) This suggests the following scheme. I use my 3Mb of extra RAM as
exTENded. I could set aside 128Kb of that as exPANded EMS 3.2
memory. Initialize the 64Kb cache at 640Kb. And then don't touch
anymore that cache, leave it for DOS. That is, tell the BIOS about
it and carefully reboot the machine without affecting the BIOS'
data area and the 64Kb cache. I would then have 704Kb being used
by DOS. DOS would never know its upper memory comes from an exPANded
memory board cache. However, there is a catch in my case. My Everex
board can only run in 8-bit mode since my CPU is too fast. I suspect
every memory access to that 64Kb segment would have to be 8-bit wise.
Of course, if DOS tries to use that 64Kb segment, it will do it
in a 16-bit fashion. After all, the 80286 is a 16-bit CPU. I lose again.
C) Tall Tree Systems makes PC and AT memory boards that can backfill
at 640Kb the 64Kb of memory wanted. They are the JRAMIII AT and
JRAMIII PC memory boards. Unfortunately, the AT-type board revision
3 is designed for 8MHz and might be pushed to 10MHz. However, the
salesman wouldn't recommend running it in my 13.8/9.3MHz AT-clone.
None of the more recent Tall Tree boards have that feature either.
There is no demand for it.
D) It was also suggested that ATLAS Technology makes a similar memory
board. It would appear it is 8-bit since they mention it running
both in PC's and AT's. It then falls in the same category as the
Everex Mini-Magic.
I am now giving up this search, and for good. Pleeeaaase, do not try to help
me anymore! I made enough long distance phone calls. I also note that this 64Kb
of memory would be accessed through the bus, therefore relatively slowly.
I am not sure I like this. Perhaps DOS has a tendency to keep some frequently
used stacks up there.
The moral seems to be, in these days of EGA and VGA, stick to 640Kb until
OS/2 or UNIX on 386's pick up speed and that 386's go down further more in
price. We may still have a DOS window that will let us run our old stuff
anyway.
Once again, I thank everybody.
Francois
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