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1992-12-10
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Documentation for Q387, Version 3.1
Copyright, 1991, 1992, QuickWare
P.O. Box 684652
Austin, Texas 78768
512-280-1452
December 10, 1992
Q387 Version 3.1 is a math accelerator and math coprocessor
emulator. It will both increase the performance of your computer in
math intensive applications and allow you to run applications which
require a math coprocessor, and this is all done without any additional
hardware. The benefits of Q387 are -
Benefits -
o Reduces computation times by up to 80% for graphics, analysis,
CAD, font generation for desktop publishing, games, etc.
o Allows the running of programs which require a math chip, such as
AutoCAD, Mathematica, COSMOS/M, AutoDesk 3D Studio, Renderize,
etc.
o Fully compatible with DOS, most Expanded Memory Managers (EMMs),
Windows 3.X 386 Enhanced Mode and Windows 3.1 Standard Mode, and
most DOS Extender applications (such as AutoCAD 11, 12, and 386,
Quattro Pro, etc.).
o Accurate math coprocessor emulation.
o Uses NO DOS memory (loads into extended memory completely).
o Important for portables - uses NO extra power. Q387 actually
will let you run your laptop or notebook through more work,
while using no additional power. A coprocessor chip will
significantly shorten the time you can use your portable.
o Low cost, only $25.
o Free upgrades to enhanced releases.
Requirements -
o 386SX, 386DX, or 486SX based computer, IBM PC or compatible,
with at least 1.5 Megabytes total memory.
o Q387 uses about 330k bytes of extended memory.
o A 386 compatible Expanded Memory Manager (EMM), such as
EMM386.EXE (comes with DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1), QEMM386,
386MAX, or the EMM386.SYS that comes with Dr. DOS 6.0.
How Q387 works -
Run Q387 from your Autoexec.bat file or from DOS. You must have an
Expanded Memory Manager (EMM) loaded first. Q387 requests Extended
Memory from the EMM for its exclusive use, and then loads itself into
that extended memory. It leaves absolutely no trace of itself in DOS
memory, or in any memory directly accessible by DOS, thereby using none
of this valuable resource. The EMM protects Q387 from being overwritten
by other programs. Q387 instructs your computer to use Q387 to perform
math operations instead of your application's math routines. Intel has
built this capability into the design of the 386 and higher chip. Since
Q387 runs completely in extended memory, it can utilize the full power
of the 386 chip, such as 32 bit operations and fast access to large
amounts of inexpensive memory. This has allowed us to optimize Q387 for
speed. We have also used advanced numerical techniques to increase
speed. The net result is that all math functions with Q387 operate many
times faster than the built-in math functions that come with your
applications.
Example benchmarks - on a DELL System 310, 4Mb ram, 32k cache, 20 Mhz
386, with EMM386.exe loaded, all times in seconds.
Run Run Without With Speed Increase
Number Q387 Q387 Factor
1 14.0 3.8 3.68
2 142.0 64.0 2.20
3 22.4 6.2 3.61
4 17.7 4.0 4.42
5 49.0 9.5 5.05
6 342.1 80.2 4.26
7 226.0 98.0 2.31
Run Descriptions -
Run 1 - Zoom out on a drawing, Generic CADD, by Generic Software.
Run 2 - Render "Bicycle" on Alias Upfront, running in Windows 3.1
Standard Mode, by Alias Research and SketchTech Inc.
Run 3 - AMD math coprocessor demo, Tree fractal.
Run 4 - AMD math coprocessor demo, Compound interest calculation.
Run 5 - Plot a graph on screen, GRAPHER, by Golden Software.
Run 6 - Prepare data file for 3-d viewing, SURFER, by Golden
Software.
Run 7 - Render "BOX" on POVRAY, or, Persistence of Vision Ray
Tracer, a freeware ray-tracing program available on
America On-Line and other BBS's, search for "POV".
Standard Benchmark - same machine as above, QAPlus V4.21, Whetstones.
Run Without With Speed Increase
Q387 Q387 Factor
62.3K 292.6K 4.69
Comparison with FRANKE.387 (another 387 emulator) on same machine with
same configuration as above -
FRANKE.387 Q387 Speed Increase
Factor
AutoCAD 10,
Zoom-All on "Airplane" 13.4 sec. 7.4 sec. 1.81
QAPlus V4.21, Whetstones 93.7K 292.6K 3.12
Also, FRANKE.387 is either not active or causes an error with DOS
Extenders and Windows.
Windows 3.1 -
If you use Windows 3.1, your Windows applications with Q387 will
run somewhat faster in Standard Mode (WIN /s). This is due to some
overhead operations required to handle the multi-tasking of Enhanced
Mode. Enhanced Mode does offer virtual memory, however, so which mode
is best to use depends on the math content of your application versus
its need for more memory. DOS applications run much faster in DOS than
in a Windows 3.X DOS box (this has nothing to do with Q387). Dos
Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) compatible DOS extender applications
(e.g. AutoCAD 12) will run in a DOS box. Like Windows applications,
these will run slower as compared to running them in regular DOS, but
you can multi-task multiple DOS boxes and/or Windows applications.
Our method of distributing Q387 -
We distribute Q387 as what might be called "protected shareware".
The distributed program is the full working version, except that it runs
for 20 minutes at a time before it does a safe DOS terminate of an
application. (DOS shells may not be visible after the Demo. Also, a few
programs will lock up or cause the machine to reboot when the demo times
out. You should run the DOS utility "CHKDSK /f" if this happens. It is
best to terminate your application yourself before 20 minutes is up, and
reboot your computer.) This way, at little or no cost to you, you may
fully evaluate the performance of Q387 for yourself. You may run the
demo as much as you please, and it will satisfy the needs of many people
who only need it for short periods of time. If you are satisfied with
the performance of Q387 and need it to run for longer than 20 minutes,
we will, for a fee of $25 (see below for additional options), provide
you with a "Run Code" which is a license to run Q387 unimpeded. It is
not copy protected, but the Run Code will only work on one computer. We
feel that this arrangement is a reasonable compromise between your need
to verify the integrity of Q387 and the need to support this kind of
work. You will not receive a disk with your Run Code since you already
have the full program.
Running Q387 as a demo -
First get into the same directory as Q387.exe is in. Type "Q387"
at the DOS prompt. If you are using Windows 3.X, run Q387 before you
get into Windows. Q387 will then load itself into extended memory and
display an order form on the screen. If you want to order a Run Code,
you can do a print screen at that point to print the order form. Q387
will return you to the DOS prompt. It will not itself perform any
demonstration. You should run your math intensive applications with
Q387 loaded to see how they perform with Q387.
Getting a Run Code -
Fill out the order form which appears on your computer screen at
the start of the demo. If you don't have a printer for printing out the
order form, please include all of the required information which is on
the order form. We will, within three working days of receiving your
order, mail to you a Run Code which will allow Q387 to run indefinitely.
You will need to include your Machine Code, a number which Q387
determines and prints on the order form at the start of a demo run. The
Run Code is specific to the machine on which you run the demo, so be
sure to get the Machine Code of the computer you intend to use Q387 on.
The Run Code also represents a license to run Q387 on one machine only
(see below for volume discounts). If you change your motherboard or
your BIOS chips, your old Run Code will no longer work. You may get one
new Run Code, for a service charge of $5. This may also be necessary if
you change your hard disk drive controller or put in a LAN card.
When you get your Run Code, you will run Q387 as follows -
<path to Q387>\Q387 xxx-xxx-xxx
where xxx-xxx-xxx is your Run Code. You may have this anywhere in your
Autoexec.bat file so that Q387 loads automatically each time you start
your computer. Q387 is not a DOS TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident)
program, so the order in which you load it is inconsequential. You
would not use any LOADHI with it. Q387 uses no DOS memory, nor any
Upper Memory Block, nor any of the Upper Memory area (the area between
1024k and 1088k).
Expanded Memory Managers (EMMs) tested with -
1. DOS 5.0's EMM386.exe and Window's 3.1 EMM386.exe, by Microsoft.
2. QEMM386.exe version 5.1 and 6.0, by QuarterDeck Office Systems.
3. 386MAX version 6, by Qualitas. Does not currently work with
386MAX version 5.
4. Dr. Dos's EMM386.sys, version 6.0, by Digital Research.
5. Memory Miser 386 Version 1B43, by SoftLogic Solutions Inc.
DOS Extenders tested with -
1. 386|DOS Extender, by Phar Lapp.
2. Intel 386/486 C Code Builder, by Intel.
3. DOS 16/M, by Rational Systems.
4. The 16 bit DOS extender that Borland uses with Borland C++
and Quattro Pro (probably DOS 16/M).
5. Window's 3.1 Standard Mode, by Microsoft.
6. Window's 3.X 386 Enhanced Mode (also functions as an EMM and
multitasker), by Microsoft. Runs and multi-tasks DOS boxes
and 16 and 32 bit Windows applications.
7. Q387 will not currently work with the ERGO 32 bit DOS
extender. This was used by the Lahey FORTRAN compiler, but
Lahey has switched to the Phar Lapp 386|DOS Extender, which
Q387 does work with.
Applications Q387 has been tested with -
1. AutoCAD 10, 11 and 12, by AutoDesk, Inc. **
2. COSMOS/M, by Structural Research Inc. **
3. Surfer and Grapher, by Golden Software.
4. Generic CADD, by Generic Software.
5. DesignCAD, by American Small Business Computers, Inc.
5. Borland C++, by Borland International, Inc.
6. Intel 386/486 C Code Builder.
7. Quattro Pro, by Borland.
8. Various engineering analysis C programs compiled with Borland
C++.
9. Lahey FORTRAN, F77L-EM/32, Version 5.00, the "DEMO" program.**
10. AutoDesk 3D Studio Version 2.0, by AutoDesk, Inc. **
11. Animator Pro, by AutoDesk.
12. PSPICE Student Version 3.06, by MicroSim Corporation.
13. Renderize, Windows Pro v1.3 demo, by Visual Software, Inc.
A 32 bit Windows program. **
14. Alias Upfront, by Alias Research and SketchTech Inc.
A 16 bit Windows program.
15. Persistence of Vision (POV), a freeware raytracing program.
Uses the 32 bit Intel C 386/486 Code Builder compiler.
16. 386-MatLab V3.5m, by The MathWorks, Inc. **
17. Grapher for Windows, by Golden Software.
** denotes programs which require either a coprocessor or Q387 to run.
Diagnostic utilities tested with -
1. Advanced Micro Devices' math coprocessor demo.
2. CheckIt, Version 3.0, by TouchStone Software Corporation.
3. QAPlus, by DiagSoft, Inc.
4. PC Labs Benchmark Series 5.0, by PC Magazine.
5. CHKCOP V2.00, by Intel Corp (a 387 checker).
Included files -
Q387.exe - The Q387 executable. This is a a self-expanding,
compressed file. It self-expands only when you run
Q387 to load it. Compressed with PKlite Professional
(PKlite is a trademark of PkWare, Inc.)
Q387.doc - This file.
OFF.exe - Will disable Q387 after it has been loaded. It does
not remove Q387 from memory. Do not run from within
Windows.
ON.exe - Reenables Q387 after it has been disabled by "OFF.exe".
Do not run from within Windows.
Accuracy -
Q387 performs all arithmetic to the exact same accuracy as a 387
coprocessor. This is 64 bits of precision. Transcendental calculations
may be different by as much as the lowest 4 to 5 bits. This is still
much more accurate than can be represented by a double precision number,
which is the highest precision variable type typically used.
EMM configuration options -
Q387 requires that an EMM be active, but expanded memory does not
have to be available. Many regular DOS applications use expanded memory
if it is available to increase their performance (using fast expanded
memory instead of the slow disk). Before Q387 V3.0, however, the use of
an EMM significantly slowed down math intensive applications (when run
without a coprocessor on the computer). With Q387, your DOS
applications can now have the benefit of both Expanded Memory and very
fast math operations.
One penalty associated with the use of expanded memory is that
available high memory will be reduced by 64k (required for the expanded
memory "page frame"), leaving less room for device drivers and TSR's.
Also, Windows cannot use any of your expanded memory in 386 Enhanced
Mode. If you don't want to use expanded memory, you can specify to the
EMM that it not use a page frame, thus reclaiming the lost 64k of high
memory. This is accomplished as follows in your CONFIG.SYS file -
device = <path to DOS>\EMM386.EXE NOEMS (for DOS 5)
device = <path to QEMM>\QEMM386.SYS FRAME=0 (for QEMM386)
device = <path to 386MAX>\386MAX.SYS NOFRAME (for 386MAX)
device = <path to DR DOS>\EMM386.SYS /F=none (for DR DOS 6)
If you are using EMM386 and older DOS Extender programs (e.g. ACAD 11)-
Older DOS Extender programs such as AutoCAD 11 can only make use of
Expanded Memory when an EMM is present, so it's best to allocate almost
all of your available memory to Expanded Memory in this case. You must
reserve enough Extended Memory for Q387 to load, however. With
EMM386.exe, a straightforward way to do this is as follows (this example
is for a computer with 4 Meg of RAM) -
device = <path to DOS>\EMM386.EXE L=340 2912
where the "L=340" parameter tells EMM386 to reserve 340k of extended
memory. The "2912" parameter tells it to allocate 2912k bytes for
expanded memory (if that much is available). If you don't tell the EMM
to reserve a sufficient amount of Expanded Memory, older DOS Extender
applications will give you some confusing message such as "Conflicting
protected mode environment", or "The 386 chip is currently executing in
virtual 8086 mode...", etc. QEMM and 386MAX make both types of memory
available from the overall supply of memory, so you don't have to
reserve any memory explicitly for extended or for expanded memory.
If you use 386MAX on a Dell System 310 -
Q387 does not function correctly on Dell System 310 computers when
running 386MAX. We have not been able to determine the cause of this as
yet. However, 386MAX appears to have problems with the 310 even without
Q387 installed.
If you are using QEMM386 -
You need to include the "ON" parameter on the "device=QEMM386" line
in your config.sys file.
Updates -
Due to our distribution method, we are able to provide free updates
to all registered users. All you have to do is to periodically check
your favorite BBS for a more recent release of Q387. The Run Code which
you purchase will work for these later releases.
Backups -
You really only need to keep your Run Code safe, as Q387 itself is
available from many BBS's. Make a backup of Q387 if you don't have easy
access to a BBS. If you lose your Run Code, we will look up your Run
Code for a processing fee of $5. Just send us your Machine Code (it's
on the order form) and tell us you need a replacement Run Code.
Viruses -
Q387 was scanned for viruses with the Norton AntiVirus before it
was Zipped. All major BBS's (and most local BBS's) do this as well. We
have never gotten a virus from any BBS.
Money-back guarantee -
If, within a year of your purchase, Q387 has any error which
prevents it from successfully emulating a 387 math coprocessor with any
of your applications, we will refund to you the purchase price of your
Run Code.
If you have a 286 machine -
If you don't have a 386 machine but do have a 286, then 386SX and
486SLC conversion kits are available from other vendors which will allow
many 286's to have 386 style memory management and to run applications
such as AutoCAD 11, when you have Q387 installed. Three of these vendors
are - All Computers Inc. 1-800-627-4835, Sigma Data at 1-800-446-4525,
and Gordan and Associates, 1-301-977-1329. 486SX motherboards are also
getting to be VERY inexpensive, and with Q387, they are no longer "brain
dead".
If you have a 386SX machine -
A relatively inexpensive upgrade which takes full advantage of
Q387's emulation capabilities is to replace your 386SX chip with a Cyrix
486 SLC chip. While the Cyrix 486 SLC is more of a hybrid 386/486SX
rather than a true 486SX, it is nevertheless a step above the 386SX,
and, with Q387, will actually execute most of the transcendental
functions (Sin, Cosine, Tangent, logs and exponentials) faster than a
387SX, due to its faster register-to-register instructions and its fast
multiply (4 times faster than a 486SX). If you have a portable, you
will possibly even get longer battery usage from this conversion, and
you will certainly be able to get more done on a single charge. We know
of at least two shops which will replace your 386SX with a 486SLC. You
can contact the RSE Company at 512-282-2510 (Voice) and 512-282-2482
(FAX/BBS), or Gordon and Associates at 301-977-1329.
Distribution of Q387 -
Free distribution of Q387 without Run Codes is both permitted and
encouraged. Distribution of Q387 with Run Code(s) is not permitted.
Both software and hardware vendors are welcome to distribute Q387
without Run Codes.
Q387 can be found on several bulletin board services. Some of
these are Compuserve (IBM Hardware Forum), GENIE (IBM PC libraries),
America On-Line, Delphi, and the Connect America (512-459-3341, 3351, or
3358). The Connect America BBS lets you get Q387 from the free downloads
section in Area 2. You might also ask the sysop of your favorite local
BBS to get Q387 for you. Search files for Q387. The full file name is
Q387.zip, or Q387_XXX.zip, where XXX is the latest version designation.
Payment options - (valid through December, 1994)
o $25 US currency with either a check from a US bank, or a money
order (US currency money orders are available worldwide). We will
pay sales tax for Texas residents. If your state requires
you to pay sales tax on out-of-state mail order purchases, please
add the required amount. No sales tax is needed if you are not
in the US.
o Add $5 (US and Canada only) if you want your Run Code faxed or
called back (1 call only, include fax or phone #). Add $10 for
fax or call back to other countries. If call back, the number
being called should be equipped with an answering machine, as we
can only afford to call once, and we may call at any time of the
day. We will also mail the Run Code to you for your records.
o $35 equivalent non-US currency written on a check from a
non-US bank. Please use the current exchange rate. The higher
amount is required to cover the bank's fees.
o $35 US currency if by Company Purchase Order Number. You may
call and leave with us your Machine Code, PO number, company
name, address, voice and fax telephone numbers, and contact
person. We will, in most cases, fax back your Run Code
by the following morning. We will then bill your company
with the purchase order number for $35 US currency on a US bank
or money order, or $45 equivalent non-US currency on a non-US
bank. This option is available only for companies in the US,
Canada, or England.
We are not equipped to accept credit cards as payment.
Volume discounts -
If your organization would like multiple licenses for Q387, we
offer the following discounts for volume purchases -
1st license - $25.
2nd through 10th licenses - $20 each.
Each license over 10 licenses - $15 each.
OEM's please call or write for special arrangements.
Thank you for trying Q387.
