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Expanded and Extended Memory |
The information in this document applies to:
WordPerfect® 5.1 for DOS
Problem
Solutions: MEMORY TYPES: There are 3 different types of memory: conventional, extended, and expanded. CONVENTIONAL MEMORY Conventional memory is the first 640K of RAM memory in your machine. Dos has a limit of 640K of addressable memory. But actually, conventional memory encompasses the entire 1M of RAM from 0K to 1024K which is the total spectrum of the 8088s and 8086s. Because 8088s/8086s can only access 1M, this mode is called the Real mode. MS-DOS only uses 640K of the 1M, and the other 384K (reserved I/O Address space) is employed for a variety of hardware housekeeping chores. 384K Reserved I/O Address Space: This is not physical space which can be really accessed by the user. This 384K reserved I/O space is for things such as: the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), ROM chips, display adapter memory, the address of the memory manager, and other accessory cards such as network adapters. It is important to remember that the 384K is always located in the same area of the IBM PC-compatible; from 640K to 1024K. There are no exceptions to this rule. EXTENDED MEMORY Extended memory is as it sounds; it is chips extended on the mother board. Extended memory always starts exactly at 1024K. It is not possible for an 8088 or 8086 machine to have extended memory (hardware limitation). However, 8086s and 8088s can use expanded memory boards which attach on the mother board through an expansion slot. --A 286 machine can have up to a total of 16M of memory, and 15M of it can be of extended memory --A 386 machine can have up to 4 Gigabytes of memory (4 gigabytes = 4,000 meg or 4 billion bytes) The most common use for extended memory is for VDISK (RAM disk) and print spooling. OS/2 and XENIX also use extended memory. A major reason why WordPerfect and many other programs are not able to work with extended memory is because extended memory does NOT really have any set specifications like expanded memory. Recently, however, Microsoft has defined XMS (eXtended Memory Specification) which allows Windows 3.00 and all applications running under windows to access extended memory via the Microsoft XMS. HIMEM.SYS is Microsoft's version of the XMS driver. Windows 3.00 uses XMS to access extended memory in a well-behaved manner. Extended memory is, in other words, an extension to the 1M volume which is just outside DOS's reach. To use extended memory the CPU must shift into protected mode. Basic summary of extended memory: --Extended memory refers to RAM above the 1 M --Current MS-DOS users are BASICALLY limited to RAM drives only --Is directly addressable by 286 & 386 computers (NOT 8088s or 8086s) EXPANDED MEMORY Expanded memory is often called EMS (Expanded Memory Specification) or LIM (for its originators, Lotus, Intel, and Microsoft). WordPerfect programs that support expanded memory: WordPerfect Library/Office PlanPerfect 3.0 and later DrawPerfect WordPerfect 5.0 WordPerfect 5.1 (older version of Windows use mostly expanded memory) There are 2 different kinds of expanded memory: LIM means Lotus, Intel, and Microsoft. There is Lim 3.2 and Lim 4.0; WordPerfect supports both! One of the nice things about expanded memory is that it uses addresses below the 1MB boundary (unlike extended). Thus, expanded memory can be used on both 8088s and 8086s (but 8088s and 8086s CANNOT access memory above 1 MB, in other words extended memory). However, 80286's and 80386's can use expanded memory. There are basically 2 styles of expanded memory: ***Both styles need hardware and software*** 1. "True" expanded memory has an actual memory card or board which fits into a memory expansion slot on the mother board (called expanded memory because it is an expansion). This memory must have software with it, which provides an Expanded Memory Manager (EMM). 2. Another way to get expanded memory is to turn extended memory into expanded. This type of memory also requires software (an Expanded Memory Manager). The CPU does not recognize expanded memory as it does extended memory. In fact, the only way the computer knows you have expanded memory is to have a device driver loaded which provides an interface to expanded memory. This device driver is an Expanded Memory Manager (EMM) which is either specific to a particular physical expanded memory board or it can use the 286/386 extended memory. By running the Expanded Memory Manager (EMM) device driver, commands are added in the CONFIG.SYS file (i.e., Device=C:\QEMM.SYS). The EMM is activated when booting up. HOW WORDPERFECT ACCESSES EXPANDED MEMORY When WordPerfect starts, it automatically detects whether expanded memory is there or not, and what version is installed; assuming expanded memory was activated via an EMM being initialized in CONFIG.SYS. WP will execute LIM calls specific to the version of LIM specification that is reported upon recognition of an EMM. **It is at this point that problems can begin occurring (locking, freezing, and weird things). The reason WP came out with the /32 startup option (since 3-30-90 release and later) was because many EMM's claimed they were 4.0 LIM; however, some were not fully 4.0 compatible but were still using many 3.2 LIM specification coding modules. Thus the /32 will tell WP to only make 3.2 calls to this memory manager. However, if the EMM still locks WP (whether it be 3.2 LIM or 4.0 LIM), very likely the EMM has not met all of the LIM specifications. In this case the /NE (no expanded memory) startup option will be necessary. Note: Any expanded memory already in use by other programs will never be used by WP, even if that memory is made available later on in the word processing session. It is important to remember the following: -----If WP Shell is running, WP will only use a maximum amount of 50% of the expanded memory. However, if you go into WP using the WP/W-*.* this option allows WP to use 100% of the available expanded and conventional memory. -----If WP Shell is not active, WP will only use 87.5% of available expanded memory. (However, the user can get 100% of the available expanded memory and conventional memory with the WP/W-*,*). -----WP 5.0 does have a limitation with expanded memory. WP 5.0 can only access up to 1.5 MB of expanded memory. -----WP 5.1 will access as much expanded memory as there is available (however, it will only access 50% if Shell is active and only 87.5% if Shell is not active). -----In the CONFIG.SYS you CANNOT have HIMEM.SYS (for Windows 3.00) with any other expanded memory manager! Having another EMM with the HIMEM.SYS loaded will cause WP to hang because they will overwrite each other. You also cannot have more than one expanded memory manager for the same reason. WORDPERFECT USES EXPANDED MEMORY FOR THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS: Spell Sort Generate Storage for virtual files Expanded memory cache Rasterizing graphics Hyphenation Explanation: Speller Since 5.1 3/30/90 and later, the WP{WP}.SPW and WP{WP}.SPR files are loaded into and executed from expanded memory (but, not the WP{WP}US.LEX nor the SPELL.EXE). Sort This feature does not actually load into expanded memory. Sort uses EM (expanded memory) to open a document 3 in expanded memory. In EM, it will perform the sort in Doc 3 and then it will copy this Doc 3 into Doc 1; therefore, making sort much faster. Generate Generate works exactly as the sort functions with EM. It uses expanded memory to open up a Doc 3, generates it there, and then copies it into Doc 1. Expanded memory cache Uses the expanded memory the same as any disk cache as a means of speeding the retrieval of information from EM rather than reading a slower floppy or hard disk drive. This is valuable for slower systems. However, newer technologies in Hard Drive manufacturing make expanded memory a waste of time. Many users feel that expanded memory is helping them when it may actually be hurting them. Using a virtual disk on extended/expanded memory can be more advantageous. 500K or less of expanded memory really isn't worth going after because of losses in other areas of the environment regarding the configuration. WP's disk cache, unlike other disk cache's, doesn't access the disk directly; it works with previously allocated memory buffers which were set up at the time that WP first initialized. These memory buffers contain oft executed code from WP.FIL. (Paul Perry) Rasterizing graphics Take a clip-art image for example, in expanded memory it will convert a vectored graphic into a bit mapped graphic. EM also converts algebraic and geometric shapes into a series of binary numbers representing black and white. Basically EM speeds this feature by providing additional memory space. This function speeds up print times. Hyphenation WP{WP}.HYC file is automatically loaded up into expanded memory. TID-BITS OF INFORMATION FOR EXPANDED MEMORY -----The error message "Not Enough Memory," Ben Compton states, ALWAYS has to do with conventional memory NOT expanded memory. -----In WP 5.0 when a user runs WPINFO, WPINFO states the status of expanded memory available AT that point. This can be misleading when a user runs WPINFO knowing that he has expanded memory and expanded memory states in WPINFO "none". -----In FOLIO the question was asked if a user could put the PTR overflow files in EM or if one could put the .ALL file in expanded memory. As of March 7, 1990 the answer to both questions was "no" (Memo Id WP51_922). -----If you hear customers saying they have a VDISK, this basically means they have a RAM disk. This situation allows extended memory to be made into a RAM disk. A VDISK turns memory into a disk. It is similar to any other disk drive but usually faster (significantly); however, the memory is "static" which means that all information is lost when the computer looses power, is turned off, or is reset. If a VDISK is large enough, a user can write the WP.EXE and the WP.FIL files there which makes WP respond much faster. The /D & /PF startup option are also effective with a VDISK to make WP faster; the /D redirects the overflow files to the drive specified, but /PF redirects the output of virtual printer files when processing a print job (i.e., "WP /D-D:\ /PF-D:\"). -----Expanded memory (as of 12/90) can only be used for data, not for executable code - meaning, NOT .EXE or .COM files. -----WP 5.0 & 5.1 need at least 384K of conventional memory - even if the user has 4 gigabytes of expanded memory. The computer must have that 384K minimum of conventional memory to startup. STARTUP OPTIONS FOR EXPANDED MEMORY (Not considering a Virtual Disk) /R This startup option is the best for increasing speed. This option will load the entire WP.FIL up into expanded memory. However, it is very important that the customer have enough expanded memory to load the WP.FIL file, or the customer will get the error message "Insufficient Expanded Memory For /R." In order to use the /R switch, you must have the amount of the WP.FIL + 80K. However, 1M is usually a safe amount, unless Shell is active. /WS This option forces WordPerfect to pause before dropping into the editing screen, and displays the amount of available conventional and expanded memory (available with the 6/20/90 release). Occasionally users will experience lock-up when they execute WP. Some customers lock in the introductory screen, Print, View Document, List Files, macro execution, and etc. This can be caused by a faulty memory manager or one that doesn't meet the written LIM specifications. When this occurs the following procedure should be used: --Execute WP with the /32 startup option. If this fixes the problem, then the customer can add the command SET WP=/32 to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that WP will access the command. This option makes 3.2 LIM calls to the EMM even if the EMM states to WP that it is 4.0 LIM. --If the /32 does not correct the problem then try the /NE startup option. If /NE fixes the problem, then the problem is with the Expanded Memory Manager and not with WP. Users should contact the manufacturers of their EMM, and report the problem to them. If possible, the user should get an update of the EMM to correct the problem. /W=CM,EM This lets you limit the space in conventional memory (CM) allocated to WordPerfect and the amount of expanded memory (EM). The minimum value one can enter for CM is 53, but this small amount can actually slow down processing. Examples: WP/W=120,512 == Means start Wordperfect using 120K of conventional memory (which is after the 384K to start WP initially), and use 512K of expanded memory for workspace. WP/W=*,* == Means start WP using ALL available conventional memory and all available expanded memory. WP/W=65 ==Means start WP using only 65K above the defaulted amount of workspace, meaning the 384K needed initially for start-up. WAYS TO MAKE WORDPERFECT FASTER 1. To increase program speed, don't display Reveal Codes unless necessary. Simple cursor movement can be slowed dramatically as WP struggles to display all those codes. 2. The easiest way to increase performance is to free up more DOS memory (conventional memory). Any extra memory you can free up will help. ***Freeing up conventional memory is the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to speed up 5.1. 3. PRINTING = For maximum print speed, send your job to print and enter no keystrokes until printing is complete. WP often checks the keyboard for new keystrokes. 4. If you can create several smaller .PRS printer files it will take less memory. "Reducing the print resource file size can allow your program to breathe easier" (WordPerfect, Nov. 1990). 5. Having a large soft keyboard with many macros defined can have the same adverse affect as using a large printer file. Have a smaller keyboard selected. 6. Want some real horsepower under the hood? Adding expanded memory can produce the single greatest jump in performance. 7. Use the /R to load the WP.FIL into expanded memory. 8. A defragmenter optimizes your hard disk, and enables DOS to quickly access your files. Consequently, defragmenting your disk will speed up access to the WP overlay files. 9. Removing TSR's, device drivers, network drivers and etc. will help increase the speed. 10. If you have a RAM DISK/VDISK you can speed up WP by redirecting the WP temporary files there. To do this use the startup switch WP/D-(RAM drive letter):. ****These suggestions were found in the WordPerfect Magazine, Nov. 1990 and in the WP Corp Report, July 1990. |
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