Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!uwvax!puff!rt18.cs.wisc.edu!blochowi
From: blochowi@rt18.cs.wisc.edu (Jason Blochowiak)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: (Two) Test Drive II, GS self test
Keywords: Test Drive, Game, Self Test
Message-ID: <2939@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 8 Sep 89 01:35:19 GMT
References: <457fd53e.f759@viking.UUCP>
Sender: news@puff.cs.wisc.edu
Reply-To: blochowi@rt18.cs.wisc.edu (Jason Blochowiak)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 46

In article <457fd53e.f759@viking.UUCP> campbellb@viking.UUCP (Brian Campbell) writes:
> [...]
>Anyway, since I generally have a RAM disk defined, it's annoying to have to
>go to the control panel, change it, and then later when I need the Ram disk,
>then change it back.  The main problem here is for the settings to take place
>I need to either turn the computer off and on (creating unneccessory stress
>on the circuitry, or is this really a concern?) or execute the option-apple-
	Well, it's not great, but as long as you don't do it all that often, I
wouldn't worry about it too much (but how come you don't have an external
switch? You really should have a surge suppressor/line conditioner).
>cntl-reset self test (which takes a while).  Simply doing a re-boot does not
>affect the Ram settings: apparently a feature intended to preserve the contents
>of /RAM5 across cold-starts.  Is there an alternative?  I suppose I could
	Rebooting is a "warm" start. Turning the computer on is a cold start.
>experiment with a max disk size of 768K (1024-256K), as I generally don't need
>more than that anyway. (Don't have my GS handy right now to try it.)
>
>The self test issue brings up another question.  What exactly goes on during
>a self test on the GS.  The numbers on the bottom (in hex) range from 0 (or 1?)
>to C (i.e 12) suggesting that the GS is subjected to 12 or 13 individual
>tests?  If so, what are these various tests?  Do they include a RAM test?
>If so, does any or all of the expansion memory get tested?  If so, this may
>explain why the /RAM5 disk is re-initialized after a self test, if write
>tests are occurring.  If ram tests are occuring, what kind of tests are made?
>Just very curious.  Thanks.
	There tests include (according to Michael Fischer's _Apple IIGS
Technical Reference_) 1) Rom checksum, 2) RAM 1 - Moving Inversions, 3) Soft-
switches and status register, 4) RAM addressing, 5) Speed (Fast Processor
Interface), 6) Serial tests, 7) Clock, 8) Battery RAM, 9) Apple Desktop Bus,
A) Shadow register, and B) Interrupts. In general, yes, testing RAM destroys
it (it's possible to get around this, but it's a pain and generally useless).
	I would imagine that all the RAM in the system gets tested. Claris
also has a memory test program that, I think, comes with AppleWorks GS. I
would imagine it's a bit more exhaustive than the builtin test (otherwise
it'd be pretty useless, eh?).
	Anyways, as for your problem: It is (currently) safe to interrupt
the self test if it hasn't gotten too far. The only time I would think it
would be unsafe to interrupt it is when it's testing the Battery RAM. Being
a bit paranoid about having to re-adjust the values (I have quite a few
different), I just hit Ctrl-OA-SA-Reset, wait until the screen goes red (not
very long), and then hit Ctrl-OA-Reset. The Finder (or the Control Panel NDA,
can't remember - I think it went from the Finder to the NDA in 4.0->5.0) has
an option for resizing the RAMdisk on reboot, so that may be useful. Then
again, it may not...

	Jason