Date: Monday, 5 August 1985 10:40-MDT
From: Walt Sakai <lll-crg!dual!qantel!proper!walt_sak at Seismo.ARPA>
Re: >> RAMDISK : SUMMARY OF RESPONSES <<
Thanks to all who responded to my RAMDISK query. Below is an
edited summary (about 4 pages long) for your information. Send
additional responses if you like.
Walt Sakai
{ucbvax,hplabs,ihnp4,cbosgd,
decwrl,unisoft,fortune,sun,nsc}!dual!proper!walt_sak
* * *
From nsc!seismo!purdue.edu!droms Wed Jul 31 08:44:38 1985
=================================================================
Micro-Cornucopia magazine recently reviewed a number of Z80 SBC
memory expansion boards.
Micro-C no. 22 (February-March, 1985) includes reviews of a 256K
RAM Expansion Module from Ferguson Engineering, and the Rivendell
Audiocomp 256K Ram + I/O expansion board.
Issue no. 23 (April-May, 1985) has a short review of the
MicroSphere 256K RAMdisk.
Issue no. 9 (Dec. 1982) reviews the LASoftware 256K RAMDisk kit.
Ralph Droms ihnp4!purdue!droms
445 MATH
[email protected]
Dept. of Computer Science
[email protected]
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
From: dual!ukma!steve (Steve Ferry)
=================================================================
I have a Drive C that I use with my Osborne I and I think its
wonderful. To be really useful, it needs to be fairly large. Mine
is 384K and 512K wouldn't hurt a bit. There is some problem using
it with submit and with programs that sit up in high memory
intercepting BDOS calls. I wouldn't use Wordstar without it.
From dual!cbosgd!ihnp4!tektronix!tekchips!toma (Tom Almy)
=================================================================
I have had about a years experience with a RAM-DISK that I built
for my Lobo MAX-80. My system has a 5 Mhz Z-80, two DSDD 8"
drives (1.2 meg apiece), and a 256k ram-disk. Operating system is
CP/M+ with about 32k of sector-buffering. The buffering of
CP/M+ improves performance of random-access files (such as
databases) to the point that ram-disk offers little improvement.
I put the utility .COM files and the overlays for Wordstar and
KAMAS on the RAM disk. I also don't trust the RAM-DISK for data
files (except read-only, where information is always backed up on
a Floppy).
If I could do it again, I would want to rely on track or sector
buffering instead of a RAM DISK (since it automatically backs up
to the floppy), perhaps with a few hundred K of RAM for this.
Then I would want to have a ROM DISK (a RAM disk with 27256
EPROMS) to hold all my commonly used programs and overlays. In
fact, the CP/M OS could be loaded of of the ROM DISK eliminating
the need for a "System Disk".
From nsc!seismo!MIT-MC.ARPA!STORK (Eric Stork)
=================================================================
I've used a SEMIDISK for 1.5 years now, and would not be without
it. Cost has come down a lot (see BYTE ad). Speed is amazing. For
example, to load dBASEII off a floppy takes about 9 secs. To
load off RAMDISK takes <1 sec.! Assembling long files is a
pleasure. I keep about 300k of com files in a library, use the
rest of the 1 meg for data. Highly recommend RAMSDISK.
From dual!hplabs!tektronix!reed!elaine
=================================================================
I am using the boards from SemiDisk systems and have had no
trouble with them. They make anything disk intensive very fast. I
run a BBS of of mine and I know that is disk *intensive*.
From dual!ucbvax!sdcsvax!crash!ihom (Irwin Hom)
=================================================================
My CP/M system consists of an Apple //e using a PCPI APPLI-Card
with a 128k piggy-back RAM board. A RAMdisk is definitely an
advantage when running programs that use overlays. Take WordStar
for example. Making the transition from floppies to a hard disk
speeded up the menu displays by about 70%. On the RAMdisk, this
increased to 95%. Almost instantaneous! The cost for a
128k module is about $175. Two modules can be added to the PCPI
card allowing a 192k workspace. A RAMdisk is worthy when working
with programs that does a lot of disk access with files or
overlays. Recently, I've been developing programs in Turbo
Pascal. Saving and compiling files on the RAMdisk is a tremendous
timesaver.
From qantel!ihnp4!houxm!whuxl!whuts!amc Thu Aug 1 03:52:26 1985
=================================================================
I have a Compupro S100 system with a 1/2 Meg MDrive (RAMdisk),
running OASIS, which is a business-oriented operating system
modeled after PDP-11/VMS. I also have two 8" floppies attached. I
keep all the OS stuff on the MDrive (OASIS uses about 1/2 Meg
with all the goodies like assembler, editor, text formatter,
terminal emulator, etc.). With the MDrive attached, my computer
is simply the fastest thing I have ever used, and I have used
them all--IBM, DEC, HP, Honeywell, Univac, AT&T, and lots of
micros. Best money I ever spent. -Andy Cohill
=================================================================
RAMDISK INFORMATION Source: BAKUP Kaypro User Group, CA
This file consists of public messages left on the BBS from
3/14 to 7/20/85 in regards to mostly the MICROSPHERE RAMDISK.
=================================================================
From: TOM CIARAMITARO To: ALL Date: 03/14/85
AS YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SEE ABOUT GETTING A FEW OF US
TOGETHER FOR THE PURCHASE OF A 1 MB RAMDISK, BY PURCHASING THE
MICROSPHERE BOARD AND GETTING A QUANTITY PRICE ON THE 256K CHIPS.
6 MONTHS AGO THESE CHIPS WERE ADVERTISED FOR OVER $50 IN MICRO C.
I JUST GOT A FLYER THAT LISTS THEM FOR $8.75 (50 LOT), $8.25 (100
LOT). THAT WOULD BRING OUR TOTAL PRICE DOWN AS LOW AS $475!!!
CALL ME (415) 825-0299, OR 687-0644 EVENINGS. THIS ALSO HAS A 64K
PRINTER BUFFER INCLUDED FREE!
From: KEN FOWLER To: ALL Date: 06/12/85
Subject: RAMDISK AND KEYPAD
For all Microsphere Ram Disk users whose numeric keypads no
longer work, the problem is not with the ramdisk software but
with the cp/m BIOS. To provide room in memory for the ramdisk
driver, you had to relocate cp/m using the MOVCPM utility. MOVCPM
contains a copy of your BIOS as set up by KAYPRO, which includes
the keypad definitions. It would be O.K. if you could use
CONFIG.COM to reconfigure the keypad, but unfortunately they
wrote CONFIG to work only with a 64k system. It should be
relatively easy for a PASCAL programmer to write a new CONFIG
which would work on any size cp/m.
From: DANIEL HOWARD To: ALL Date: 06/11/85
Subject: RAM DISK ODDITY
WHEN USING THE MICROSPHERE RAM DISK, DIRECT ACCESS TO THE
PRINTER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. I TRIED USING CONTROL-P TO PRINT
A SMALL DOCUMENT, AND LATER TRIED USING SELECT WORD PROCESSING TO
PRINT A LETTER BUT NO PRINTING WAS STARTED. WHEN I INITIALIZED
DISK "E" (THOUGH ONLY USED THE FLOPPIES AFTER INITIALIZING) THE
PRINTER FUNCTIONED, SO IT SEEMS THAT THE BUFFER DOESN'T FUNCTION
INDEPENDENTLY OF THE RAM DISK. THIS WILL RARELY BE A PROBLEM
SINCE I EXPECT TO LOAD SELECT INTO THE RAM DISK MOST OF THE TIME,
BUT WHEN QUICKLY BATTING OUT A SMALL LETTER AND USING THE
FLOPPIES ONLY, THE RAM DISK MUST STILL HAVE BEEN INITIALIZED.
From: STEVE WILLETT To: ALL Date: 06/12/85
Subject: D HAWKINS - RAM DISK
I did not understand your message about RAM disk initialization.
Specifically I was puzzled by your comment that EX.COM wouldn't
work to initialize the RAM disk. I use EX.COM and the following
NEWRAM.SUB file:
RDISKM64| {to initialize the disk}
YY {to ask for and confirm reformatting}
PIP E:=A:*.*| {to copy files from A:}
DIR F:| {to switch to RAM disk => A:}
ERA ???RAM.SUB| {to erase SUB files}
D|
This all works fine. I have another file, OLDRAM.SUB, which does
the same except it does not format the disk. I use this when I
have left my external power supply on and have data on the disk.
For this reason I do not give either commands automatically on
boot -I just issue the EX OLDRAM or EX NEWRAM command from the A>
prompt.
From: DANIEL HOWARD To: ALL Date: 07/08/85
Subject: RAMDISK & WARM BOOT
If owners of Microsphere's Ramdisk use DIR F: to make the Ramdisk
drive A, then warm boots will not activate the floppies, nor will
a new floppy be logged on. For example, Software Toolworks C/80
does a warm boot after a compile. If C/80 is in the Ramdisk and
the latter is set to be drive A, then the warm boot takes place
using the Ramdisk and there is no drive activity. But to log in a
new floppy, it would be necessary to use DIR F: to return the top
drive to being drive A, do a control C, access the new floppy
(most likely in drive B), and then use DIR F: again to restore
the Ramdisk as drive A.
From: STEVE WILLETT To: ALL Date: 07/11/85
Subject: RAMDISK & WARM BOOT
In response to Daniel Howard's message about Microsphere's RAM
disk and warm boots I'm sorry, I have to disagree. I use DIR F:
to set up the RAM disk as drive A: and it still spins the
floppies and accesses the top drive every time I do a warm boot.
It may be a side effect of having a Pro8 machine and/or having
ZCPR installed, but it definitely does it.
From: STUART HOLLANDER To: ALL Date: 07/12/85
Subject: RAMBOARD-NEW CHIPS!!
For those of you who have purchased the Microsphere ramdisk, some
stimulating news. Just called Fry's in Sunnyvale (408-733-1770)
and found that (hold onto your seats) they are offering the NEC
41256-15 (exactly like the ones on our ramdisks) for $2.99 each.
Get 'em while they're hot! More good news. Spoke to Don Thompson
at Microsphere re the upgrade. Contra to the instruction manual,
we don't need to upgrade our 8748 chips--the ones installed were
the upgraded versions. Let's see, that is 16 x 2.99, or a 512K
upgrade for the princely sum of $47.84 plus tax. Bought mine on
Saturday, plugged 'em in, did the tests, and all is fine. Since
mine was configured as 512k with a 32k printer buffer, I now have
960k available with a 32k printer buffer. Spoke to the people
at Fry's and, as of Monday the 15th, they will start accepting
mail orders. Additional charge is something like a dollar, plus
the C.O.D. charge of $1.95 or so.
From: DANIEL HOWARD To: ALL Date: 07/20/85
Subject: RAMDISK TO 1 MEG
STUART HOLLANDER LEFT A MESSAGE RE UPGRADING THE MICROSPHERE
RAMDISK FROM 512K TO 1 MEG USING THE 8748 CURRENTLY INSTALLED
(THE INSTRUCTIONS STATE THE NEED TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE). WHAT
STUART DIDN'T MENTION WAS THAT THE JUMPER THE INSTRUCTIONS STATE
NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED ON U15 IS NOT REQUIRED EITHER. SIMPLY PUT
IN THE 16 256K CHIPS AND ONE MEGABYTE MINUS THE CURRENT BUFFER IS
AVAILABLE.
-- EOF --
