ProfitPress Mega CDROM2 …eeware (MSDOS)(1992)(Eng)/ProfitPress-MegaCDROM2.B6I/UTILITY/SYSTEM/UMAX120.ZIP/UMAX.DOC

Text File | 1991-11-13 | 11.9 KB | 266 lines

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                      UMAx
                           ----
               (c) Copyright 1991 FM de Monasterio
                  Licensed Material - All rights reserved

                  Release 1.20


   SUMMARY

|  UMAx allows for the testing of a number of services of the extended memory
|  manager, which implements the extended memory specification in 80286-based
|  or higher machines.  The testing includes upper-memory block services, and
|  provides a list of the size and address of available upper-memory blocks.


   1.  GENERAL INFORMATION

   Irrespective of the CPU, DOS runs in an 8086-compatible mode known as real
   mode.  In such a mode, where addressable memory is seen as consisting of a
   series of 64-kb segments, memory addresses are made up of two portions:  A
   16-bit 'segment,' between 0 and 65,535 (or FFFF in hexadecimal), and a 16-
   bit 'offset,' which is the distance in bytes (between 0 and FFFF) from the
   address to the first byte of the segment.  By modifying the segment:offset
   values, up to 1 Mb of memory can be addressed.

   In all 80x86 CPU-based DOS computers, the first megabyte (i.e. 1024 kb) of
   memory comprises the initial 640 kb of address space, used by DOS, and the
   remaining 384 kb of address space, used by hardware subsystems and by BIOS
   routines. This addressable megabyte is referred to as conventional memory,
   and its 384-kb subspace as the Upper Memory Area (UMA) or high-DOS memory.


       ┌─────────── Conventional RAM ───────────┬── Extended ──∙∙∙
                                               
      0 kb                   640 kb           1024 kb
       │                      │       UMA       │       EMBs
       ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒∙∙∙▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░∙∙∙
                                                
                                               HMA


   The extended memory specification (XMS) is a software interface for 80286-
   based or higher computers, allowing real-mode programs to use the extended
   memory as well as certain regions of conventional memory which are located
   above the 640-kb DOS hardware barrier. The UMA is one such region.

   The UMA is dedicated to video display and other hardware memory as well as
   the ROM BIOS. Not all the HMA is normally used, so unused addresses can be
   backfilled with a memory manager. Some XMS managers, such as the prototype
   HIMEM.SYS, rely on other programs for the backfilling and simply arbitrate
   UMB use.  Other XMMs, such as XMS-compatible 386-specific memory managers,
   can both backfill UMBs and arbitrate their use. (Examples of such managers
   are QEMM386.SYS [Quarterdeck] and 386MAX.SYS [Qualitas]).

   Current XMS versions provide two UMB services: (1) Function 10h, which can
   be used to allocate a UMB of the requested size (if successful returns the
   segment base of the allocated block and the actual UMB size; otherwise, it
   returns the largest available block size), and (2) function 11h, which can
   be used to free allocated UMBs.

   By taking advantage of these services, some resident utilities can install
   themselves in upper memory (to preserve the lower conventional memory used
   by DOS). Further, unlike the UMB-loading programs currently available with
   some memory managers, some of such resident utilities also allow selection
   of a UMA memory boundary above which to install themselves (to avoid areas
   with memory access, for example).

|  The XMS also permits the use of another upper region, the High Memory Area
|  (HMA) which is the first 64 kb of extended memory in 80286-based or higher
|  machines; unlike other regions of extended memory, the HMA can be accessed
|  while in real mode (if the A20 Line [the 21st memory address line of 80x86
|  CPUs] is enabled).


   DOS-MEDIATED UMB ALLOCATION (MS-DOS 5.0)

|  Distributed MS-DOS and PC-DOS versions prior to MS-DOS 5.0 did not control
|  UMB allocation.  When the (DOS-5 distributed) XMM driver HIMEM.SYS and the
|  UMB-provider EMM386.EXE are installed, and DOS 5.0 is reconfigured via the
|  command 'DOS=UMB' in the CONFIG.SYS file, all available UMBs are allocated
|  to DOS, which makes them available to requesting programs through standard
|  interrupt-21h function calls (when the UMA is linked to DOS).  Although it
|  is a somewhat more complex process, some resident utilities can also self-
|  install themselves in the UMA when DOS controls UMB allocation.



   2.  XMS SERVICES

|  UMAx tests the UMB services of the XMS manager or DOS 5 (if UMB allocation
|  is under DOS control).  It allocates progressively smaller blocks until no
|  more free memory is available in the UMA, lists all of the allocated UMBs,
|  and then deallocates the blocks. It also provides a graphic display of the
|  available UMBs.

   In the default mode, UMAx tests UMB functions between the lower address of
   640 kb (hexadecimal segment A000) and the upper address of 1,024 kb (hexa-
   decimal segment FFFF).  A higher lower address can be specified via switch
   /H (see below).

|  Optionally, UMAx can also test some basic XMS services: (1) allocation and
|  release of the HMA, (2) global and local enabling and disabling of the A20
|  Line, and (3) allocation, resizing, and release of a extended memory block
|  (EMB).


   3.  USAGE
                UMAX [/Hn /X] [;Comments]

   where switch Hn defines use of a hexadecimal address to be used as a lower
   boundary for the UMA, in which A000 (640 kb) ≤ 'n' ≤ FFFF (1,024 kb). If a
   null ('n' missing) or invalid address is given (A000 > 'n' > FFFF) the UMA
   lower boundary of A000 is used.

|  Switch X tests basic, non-UMB services of the XMS.

   Comments may be added at the end of the command line invoking the program,
   after the desired switches.  The comments, which may help clarifying batch
   files, must be preceded by a semicolon (;) and are ignored by UMAx.

   Do not use the redirection command or the pipe command character of DOS in
   these comments because DOS will try to implement the implied command(s).



   4.  ERROR MESSAGES

   4.1  "Code is corrupted (CRC failure) - Execution cancelled"
   A cyclical redundancy check carried out every time the program is executed
   returned a wrong value, indicating corruption or tampering of the code.


   4.2  "Failed to detect presence of an XMS manager (XMM)"
   An XMS manager complying with the specifications of XMS 2 or higher is not
   installed.


   4.3  "UMB services not implemented [XMS error code 80h]"
   The installed XMS manager does support UMB services or cannot backfill the
   unused addresses in the UMA.


   4.4  "General driver error [XMS error code 8Eh]"
   4.5  "Unrecoverable driver error [XMS error code 8Fh]"
   4.6  "Undetermined XMM error [XMS error code ??h]"
   The XMS manager experienced a fatal error and program execution cannot be
   continued. The problem may be cleared by rebooting the CPU.


   4.7  "XMM could not allocate UMB [XMS error code B1h]"
   The XMS manager was unable to allocate a requested UMB; reboot the CPU to
   reset the UMA allocation.


   4.8  "XMM could not release UMB [XMS error code B2h]"
   The XMS manager was unable to release an allocated UMB; reboot the CPU to
   reset the UMA allocation.


   4.9  "UMBs are not available above this segment..."
   There are no available free UMBs between the hexadecimal segment specified
   above and segment FFFF; if a lower boundary was specified via switch H for
   the UMA, try using a smaller (lower) value. See section 4.1.


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   5.  LICENSE

   This documentation, programs, and other files distributed in this software
   package (the "Software")  are the copyrighted property of FM de Monasterio
   (the "Author") who provides the Software and licenses its use.  All rights
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   For use by corporations, institutions or goverment agencies, or for-profit
   purposes, contact the Author for licensing information.


   U.S. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

   The use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government of the Software
   is subject to the restricted rights applicable to commercial software that
   are specified in the subdivision (b.3.ii) of the 'Rights in Technical Data
   and Computer Software' clause, document DFARS 52.227-7013.


   DISTRIBUTION

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   WARRANTY DISCLAIMER

   The Author cannot and does not warrant that any functions contained in the
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   is solely with the user and not the Author.  You assume responsibility for
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   The Author makes no warranty, either implied or expressed, including with-
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   LIMITATION OF REMEDIES

   The information contained in the documentation for the Software is subject
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   The Author's entire liability, and your exclusive remedy shall be: (1) the
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   By using the Software, you acknowledge (1) to have read and understood all
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                        FM de Monasterio
                        P.O. Box 219
                        Cabin John, MD 20818-0219

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