<<<>>>¢ RAMTEST v. 1.1¢ by John Picken¢¢ RAMTEST.COM and RAMTEST.DSK will be¢ found on the OL' HACKERS MAR/APR 1996¢ NEWSLETTER!¢¢ (RAMTEST.DSK¢ I added this file for those who don't¢ use Sparta but do want a "boot" disk.¢ UnDISKCOMM it and you can boot RAMTEST¢ without waiting for DOS to load.¢ jkp)¢¢ RAMTEST.COM - NOTE:¢¢ This program will only work with XL/XE¢ computers and an XL must have 64k main¢ RAM. Extra memory can only be tested¢ if it is 130XE compatible. On large¢ upgrades (576k+), extra RAM is only¢ tested if the case-mounted BASIC¢ switch is off.¢¢ A SMART RAMTEST!¢¢ RAMTEST does not care whether BASIC is¢ on or an OSS cartridge is present--it¢ just turns either or both off¢ temporarily. Similarly, a custom¢ keyboard handler is temporarily¢ replaced and the TD display doesn't¢ matter. But, if you're using SpartaDOS¢ X, you must use X.COM to run RAMTEST¢ if you want to test main memory--try¢ it (harmlessly) without X and you'll¢ see what a bad RAM display looks¢ like.¢¢ NON DESTRUCTIVE-WATCH OUT FOR 'RESET'¢¢ The test is non-destructive so you can¢ run it anytime without harming RAM¢ content (main or extra), but if you¢ hit Reset during a test, all bets are¢ off and you can expect anything from a¢ crash to a trashed RAMdisk. Also, if¢ an OSS cartridge is present and on¢ when you run RAMTEST, Reset will cause¢ a reboot.¢¢ THE REPORT¢¢ When RAMTEST checks main memory, it¢ does not give you pretty colored¢ blocks to watch but it does give you a¢ useful report of RAM status and it¢ does check the OS RAM (which Atari¢ obviously thought was unimportant).¢¢ IDENTIFIES & REPORTS ON UPGRADE, etc.¢¢ When you run RAMTEST, it will tell you¢ what type of upgrade it has¢ identified. When testing memory, it¢ reports size and identification of the¢ bank being tested. Here are the three¢ types of lines you can see (one or the¢ other of the second pair depending on¢ upgrade size where "n" represents the¢ bank number from 0 to maximum of 3 on¢ a 1088XE):¢¢ Testing 62k main RAM¢ Testing 256k bank: n¢ Testing 64k bank: n¢¢ On completion of each bank, it gives¢ you a report as follows:¢ Bits 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0¢¢ Any faulty bits will be indicated in¢ inverse video. Hopefully, this should¢ make tracking down a bad chip fairly¢ easy. Unfortunately for the program,¢ fortunately for me, I don't have a bad¢ chip to test it with. But, when I was¢ developing it, I initially forgot¢ about the cartridge and the test¢ correctly reported bad bits in all¢ main RAM chips as it still will with¢ SDX as noted above.¢ Testing main RAM or a 64k DRAM bank¢ takes two to three seconds and a 256k¢ DRAM bank, about nine so don't get too¢ impatient (I'm talking 36" with 1 meg¢ of extra RAM though you will get a¢ bank report every nine). Even though¢ it's slower, I left the screen on so¢ you know things haven't crashed in the¢ dark.¢¢ FOR 256K XL's¢¢ 256XL owners need to use both tests¢ because the 256k chips replace the¢ main RAM chips as opposed to¢ supplementing them as is done with the¢ XE. Using both will test all but the¢ 2k masked by the hardware chips and if¢ that's bad who cares?--there's¢ absolutely no way it can ever be¢ used.¢¢ INPUT¢¢ User input is via keyboard (Shift and¢ Control are ignored, use them or¢ don't) or a joystick in either port.¢ The exit option will take you to the¢ Atari self test if the program was¢ booted using a disk set up with¢ Sparta's BOOT command otherwise it¢ will take you to DOS.¢¢ CAUTION:¢¢ The program disables "Attract" mode,¢ so don't walk away and forget about it¢ with the TV or monitor on.¢¢ HOW ABOUT SOME FEEDBACK?¢¢ I hope you find RAMTEST useful and¢ would be most interested in any¢ feedback as to how well it pinpoints a¢ faulty chip.¢¢ jkp¢ 12 April 95¢¢ NOTE 2:¢ As input is optionally via joystick,¢ you should be able to use RAMTEST with¢ the computer opened up and the¢ keyboard removed.¢¢ jkp¢ 10 Oct 95¢ JOHN K. PICKENS, GCACE, VICTORIA,¢ CANADA¢¢ (((END)))
