Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!cica!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU!GTHEALL From: GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (George A. Theall) Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro Subject: Rainbow EchoMail Digest Message-ID: <9004081153.AA04688@remote.dccs.upenn.edu> Date: 8 Apr 90 12:52:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 175 Rainbow EchoMail Digest Apr 8, 1990 In this issue: RAINBOW RAM (2 messages) RE: SCHEMATICS FOR 100B RE: DOWNLOADING rainbow communication sof (2 messages) Articles posted to either INFO-DEC-MICRO or comp.sys.dec.micro are currently gatewayed automatically to the Rainbow Echo on Fidonet; thus, you do not need to take any special action to respond to articles in these digests. Please send reports of problems or suggestions for improvement of this digest to GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (ARPA Internet). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 04-05-90 (11:51) To: ALL Subject: RAINBOW RAM From: RICK MELLON There's been a lot of talk in the Windows Conference about the MS-DOS 640K barrier, and how "paging" 64K pieces of extended memory (or expanded memory; I can never remember which is which) is inefficient. I've noticed that, on the Rainbow, CHKDSK reports the full 917504 bytes of RAM (896K), where every IBM-compatible machine I've ever used reports 655360 (640K), even when a full Meg is present. What's happening here? Yet another reason to hang onto the Rainbow -- better memory management? BTW, I downloaded RBGIF.ARC from CompuServe and have been very pleased with the results. Even my roommate, who's been a DEC Systems Analyst for years, thought I had bought some kind of new fancy monitor. Nope. Just the ol' original monochrome. My 'bow.......I think I'll keep her. -- Rick --- * Origin: The Rising MoonStar (Opus 1:142/723) ------------------------------ Date: 04-05-90 (17:18) To: GEORGE THEALL Subject: RE: SCHEMATICS FOR 100B From: DANIEL O'REILLY In a message to FIDONET <03-31-90 17:21> GEORGE THEALL wrote: > I would like to know if anyone has schematics or a troubleshooting > guide for the Rainbow 100B. Does something like this exist and > is it available to the general public? If you have You used to be able to get the complete hardware doc set from DEC for about $35.00 a couple of years back. I just sold my set about 6 months ago... DanO --- QECHO/Ommm with QuickBBS V2.64 * Origin: Not "over the Rainbow" at the DEPOT (719)550-9305 (1:128/58) ------------------------------ Date: 04-05-90 (17:20) To: RODNEY LEMIEUX Subject: RE: DOWNLOADING From: DANIEL O'REILLY The only time I've seen LCTERM have problems is if you're using V3.34 and trying to use Xmodem. I've got the 3.35 version of it here on this board, that seems to fix any and all Xmodem xfer problems. DanO --- QECHO/Ommm with QuickBBS V2.64 * Origin: Not "over the Rainbow" at the DEPOT (719)550-9305 (1:128/58) ------------------------------ Date: 04-06-90 (15:24) To: ALL Subject: rainbow communication sof From: RISHI SINGH Re: rainbow communication software Hi, I'm sort of new tothese BBS and I was wondering if you could help me out. I have a rainbow 100+ with a Scholar Digital 2400 baud modem. In order for me to use the modem, I type T for terminal at the main menu when I turn my computer on. Then I follow my handbook on the modem from there. Now, here is the problem: When I want to download something, what kind of software do I say that I have? An example is Kermit or X modem. --- * Origin: M'Cycle_Bytes, Amherst, NH; (603)889-3366 (Opus 1:132/107) --- Via XNet v1.33 ============================================================================== Date: 04-08-90 (07:24) Number: 157 SATALINK To: RISHI SINGH Refer#: 305 From: GEORGE THEALL Read: YES Subj: rainbow communication sof Conf: (157) fRAINBOW ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RS>Hi, I'm sort of new tothese BBS and I was wondering if you could help RS>out. I have a rainbow 100+ with a Scholar Digital 2400 baud modem. I RS>for me to use the modem, I type T for terminal at the main menu when RS>my computer on. Then I follow my handbook on the modem from there. RS>here is the problem: When I want to download something, what kind of RS>do I say that I have? An example is Kermit or X modem. Well, Rishi, it sounds like you're using the Rainbow in terminal mode. That is, you're not loading CP/M or MS-DOS but simply taking advantage of the Rainbow's built-in VT102 emulation. In order to download, though, you will need to load one of the operating systems first. This enables you to make use of the disk drives in your system. Then, you must determine what communications protocol the other board/computer is using. Think of this as a secret language which the two computers must use to transfer files. Commonly used protocols are Kermit, Xmodem, and Zmodem. Given a choice, go with Zmodem over Xmodem, and Xmodem over Kermit - this is based on speed. Which protocol you select will affect your choice of communications software. For instance, I generally communicate with various mainframe computers around campus, all of which support only Kermit for file transfers. My choice, then, is the program Kermit (yeah, there's both a program and a protocol called Kermit) because of its excellent terminal emulation. Some bbses, though, do *not* support Kermit at all, meaning if you also communicate with them you will need another comm program. LC-Term, BinkleyTerm, PIB-Term, DEC-Mini, ... are various other programs which support at least Xmodem and will therefore be useful on electronic bbses. At least one of these should be available locally. Ask your sysop if s/he can let you copy one onto a floppy disk. Enjoy, George --- ~ EZ 1.26 #263 ~ Unrecognized faults lead to wasted efforts ------------------------------ Date: 04-08-90 (07:40) To: RICK MELLON Subject: RAINBOW RAM From: GEORGE THEALL RM>There's been a lot of talk in the Windows Conference about the MS-DOS RM>640K barrier, It's not a barrier imposed by MS-DOS. As you've noticed, DOS on a Rainbow supports up to 896K of RAM. Any it's all available to program without the need to play tricks with page swapping, like on an XT. The problem is that, when they were laying out the PC's memory map, IBM engineers decided to reserve the area between 640K and 1M for themselves. It's used for video RAM, network cards, the PC's BIOS, etc... anything *but* available for general usage. :-( Recently Quarterdeck (the folks who make DESQview for PCs) has released a product called QRAM which, under certain conditions, allows XT and AT-class PCs to take advantage of this area. It's a nice way to load programs "high", getting them out of the lower 640K of RAM. Unfortunately, programs still must fit into the first 640K of RAM to run on PCs unless they play special tricks. George --- ~ EZ 1.26 #263 ~ Without waves there would be no change ------------------------------