Re: Ramworks III

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <1995Feb2.173251.672@titan.sfasu.edu>, Romeo Bartlett <> wrote:
> I have a used Ramworks III card with 512k on it. I use a IIe with
> Prodos 8. How can I access this memory and what kind of uses can I
> put it to?  Thanks. 

I assume you have the driver software supplied with the card
(providing a RAM disk, for example)?

You can use it as expanded desktop memory in some programs (e.g.
AppleWorks 3.0 or later, or earlier versions with AE's patches).

In operational terms, the card provides multiple 64k memory banks
which can be selected in place of the auxiliary memory bank provided
by an extended 80-column card (64k auxiliary slot RAM card).

The IIe's auxiliary memory softswitches (RAMWRT, RAMRD, ALTZP,
80STORE, PAGE1/2 and language card switches) determine whether the
main memory or auxiliary memory is accessed.

The RAMWorks provides a register which selects which bank on the card
is accessed for auxiliary memory.  I'm not sure of the exact location
- it is either $C071 or $C073.  It might be write-only.

Making use of the extra memory on the card is a little difficult.  You
can use the AUXMOVE and XFER routines provided by the IIe firmware to
copy data between main memory and the selected auxiliary memory bank,
and to transfer execution between main and auxiliary memory.

It is not possible to copy data directly between two banks on the card
- you have to go via main memory.  The only way to transfer execution
between two banks would be to use a common routine located in several
banks that set the bank register, falling out to a copy of the same
routine in another bank.  You are likely to have problems with stack
switching in these situations (the auxiliary memory stack/zero page
will be switched at the same time as the rest of the auxiliary bank).

I don't know how the RAM disk support works, e.g. how it identifies
which parts of the card have been reserved for other purposes.

Using the memory on this card from Applesoft is next to impossible,
unless you do something like use machine language subroutines to copy
chunks of data in and out of the card.


Standard slot RAM cards (RAMFactor, Apple II Memory Expansion Card,
Apple IIc Memory Expansion Card, PC Transporter) are somewhat easier
to deal with, though you cannot run code from them at all (they can
only be used for data storage) because there is a single-byte window
into the RAM on the card.  SmartPort calls are provided for reading and
writing data from the memory on the card.  Since these cards have a
ROM (except for the PC Transporter), you can boot from them.  This
isn't possible with an auxiliary memory RAM card.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand