›             o=o=o=o=o=› › ____________________________________› ›    TEXTPRO: MORE EXTENDED BANKS   #9›          By Frank Walters› ____________________________________› › › NOTE:  In  order to permit this text› file  to  be  formatted  and printed› with   TextPRO,  inverse  characters› will  be  indicated by brackets: <=>› means  inverse  =,  which is entered› from  the keyboard by holding SELECT› when   typing  the  =  key.  CONTROL› characters  must be entered into the› editor   by  pressing  [Esc]  first.› [square]  brackets  indicate  key or› key   combinations   without  SELECT› pressed.› › This  is  a  further  discussion  of› TextPRO  v.5.20X  (TPX)  and  use of› extended  banks  of  memory. If your› computer  has  128K  of RAM or less,› then  disregard  this  article as it› does not apply to your system.› › INTRODUCTION:› › Since  my  article  "TEXTPRO:  USING› EXTENDED  BANKS" (#7) was written, I› have  researched  further  and found› some      additional     information› concerning  the  bank identification› table   used  by  BANKUTIL.ADN.  The› purpose of this table is to identify› 16k banks of upper RAM to be used by› TextPRO  as additional text buffers,› called     "banks"     in    TextPRO› documention.› › BANKUTIL.ADN  identifies  up  to  64› banks  of  RAM  (16k  each)  using a› single byte used by PORTB address to› identify  each  16k  bank of memory.› These   identification   bytes  vary› considerably,   depending  on  which› type   of  memory  upgrade  you  are› using.  The  130XE compatible system› uses inverse <gcok> to identify four› 16k  banks  of upper RAM that is the› standard in the 130XE. Ronnie Riche,› the  author of TextPRO, included the› 130XE     standard     PORTB    bank› identification  bytes  <gcokgcok> in› the  main program. TPX 5.20 can only› support  1 Set of 8 banks at a time,› therefore  it  only  has  an  8-byte› table  of  PORTB ID bytes. The 130XE› 4-banks  are  repeated twice. A user› of  an  expanded  memory  Atari must› replace    this   table   with   the› appropriate  ID  bytes  for whatever› upgrade system is installed.› › In BANKUTIL.ADN he also included the› same four ID bytes as the first 4 of› 64  total  PORTB  bytes. In order to› avoid  conflicts, he simply repeated› the same four bytes sixteen times as› you can see if you load BANKUTIL.ADN› into  the  editor. The same table is› also within TOOLS.ADN as part of the› BANKUTIL  portion  of  that  Add-in.› When  using  BANKUTIL from either of› these  Add-in  modules, the ID bytes› are taken from the 64-byte table and› replace   the  8-byte  table  within› TextPro itself.› › It  is left up to the you, the user,› to   edit   this   bank   table  and› substitute the correct bytes used to› identify the 16k banks of memory you› wish  to  use  with  your particular› memory upgrade system. Once you know› what  bytes  to  substitute  in this› table,  simply  change  the bytes in› the   table  and  save  BANKUTIL  to› disk.› › ATARI 130XE COMPATIBLE TABLES:› › Here  is the information about PORTB› identification  bytes, sent to me by› Lee  Barnes of Wild Horse, Colorado.› He   is   very   proficient  at  RAM› upgrades for Atari computers. He has› tested these with his Peterson 320XE› upgrade  computer.  Larry Black also› tested   them   with   his   similar› upgrade.› › For  a 320K XE upgrade, here are the› ID  bytes  for  8 banks of 16k each,› allowing  you  to use 8 banks of Set› #1.:› › ATASCII:› <gcokGCOK>› › Note: All ATASCII bytes are INVERSE,› entered   in   TextPRO  editor  with› SELECT pressed.› › MODIFYING TPX520.COM AND BANKUTIL:› › In  order to use one Set of 8 Banks,› I  would  simply modify the existing› table  in  BANKUTIL  by changing the› second  set  of <gcok> to upper case› <GCOK>.  Save  BANKUTIL back to disk› with  original  filename.  Then load› TPX into the editor using ,C to load› the  whole  file  into two banks and› [CTRL_F]  to  find  inverse  <gcok>.› Then  use  [CTRL_A]  in TEXT mode to› change  the second set to upper case› so  it  looks like this: <gcokGCOK>.› Then  save both banks of TPX to disk› using  ,A  append  feature  for  the› second bank.› › ACTIVATING UPPER BANKS:› › Assume  you have now modified TPX by› inserting  the  correct ID bytes for› the  first  8  banks in your upgrade› system.  To  utilize  your  modified› table,   insure  that  the  modified› LISTBANK.ADN is the first section of› TEXTPRO.MAX. The original macro file› (TEXTPRO.MAX)  should  be at the END› of   LISTBANK.ADN.   Use  CTRL_U  to› insure  the  combined  file does not› exceed  2000  bytes (the size of the› macro buffer).› › Next   Load  TextPro  from  DOS  and› LISTBANK.ADN will automatically load› as part of TEXTPRO.MAX.› › Press [SELECT+CTRL_;]. The prompt:› "Use  #  of  Banks  (1-8): RETURN to› exit"  will  appear  in  the command› line  at top of screen. Type "8" and› you should see (1,8) to the right of› the  DOS  type  on the command line.› then  press  [SELECT+CTRL_B],  reply› 'Y'  to  "Use  Banked"  and  'Y'  to› "Clear  Banks" prompts to insure all› 8  banks  are cleared. You are ready› to now use Main bank and upper banks› numbered 1 to 8 by TextPRO. [CTRL_;]› should  list  all  8 banks (and also› Main  if  using  LISTBANK.ADN  dated› 7-3-94).› › CREATING A MACRO TO AUTO-CONFIGURE 8› BANKS:› › To   automatically  activate  all  8› banks  with  TextPro  each  time you› load it, you can use a macro command› within  TEXTPRO.MAX  to  to do this.› › 1.  Load TEXTPRO.MAX in one bank. In› another clear bank, load or type the› following data:› › 64,189,251,56,144,38,129,Clear banks› [RETURN]› 130,Y,Y,20,50,20,49,38,189,130,Y,N,2› ,50,20,49[NO RETURN]› › 2.  Below this table press RETURN to› skip  a  line and use [SHIFT_INSERT]› to insert 255 spaces in the editor.› › 3.  Press the [Logo] key for Atascii› Mode.› 4.  With  cursor  on  line below the› table,  press  [SHIFT_TAB]  and type› the  first  number  (64)  and  press› RETURN.  A  '@' should appear in the› editor.› 5.  Move  cursor right to next empty› space and repeat step 4, typing next› data item (189), printing an inverse› <=>.› 6. Repeat step 5 until you reach the› text   "Clear  banks[RETURN]".  Just› type  the  text  and press [RETURN],› and   then  repeat  step  5,  except› typing   the   letters  "Y"  or  "N"› instead  of  using  [SHIFT_TAB]  for› those  items.  The last character in› the  macro  is the number "1". Place› cursor  in  the next space and press› [SHIFT_DELETE]  to remove all spaces› after the "1".› 7. Place cursor on the first byte of› the macro (@) and press [CTRL_D] and› [P]  to  delete  the  macro into the› paste buffer.› 8.   Switch   Banks   to   the   one› containing   TEXTPRO.MAX  and  place› cursor  on any line below the end of› LISTBANK.ADN,  in the top portion of› the  macro segment. Be sure there is› no  other  macro defined for the [@]› key. i.e. @<=>. If there is, put the› new  macro  just above it and remove› the old one.› 9.  Save the modified TEXTPRO.MAX to› your TextPro disk.› › USING THE 8-BANK MACRO:› › When  you  load TextPro, you will be› prompted  "Clear Banks: Sure? (Y/N)"› Press  "Y"  the  first time you load› TextPro  to  clear  all  banks.  For› successive  loads  after  exiting to› DOS  you  my  reply  "N"  and your 8› Banks will be selected but the banks› will  retain all previous data. Only› Main  bank  is automatically cleared› every time you load TextPro.› › USING  A  RAMDISK  WITH  8-BANKS  IN› TEXTPRO:› › Still  assuming  a  320K  XE,  using› 8-banks  for  TextPro  still 128K of› unused   RAM.  If  your  DOS  has  a› configurable  RAMdisk  handler  then› you  can  install  the  handler  and› configure  it  to  use  the four 16K› unused   banks   as  a  RAMdisk.  It› depends  on  the  DOS  how  you must› configure  it. Generally the TextPro› banks  will  be the highest numbered› banks   in   your  upgrade  but  not› necessarily.› › TOP-DOS:› › Load   the  XL  RAMdisk  module  and› configure as follows:› › Peterson 320XE or Claudy 320XL:›          SIZE: 256K›         Bit 5: Y› RAMDISK BANKS: 0,8› (130XE BANKS: 12,16)› › The   XL   module  uses  the  format› (First,Next) to indicate banks. i.e.› (0,8)  means RAMdisk uses First bank› 0  and  up  to  bank 7, with 8 being› Next bank available for TextPro. The› standard 130XE banks are (12,16) and› the extra four banks for TextPRO are› banks  (8,12).  See  TOP-DOS  manual› under XL MODULE for v.1.5 Plus.› › MyDOS:› › You  configure the RAMdisks from the› DOS  menu. See MyDOS docs for how to› specify  banks  used  but  use above› TOP-DOS  information  as  a guide. I› did not test this with MyDOS.› › SPARTADOS:› › The  recommended RAMdisk handler for› memory upgrades is called PSIRD.COM,› a  third party shareware program. It› comes with docs. Try it to configure› the PSIRD.COM using a batch file and› using  banks  0,7  for  RAMdisk. You› might have to experiment.› › ATARI DOS:› › I  am  not  aware  of a configurable› RAMdisk  handler  for  ATARI DOS 2.5› but  there may be one out there. You› can  still  use TextPro with 8 banks› but  do  not use RAMDISK.COM. Rename› it  to  RAMDISK, without the .COM so› it will not initialize upon bootup.› › OTHER UPGRADES:› › For  upgrades  other  than the 320XE› and  320XL,  I  have  some  untested› PORTB  ID  bytes which I may include› in  some future article. For now, it› is  too  complicated to inclued them› here.› ____________________________________› ›            Frank Walters›          T.A.C.O. Bell BBS›              11/01/98› ›             o=o=o=o=o=›