Hi All, I was able to pick-up a batch of 16 memory expansion boards for my 286 AT including 4 Aboveboards, 2 Everex EV-159s, a Quadram Quadboard and miscellaneous others including AST, Techmar, Bestek and Compaq. Right now I've got installed 2 sixteen bit Aboveboards (for 4 megs extended and 650K conventional memory). With 2 sixteen bit slots taken up for the Video card and I/O card, that only leaves me with 2 eight-bit slots available. So I was looking at the two eight-bit cards I got in the batch. One is a Techmar Captain and the other is the Quadram Quadboard 384. I was able to locate some documentation for the Techmar and it indicated that it's primary (and only) purpose was to backfill conventional memory. Since I have a solid 650k of conventional, I turned my interest to the Quadboard. Unfortunately documentation for the Quadboard is extremely difficult to find. I have found some switch and jumper settings on a Computercraft website and in a old newsgroup post. However these are for similar Quadboards not specifically the 384 model. From the information I've been able to extrapolate from the two sources, the Quadboard can be set to populate the DOS upper memory area (between 650k and 1 meg). Theoretically I should be able to use this area to load TSR's and device drivers. Setting the Quadboard switches according to the newsgroup post and my "best guess" results in my losing my video display. A little research shows that VGA is located in upper memory. - O.k. that makes sense - If the ram on the Quadboard is trying to exist in the same location as the Video then I would lose the video. So then how do the newer computers handle this situation? I know they do - my 386 and 486's allow me to use this upper memory area. I'm using DOS 6.2 just as I have for the 386s and 486s. Referencing my "Hardware Bible" (usually a great book) only informs me that "the upper memory area is available if your motherboard has the circuits to support it." My interpretation of that is that the Quadram memory board is supplying the needed circuits. Some memory board documentation has reference to switches on the motherboard to support the addition of memory but typically these are references to adding the board to an XT. I don't know of any switches on my AT - just miscellaneous jumpers. The Quadboard seems to be set up to provide RAM for the upper memory area - only that appears to conflict with the video. Have you any ideas about getting around this? I'd appreciate your input. Thanks Dave To unsubscribe from SURVPC send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe SURVPC in the body of the message. Also, trim this footer from any quoted replies.
