#Help! Memory & AT BB
7 messages in this thread
Do you mean the AST Rampage Plus 286 (the one with I/O ports and a capacity
for 8M of RAM)? If so could you tell me about your boards's configuration
(page address etc). I'm having a few strange problems with my board.
Mercy Sakes, you mean I have the name wrong? I felt sure that the card I
have in my machine is an AST Rampage II, but maybe it's a Rampage Plus 286.
I also thought it could only go to two megs. I've asked my sales rep to go
through the back order file and find out exactly what he sold me. It never
pays to discard cartons.
There was a memory card made by AST that was called the Rampage 2. It has
since been replaced by the Rampage Plus 286. The Rampage Plus 286 uses
SIMMS to add more memory, up to 8MB (using 1MB SIMMS in 2MB increments),
and allows the attachment of a piggyback board to add I/O ports (there are
two versions of the piggyback board: a version with two serial ports and a
version with one serial port and one parallel port).
Hi Charles, I also have the AST Rampage Plus 286 with i/o. Here's the line
that is in the config.sys file:
device=remm.sys /x=E000-EFFF /x=B000-BFFF
This was automagically produced by the Smart program.
Many thanks for your response. Are you having any problems with the AST
board? I'm having the following problem with the board when some or all of
its 4M of memory is configured as EMS. I have no problem when all of the
board's memory is configured as extended memory (or with that portion of
it's memory configured as extended). .
When I start the machine cold or boot the whole system with the Ami three
finger salute I get a series of "Ram Data Error Detected" messages when
REMM.SYS is initializing the board. The number of messages and "where" they
occur varies each time I boot (some times 2 and at other times 30!). When
the PC side is warm booted no errors statements are generated, presumably
because no error checking is done on a warm boot. The POST reports no
problems with the memory – even the same memory – configured as extended.
If I ignore the errors or prevent them appearing by using the /Z switch,
the system appears to recognize the right amount of EMS and EMS testers
report no problem with the memory. Yet any program (applications or
utilities – like disk caches) which uses EMS crashes or has problems
loading. Periodically, even executing DOS batch files or clearing the
screen from the DOS prompt results in the PC side freezing. None of these
things happen with EMS disabled. The HD also seems to act erractically with
EMS enabled – reads periodically take much longer than is usual to complete
and the LED generally stays on for uncomfortably long period of time.
Finally Manifest periodically freezes when I try to move through the
"expanded memory-related" menu items.
Have you had any of these problems? My AST setup is as follows: – 4M 80NS
SIMMS – Page frame at C000 – Register mapping at A000 (the problems happen
even when Registermapping is disbled – Remm.sys v4.5 Other Items – 100M
Conner HD – DOS 4.01 Do you thing the speed of the RAM (in the context of
the BUS speed) might be a problem? Any help of observations would be
greatly appreciated.
Charles, I haven't had any of the problems you have been having. Am
currently having a "Parity Error on main circuit board" if i try to run any
of my graphic programs. If I remove the AST board, most of these programs
work, depending whether they want EMS memory.
There are 3 megs on the board and the EMM is v4.31. On bootup, all 3072
bytes of expanded memory test out okay.
Might help to contact AST in Irvine, CA at 714/863-1333.
Next week I hope to replace the 3 megs (12 & 10ns) chips with 5-1meg SIMMs
rated at 80ns. The 80's shouldn't be a problem on your machine.
Also using DOS v4.01.
Perhaps your Base I/O address needs to be changed? Try to get another board
and see if it also has the same problems (using the same settings).
Thanks for the response. AST hasn't really been a big help. Since my
message I seem to have gotten the board working with your help. If I
exclude the locations you suggested AND turn off Mono video in PCPrefs the
problem seems to disappear. I won't admit it works until it has worked for
a week or so!!!. Many thanks for the assistance (although I have no idea
why this combination of exclusions and PCPrefs settings works).