berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) (12/28/90)
I have a second-hand 2-meg extended memory board (of which I fully loaded).
Many of my existing software includes XMS support, but, unfortunately, many
others still thrive in the archaic world of good ole' EMS.
I would like a driver (commercial or PD) to be able to automatically
address part of my extended memory in to UMB as conventional LIM EMS 3.2
(or even 4.0, if possible) for my 286 machine. Most of the drivers I have
seen, does 4.0 requiring a 386 (>sigh<). Any help would be appreciated.
Thanx.
==============================================================================
"Round and round the while() loop goes;
Whether it stops," Turing says, "nobody knows."silver@xrtll.uucp (Hi Ho Silver) (12/30/90)
In article <999@pdxgate.UUCP> berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) writes:
$ I would like a driver (commercial or PD) to be able to automatically
$address part of my extended memory in to UMB as conventional LIM EMS 3.2
$(or even 4.0, if possible) for my 286 machine. Most of the drivers I have
$seen, does 4.0 requiring a 386 (>sigh<). Any help would be appreciated.
Unless your hardware supports accessing this memory as expanded, your
only choice is a program which steals a 64K chunk of main memory and
physically copies data back and forth between it and your extended memory.
PC Magazine has such a program (EMS40.SYS). But be forewarned that it's
painfully slow, since it doesn't just remap the memory, it actually copies
it, and that you'll lose about 70K of conventional (the first 640K) memory
(64K for the page frame plus whatever the driver takes up).
The reason you see so many drivers for the 386 is that its memory
management hardware includes the ability to map 4K chunks of memory from
anywhere in its address space to anywhere else. This makes it relatively
easy to write an EMS simulator - the CPU does almost all of the work for
you.
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_____________________/ find / -print|xargs cat|compress | SNTFamichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) (12/30/90)
In article <1990Dec29.173158.25522@xrtll.uucp> silver@xrtll.UUCP (Hi Ho Silver) writes: >In article <999@pdxgate.UUCP> berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) writes: >$ I would like a driver (commercial or PD) to be able to automatically >$address part of my extended memory in to UMB as conventional LIM EMS 3.2 >$(or even 4.0, if possible) for my 286 machine. Most of the drivers I have >$seen, does 4.0 requiring a 386 (>sigh<). Any help would be appreciated. > I just finished reading the Quarter Deck's QRAM software manual. It claims to be able to backfill conventional memory (below 640) with available extended/expanded memory. al -- Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE
berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) (12/31/90)
silver@xrtll.uucp (Hi Ho Silver) writes: > The reason you see so many drivers for the 386 is that its memory >management hardware includes the ability to map 4K chunks of memory from >anywhere in its address space to anywhere else. This makes it relatively >easy to write an EMS simulator - the CPU does almost all of the work for >you. I figured anyone who purchased a 386 would have all the stuff come with with it. All one needs in there is a good, reliable, and fast XMS to EMS 4.0 driver and that's it. How come every software package comes with their own drivers? ============================================================================== Eric Berggren | "Round and round the while() loop goes; Computer Science/Eng. | Whether it stops," Turing says,
berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) (12/31/90)
silver@xrtll.uucp (Hi Ho Silver) writes: > Unless your hardware supports accessing this memory as expanded, your >only choice is a program which steals a 64K chunk of main memory and >physically copies data back and forth between it and your extended memory. >PC Magazine has such a program (EMS40.SYS). But be forewarned that it's >painfully slow, since it doesn't just remap the memory, it actually copies >it, and that you'll lose about 70K of conventional (the first 640K) memory >(64K for the page frame plus whatever the driver takes up). Also, I thought XMS boards were just sorta "generic" with no varying fancy built-in hardware unlike EMS boards. As far as I know, mine is just plain vanilla, of which I am able to use HIMEM.SYS and any utils. that support extended memory. BTW, is UMB (Upper Memory Block) the same as EMS ? I haven't been able to determine exactly what it is. Thanx. ============================================================================== Eric Berggren | "Round and round the while() loop goes; Computer Science/Eng. | Whether it stops," Turing says,
silver@xrtll.uucp (Hi Ho Silver) (01/02/91)
In article <1011@pdxgate.UUCP> berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) writes:
$ Also, I thought XMS boards were just sorta "generic" with no varying
$fancy built-in hardware unlike EMS boards. As far as I know, mine is
$just plain vanilla, of which I am able to use HIMEM.SYS and any utils.
$that support extended memory.
There are some boards which are designed to be used solely as extended
memory. There are others which are designed to be used as extended, expanded,
or some mixture of the two.
$ BTW, is UMB (Upper Memory Block) the same as EMS ? I haven't been able
$to determine exactly what it is. Thanx.
Nope, it's part of XMS. I recently read a magazine article about XMS;
I think it was in PC Magazine in the last month or so, so you might want
to look for that.
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_____________________/ find / -print|xargs cat|compress | SNTFberggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) (01/03/91)
silver@xrtll.uucp (Hi Ho Silver) writes: >In article <1011@pdxgate.UUCP> berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) writes: >$ Also, I thought XMS boards were just sorta "generic" with no varying >$fancy built-in hardware unlike EMS boards. As far as I know, mine is >$just plain vanilla, of which I am able to use HIMEM.SYS and any utils. >$that support extended memory. > There are some boards which are designed to be used solely as extended >memory. There are others which are designed to be used as extended, expanded, >or some mixture of the two. >$ BTW, is UMB (Upper Memory Block) the same as EMS ? I haven't been able >$to determine exactly what it is. Thanx. > Nope, it's part of XMS. I recently read a magazine article about XMS; >I think it was in PC Magazine in the last month or so, so you might want >to look for that. Hmmm, many programs say they can use UMB, but gripe when I try to use it on my machine. But I'll look for that article. I've had several recommendations for commercial packages; TURBO EMS and QRAM are the most common replies. I'm still try to get more info on them, our braindead mailer doesn't like the address given by the senders.(sigh) Anyway, thanks for all of your help! ============================================================================== Eric Berggren | "Round and round the while() loop goes; Computer Science/Eng. | Whether it stops," Turing says, berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu | "nobody knows."