Orange Micro RAMPAK 4GS User Manual
COPYRIGHTS WARNING
Orange Micro Inc. reserves all rights in all software,
including the utilities disk of the RamPak 4GS, and in
the Operators Manual. Any infringement of those
copyrights will be prosecuted to the fullest extent
allowed by the law.
(German) URHEBERRECHTLICHER HINWEIS
Orange Micro Inc. behalt sich alle Rechte hinsichtlich der
Software vor, einschlie Blich der DienstprogrammDiskette des RamPak4GS, sowie der im
Bedienungshandbuch beschriebenen Software.
Jegliche Verletzungen des diesbez~glichen
Urheberrechtes (Copyright) werden im vollen AusmaB
der anwendbaren Gesetze gerichtlich verfolgt.
(French) AVIS
Orange Micro Inc. se reserve tous les droits de logiciel,
y compris ceux portant sur le disque utilitaire du RamPak
4GS ainsi que le Manuel d’utilisation du systeme. Toute
violation de ces copyrights fera l’objet dune poursuite
judiciaire dans toute Ia mesure autoris6e par Ia Ioi.
(Spanish) ADVERTENCIA
Orange Micro Inc. se reserva todos los derechos de
software, incluyendo los del disco utilitario RamPak 4GS
y los del Manual del Operador. Cualquier violaci6n de
estos derechos de autor sera procesada judicialmente
en toda Ia medida permitida por Ia ley.
Trademarks
Apple IIGS is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
RamPak 4GS
OPERATOR’S MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
What’s in the Box 2
Two Levels of RamPak Operation 2
INSTALLATION OF THE RAMPAK INTO
THE APPLE IIGS 3
Installation Test 5
INSTALLING RAM CHIPS IN THE
RAMPAK 4GS 5
RAMPAK MEMORY MANAGEMENT
UTILITIES OVERVIEW 8
INSTALLATION OF THE MEMORY
MANAGEMENT UTILITIES 8
Installation on a ProDOS 16 System Disk 9
Installation on a ProDOS 8 System Disk 10
STARTUP PROCEDURES USING SYSTEM
DISKS WITH RAMPAK UTILITIES
INSTALLED 10
How to use Pull-Down Menus 11
The Apple Menu 12
The File Menu 12
The Diagnostics Menu 13
The Settings Menu 14
The Concept of Caching 14
The Concept of Statistics 16
Manual Cache Allocation 16
Dynamic Cache Allocation 17
Statistics 18
Abort Caches 18
APPENDIX A: TROUBLESHOOTING 19
APPENDIX B: RAMPAK 4GS POWER
CONSUMPTION 20
APPENDIX C: BITS AND BYTES 20
APPENDIX D: SPECIFICATIONS OF
RAM EXPANSION CHIPS 21
APPENDIX E: GLOSSARY 21
LIMITED WARRANTY 23
1
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! You have purchased one of the
most powerful memory sub-systems ever developed for
a microcomputer. With a full half-megabyte of memory
standard, you will immediately expand your Apple IIGS to
three-quarters of a megabyte -- more fully addressable
memory than ever before available on an Apple II. By
adding additional chips, you can expand your RamPak
4GS to 4 megabytes, for computing power previously
beyond imagination. The RamPak 4GS is designed to
work only with the Apple IIGS, and not the Apple lIe, IIc,
or any other microcomputer system.
The RamPak 4GS also includes powerful software
memory management utilities to help manage your
system. The RamPak utilities disk provides complete
memory diagnostics, disk caching, and dynamic cache
allocation. These features can be used to multiply your
system’s performance level many times over.
Acknowledgements
The RamPak Utilities Disk was written by Dan Hickey.
This RamPak 4GS Operator’s Manual was composed and
produced with Ragtime Page Processing Software.
What's in the Box
Before starting the installation procedure, make sure
you have everything. Your RamPak 4GS package
should contain the following:
• 1 RamPak 4GS board with 512K installed
• 1 RamPak Utilities Disk (3.5’)
If anything is missing, contact your dealer immediately.
No other hardware is required, except, of course, the
Apple IIGS itself.
Two Levels of RAMPAK 4GS Operation
As has already been mentioned, the RamPak 4GS
offers both memory expansion and memory
management for the Apple IIGS. Memory is expanded
2
automatically when the RamPak 4GS is properly installed
in your Apple. Your computer knows to look for available
memory every time you turn it on, so the RamPak's
expansion benefits are immediately realized. Memory
management is up to you. It is accomplished through
use of the RamPak system utilities, which may be
implemented at any time once the RamPak 4GS is
installed. This manual is structured along these
guidelines, beginning with the procedure to install and
expand the RamPak card, then continuing with the
proper installation and use of the utilities software. This
will enable you to experience the advantages of an
expanded system immediately, and to take advantage of
efficient memory management as you wish.
INSTALLATION OF THE RAMPAK INTO
THE APPLE IIGS
This section will instruct you how to physically install
the RamPak 4GS in your Apple IIGS. Once this is
completed, your Apple’s internal addressable memory
will be increased by the amount of RAM present on the
RamPak 4GS. As both the Apple IIGS and the RamPak
4GS implement automatic memory configuration, no
resetting of switches or jumpers will be required to
recognize memory additions. Your system is smart
enough to use whatever memory configuration you
install.
Installing the RamPak 4GS requires no additional
hardware. Simply clear a modest area around your Apple
IIGS, and remove the monitor and any other
devices from the top of the CPU.
1. TURN OFF ALL POWER TO THE APPLE
IIGS SYSTEM AND UNPLUG CORDS.
FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN
SEVERE DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER,
THE RAMPAK 4GS, OR BOTH.
2. Remove the cover from the Apple IIGS. Refer to your
Apple manual for assistance if necessary. Be careful
not to force any parts, as you may break your
machine.
3
3. Touch the power supply of the Apple IIGS before
MEMORY EXPANSION SLOT
handling the RamPak 4GS. Static charges may
damage your RAM or other delicate electronic parts.
4. If you have purchased additional RAM for the Ram
Pak, this must be installed before the RamPak is
installed in your Apple. Turn ahead to ‘Installing RAM
Chips in the RamPak 4GS on page 5, follow the
instructions, and return to step 5 below.
5. Locate the memory expansion slot. You will notice
that the IIGS contains a row of seven expansion slots,
with an eighth slot set out-of-line at the far right front
of the machine. This eighth slot is the memory
expansion slot to be used by the RamPak 4GS.
6. The Ram Pak 4GS must be installed with the sloped
end of the card nearest the front of the IIGS. (The
card is designed with a slope for users who have
upgraded from an Apple lIe, retaining their original
system enclosure). With the card so positioned,
place the ‘RamPak 4GS directly into the memory
expansion slot and press down with a firm rocking
motion. Continue until the card is firmly seated.
7. Replace the Apple IIGS cover.
8. Re-attach any disconnected power and peripherals.
4
By following this procedure you will have properly
installed the RamPak 4GS, and any software designed to
use higher RAM levels will now automatically take
advantage of your powerful new system.
Installation Test
To be sure the RamPak 4GS is functioning properly,
run the following short test:
1. With all drives empty, turn on the Apple IIGS. Press
CTRL-RESET after the start-up cycle to generate a
cursor.
2. When the cursor appears press CTRL- -ESC
(pressing all three keys together and releasing CTRL
last) to open the IIGS Desk Accessory menu. Select
Control Panel with the up and down arrow keys and
press RETURN.
3. Select RAM DISK with the up and down arrow keys
and press return. The screen will now display the
available system memory and the amount available for
the RAM disk. Your IIGS will not use its 256K internal
RAM for the RAM disk, thus the difference. If
installation has been successful and no other
software is currently loaded, the number shown as
available for the RAM disk should be that of your
RamPak 4GS memory level.
4. Exit from Desk Accessories by selecting QUIT from
any visible menu and pressing RETURN.
INSTALLING RAM CHIPS IN THE
RAMPAK 4GS
Your RamPak 4GS comes standard with 512K of
system memory installed at Orange Micro. While this is
more than enough power to run most applications, you
may have a requirement for larger amounts of RAM, or for
performance reasons you may wish to load several
programs or large spreadsheets into memory at the same
time. Additionally, many innovative new applications
implementing integrated graphics are available or under
5
development which require large amounts of memory to
load and run. For these situations, the RamPak 4GS
provides expansion capability to 4Mb.
Your RamPak 4GS has been specifically designed for
use with 256K x 4 DRAM chips. This allows you to
expand at a rate of 2 chips (or 256K) at a time, as
opposed to the 8 chip minimum expansion required by
other available products. When purchasing your
expansion chips, specify: 256K x 4, one megabit
DRAMS, 150 nanosecond (or faster), or
purchase your RAM expansion kits directly from Orange
Micro. If it seems odd that 8 one meg’ chips are
needed to add one meg’ of RAM to the system, refer to
APPENDIX C, which offers a brief discussion of bits and
bytes. Precise specifications of the RAM chips needed
to expand the memory of your RamPak are found in
APPENDIX D.
To expand your RamPak, you must first remove it
from the Apple IIGS.
Be sure to disconnect the power from the
Apple IIGS, since removing boards with
power on can severely damage your
equipment. Be sure to touch the power
supply to discharge any accumulated static
electricity.
Next, remove the cover from the IIGS. Locate the
RamPak 4GS at the far right of the machine. Lifting
upward with a gentle rocking motion, remove the
RamPak 4GS from the Apple.
The RamPak expands in segments called BANKS.
Each bank holds up to 1 megabyte when completed, so
your first bank is already half full. If you examine the
board you will see that the individual BANKS are clearly
identified, zero through 3, along the right edge of the
socket field. Each individual ROW of sockets is
identified, A through G, along the left edge of the
sockets. Each socket is also clearly marked in ascending
order, Ul through U4, along the top of the socket field.
Memory expansion must take place in the order
specified by the markings on the board. You must first
complete BANK 0, beginning with sockets 1 & 2 and
6
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