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1988-04-22
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DUMPEM
DUMP Expanded/Extended Memory
User's Guide
INTRODUCTION
DUMPEM is a utility which allows you to display and edit
conventional, expanded and extended memory. For example, you
can display the contents of an extended memory RAM disk, or
edit a page of expanded memory, or display the contents of the
system BIOS ROM.
The memory can be displayed in hexadecimal, unsigned decimal,
or decimal types, and in sizes of bytes, words, dwords, or
pointers.
DUMPEM also has built-in memory diagnostics tests which will
write patterns into the currently displayed block of memory,
and will highlight data which fails the test's verify logic.
The program was written primarily in P/LM-86, with a few
support routines written in ASM-86.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
DUMPEM uses the BIOS INT 15h, functions 87h (block move) and
88h (return extended memory size) to manipulate extended
memory. In addition, for ease of block transfer and editing,
the block move function is also used to display and edit
conventional and expanded memory. Therefore, your system must
contain a BIOS (or device driver) which implements INT 15h,
functions 87h and 88h.
Machines which meet the above restriction are the IBM AT and
compatibles, IBM PS/2 Models 50, 60, 80 and compatibles, the
Inboard 386/AT, and the Inboard 386/PC.
The Inboard 386/PC is shipped with a device driver which, for
the first time, provides the INT 15h extended memory support
on a PC or XT machine, and makes use of the extended memory
hardware available on the Inboard 386/PC base board and
piggybacks..
INSTALLING DUMPEM
Simply copy the file DUMPEM.EXE from the diskette onto your
hard disk.
INVOKING DUMPEM
DUMPEM is invoked by typing:
DUMPEM
THE DUMPEM SCREEN
When invoked, DUMPEM will present you with a function key-
driven screen.
The screen is divided into three major areas. The top-most
area lists the function key commands and associated status
information. The bottom, open area displays the memory region
being examined/edited. A third area is "popped" into the
screen center whenever additional status or error information
is displayed.
AN EXPLANATION OF THE FUNCTION KEYS and OTHER OPTIONS
ESC, X, x
DUMPEM can be exited by pressing ESC or 'X' or 'x'.
?
Pressing '?' displays a terse help screen which describes the
purpose of any keys which aren't listed on the main screen.
Ctrl-PgUp, Ctrl-PgDn
Pressing Ctrl-PgUp will display the previous 256 byte block of
memory. Pressing Ctrl-PgDn will display the next 256 byte
block of memory. Edit the memory start address (F9) if you
wish to "jump" to a specific address rather than "page" to it.
Left arrow, right arrow, up arrow, down arrow, PgUp, PgDn,
Home, End
Use these keys to move about the region you're currently
editing (either the memory data, page map array, or memory
start address).
When editing the memory data, you can insert/replace any digit
by typing the ASCII digits 0 - 9, and letters A - F (A - F if
the data is being displayed in hexadecimal type). When
editing the memory start address, you can insert/replace any
digit by typing the ASCII digits 0 -9 and letters A - F. When
editing the page map array, you can insert/replace any digit
by typing the ASCII digits 0 - 9.
Ins
Ins toggles the edit mode from insert (small cursor) to
replace (large cursor).
Rubout, Del, Space
Rubout deletes characters to the left of the cursor, and Del
deletes characters from the right of the cursor. Space will
insert/replace digits with a space. If an entire field is
overwritten with spaces, the field's value will be considered
0.
Enter (Carriage Return)
Enter will cause DUMPEM to accept the edit changes you've made
to the currently selected editable screen area (either the
memory data area, the memory address area, or the page map
array area).
<, >
< left-justifies all displayed data, and > right-justifies all
displayed data.
F1
F1 toggles through the four display size options: BYTE, WORD,
DWORD, and POINTER.
F2
F2 toggles through the three display type options:
HEXADECIMAL, UNSIGNED DECIMAL, and SIGNED DECIMAL.
NOTE: when POINTER size is used, only the HEXADECIMAL type is
available.
F3
F3 toggles through the twelve available diagnostics patterns:
FFFFFFFF, 00000000, 0F0F0F0F, F0F0F0F0, AAAAAAAA, 55555555,
A5A5A5A5, 5A5A5A5A, 01234567, 76543210, 89ABCDEF and FEDCBA98.
Once the pattern has been selected, you can subsequently press
F4 or F5 to automatically write the pattern to the selected
memory block and verify the results.
F4
F4 writes the specified pattern into the currently selected
block of memory (256 bytes in length). After writing the
pattern into memory, DUMPEM verifies the write and will
highlight the data which doesn't match the expected pattern.
You will be prompted with a confirmation message asking you
whether you really want to write/verify the pattern.
NOTE: the verify logic is size-sensitive -- that is, if you
were displaying the data in WORD size, then the verify logic
will compare each WORD in the memory region with the low-order
WORD of the specified pattern. If you were displaying the
data in DWORD size, then the verify logic will compare each
DWORD in the memory region with the entire DWORD of the
specified pattern.
F5
F5 writes the specified pattern from the currently selected
block of memory all the way up to the top of extended memory.
Each block of memory is written/verified with each of the
twelve diagnostics patterns. You will be prompted with a
confirmation message asking you whether you really want to
write/verify the patterns.
NOTE: take great care when using functions F4 and F5. They
overwrite the currently selected block of memory with the
specified pattern.
F6
F6 displays a summary of the system memory complement
(conventional, expanded, extended), displays the expanded
memory page frame address, and also tells you how many
expanded memory pages have been allocated to DUMPEM.
F7
F7 toggles through the list of active expanded memory handles.
Resident TSR or device driver software (like expanded memory
RAMdisks or print buffers) will typically have at least one
active expanded memory handle.
DUMPEM will allocate the rest of the available expanded memory
pages. Use F6 to see how many expanded memory pages have been
allocated to DUMPEM.
Once you've toggled to the appropriate expanded memory handle,
you can press F8 to begin editing the physical-to-logical page
map array so that any of the handle's logical pages can be
mapped into the expanded memory page frame. The page frame
address can be obtained via F6.
F8
F8 moves the cursor into the physical-to-logical page map
array. Once there, you can begin editing the array, assigning
any logical page to any physical page for the selected
expanded memory handle. Press Enter when you've finished
editing the array -- DUMPEM will then map in the pages.
F9
F9 moves the cursor to the memory address field so that you
can begin editing the memory start address. The start address
can be on any boundary. Press Enter when you want DUMPEM to
accept the edit changes.
F10
F10 moves the cursor to the memory data area of the screen so
that you can begin editing the memory data. Press Enter when
you want DUMPEM to accept the edit changes.
LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS
DUMPEM is not an "official" product. It has only been tested
by its author.
YOU are responsible for ensuring the memory data which you
edit directly, or overwrite with the test patterns, is
expendable. The author is not liable for your actions.
GUARANTEES
There are none.