For a little more than $3000 you can buy an Amiga or MacIntosh that can access more than 9 megabytes of memory, but most other computers have a 9 megabyte maximum. Lucky you don't own a computer with such limited memory capabilities. Your Commodore can access 16 megabytes of RAM disk space. The only catch is that you need to buy Creative Micro Designs' RAMlink, a new RAM expansion unit for the Commodore 64 and 128 computers. This is from the same company that makes JiffyDOS and the CMD HD Series hard drives.
Physically RAMlink is only slightly larger than Commodore's own 17XX series RAM expanders and it plugs into the cartridge slot the same way. There are two ports on the top of RAMlink; one is for RAM Expansion units like the Commodore's 17XX or Berkeley Softworks GEORAM, the other is a pass-thru port for cartridges like Super Snapshot, the Final Cartridge, the Stereo SID cartridge, or Swiftlink 232.
There are also several lights, buttons, and switches to change RAMlink's settings. Commodore 64 owners will find the reset button a big help. It lets you reset the computer without having to turn it off just like the Commodore 128 reset button. For 128 owners it may be slightly more accessible than the regular reset button.
There are three lights to indicate drive status. The ACTIVITY light lets you know when something is reading or writing to the RAM disk, the ACCESS light lets you know when the computer is using the serial or parallel port, and the ERROR light lets you know when there has been a disk error on the RAMlink.
The two buttons labeled Swap 8 and Swap 9 are for software that doesn't support drive device numbers above 8 or 9. Just like on CMD's HD Series hard drives, when you hit the Swap 8 button, RAMlink will become device number 8. Your device 8 drive on power-up will change to RAMlink's default device number (usually 16). For example, your 128D's internal drive is device number 8 when you turn the computer on or reset it. If you hit the Swap 8 button, RAMlink becomes device 8 and your internal 1571 becomes device 16. If you want your internal drive to be device 8 again just hit Swap 8 a second time and things will be back to normal. Swap 9 does the same thing but exchanges RAMlink for device number 9.
The Enable/Disable switch lets you decide whether or not RAMlink's RAM disk is visible to the system. If you have a piece of software that just won't work with RAMlink at all, you can disable RAMlink and your computer will use its own ROM. You will lose all the benefits provided by RAMlink, but you won't loose any data you have on the RAM disk.
The last switch on RAMlink is the Normal/Direct switch. If you use a Commodore RAM expander, or GEORAM in the REU Port, RL DOS will format it according to its own needs. This gives you the use of any REU as a RAM disk when you power up RAMlink and lets you use it with many cartridges that wouldn't normally work with an REU by plugging those cartridges into the Pass-Thru Port. But if you use any software that expects to find the REU in the usual manner or requires the REU, it will not work
with RAMlink in normal mode. For those programs you must switch RAMlink into Direct mode. In direct mode the REU is visible like it usually is, but any cartridge in the Pass-Thru Port will be disabled.
It's what's inside RAMlink's case that really counts. RAMlink addresses one of the most complained about aspects of having a RAM disk on any computer. People love the speed that a RAM disk provides, but they hate the fact that they loose everything in RAM when they turn the computer off. RAMlink provides power to its RAM even when the computer is turned off. So long as the unit is plugged in, whatever is on your RAM disk will be there when you turn your computer on again. There is also the option of a battery backup unit in case you blow a fuse, have occasional power outages, or just want to take RAMlink with you to a friend's house without losing what's stored in memory. The battery that plugs into RAMlink is continually charged until the power goes out. Then you have between 8 and 20 hours, depending on how much RAM you have, before you loose your data. RAMlink will also battery back up the information stored in your GEORAM, or Commodore 17XX provided it is in the REU Port.
Ramlink also provides a built-in DOS for RAM disks when you turn your computer on. With RAMlink's built-in RL DOS you have access to almost every feature you would have on a Commodore disk drive. In fact it acts just like CMD's hard drive on your system. You can create up to 32 partitions of different types including 1541, 1571, and 1581 emulation partitions, as well as CMD's own native mode partitions that can store as much as 16 megabytes on what appears to the computer as a single disk that support sub directories. RL-DOS's specific commands are nearly identical to those used by the CMD HD.
The JiffyDOS Kernal is built in to RAMlink along with RL-DOS, giving you JiffyDOS's easy-to-use DOS wedge commands. To format a disk for example, you don't need to type the long:
OPEN 15,16,15:PRINT#15,"N:<diskname,id>":CLOSE 15
Instead with RAMlink's JiffyDOS commands you would just type:
@"N:<diskname,id>"
JiffyDOS's commands will work on any disk drive you own, not just RAMlink, but if you are looking to speed up disk access on your 1541, 1571, or 1581 disk drives you must buy a JiffyDOS ROM for those drives.
Another great feature of RAMlink is its autoboot facility. The 128 can already run a program off the disk drive on being powered up, but it requires the disk to be device 8. RAMlink will emulate this feature if you want to make it device 8 on your system, but RAMlink has a better option. RAMlink will run a program from RAM disk memory on power up regardless of what device number it is. The file can set up the computer in a user-defined configuration, load your favorite program or just change the screen colors. Just about any program that will run off RAMlink can be made to run on power up.
The process of setting up an auto executing file is simple. First copy the files you want to boot on power up to the RAMlink's memory. Next, run CMD's "AUTOFILE EDITOR" program. The program will ask whether the file you want to run is BASIC or machine language. If it is machine language, it asks for a "SYS" code to start it. If the program is in BASIC you are asked for the partition number and path name. Once you run this program, enable all the features and set your defaults; it's just a matter of turning on your computer in the 64 or 128 mode. (A note to 128 users, this autoboot feature will take the place of your disk auto boot feature.)
For owners of the CMD HD line of Hard drives there is an
added bonus
added bonus. RAMlink makes any HD Series Hard Drive a high-speed parallel device with CMD's optional parallel cable. A regular HD loads at about 3K per second; with JiffyDOS that becomes 25K per second. With RAMlink that figure becomes 51K per second in 64 mode! A Commodore 128 or 128D can load at an incredible 100K per second from the Hard drive. That alone should be reason enough for HD owners to buy a RAMlink.
RAMlink's best feature is the fact that you can put in CMD's RAMcard and populate RAMlink with as much as 16 megabytes of RAM. This means RAMlink can be used as a stand-alone expansion unit without a 17XX or GEORAM. RAMcard connects inside RAMlink and takes industry-standard SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Modules) to expand its memory. Normally you can add four 1-Megabyte SIMMs for a total of four Megabytes. This is the maximum to which RAMlink can be expanded while using 1-Megabyte SIMMs. If you wish to go beyond four megabytes, you must cut a jumper on the RAMcard to enable it to use 4-Megabyte SIMMs. The problem is that one 4-Megabyte SIMM is a little more expensive than four 1-Megabyte SIMMs at this time, and after you cut the jumper you can only use 4 Meg SIMMs on RAMcard which means you must upgrade to 4, 8, 12, or 16 megabytes depending on how many SIMMs you use.
At the time of this writing GEOS and CP/M support had not been fully implemented, but by the time you read this CMD should be shipping their first software product, a replacement for GEOS' "desktop" and "configure" called "Gateway". Gateway will let you access native mode partitions and sub directories on the hard drive and RAMlink. This means up to 16 megabytes of disk space in GEOS, and RAM disks that are user selectable in size. Gateway will also have a lot of other great features for GEOS users and will sell for $29.95. A free copy will be sent to all RAMlink owners and discounts may be available for hard drive owners.
CMD also has plans for native mode support of CP/M by early next year.
@Pluses, minuses, and user notes.
As one of the first 30 Gamma testers for RAMlink I've had more experience with it than most people and felt a few tips on using RAMlink's features and avoiding its pitfalls were in order.
The first time RAMlink powers up it will take a little longer than you are used to before you see your regular start-up screen. This is because the first time RAMlink runs it will create default partitions according to your RAM set up. On power-up, RAMlink will only create Native mode partitions. If you have a Commodore REU plugged in its entire memory amount will be dedicated to partition #1 whether it iss a 512K 1750, 256K 1764, 128K 1700, 512K GEORAM, or a custom 2 megabyte 1750. Partition #2 will be any RAM installed on a RAMcard inside RAMlink.
Even though GEOS doesn't support RAMlink at the time of this writing I've found a way to use RAMlink's external powering of my 1750 from within GEOS. I set RAMlink to Disable and Direct mode. Then I boot GEOS with configure set up so it will do a RAM reboot. Under normal circumstances this allows the computer to boot a BASIC or other kind of program and then return to GEOS quickly when the reset button on a 128 or the restore key on a 64 is pressed. With RAMlink keeping the REU's memory alive, though, I can shut the computer system off and when I turn it back on I only have to use RBOOT to get the system up and running again My RAM 1571 is still intact just the way I left it. I wrote this article over a week's time and never booted GEOS or had to set up my RAM 1571 again. Of course if you run any software that uses the 1750 after leaving GEOS this trick will not work, but when it does you have all the benefit of a RAMdisk with none of the drawbacks of losing your RAMdisk configuration! Gateway will make it unnecessary to use this stunt, but for now this is good.
e user port for printing with geocable or other UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
A drawback in RAMlink's design is that with RAMlink Enabled and in Direct mode you can access the REU's memory with RL DOS in the regular manner. This can cause some problems. If you use the REU like I did with GEOS the contents of the REU will be completely devastated as far as RL DOS is concerned. Since the default is partition #1 on power up you will usually boot with some kind of error. CMD provides a program called RAM TOOLS that allows you to create and delete partitions as well as change other RAMlink defaults including the partition on power up. But the program treats all RAM the same whether its in a 17XX, GEORAM, or RAMlink's internal RAM! This means when you create a native mode or 1581 partition on RAMlink after deleting all the default partitions made when you turned it on the first time, the first 512K used will come from your REU with the rest coming from the internal RAM. If at this point you go into direct mode and use any program with the REU, it will trash a lot of your data and most likely the directory track that RL DOS uses to recognize the partition! Any programs you had saved to that partition will be destroyed. You can avoid this by always leaving the first partition alone and making your default partition 2. But CMD should modify RAM TOOLS to let you specify what you want to
do with your REU PORT RAM, and which partition partition it is.
If you own a Hard Drive and hook it up to the parallel port on RAMlink you can not unplug RAMlink without unplugging the parallel cable or the Hard Drive will hang when you power it up.
Some cartridges that work fine in Normal mode will cause trouble in the Pass-Thru Port when in direct mode. These cartridges must be removed for the computer to work.
In spite of these minor setbacks, RAMlink is another great product from CMD. It more than lives up to its advertising which, if you consider all CMD promised from RAMlink, is really amazing. If you are looking for a RAM expansion alternative that has lots of options and expandability, or you want easier access to the memory in your current RAM expander, RAMlink is an excellent, highly compatible answer.
@RAMLINK's LED board by Joe Collins:
@Current Pricings (as of April 5, 1991):
@RamLink w/o RamCard
$ 179.95
@RamCard (with 0 RAM)
59.95
@RamLink w RamCard (w/ 0 RAM)
219.95
@battery back-up
24.95
@parallel cable
14.95
For SIMMS, you must call for pricing as they fluctuate daily
(.txt)