Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!rutgers.rutgers.edu From: joseph@rutgers.rutgers.edu (Seymour Joseph) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: OctoRAM and DMA Message-ID: Date: 16 Apr 91 20:13:57 GMT References: <_#kg-7l@rpi.edu> Sender: news@aramis.rutgers.edu Organization: Rutgers University Lines: 31 Nntp-Posting-Host: joseph.rutgers.edu Mike, I have AppleTalk enabled (for printing to an AppleTalk Imagewriter I share with my wife's Mac) so I keep my RamFast SCSI card in slot 1. I bought my RamFast SCSI card from TMS Peripherals. They advertise in the back of A+/Incider. I think I paid $179. The 2.0 ROMS are an option and cost about $15 more. The version 2.0 Roms for the RamFAST SCSI card include a mouse based disk management program and support for removable devices such as CD-Roms, Syquest cartridge hard disks, and even tape backup devices. The included utility program even allows the RamFAST to backup a disk partition(or partitions) to tape IN THE BACKGROUND while you are using your GS for something else. The dialog between the hard disk and the tape drive occurs completely in the RamFAST card, your Apple IIGS is free to do other things during the backup.(GS/OS thinks that the partitions being backed up are write protected during the backup process so you cannot change them while they are being copied to tape.) I also have an OctoRAM card. I have 2-1MB parts in it and have no problem running with my RamFAST with DMA enabled and my TWGS. My understanding is that no matter how many slots for ram your card has, the Apple IIGS will only do DMA to the first 4 rows (SIMMs) for a maximum of 4 meg. If you use 256k parts in the Octoram, that means that only the 1st Meg would be DMA (not good) If you use 1MB parts, only the 1st 4MB would be DMA. The apple IIGS CANNOT do DMA above 4MB of ram no matter what ram card you have. Having more than 4MB in your Octoram should work fine, just realize that properly built hardware will not even try to do DMA to any memory above 4MB. Seymour Joseph