Manually installing the Above Board software

Introduction

This appendix gives you the information you need to manually add the
necessary Above Board Plus and Plus I/O commands to your CONFIG.SYS file.

N O T E

This guide assumes you know the differences between conventional,
extended, and expanded memory. If you don't, refer to Chapter 2 in your
Above Board manual for definitions.

Manually Installing the Above Board software

The Above Board comes with software that lets you:

o use expanded memory

o use the conventional memory supplied by the Above Board as mappable
conventional memory

o create RAM disks

o create a print buffer If you boot from floppy diskettes,
install the Above Board software on each system diskette from which
you boot. If you boot from a hard disk, install the software just
once in the root directory.

Installing the software involves these steps:

o copying files

o setting up expanded memory

o setting up RAM disks

o setting up a print buffer

In general, you don't have to do all this copying and setting up. The
SOFTSET program can do it automatically. This appendix describes the
do-it-yourself technique.

Copying files

Before you can use the Above Board software, you must copy files from the
Intel diskette to your hard disk's root directory or to your system
diskettes. Copy only the files you need. If you have more than one Above
Board software diskette, check the date on the diskettes, and make sure you
install the most recent version of the software. The Above Board software
includes the following files:

File Name Description
EMM.SYS Activates expanded memory on
Above Board Plus or Plus I/O.
Also allows mappable conventional memory.
QUIKMEM2.SYS Creates a RAM disk in expanded memory.
QUIKBUF2.COM Creates a print buffer in expanded memory.

Copy the files you need for the features you want to use.

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Setting up expanded memory for Above Board Plus and Plus I/O boards only

This section describes the command line you need to put into your
CONFIG.SYS file if Above Board Pluses or Plus I/Os provide all the expanded
memory in your computer. If you will use both an Above Board Plus or Plus
I/O and another type of Above Board (Above Board 286, PS/286, AT, PS/AT,
PC, or PS/PC) to supply expanded memory, skip this section and go to page
F-19 for the appropriate EMM command line. To use expanded memory on Above
Board Plus and Plus I/O boards, add this command as the first line in your
CONFIG.SYS file:

DEVICE=EMM.SYS Computer I/O_Address 1..16 [Memory_Address] [EXPF=x]
[EXPL=x] [MC] [MCF=x] [MCL=x] [RD] [ND] [NP] [NE]
[VI] [H=x]

The parameters without brackets ([]) are required; those in brackets are
optional. The order of the parameters doesn't matter.

N O T E

The MC, RD, MCF, and MCL parameters work only with the Above Board Plus and
Plus I/O.

N O T E

If there is an Inboard PC installed in your system, the EMM.SYS command
line must be inserted below the INBRDPC.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Required EMM command line parameters

The Computer parameter defines the
type of computer in which the Above Board is installed. Replace the
Computer parameter with one of the choices listed here:

Parameter Computer Type

pc (or PC) COMPAQ DESKPRO
IBM PC
IBM XT
IBM PC or XT compatibles

at (or AT) COMPAQ DESKPRO 286
COMPAQ DESKPRO 386
IBM AT
IBM XT 286
IBM PS/2 Model 30 286
IBM AT compatibles

mod30 (or MOD30) IBM Personal System/2 Model 30

The I/O_Address parameters specify which base I/O addresses Above Boards
use. Assign a unique I/O address to each Above Board. No boards in your
computer can share I/O addresses. Piggyback Memory boards use the I/O
addresses of the Above Boards to which they are attached.

Use one I/O_Address parameter value for each Above Board Plus and Plus I/O
in your system. Be sure your I/O_Address parameter values match the I/O
addresses selected when you ran the SETBOARD program. These are displayed
on the final summary screen when you run the SETBOARD program, or if you
choose the VIEW option in SETBOARD.

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The possible values are:

I/O address

208
218
248
258
2A8
2B8
2E8

Example. You're installing two Above Board Plus boards in an IBM AT. One
board is set for I/O address 208, the other for address 258. Use this
command:

DEVICE=EMM.SYS AT 208 258

Optional EMM command line parameters

The EXPF=x (expanded first) and EXPL=x (expanded last) parameters specify
the range of addresses of the expanded memory page frame.

If you omit the EXPF and EXPL parameters, EMM automatically searches the
address range between 768K and 960K (hexadecimal segment address C000 to
F000 is checked for ROM or RAM), selecting the largest unused contiguous
area in that range as the page frame. The EXPF and EXPL parameters
override this automatic mapping and let you specify the range of the page
frame search. This might be necessary to enable the Above Board to work
with some network and communication boards.

The EXPF parameter specifies the beginning of the first 16K-byte page. The
EXPL parameter specifies the beginning of the last 16K-byte page. The
values you use must be hexadecimal segment addresses that represent
16K-byte boundaries between 768K and 944K. The range that you specify
should not overlap any RAM or ROM on other add-in boards in your computer.

The possible values are:

Value Address
C000 768K
C400 784K
C800 800K
CC00 816K
D000 832K
D400 848K
D800 864K
DC00 880K
E000 896K
E400 912K
E800 928K
EC00 944K

You can include either or both of the EXPF and EXPL parameters. If you
include both, EMM uses both addresses you specify and searches that range
for the largest unused contiguous area to use as the page frame (the
minimum size is 64K).

If you include just the EXPF parameter, EMM starts the page frame search at
the EXPF address and selects the largest contiguous area between that
address and 944K.

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If you include just the EXPL parameter, EMM selects the largest contiguous
area it finds between 768K and the end of the 16K-byte area specified with
the EXPL parameter. If you specify addresses less than C000 or greater than
DC00, if you specify a page frame that is less than 64K, or if you invert
the values (that is, specify a larger value for EXPF than for EXPL), EMM
displays a message and does not install.

The MC (mappable conventional memory) parameter causes EMM to make all
conventional memory supplied by Above Board Plus or Plus I/O boards
mappable. (You can limit the mappable range by using the MCF and MCL
parameters.) Mappable conventional memory enables operating environments
such as Windows 2.0 and DESQview to perform conventional memory mapping.

Refer to Appendix E for more information about mappable conventional
memory. If you want to use conventional memory supplied by the Above Board
Plus or Plus I/O as mappable conventional memory (described in Appendix E),
be sure you do the following:

o Make sure that you add the MC (or the MCF or MCL parameter)
to the EMM command line.

o The Above Board must supply the conventional memory you want
to make mappable. Many computers have system boards that
provide 512K or 640K of conventional memory, leaving either
128K or no memory that could be assigned as mappable. If
you want more mappable conventional memory, disable some of
your system board memory. See your computer's operation
guide for information on disabling some of the conventional
memory in your computer. Appendix E has an example.


N O T E

Your computer must supply at least 256K bytes of conventional memory.

N O T E

Do not use the MC parameter if you have an Intel Inboard 386 installed in
your computer.

The MCF=x (mappable conventional first) and MCL=x (mappable conventional
last) parameters provide the same function as the MC parameter (making
conventional memory supplied by Above Board Plus and Plus I/O boards
mappable), but they also let you restrict the beginning and ending
addresses of mappable conventional memory.

These parameters are useful only if you run an operating environment (such
as Microsoft Windows 2.0) that uses version 4.0 of the Expanded Memory
Specification to map conventional memory. If you include either or both of
the MCF and MCL parameters, you do not need to include the MC parameter.
If you don't want mappable conventional memory, you don't need to include
these parameters.

When you include the MC parameter, EMM determines the range of the
conventional memory supplied by Above Board Plus or Plus I/O boards (this
can start no lower than 256K) and this becomes the range of mappable
conventional memory. If you use the MCF and MCL parameters instead of MC,
you can specify the starting and ending addresses for mappable conventional
memory within the address range supplied by the Above Board Plus or Plus
I/O board.

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The MCF parameter specifies the beginning of the first 16K-byte area of
mappable conventional memory. The MCL parameter specifies the beginning of
the last 16K-byte area of mappable conventional memory. The values you use
must be hexadecimal segment addresses that represent 16K-byte boundaries
(starting at 256K) in the 640K-byte conventional memory area. The possible
values are:

Value Address Value Address

4000 256K 7000 448K
4400 272K 7400 464K
4800 288K 7800 480K
4C00 304K 7C00 496K
5000 320K 8000 512K
5400 336K 8400 528K
5800 352K 8800 544K
5C00 368K 8C00 560K
6000 384K 9000 576K
6400 400K 9400 592K
6800 416K 9800 608K
6C00 432K 9C00 624K

If you specify a value that is not a multiple of 16K, EMM rounds up the
value to the next 16K increment. You can include either or both of the MCF
and MCL parameters. If you include both, EMM uses both addresses you
specify to determine mappable conventional memory range.

If you include just the MCF parameter, EMM starts mappable conventional
memory at the MCF address and ends it wherever the conventional memory
supplied by the Above Board ends.

If you include just the MCL parameter, EMM starts mappable conventional
memory wherever the conventional memory supplied by the Above Board starts,
and ends mappable conventional memory at the end of the 16K-byte area
specified with the MCL parameter.

If you specify addresses less than 256K or greater than 640K, or if you
invert the addresses (that is, specify a larger address for MCF than for
MCL), EMM displays a message and does not install.

Example 1.

You're using an IBM PS/2 Model 30 286 that includes one Above Board Plus,
set to I/O port 258. You want to provide mappable conventional memory for
operating environments such as Microsoft Windows 2.0. Your Above Board is
set to provide conventional memory from 256K to 640K. You want EMM to
begin mapping at 256K and stop mapping at 624K (a requirement for Windows
and DESQview). Use the following command:

DEVICE=EMM.SYS AT 258 MCL=9800

It is not necessary here to specify the starting address, since it will
automatically use 256K. Notice that the MCL value (9800) is equivalent to
608K, not 624K. That is because the MCL value represents the start of the
last 16K bytes of mappable memory. Therefore, 608K + 16K = 624K, where
mappable conventional memory actually ends.

Because you did not specify EXPF and EXPL, EMM will automatically search
for and select an expanded memory page frame for you.


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Example 2.

You're using an IBM XT that includes one Above Board Plus at I/O port 258.
The following command assigns all of the Above Board memory as expanded
memory. DEVICE=EMM.SYS PC 258

Because you did not include the EXPF and EXPL parameters, EMM automatically
uses the largest unused contiguous area between 800K and 960K as the page
frame. The area selected depends on your system configuration. Other
add-in boards with RAM or ROM in the address range between 800K and 960K
will limit the page frame size and location. To load, EMM requires one
contiguous 64K-byte block in this range.

The following command instructs EMM to find a page frame between 800K and
896K:

DEVICE=EMM.SYS PC 258 EXPF=C800 EXPL=DC00


The RD (relocate driver) parameter causes EMM to be installed in expanded
memory instead of conventional memory. This conserves conventional memory.
One page (16K) of expanded memory is reserved for use by EMM if you use
this parameter.

If the RD parameter is absent, EMM will be loaded into conventional memory.

The ND (no diagnostics) parameter tells software to run abbreviated memory
tests after a warm boot (Ctrl-Alt-Del). The ND parameter is optional. If
ND is in the command line, the EMM will run abbreviated memory tests; if ND
is absent, the EMM will run full tests. In either case, full tests are run
during a cold boot (power-on).

The NP (no pause) parameter overrides the EMM pause after an EMM error or
advisory message. The NP parameter is optional. If NP is in the command
line, the EMM won't pause after errors or messages. If NP is absent, the
EMM will pause.

The NE (no extended memory tests) parameter tells EMM not to run extended
memory tests. Use this parameter in an IBM AT or compatible computer if no
extended memory exists on any Above Board or on your system board.

The NE parameter is optional. If NE is in the command line, no extended
memory tests are performed. If NE is absent, tests are performed.

C A U T I O N

Using the NE parameter can damage the data on your hard disk if you have
extended memory in your system. Do not select this option if your Above
Board is supplying extended memory.

The VI parameter lets you cause all information on the EMM configuration to
be displayed. It is optional. If it is in the command line, all EMM
configuration information is displayed. If VI is absent, only information
relating to the parameters you select is displayed.

The H=x (handle count) parameter lets you tell EMM to support as many
handles as a particular application program needs. A handle is a value
that EMM assigns and uses to identify a block of expanded memory requested
by an application program. EMM must keep track of all the handles it
supports; a large handle count increases the size of EMM. Specifying a
small EMM handle count (less than 64) can save conventional memory and
allow EMM to run faster.


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The EMM handle count default is 64 handles. Application programs written
to use EMM versions below EMM 4.0 use a maximum of 32 handles. If you're
using older application programs, you may change the EMM handle count to
H=32, but using the default of 64 handles will work fine. The maximum value
for x is 255 handles. The H=x parameter is optional. If the H=x parameter is
in the command line, the EMM will support the number of handles specified by
x. The handle count will also appear on the screen when EMM is installed.
If H=x is absent, the EMM uses 64 handles. You won't see a handle count on
the screen when EMM is installed unless you specify a value for the H
parameter or use the VI parameter in the command line.

Example.

You're using one Above Board Plus in an IBM AT. You want expanded memory to
be installed at D000. The board is set for I/O address 258. You want all
conventional memory made mappable, and you want EMM installed in expanded
memory. You want the handle count default of 64. Use this command:

DEVICE=EMM.SYS AT EXPF=D000 258 MC RD

Set up when different Above Board types supply expanded memory

This section describes the command line you need to put into your
CONFIG.SYS file if you are using both an Above Board Plus or Plus I/O and
another type of Above Board (Above Board 286, PS/286, AT, PS/AT, PC, PS/PC)
to provide expanded memory in your computer. To use expanded memory on your
boards, add this command as the first line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=EMM.SYS Computer Memory_Address I/O_Address 1...16 [EXPF=x]
[EXPL=x] [ND] [np] [ne] [vi] [H=x] The parameters without
brackets ([]) are required; those in brackets are optional. The order of
the parameters doesn't matter. For explanations of these parameters, see
pages F-5 through F-18. All the previously described parameters work
except MC, MCF, MCL, and RD -- these parameters work in computers that
contain the Above Board Plus or Plus I/O only.

N O T E

If there is an Inboard 386/PC installed in your system, the EMM.SYS command
line must be below the INBRDPC.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Setting up RAM disks

You can set up Above Board RAM disks in expanded memory. This section
explains how. For each RAM disk you install in expanded memory, put a line
like this in the CONFIG.SYS file after the EMM.SYS line:

DEVICE=QUIKMEM2.SYS x

The x parameter specifies the size of the RAM disk in K bytes and must be at
least 16. Values that aren't multiples of 16 are rounded up to the
next-higher multiple of 16. The maximum size of a RAM disk is 8M bytes
(8192K).

Example.

For two 1600K-byte RAM disks in expanded memory, put these two lines in the
CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE=QUIKMEM2.SYS 1600DEVICE=QUIKMEM2.SYS 1600 DOS
limits you to 26 disk drives, which includes all of the fixed and floppy
disk drives and RAM disks in the system. It also assigns a unique drive
letter to each disk drive. For a typical computer with a hard disk, the
first RAM disk is D. For a twofloppy computer with no hard disk, the
first RAM disk is C. Additional RAM disks receive sequential letters.

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Setting up a print buffer

To set up a print buffer in expanded memory each time you turn on or
restart your computer, you'll need to add a command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file. Use any ASCII file editor (such as EDLIN) to edit your file.

N O T E

You can have only one print buffer. If a command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
already sets one up, delete that command before adding the commands
described in this section. To set up the print buffer in expanded memory,
use this command:

QUIKBUF2 c x d t

The c parameter tells the QUIKBUF program what type of computer you're
using. The choices for the c parameter are:

Parameter Computer Type
at (or AT) IBM AT
IBM AT compatibles
IBM AT and XT/286
COMPAQ DESKPRO 286

pc (or PC) IBM PC
IBM XT
IBM PC and XT compatibles
COMPAQ Deskpro 86

mod30 (or MOD30) IBM Personal System/2 Model 30

mod30/286 (or MOD30/286) IBM Personal System/2 Model 30 286

The x parameter specifies the size of the buffer in K bytes and must be 32
or greater. Any value that isn't a multiple of 16 is rounded up to the
nexthigher multiple of 16. 16K of the buffer is reserved for the pop-up.

The d parameter tells the QUIKBUF program what display adapter your
computer uses. Choices for the d parameter are:

M (or m) IBM Monochrome Adapter.
H (or h) Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter.
G (or g) IBM, Zenith, AT&T, or Hercules Color Graphics Adapter. IBM Personal System/2 Model 30 or COMPAQ monochrome or color adapter.
E (or e) IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter.
V (or v) IBM Video Graphics Array. IBM Model 30 286 Adapter.
O (or o) All other adapters, including the Hercules Graphics Plus Adapter. Choosing this option disables the print buffer command menu, described in Chapter 13. The print buffer will still work, but you won't be able to control it from the command menu.

The t parameter indicates the type of port to be buffered.

Here are the choices:

P Parallel (LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3)
S1 Serial (COM1)
S2 Serial (COM2)

If you choose P, the first thing you print or the print buffer commands you
use will determine whether the buffered port is LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3. See
the print buffer chapter in the manual for details. If you omit the 't'
parameter, the print buffer defaults to parallel.

If you choose S1 or S2, you may need to add one or two MODE commands to
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. See the DOS manual or Chapter 15 in the Above
Board manual for details.

-8-

Example. Suppose you have an IBM AT and an IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter.
If you want a 144K-byte print buffer in expanded memory and you want to
print your data on a serial printer attached to COM1, use this command:

QUIKBUF2 AT 160 E S1

This creates a print buffer of 160K bytes, but since 16K is used for the
pop-up, you are left with the 144K-byte buffer you wanted. Using the
optional programs

This section describes the optional programs available on the Above Board
diskette. These programs don't need to be run; they're included for your
convenience.

Here's how to start these programs:

1 With your screen displaying the DOS prompt, insert a copy of
the Intel diskette into drive A.

2 Type A:[command] and press Enter.

Replace the command parameter with the command listed in the
following table for the specific program you want to run.

Command Program

CHKMEM Displays the amount of conventional, extended, (IBM AT
and compatible computers only) and expanded memory in
your computer.

TESTAB Tests and pinpoints bad RAM chips on your Above Board.

SOFTSET Sets up expanded memory, mappable conventional memory,
RAM disks, and a print buffer.




























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