rob@ireta.cynic.wimsey.bc.ca (Rob Prior) (05/02/91)
A question for you hp95lx users (and portfolio users, for that matter). When I run a program from my HD on my home PC, it loads the program into memory and then runs it, thus having a copy in memory and a copy on my HD (two copies, using the faster RAM copy for actual working). Let's say I load the same program onto a RAM card for my hp95lx (or portfolio). When I run the program, will it run directly from the card, or will it duplicate itself into the main RAM? This is probably a question that others without palmtop computers (but might be in the market for them :) have. Rob +------------ | rob@ireta.cynic.wimsey.bc.ca | Rob Prior, President, Still Animation Logo Design +------------------------------------------------------------
laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) (05/03/91)
In article <7w4a21w163w@ireta.cynic.wimsey.bc.ca> rob@ireta.cynic.wimsey.bc.ca (Rob Prior) writes: >A question for you hp95lx users (and portfolio users, for that matter). > >When I run a program from my HD on my home PC, it loads the program >into memory and then runs it, thus having a copy in memory and a copy >on my HD (two copies, using the faster RAM copy for actual working). > >Let's say I load the same program onto a RAM card for my hp95lx (or >portfolio). When I run the program, will it run directly from the >card, or will it duplicate itself into the main RAM? > >This is probably a question that others without palmtop computers >(but might be in the market for them :) have. The Portfolio has a file format called .RUN which executes the program from ROM (or RAM) without loading it into system RAM. Variables (documents, etc.) are allocated from system RAM, of course. I believe that the JEIDA/PCMCIA card format defines a similar file format, and I would have to assume that that HP95LX would have to, to be able to run immense programs like 123 in a machine with 512K RAM split between storage and system memory. Of course, if you run a standard DOS application, you end up with two copies in memory. On in the RAM disk, and one loaded into system memory to execute. - Laird Popkin, Thinking Machines Connection Machine: Massively parallel supercomputer. Also a cool black cube with more blinking lights than you can shake a stick at.
everett@hpcvra.cv.hp.com. (Everett Kaser) (05/03/91)
(Rob Prior) writes... >Let's say I load the same program onto a RAM card for my hp95lx (or >portfolio). When I run the program, will it run directly from the >card, or will it duplicate itself into the main RAM? >Rob For most people and situations, the answer on the HP 95LX is yes, you'll have two copies, one on the RAM disk and one that's being executed in system memory. Virtually all of the software that built into the 95 executes in place (XIP by PCMCIA terminology), and the design of the product allows for and supports the addition of plug-in ROM cards with XIP code. However, it's not trivial and straight-forward to generate XIP code, as there's restrictions and rules to be followed. The problem with a RAM disk XIP program is that there's no guarantee that all of the sectors containing the program exist in one contiguous block (DOS likes to sling clusters all over the place). This makes it difficult for the CPU to execute the code (he says, dry humor dripping from his keyboard). The PCMCIA XIP standards committee has been working for well over a year on the issue of XIP "standards" and has yet to come close to anything like an agreed upon proposal. Movement appears to be on the horizon, however, and there is hope that MAYBE 1992 will actually see a published XIP standard that all manufactures can follow, allowing for the possibility of software vendors to generate a single ROM card of their product that can be run in a number of different hardware vendors machines. Everett Kaser Hewlett-Packard Company ...hplabs!hp-pcd!everett work: (503) 750-3569 Corvallis, Oregon everett%hpcvra@hplabs.hp.com home: (503) 928-5259 Albany, Oregon