Blaise Computing Incx> Q_ANAL_CFG=O   Quick Reference  Configuration menu options display information about the computer's:  DOS version  DOS environment configuration  CONFIG.SYS file  AUTOEXEC.BAT file~ > Q_ANAL_HDW=O   Quick Reference  Hardware menu options display information about the components in the computer:  CPU  memory  video adapters  disk drives  serial ports  paralel ports  BIOS  CMOSE > Q_ANAL_MAIN=O a  Quick Reference  Exit the Analysis Menu and return to the Main Menu. > Q_ANAL_MEM=O d  Quick Reference  Memory menu optionsdisplay informationabout the diferentypes of memory in the computer:  memory usage  low DOS memory  high DOS memory  ROM adreses  interupt usage  extended memory  expanded memory  XMS memory  sped timings) > Q_ANAL_SNP=O '  Quick Reference  Snapshot menu options work with ASQ snapshot files. A snapshot file stores al System Analysis informa- tion about the curent system in a file that can be loaded and viewed by ASQ at another time or on another system.E > Q_CFG_AUT=O   Quick Reference  The AUTOEXEC.BAT file contains com- mands and programs that must execute automaticaly upon bot up. This option displays the contents of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file found in path C:\. Long lines are wraped around.* > Q_CFG_CFG=O $  Quick Reference  The CONFIG.SYS filecontains comands to instal drivers and configure environment set- tings at bot up. This option displays the contents of the CONFIG.SYS file found in path C:\. Long lines are wraped around.* > Q_CFG_PRO=O >  Quick Reference  The PROfile file contains comand options used duringloading and config-uration of Qualitasmemory management products. This option shows the contents of thePROfile (if any) instaled in the system's CONFIG.SYSfile with DEVICE= and PRO= comands.' > Q_CFG_SUM=O M  Quick Reference  The computer's workenvironment is configured by DOS comands and other software products. This option shows the DOS version and setings:  files, bufers  FCBs, stacks  lastdrive, break  environment  path, prompt  open files > Q_HDW_BIO=O ?  Quick Reference  The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) manages comunication betwen input and output devices, such as keyboard, disketes, and video display. This option displays the descriptions, adreses and contents of the ROM BIOS area. > Q_HDW_CMO=O .  Quick Reference  The CMOS (Compli- mentary Metal OxideSemiconductor) chipstores the compu- ter's configurationfor date/time, memory, and any atached devices. This option displays the descriptions, adreses and contents of the CMOS memory.- > Q_HDW_DRV=O /  Quick Reference  Disk drives alow the computer to permanently store information and to exchange informa- tion with other computers. This option describes the atached drives by:  capacity  physical description  drive type > Q_HDW_POR=O @  Quick Reference  Comunication portsalow the computer to receive data from and send data to atached devicesfor printing, file transfer, etc. This option describes the atached comuni- cation ports and adreses:  serial ports  paralel ports > Q_HDW_SUM=O F  Quick Reference  The computer is a colection of hardware devices and components atached to a procesor. This option lists the hardware:  computer type  CPU, BIOS  disk drives  video details  ports, adapters  physical memory > Q_HDW_VID=O P  Quick Reference  The video adapter defines the capa- bilities of the computer to displaydata on a scren. This option describes the video setup:  adapter type  adapter memory  display mode  display size  graphics memory  text memory marker > Q_MEM_EMS=O 3  Quick Reference  EMS (Expanded Mem- ory Specification) memory temporarily switches blocks of memory from above to below the 1 megabyte barier. This option diagrams EMS memory usage:  EMS pages  unused EMS  page frame  ROM locations > Q_MEM_EXP=O Y  Quick Reference  EMS (Expanded Mem- ory Specification) memory is acesed by maping memory pages from a non- DOS adresable area into an ad- dres below 1 MB. This option shows:  EMS version  VCPI version  frame adres  mapable pages  handles > Q_MEM_EXT=O   Quick Reference  Extended memory is memory adresed atone megabyte and above. This option displays informa- tion about the extended memory:  total memory  usage of memory by adres and sizeE >Q_MEM_HI=O ;  Quick Reference  High DOS is the last 384 KB of the first megabyte, andis normaly re- served for special system functions and hardware. This option shows the curent usage of high DOS memory:  user name  adres  size  environment > Q_MEM_INT=O 9  Quick Reference  Interupts are memory locations that cary specificstatus information and can be checked by software to determine curent conditions. This option lists the interupts in two formats:  by user program  by interupt number > Q_MEM_LOW=O A  Quick Reference  Low DOS memory is the first 640 KB ofthe first megabyte,and is the work area used by the operating system and aplications. This option shows the curent usage of low DOS memory:  user name  adres  size  environment > Q_MEM_ROM=O '  Quick Reference  ROM (Read Only Memory) stores instructions that are used by the operating system and software programs to manage computer resources. This option maps the location of ROM against other types of memory by region and size.9 > Q_MEM_SUM=O B  Quick Reference  Computer memory is a chalkboard, wherework can be writenand then erased. Memory is config- ured using several diferent methods. This option locatesal memory types:  DOS system  low/high DOS  video, ROM  expanded  extended > Q_MEM_TIM=O ,  Quick Reference  Computer eficiencyis afected by the sped of memory chips and the widthof the data bus. This option runs memory timing testsfor diferent blocks of memory and graphs:  block adres  size  aces time+ > Q_MEM_XMS=O 5  Quick Reference  XMS (eXtended Mem- ory Specification) alows programs to request memory above the conven- tional memory area. This option shows:  version number  driver number  UMB memory  EMB memory  HMA status  A20 status, > Q_SNP_CLE=O /  Quick Reference  If an ASQ snapshot file is loaded, aldisplays and print-outs show data fromthe file, not the curent system. This option clears the loaded snapshotfile from ASQ's memory and loads into ASQ the curent configu- ration of this system.2 > Q_SNP_LOA=O   Quick Reference  If an ASQ snapshot file is loaded, aldisplays and print-outs show data fromthe file, not the curent system. This option clears ASQ's memory and loads into ASQ the System Analysis information stored in a snapshot file.L > Q_SNP_SAV=O O  Quick Reference  An ASQ snapshot file stores al System Analysis information about the curent system in a file that can be loaded and viewed by ASQ at another time or on another system. This option saves al System Analysisinformation from ASQ's memory to a snapshot file. >Q_TUNE=O   Quick Reference  Depending on the computer's config- uration, specific hardware and soft- ware changes may increase system performance. This option sug- gests changes basedon ASQ's analysis of the computer.b > H_CFG_AUT E;  p< The qAUTOEXEC.BATp file found in path C:\ is displayed. If the file resides on a diferent drive or path, it wil not be shown.i Lines wider than the display window width are wraped around to the subsequent line and indented two spaces; the third space is highlighted.W The AUTOEXEC.BAT file can be modified using any standard text editor.j qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.ph ASQ Help > H_CFG_CFG E;  p< The qCONFIG.SYSp file found in path C:\ is displayed. If the file resides on a diferent drive or path, it wil not be shown.i Lines wider than the display window width are wraped around to the subsequent line and indented two spaces; the third space is highlighted.W The CONFIG.SYS file can be modified using any standard text editor.j qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.ph ASQ Help > H_CFG_PRO E;  p< The q386MAX.PRO or BLUEMAX.PROp file is displayed, if one is found on the system. During the instalation of a Qualitas memory management product, one of these files is created on the system and its location is instaled automaticaly in CONFIG.SYS using DEVICE= and PRO= comands. If a PROfile resides on the system but is not specified in CONFIG.SYS it wil not be shown.I Lines wider than the display window width are wraped around to the subsequent line and indented two spaces; the third space is highlighted.W The PROfile file can be modified using any standard text editor.o qThere is no specific tutorial leson for this topic.p| ASQ Help > H_CFG_SUM E-;  p< The qconfiguration sumaryp shows DOS environment setings from CONFIG.SYS:g qPrompt What is Displayed p> DOS Version Version of DOS loadedY Files Seting of FILES comand from CONFIG.SYS or DOS default] Bufers Seting of BUFERS comand from CONFIG.SYS or DOS default` FCBs Seting of FCBs comand from CONFIG.SYS or DOS defaulta Stacks Seting of STACKS comand from CONFIG.SYS or DOS default[ Lastdrive Seting of LASTDRIVE comand from CONFIG.SYS or DOS defaultS Break Seting of BREAK comand from CONFIG.SYS or DOS defaultY Environment:6 Size Space alocated for the DOS environmentH Used Space actualy used by DOS environmentA DOS environment setings set with AUTOEXEC.BAT or from the DOS prompt are shown next. These are the same comands that would be displayed with the DOS SET comand.n The configuration presentation is completed with the display of the number of open File Control blocks, and a list of the curently open files managed by DOS.F For more information on the items in this display, se the computer's DOS operating system manual.K qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_HDW_BIO E;  p< qROM BIOS datap is shown:` qPrompt What is Displayedp> BIOS Item A description of what is stored at the specific BIOS adres.S Hex Start The ofset adres into the BIOS area from the BIOS start location.Q Contents The actual numeric values stored in the BIOS item.c qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.p ASQ Help > H_HDW_CMO E;  p< System qCMOS datap is shown:] qPrompt What is Displayed p> CMOS Item A description of what is stored at the specific CMOS adres.S Byte The ofset adres into the CMOS area from the CMOS start location.Q Value The actual numeric values stored in the CMOS item.c qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.p ASQ Help > H_HDW_DRV E.;  4p< qDrive informationp is shown for removable drives, fixed drives, and RAM drives:` qPrompt What is Displayedp> Drive The type of drive.Y Size The storage capacity in kilobytes or mega- bytes.d Heads The number of read/write heads on the drive.? Cyls The number of logical cylinders the drive is formated or designed for.P Sectors The number of sectors the drive is formated or designed for.Z Type The drive type ID number as stored in the CMOS. For more information on the drive ID numbers, se the computer operating manual or drive documentation.R Next, partition table information is shown for fixed disk drives:p qPrompt What is Displayed p? Partition The partition number.T Type The partition type identifier code. Values are: 0=no partition defined; 01=12-bit FAT entries (DOS 2.x compat-ible); 04=16-bit FAT entries (DOS 3.x compatible); 05= extended partition (DOS 3.3 or higher); and 06=huge partition (DOS 4.0 and higher).B Begin The begining cylinder of the partition.A End The ending cylinder of the partition.D Active Shows which partition is curently active.> qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_HDW_POR E;  p< A listing of available qinput/output portsp (serial and paralel) is shown, along with the device adres for each port.l qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.p ASQ Help > H_HDW_SUM Ew;  b 6p< qHardware device sumaryp information is shown:J qPrompt  What is DisplayedpJ Computer Type The general computer model" (e.g. AT, PS/2, 386, etc.)! or specific model, if known.B DOS Operating System The curent version of DOS" loaded.W Main Procesor (CPU) The CPU type and sped.P Co-Procesor The math co-procesor type,! if instaled.P CPU Sped (megahertz) The aproximate sped of the main procesor.[ Bus Type ISA (Industry Standard% Architecture), EISA (Extended ISA) or MCA (Micro Chanel! Architecture).T BIOS Manufacturer The company name stamp on the BIOS chip.Y BIOS Date Stamp The manufacturing date stamp on the BIOS chip.W BIOS Model The BIOS's identifier for# computer type (usualy% found through interupt 15).I BIOS Submodel Further clarification of the BIOS model code.U BIOS Revision Revision level of the BIOS" software.a BIOS CRC A Cyclic Redundancy Check# number that reflects the# contents of the ROM BIOS," folowed by the KB size of! the BIOS (64 or 128). This number may not be useful if ROM locations have ben$ captured by memory manage-! ment software.] Chipset The Chips & Technologies$ chipset in use (e.g. AT/386, NEAT, NEAT w/ < 1 MB), if" any.X Disketes Sen by BIOS The number of diskete drives recognized by the BIOS.C Fixed Disks Sen by BIOS The number of fixed disks# recognized by the BIOS.H Logical Disk Drives The number and leters of al drives instaled.T Video Adapter The default display mode of! the video adapter.V Video Mode The curent software display mode.a Serial Ports The quantity and designations of al serial ports( instaled.[ Paralel Ports The quantity and designations of al paralel ports& instaled.a Keyboard The keyboard model, standard or enhanced.Z LIM Standard The LIM version used by EMS, if instaled.Z System Time The curent system time.P System Date The curent system date.I System Base Memory The total amount of base$ memory as configured in$ CMOS.^ Extended Memory The total amount of extended memory as configured in$ CMOS.^ Diskete Drives The storage capacity of each disk drive instaled.S Fixed Disk The storage capacity of each fixed disk instaled.D For Micro Chanel Architecture machines only, adapter data is shown:i qPrompt What is Displayed p? Slot The system board slot where the device is located.[ ID The IBM MCA device identifier.I Adapter Name A description of the adapter from the ADF file, or Unknown if the file was not provided at startup.R qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_HDW_VID E;   p< qVideop output device information is shown:N qPrompt What is Displayed pA Adapter Type The video adapter display standard, e.g. MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA.L Adapter Memory The on-board memory on the video adapter.^ Display Mode The curent display color mode: Color or Monochrome.X Display Size The curent display size, in columns and rows.Z Graphics Memory The adres locations of the graphics memory in high DOS.T Text Memory The adres locations of the text memory in high DOS.U ROM Region The adres locations of the video ROM in high DOS.V qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_MEM_EMS E;  8 p< A graphic display shows qEMS usagep by showing the first megabyte of memory with the memory page numbers listed acros the top.g The various symbols on the graphic bar locate:I tp Memory areas that are unused for EMS maping.G tp Memory that is used by DOS.Y tp The EMS page frame location.X tp Memory that is used by the system ROM.M Below the graphic bar, EMS page numbers are shown at their maped locations._ qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_MEM_EXP E;  P p< qExpanded memoryp information is shown:R qPrompt  What is DisplayedpJ EMS Version The LIM version of the EMS" driver, if instaled.Q VCPI Version The VCPI specification version number.f Frame The adres location of the! EMS page frame.L Mapable Physical Pages The total number of EMS pages defined._ EMS Handles The total number of handles! defined.R Next, each EMS handle is shown with its coresponding instaled size and description.W qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_MEM_EXT E;  p< The total amount of qextended memoryp is shown, including the amount of extended memory used and available by:C tp The starting adres location.V tp The total size in kilobytes.W qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pT ASQ Help >H_MEM_HI E;  p< Usage of qhigh DOS memoryp is shown, organized by starting adres.n The name of the memory user is shown at the left, folowed by:k tp The starting adres location.V tp The length in bytes.` tp The program environment or other string (if any) that denotes the user of the memory.T qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.p ASQ Help > H_MEM_INT E;  / p< qInteruptp information is displayed in two formats.D The first display shows the user of the interupt at the left margin, ordered by adres, folowed by the starting adres of the user and al interupt numbers used by the module.o The second display conveys the same information tabulated sequentialy, ordered by interupt number, including:B tp The description of the interupt.S tp The interupt number._ tp The name of the user of the interupt.N tp The adres of the user of the interupt.J Interupts that are refered to as Reserved are unused and provide aditional capacity for use by future hard- ware and operating system enhancemaents.N qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_MEM_LOW E;  p< Usage of qlow DOS memoryp is shown, organized by starting adres.n The name of the memory user is shown at the left, folowed by:k tp The starting adres location.V tp The length in bytes.` tp The program environment or other string (if any) that denotes the user of the memory. If the user is a device driver, the atribute bits of the driver are shown instead. Al active bit numbers are shown.B qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.p| ASQ Help > H_MEM_ROM E;   p< qROM memoryp is shown in relation to the location of other types of high DOS memory:^ tp RAM memory (physical RAM on an adapter board)G tp High DOS memory in use^ tp EMS (expanded memory)_ tp Unused (unalocated) memoryX The adres location and size in kilobytes for each memory type is shown. Sizes in [] brackets denote overlaping memory.c NOTE: ROM and RAM on certain adapter cards (especialy local area network cards) canot be detected if the card is inactive. ROM and/or RAM for such adapters may not be corectly located on the diagram.U qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_MEM_SUM E;  p< A qmemory usage sumaryp is shown, organized sequentialy by loaded order.f The name of the memory user is shown at the left, then the size used in kilobytes. Some users may be individual programs, while other users may be system overhead such as drivers, video memory, and EMS page frame.I qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.p ASQ Help > H_MEM_TIM E ;  p< qAces timingp test results are shown for al memory, organized by memory sped and/or these functional blocks:> tp the low DOS area below 640 KB tp the thre reserved video memory areas starting at A0, B0, and B80% tp the video ROM area, if available tp the EMS page frame, if available tp the system ROM area` Extended memory is not timed.Y The display shows:e tp The starting adres location of the memory block in hex.p tp The starting adres location of the memory block in kilobytes.j tp The size of the memory block in kilobytes.J tp The average aces time for the block in microseconds.> tp The sped ratio is a relative measurement. Aces sped of each memory block is shown as a percentage of the sped of the fastest memory in the system (shown as 10%).j qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help > H_MEM_XMS E);  p< qXMS memoryp information is shown:W q Prompt  What is DisplayedpR Version The version of XMS* instaled.b Driver The XMS driver version& number.S Total Uper Memory (UMB) The total Uper Memory& Block memory asigned by# XMS.T Largest Available UMB Area The largest contiguous UMB" block area asigned.C Total Extended Memory (EMB) The total Extended Memory# Block memory asigned by# XMS.T Largest Available EMB Area The largest contiguous EMB" block area asigned.H High Memory Area (HMA) Whether the High Memory% area exists or is not& available to XMS.L EMB Handles Available The number of EMB handles# available.X A20 Adres Line Whether the A20 adres% line is enabled or) disabled. Enabling the$ A20 line alows XMS( aces to the High Memory" Area (HMA).K qSe the tutorial for more information on this topic.pA ASQ Help >H_TUNE E;  lp< qSystem Tuningp sugests modifications to the computer's configuration that may improve performance. The sugest- ions are based on an analysis of these elements of the configuration:i tp the curent DOS version" tp the FILES seting( tp the BUFERS seting& tp the FCBs seting) tp the DOS environment size! tp the STACKS seting' tp the FASTOPEN program% tp the PRINT programb qMore information on these configuration elements can be found in the various tutorial lesons. There is no specific tutorial for this topic.pT ASQ Help > H_ANAL_MNU E1;  dp< qSystem Analysis Menup options group together analysis routines by type:f tp Memory Analysis - routines that show types of memory instaled and memory usage information.M tp Configuration Analysis - routines that show the DOS version instaled and how it is configured.I tp Hardware Analysis - routines that explain the hardware components and devices instaled.S tp System Tuning - memory management sugestions from Qualitas.k tp Snapshot Files - save/load configuration information to/from ASQ snapshot files.Y tp Exit to Main Menu - leaves the System Analysis Menu and returns to the Main Menu.V Chosing an option brings up a submenu atached to the System Analysis Menu.a Use these keys on the menu:\  - Display the highlighted submenuQ Highlighted Leter - Execute the menu option containing the highlighted leterK  - Move the highlight to a new selectionL Esc - Return to the Main MenuY F1 - Display this help informationT F2 - Display an index of al help topicsN F3 - Show the tutorial leson asociated with the highlighted option_ F4 - Display the print options menuR To use a mouse with the menu, click the left buton once on a highlighted option to select the option, or double- click the left buton on a non-highlighted option.C ASQ Help > H_GLOSS_MNU E;   p< qGlosary Menup options alow you to jump directly to any topic in the glosary.` Use these keys on the menu:\  - Display the glosary definitionQ First Leter - Jump to the next option begining with the leter]  - Move the highlight to a new selectionL Esc - Return to the Tutorial MenuU F1 - Display this help informationT F2 - Display an index of al help topicsN F4 - Display the print options menuR To use a mouse with the menu, click the left buton once on a highlighted option to select the option, or double- click the left buton on a non-highlighted option.C ASQ Help > H_MAIN_MNU E.;  b4p< qMain Menup options provide aces to al of the ASQ features:n tp Introduction to ASQ - text that explains what ASQ does and how to get the most value from it.N tp About Memory Management - a brief overview of memory management concepts.` tp Qualitas Products - descriptions of memory management products available from Qualitas.S tp Tutorial Menu - a menu of lesons that teach memory management and other personal computer concepts important to ASQ users.] tp System Analysis Menu - a menu of routines that analyze the computer's memory, configuration, and hardware and report the results on the scren or printer.H tp Exit to DOS - leave the Main Menu and return to the DOS operating system.^ Chosing an option proceds directly to that function or brings up another menu._ Use these keys on the menu:\  - Chose the highlighted optionS Highlighted Leter - Execute the menu option containing the highlighted leterK  - Move the highlight to a new selectionL Esc - Jump to the Exit to DOS optionR F1 - Display this help informationT F2 - Display an index of al help topicsM To use a mouse with the menu, click the left buton once on a highlighted option to select the option, or double- click the left buton on a non-highlighted option.C ASQ Help >H_SNAP E+;  +p< An ASQ qsnapshot filep stores al System Analysis informa- tion about the curent system in a file that can be loaded and viewed by ASQ at another time or on another system. Snapshot files are created in ASCI format by ASQ and given a default extension of .ASQ.M tp Saving the system configuration to a snapshot file stores al System Analysis information about the curent system to a file. The curent operating mode of ASQ is not afected.] tp Loading an ASQ snapshot file brings a saved system configuration into ASQ's memory. Al scren displays and printer reports made by ASQ after a snapshot is loaded reflect the status of the system that was snapshot, not the curent system runing ASQ. When ASQ is using a loaded snapshot file for its configu- ration information, the filename is displayed on line 2 of the System Analysis scren and on printouts.C tp Clearing a loaded snapshot file removes the file from ASQ's memory and loads into ASQ the curent configu- ration of this system.] Snapshot files can also be created and saved from DOS without loading ASQ by entering qASQ /S filenamep at the DOS prompt. A snapshot file with the chosen filename is writen to disk. If no filename is used, a file named SNAPSHOT.ASQ is created.^ Snapshot files can also be loaded automaticaly into ASQ when ASQ is started by entering qASQ /L filenamep at the DOS prompt. Instead of scaning the curent system, the snapshot file with the chosen filename is loaded into ASQ. If no filename is used, the file named SNAPSHOT.ASQ is loaded.l Snapshot files should not be modified or viewed by any product other than ASQ._ qThere is no tutorial for this topic.pQ ASQ Help > H_TUT_EXEC E;  ^ p< qTutorial lesons, Introduction to ASQ, About Memoryp qManagement, and Qualitas Productsp are a series of screns organized by topic.c At the left edge of the scren, a topic header describes the subject discused in the paragraph(s) at the right.? Use these keys in the tutorial and informational lesons:>  - Scrol the text one lineY PgDn,PgUp - Move back or forward one scren in sequence? Esc - End the leson and return to the menuK F1 - Display this help informationT F2 - Display an index of al help topicsN F4 - Display the print options menuR To use a mouse in the leson: click the left buton once on an arow in the uper or lower right corner to scrol the text one line; double-click the left buton on an arow to move to the begining or end of the leson; or click the right buton once on an arow to move back or forward one scren in sequence.V ASQ Help > H_TUT_MNU E-;  p< qTutorial Menup options provide aces to tutorial lesons on a variety of computer memory and component topics:B tp Tutorial Introduction - a description of the tutorial system and how to use it.[ tp Memory Leson - teaches about memory types, memory usage, and memory management.W tp Configuration Leson - teaches about DOS and how it is configured.i tp Hardware Leson - explains the diferent hardware components and devices available.S tp Glosary - memory management terms and concepts are listed in alphabetical order and defined.K tp Exit to Main Menu - leaves the Tutorial Menu and returns to the Main Menu.Z Chosing an option begins the highlighted leson.E Use these keys on the menu:\  - Display the highlighted lesonR Highlighted Leter - Execute the menu option containing the highlighted leterK  - Move the highlight to a new selectionL Esc - Return to the Main MenuY F1 - Display this help informationT F2 - Display an index of al help topicsN F4 - Display the print options menuR To use a mouse with the menu, click the left buton once on a highlighted option to select the option, or double- click the left buton on a non-highlighted option.C ASQ Help > T_ABT_MEM_01OPN 0About Memory  Memory is only one component of today's desktop computer  systems, yet it is talked about, writen about, and  misunderstod more often than any other element. : Design Limits  A decade after the 64 KB IBM PC was introduced, desktop  computers routinely contain at least one megabyte or  more of memory. Unfortunately, DOS can adres only one  megabyte of memory directly, and only 640 KB of that  megabyte is alocated for use by aplication programs.  For many of today's powerful programs, the 640 KB limit  becomes restrictive.8 : Overcoming Limits  Instaling more than 640 KB of RAM memory can often help  programs execute more eficiently, but only if the  aditional memory can be used. Several memory suport  services have ben devised to overcome the limits  inherent in DOS. The services involve using extra  memory for temporary program data and overlay storage.  These techniques ( LIM EMS and XMS) are discused in the  tutorial leson on memory.2 : The DOS Megabyte  The DOS operating system can adres up to 1 MB (1024  KB) of linear memory. The alocation of this megabyte  into functional areas was set in the original design of  DOS, and has not changed since.- M  Adres Usage KB Pages*  1024 Ŀ/   System ROM 64  F-  960 Ĵ/   Reserved for  E-   video, networks,  C,D+   etc. 320  A,B+  640 Ĵ/   DOS +  9-   device drivers +  6,7,8)   TSR programs  3,4,5)  0  640  0,1,2)  / : Low DOS  The first 640 KB is caled low DOS. In this area, DOS  loads itself and drivers it may use. The user may also  ad resident programs (TSRs) such as keyboard enhancers,  notepads, etc. After configuration, low DOS may have  from 40 to 60 KB of fre space for aplications. : Shrinking Low DOS  Over time, the available low DOS memory shrinks as DOS  increases in size and device drivers and TSRs are aded.  At the same time, software aplications require more  memory to operate eficiently.. : High DOS  The 384 KB of adres space above 640 KB is caled high  DOS; it is reserved for use as bufer RAM and ROM  present on video, network, and other types of adapter  boards. Aplication programs canot usualy adres  this area.B : Managing Memory  Recent computer models using the Intel 80386/486/+  procesors (and some 80286 models) have aces to unused  adres areas in the high DOS region. Memory management  software such as Qualitas' 386MAX fil the vacant  adres areas in the high DOS region by remaping them  with previously non-DOS adresable RAM. Then, device  drivers and resident (TSR) programs can be stored in  high DOS memory. This technique can provide enough  aditional breathing rom in low DOS memory to alow  large aplications to run more eficiently.! : What to Gain  The use of memory management software may increase the  usable low DOS memory by as much as 20 KB! The extra  work space alows rom for:1 M   larger spreadshets and documents(   aditional TSR (resident) programs'   large aplications to run under a network : How to Gain  To learn more about memory management products ofered  by Qualitas, view the Qualitas Products leson on the  Main Menu.B : > T_ABT_WIN_01O N |CONGRATULATIONS!  YOU MAY BE A WINER! ASQ has detected that your system  configuration is one that may be of special interest to  Qualitas' research. If so, a valuable prize is waiting  for you. If you have not already done so, just cal  1-80-[x] now and be prepared to key in the folow-  ing number on a touch tone phone:+ M   POSIBLE WINING DATA: 90709891*32*264! : > T_ABT_Q_01OyN YIWelcome!  ASQ is an analysis and training product from Qualitas,  Inc. ASQ wil:= M   analyze your computer system-   display useful information about its configuration   teach you memory management, system configuration,  and hardware concepts4 : Memory Management  ASQ shows how your computer's memory resources are  curently being used, and introduces the concept of  memory management. Memory management is necesary in  today's powerful personal computers to work around the  limitations imposed by DOS and to provide complex  aplication programs with the memory they ned. ASQ  helps you learn how a memory management program might  make your system more productive.+ : Features  ASQ includes the folowing features:( M   19 diferent system analysis topics&   On-line help, available for any menu or topic   Direct aces to any help scren via an index   On-line tutorial lesons, available for any topic   Expanded tutorial lesons, covering memory manage-  ment, system configuration, and computer hardware   A glosary of memory management terms$   Print routines to print any analysis topic, help  scren, or tutorial leson/ : Using ASQ  ASQ can be used as a learning tol, an analysis tol, or  both. To receive the most value from ASQ, you may want  to use the features in this order:* M   Finish reading Introduction to ASQ (this section).   Chose About Memory Management from the Main Menu for  an introduction to memory management concepts.   Chose Tutorial Introduction from the Tutorial Menu  to learn about the tutorial system.&   Scan the Glosary topics on the Tutorial Menu to  refresh your knowledge of computer terms used in the  tutorial lesons.8   Read the tutorial lesons on computer memory, config-  uration, and hardware for an in-depth study of these  topics.B   Using the System Analysis Menu, learn about your  computer system's components, configuration, and  technical atributes.4   If the Main and Tutorial Menus are not neded, a  shortcut can be used to load ASQ - entering ASQ /A at  the DOS prompt proceds directly to the System  Analysis Menu.;   For a taste of the features in ASQ, a self-runing  demo option alows you to sit back and watch each ASQ  analysis function execute automaticaly. The demo  mode can be acesed by entering ASQ /D at the DOS  prompt. For retail or trade show displays, the demo  turns ASQ into an eye-catching prop that can be  halted and used as a real product. When the user  leaves, and ASQ ses no keyboard activity for 30  seconds, the demo automaticaly restarts. : ASQ Keys  At al times, ASQ displays on the menu bar at the botom  of the scren a list of available keystrokes and their  function. In general, use these keys in ASQ: M   , - move the menu highlight or scrol a leson or  help scren>   Highlighted Leter - execute the menu option contain-  ing the highlighted leter/   PgUp,PgDn - move one scren backward or forward in a  leson or help scren4   Ctrl-PgUp,Ctrl-PgDn - jump to the previous or next  system analysis data display-   Home,End - jump to the begining or end of the leson   F1 - display a help scren for the menu or topic   F2 - display an index of al help screns   F3 - jump to the apropriate tutorial leson from a  System Analysis Menu option or data display   F4 - display a menu of printing options" : Using a Mouse  A mouse can be used in place of these keyboard keys: M   , - To move the menu highlight, click the left  mouse buton on a menu option. To scrol a leson or  help scren, click on the up or down arow in the  uper or lower right scren corner.&   Enter - To select a highlighted menu option, click  the left mouse buton on the option. To select an  unhighlighted option, double-click on the option.   PgUp,PgDn - To move one scren backward or forward,  click the right mouse buton on the up or down arow  in the uper or lower right scren corner.   Home,End - To jump to the begining or end of the  leson, double-click the left mouse buton on the up  or down arow in the uper or lower right scren  corner.B   Function keys - To use one of the keys, click the  left mouse buton on the key name at the botom of a  scren or window.8 : Product Info  How you set up and configure your computer's memory has  a dramatic impact on its efectivenes. If you decide  that a memory management program might increase your  eficiency, read the Qualitas Products leson on the  Main Menu for information on specific memory managers. : Whodunit  ASQ was developed by:7 M   Dave Browning, management  Curt Miler, surface   Stan Leszynski, design  Alan Lindsay, engine : Trademarks  IBM, PC, AT, and other company and product names are  registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective  companies. Qualitas, 386MAX, MOVE'EM, ASQ, and BlueMAX  are registered trademarks of Qualitas, Inc.! M  Qualitas, Inc.+  7101 Wisconsin Avenue'  Bethesda, Maryland 20814%  (301) 907-670+ : > T_CFG_LSN_01ON Introduction  The computer's operating configuration is defined by: M   Programs that run automaticaly each time you start  the computer. These programs include device drivers  that configure the hardware in the system and memory  resident software.7 M   The setings for operating system parameters. These  parameters also remain resident and help guide other  software programs while they operate.$ M  The components of the computer's operating configuration  and their function are listed below.( : > T_CFG_SUM_01ON  Operating System  The first program loaded when the computer is started  is caled the operating system. An operating system  interprets instructions sent to the computer by hardware  devices and software aplications.* : DOS  DOS ( Disk Operating System) is a comon operating system  for IBM-compatible personal computers. Computer hard-  ware manufacturers often provide variations of DOS tuned  specificaly for their systems, but these variations  are virtualy indistinguishable except at a detailed  programing level.: : Configuring DOS  When DOS loads, it alocates memory for work space and  for configuration setings. DOS' configuration informa-  tion helps it work with files (how many are open and can  be opened), work with disk drives (bufering disk data,  how many drives are available, file search path), work  with hardware devices (through drivers), and work with  the scren (scren prompt). DOS is configured by the  CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.* : > T_CFG_CFG_01ON mCONFIG.SYS  After loading DOS, the computer reads from a file caled  CONFIG.SYS, and automaticaly executes the statements in  the file. CONFIG.SYS is used to define important DOS  environment setings, and to change the setings from  DOS' default values.8 : DOS Setings  Some of the most comon setings are:' M   FILES - the number of files DOS can have open   BUFERS - memory to use for temporary data storage   LASTDRIVE - the maximum number of acesible drives   BREAK - how to check Ctrl-Break sequence!   DEVICE - instal a device driver) : Drivers  CONFIG.SYS also tels DOS which device drivers to load.  Device drivers remain in memory and act as custom exten-  sions to DOS, performing functions such as changing the  keyboard's characteristics or establishing basic comu-  nication with a local area network. Device drivers are  often provided as a part of certain hardware and soft-  ware products.> : Changing CONFIG  By changing the CONFIG.SYS file with an editor, the  computer's configuration can easily be modified to  acomodate newly instaled hardware drivers and soft-  ware aplications. Because the CONFIG.SYS file is only  executed upon bot up, changes to the file wil not take  efect until the computer is restarted (boted). : > T_CFG_AUT_01ON g<AUTOEXEC.BAT  After procesing CONFIG.SYS and loading DOS, the  computer loks for a file caled AUTOEXEC.BAT, and  automaticaly executes the comands in the file.  AUTOEXEC.BAT can be used to set aditional DOS  parameters, such as:8 M   the system prompt (e.g. C:\>),   the date and time8   the search path to use when loking for programs : Resident Programs  AUTOEXEC.BAT is also used to tel DOS to automaticaly  load special software that you would like to stay  resident for use at any time. Such programs, caled  Terminate and Stay Resident ( TSRs), stay resident until  the computer is reset, and include mouse control, menu  programs, network software, and other utilities. : Changing AUTOEXEC  By changing the AUTOEXEC.BAT file with an editor, the  computer's configuration can easily be modified to  acomodate newly instaled aplication programs. Many  programs wil modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT file as part of  their instalation proces. After changing the AUTOEXEC  file, the computer should be restarted ( boted) to cause  the changes to take efect.1 : > T_GLOSS_01ON y"_Contents  This glosary defines important memory management terms: M   Adres Space  Memory Types   Backfiling  Protected Mode   BIOS  RAM Memory"   Device Driver  Real Mode#   DOS Limits  ROM and Bufer RAM   Expanded Memory  System ROM"   Extended Memory  TSR)   High DOS  VCPI(   High Memory Area  VDS)   LIM Memory  Video Memory   Low DOS Memory  XMS Memory" : Adres Space  The amount of memory a CPU is designed to aces.  Adres space is limited by the number of bits (binary  digits) the CPU uses for adresing. Intel 808/8086  CPUs adres with 20 bits and can aces one megabyte (2  to the 20th power). The 80286 CPU adres space is 16  megabytes (2 to the 24th), and the modern 80386/80486  adres more than 4 gigabytes (2 to the 32nd). : Backfiling  The proces of filing in low DOS memory from the point  where system board memory ends to the base of video  memory. A memory management program uses memory from  beyond 1 MB and maps it into the low DOS area, thus  giving DOS at least 640 KB.1 : BIOS  The BIOS ( Basic Input Output System) routines are stored  in ROM memory and provide instructions for system  startup and comunication with hardware devices. BIOS  routines are stored on a chip and are non-volatile. M  BIOS routines, like other programs, use memory adres  locations. Because many of the BIOS routines are not  neded at the time DOS is operating, there is the  potential to use some of these BIOS adreses for  aditional high DOS memory.1 : Device Driver  An operating system enhancement program loaded during  bot up by CONFIG.SYS and remaining in memory. Such  programs perform comunication functions betwen the  computer and atached hardware devices such as hard  disks, scaners, or local area networks.$ : DOS Limits  DOS was designed for the one megabyte adres space of  the 808 CPU, dividing it into a 640 KB portion and the  remaining 384 KB portion. The first 640 KB is used by  DOS, operating system enhancement programs (device  drivers), and aplication programs. Of the remaining  384 KB, 320 KB is reserved for physical devices such as  hard disk controlers, video boards, and local area  network boards. The last 64 KB (or 128 KB on some  machines) is reserved for the system ROM that starts up  and operates the computer. These DOS limits persist  today regardles of what CPU is used, but memory manage-  ment programs can help redefine the limits.! : Expanded Memory  Also caled EMS (Expanded Memory Specification) memory,  this uses a bank switching technique that alows up to  32 MB of memory to be acesed in 64 KB portions using  adreses within the first one megabyte. Many programs  can use expanded memory for temporary storage to improve  performance. EMS memory can be implemented through  memory board hardware or by using software drivers that  use extended memory to emulate EMS memory." : Extended Memory  Memory adreses at 1 MB and above. Physicaly adres-  able by 80286/386/486/+ CPUs when operating in  protected mode. Extended memory is not normaly  directly acesible by aplication programs runing  under DOS.B : High DOS  Memory adreses in the region betwen 640 KB and 1 MB.  This term sometimes refers to the ful 384 KB region and  sometimes to the portion which can be made available to  DOS by special memory management programs." : High Memory Area  The HMA is a 64 KB region of extended memory starting at  1 MB defined by the eXtended Memory Specification (XMS).  The HMA alows XMS-aware aplications to take advantage  of an aditional 64 KB of memory.+ : LIM Memory  Another name used for EMS (expanded) memory, refering  to the companies Lotus, Intel, and Microsoft that origi-  nated the specification. LIM 4.0 is the curent version  of the specification.7 : Low DOS Memory  The first 640 KB, where the operating system (DOS) and  the aplication programs operate. This is the memory  area most frequently neded by aplication programs.  Low DOS can sometimes be increased slightly beyond 640  KB by memory management programs.+ : Memory Types  Physical memory is separated into several logical types  based on adres location and aces scheme. Examples  include EMS and extended memory defined elsewhere in  this glosary.> M  Aplication programs perform to maximum capacity and  potential when provided with suficient memory of the  types they were designed to use., : Protected Mode  A mode of operation for the 80286/386/486/+ CPUs, which  alows software runing on them to aces memory beyond  1 megabyte. Multi-tasking operating systems run in  protected mode.= : RAM Memory  Random Aces Memory provides the temporary work areas  where DOS and software aplications perform their opera-  tions. RAM memory can be read from and writen to. The  contents of RAM are lost when the power is turned of. : Real Mode  A mode of operation of an 80286/386/486/+ CPU that  causes it to operate like the 808/8086, and restricts  its memory adresing capacity to 1 MB. DOS and most  aplication programs must operate in real mode. : ROM and Bufer RAM  Adreses betwen 640 KB and 1 MB used by ad-in boards  such as hard disk controlers, network cards, and video  adapters to comunicate with the bus. Depending on the  computer configuration, much of this adres space may  be unused.B : System ROM  The last 64 KB of adres space in the first megabyte.  On Micro Chanel Architecture machines, the last 128 KB. : TSR  Terminate and Stay Resident (or Memory Resident) pro-  grams stay resident in memory after loading and remain  active even when other programs are runing. These pro-  grams usualy provide a utility function, such as mouse  control, telecomunication, or menu shels.! : VCPI  The Phar Lap/Quarterdeck Virtual Control Program Inter-  face (VCPI) specification which establishes ground rules  for memory requests that alow programs operating in  protected mode to coexist.2 : VDS  The Virtual DMA Services (VDS) specification alows  software to obtain proper information for a DMA (Direct  Memory Aces) transfer while runing in a protected  mode environment.; : Video Memory  The adres regions betwen 640 KB and 1 MB used by  video adapters for I/O bufering and ROMs. Video  adapters generaly use adreses from 640 through 80  KB, although diferent adapters use varying adreses. : XMS Memory  Microsoft's eXtended Memory Specification (XMS) for  programs to request memory above the conventional memory  area. XMS memory can be alocated from thre areas:  High DOS in blocks caled uper memory blocks ( UMBs),  Extended memory in extended memory blocks ( EMBs), or  from the area caled HMA. Only XMS-aware programs use  XMS memory.A : > T_HDW_LSN_01ON v\ Introduction  Each year the pace of change in computer hardware design  intensifies. As component prices decrease and software  requirements increase, the average personal computer may  have twice the throughput (total productivity) of the  previous year's average model.. M  Stil, the basic hardware configuration has not changed  over the years. Each system neds:) M   a system unit, to house the CPU*   memory chips, for work space-   a keyboard, to comunicate with the computer   a fixed disk drive, for storage*   a flopy disk drive, for data interchange   a video adapter and monitor.   comunication ports, for modems and printers : > T_HDW_SUM_01OBN f 8(Components  The computer's hardware configuration is defined by the  physical components that make up the system: M  Hardware Atributes  CPU sped, adres space  hard disk(s) sped, capacity#  flopy disk(s) sped, capacity#  video board sped, resolution, memory  video monitor resolution(  memory sped-  ports quantity and type!  network adapter sped- M  A system's configuration changes when components are  instaled, removed, or replaced., : CPU  Computers are often identified by the CPU ( Central  Procesing Unit) around which they are designed. The  CPU is the brain of the computer, performing calcula-  tions and managing resources. Recent CPUs are the Intel  80486, 80386, and 80286. The 808 and 8086 were used in  the original PCs of several years ago.& M  CPU sped, measured in megahertz (milions of cycles per  second), is an important factor in productivity. Math  co-procesor chips such as the 80287 or 80387 can also  be instaled in PCs to bost the sped of aplications  requiring substantial mathematical operations. : Keyboards  A keyboard provides input to the computer. There are  several popular keyboard layouts available, with  difering key locations and capacities. Begining with  the IBM AT style keyboard, two way comunication betwen  the keyboard and the computer alows the computer to  control the setings for:3 M   Caps Lock key<   Num Lock key=   Scrol Lock key:   repeat sped when keys are held down% : Instaled Memory  Computer RAM ( Random Aces Memory) consists of chips  instaled on the computer's system board or on an ad-in  board. There are several logical memory types; they are  discused in the tutorial memory leson. 80386/486/+  machines tend to use software to alocate diferent  types of memory as oposed to using ad-in boards con-  taining the specific memory type. One such software  product is the 386MAX memory management program from  Qualitas.C : Bus Wars  Al comunication within the computer betwen the CPU,  devices, and memory ocurs in the bus. There are two  comon bus architectures:3 M   The clasic (also AT or ISA) bus has a 16-bit data  chanel and was introduced with 80286 machines.   The Micro Chanel Architecture (MCA) bus was  introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers and is  now also ofered by other manufacturers.! M  Ad-in adapter and memory boards for machines with one  bus type canot be used in the other type. A new bus  design ( EISA) has ben recently introduced as an alter-  native to the MCA architecture.- : > T_HDW_VID_01ON Video  Video output has sen substantial evolution since the  early monochrome PC systems. The curent standard for  color, graphic, and text output is caled VGA. Within  the VGA standard are several display modes (e.g. 80x25  text, 640x480 graphics in multiple color capacities,  etc.) that alow software developed for other standards  to be upward compatible.4 M  Enhancements beyond VGA are now being introduced, but  some systems stil use the older display mode standards: M   MDA (monochrome)9   CGA (color graphics)5   EGA (enhanced graphics)2 M  The video output subsystem consists of two components:  the video adapter and the monitor. The video adapter is  either an ad-in board or built into the computer's main  system board. This adapter determines the display stan-  dard (e.g. VGA) available to your software. The avail-  able display modes are determined by the video adapter,  not the atached monitor.3 : > T_HDW_DRV_01ON ` Drives  Fixed disk drives provide storage for data and programs,  and are available in a variety of speds, physical sizes,  and capacities. The capacity of a hard disk drive is a  function of the number and density of magnetic platers,  and the way in which each plater is partitioned into  cylinders and sectors. Fixed disk capacities range from  under 20 MB to over 30 MB. Fixed disk speds depend on  the rotational sped and the number of read/write heads.  Comon fixed disk drive types are asigned identifica-  tion numbers used by the operating system during its  configuration.> M  Diskete drives provide storage, backup, and a method of  exchanging data betwen computers. Comon diskete  drive types are:< M   5-1/4" with 360 KB capacity.   5-1/4" with 1.2 MB capacity.   3-1/2" with 720 KB capacity.   3-1/2" with 1.4 MB capacity- : > T_HDW_POR_01O N 3PPorts  Paralel ports alow the computer to be conected to  output devices such as printers. A computer usualy has  one or two paralel ports.2 M  Serial ports alow the computer to be conected to: M   input devices - mouse, light pen, scaner   output devices - printer, ploter(   comunication devices - modem, another computer M  A computer usualy has from one to four serial ports. : > T_HDW_BIO_01O N BIOS  The BIOS ( Basic Input Output System) is the built-in  program that starts up the computer. BIOS routines are  stored on a computer chip and are not lost when the  power is turned of. Although writen as a computer  program, the BIOS routines are considered a part of the  computer's hardware rather than software because they  are stored in ROM (Read Only Memory).' M  BIOS routines supervise the low-level input and output  functions of the computer hardware, such as reading the  keyboard and writing characters to the scren. Various  manufacturers produce BIOS programs for computer makers. : > T_HDW_CMO_01ON $ CMOS  In 80286/386/486/+ machines, a CMOS ( Complimentary  Metal Oxide Semiconductor) memory area stores informa-  tion about the computer's configuration:$ M   date and time<   fixed disk quantity and type-   diskete quantity and type/   low DOS memory;   extended memory: M  This information is saved when the computer is turned  of and is available each time the computer restarts.  Since the CMOS memory is not read-only memory, the data  in it can be updated by a setup program.$ : > T_INT_LSN_01ON Welcome!  The ASQ tutorial system wil define and explain the  various elements of modern personal computer systems: M   memory - the computer's work area(   configuration - setup and setings'   hardware - the computer's components and devices : Using the Tutorial  There are two ways to use the tutorial:% M   as a textbok<   as a reference; : Textbok  The ASQ tutorial lesons can be viewed sequentialy by  proceding down the Tutorial Menu from one option to the  next. Each option includes screns of text covering  several related topics. Use the down arow, up arow,  PgDn, and PgUp keys to view the lesons.$ : Reference  To use the tutorial as a reference for the computer  analysis functions, pres F3 when any analysis menu or  option is displayed. ASQ jumps directly to the tutorial  leson relevant to the option.. : Glosary  Personal computing terms and concepts important for the  use of ASQ are explained in a separate glosary. A  glosary menu provides direct aces to any topic, and  you can also use the keyboard or mouse to browse other  topics in the glosary.5 : > T_MEM_LSN_01ON \ Introduction  A computer's memory provides it with:' M   A storage area for instructions that explain how to  comunicate with hardware devices and software  programs.@   A work area for executing software programs and  manipulating their data.1 : Memory Types  There are several diferent types of computer memory,  each with a diferent use or purpose:' M   RAM - Random Aces (read/write) Memory"   ROM - Read Only Memory3   extended memory:   expanded (EMS) memory4   XMS memory? : > T_MEM_RAM_01ON RAM Memory  RAM ( Random Aces Memory) provides the work areas where  DOS and software aplications perform their operations.  This memory can be read from, so that program code load-  ed here can be executed repeatedly. It can also be writ-  ten to, so that program data can be altered and saved to  disk. RAM is volatile memory - the contents are lost  when the power is turned of./ : > T_MEM_ROM_01ON ROM Memory  ROM ( Read Only Memory) is memory reserved for use by the  operating system and hardware devices. It contains the  instructions used by the operating system and software  programs to manage resources. It canot be writen to  by software programs and is not used for work space.  The most comon uses for ROM are for video instructions  and for the BIOS routines.2 : > T_MEM_EXT_01O N &Extended Memory  Extended memory is memory adresed at 1 MB and above.  Although DOS canot adres memory above 1 MB in its  default mode, 80286/386/486+ procesors can adres  this area directly in a special mode (protected mode)  used by some non-DOS operating systems and some recent  DOS aplication programs.3 M  Extended memory can be remaped to act as expanded  memory, XMS memory, and RAM (non-physical) disk drives. : > T_MEM_EXP_01ON  <Expanded Memory  Expanded ( EMS) memory is acesed by maping 16 KB of  memory (caled a page) from a non-DOS adresable area  into a specific memory adres in the first megabyte.  EMS-aware products use this memory for temporary work  and data storage.; M  The technique for swaping pages of memory above and  below the 1 MB limit is caled bank switching; up to 32  MB of memory can be adresed this way.% M  EMS memory can be implemented through memory board  hardware or by using software drivers that emulate EMS  through software.; : EMS vs. Extended  Expanded and extended memory are contrasted below. M  Expanded memory Extended memory    Requires memory manager  Non-managed memory  Requires page frame  No page frame"  CPU uses real mode  CPU uses protected mode  DOS can adres it  DOS canot adres it  Available for 808/86  Not available for 808/86   : > T_MEM_XMS_01ON  XMS Memory  The eXtended Memory Specification (XMS), developed by  Microsoft, alows programs to request memory above the  conventional memory area for program storage and use.  Only XMS-aware programs use XMS memory. XMS memory can  be alocated from thre locations:* M   memory recovered from the high DOS area in blocks  caled uper memory blocks (UMBs)(   extended memory in blocks caled extended memory  blocks (EMBs)<   the High Memory Area (HMA), a specific 64 KB area in  extended memory at adres 1024 KB (1 MB) M  XMS memory from the High Memory Area is available due  to a bug in the 80286 chip's emulation of the 8086 chip.  The bug was retained in the 80386 for compatibility, but  the A20 adres line control feature was aded to turn  the bug/feature on and of.1 : > T_MEM_LSN_02ON t<Regions  Memory regions fal into thre major groupings: M   Low DOS - memory from 0 to 640 KB(   High DOS - memory from 640 KB to 1 MB$   Extended - memory above 1 MB- M  Adres Usage KB(  1024+ Ŀ,   Extended + XMS  64-4 GB Extended  1024 Ĵ H   System ROM  64 i  960 Ĵ g   EMS page frame  64 h  896 Ĵ,   Misc. adreses  128 D  768 Ĵ O   Video RAM/ROM  128 S  640 Ĵ  L   Low DOS memory +  o   DOS +  w   device drivers + ,   TSR programs  D  0   640 O    S : > T_MEM_LOW_01ON NLow DOS  The first 640 KB is caled low DOS. In this area, DOS  loads itself and device drivers it may use. The user  may also ad resident programs (TSRs) such as keyboard  enhancers, notepads, etc.3 M  Adres Usage KB(  640 Ŀ,   Low DOS memory + ,   DOS + ,   device drivers + ,   TSR programs ,  0   640(  , : Crowded Low DOS  The low DOS area is the most crowded in the computer.  DOS itself uses a portion of it, device drivers use a  portion of it, and TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident)  programs such as utilities and note pads use a portion  of it. After configuring DOS and loading device drivers  and resident programs, low DOS may have from 40 to 60  KB of fre space for aplications. This may not be  enough memory to run some aplications, and those  aplications that do run may not be as eficient as they  would be with more memory available.( : Networks  Low DOS memory is especialy at a premium when the  computer is runing on a network, where the drivers can  consume 10 KB or more of low DOS memory. Some compu-  ters on local area networks have under 50 KB of their  640 KB low DOS memory available for aplications. : > T_MEM_HI_01ON  High DOS  The 384 KB of adres space above 640 KB is caled high  DOS and is reserved for use by the system for video,  networking, and system ROM. Normaly, aplication pro-  grams canot adres this area.- M  Adres Usage KB(  1024 Ŀ,   System ROM  64(  960 Ĵ,   EMS page frame  64(  896 Ĵ,   Misc. + unused  128(  768 Ĵ,   Video RAM + ROM  128(  640 , : > T_MEM_LSN_03ON TCPU  Built into the CPU ( Central Procesing Unit) - the  computer's brain - are limitations on how much memory  the computer can use. The Intel 80286/386/486/+ CPU  chips used in today's desktop computers have two modes  of operation: protected mode and real mode.! : Real Mode Limits  In protected mode, CPUs can adres more than one mega-  byte of memory directly. Unfortunately, when executing  DOS they must run in real mode, which emulates the 808/  8086 CPUs for which DOS was developed. Since the 808/  8086 chips had a one megabyte adres limit, 80286/386/  486/+ chips runing in real mode inherit this limita-  tion as wel.? : Beating the Limits  Starting with the 80386, a mode switching problem of the  80286 was corected, creating the oportunity for memory  management programs runing on these CPUs to deal with  some of the constraints of DOS and the real mode. (Some  aplication programs can switch betwen real and pro-  tected modes; memory management programs must also  satisfy the neds of these programs.)' M  Since DOS was not designed to utilize more than 1 MB of  memory, the first megabyte was alocated for use by DOS  and programs, and the rest is virtualy ignored. Of the  first megabyte, 640 KB is available for DOS and aplica-  tion programs. To use memory beyond 1 MB, a variety of  techniques have ben developed, including EMS and XMS,  described above.< : Holes in Memory  On 80386/486/+ computers (and some 80286 models), some  unused adres regions are always available within the  uper 384 KB of the first one megabyte (high DOS).  Extended memory beyond the one megabyte adres limit of  DOS can be used to fil the holes in the high DOS area.  Device drivers and TSRs from the low DOS area can then  be relocated to these new memory areas within the first  megabyte of adres space. This fres up valuable  memory in the first 640 KB for aplication programs. M  0% 640 KB  Low DOS  "  ;  Ŀ TSR relocated, 16 KB fred  4  High DOS %  640 1 MB" : What Causes Holes?  The 384 KB high DOS adres area is reserved for video,  ROM and adapter card use. Depending on the combination  of options instaled, many computers use les than half  of the reserved area.7 : Where Are Holes?  The first 128 KB of high DOS is used by video boards.  Some space is usualy available in the video region,  depending on the type of board (MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA) and  the manufacturer.; M  Above the video region is the RAM/ROM area where ad-in  boards such as local area network interface cards use  adres regions to comunicate with their device drivers  loaded in low DOS. Space is almost always available in  the ad-in region; the amount depends on the type and  quantity of ad-in boards instaled.( : Holes in ROM  At the top of the high DOS area, another potentialy  available area is the adres region for the system BIOS  ROM itself. Within the ROM may be unused areas that can  be detected and used by a sophisticated memory manage-  ment program. The ROM itself is not afected; only the  adreses of unused BIOS areas are used to provide adi-  tional high DOS memory.5 M  Available adreses in the BIOS area include routines  such as the POST (Power On Self Test), the ROM BASIC  interpreter, advanced BIOS for OS/2, and filer pat-  terns. In many systems, the last 128 KB of the first  megabyte is reserved for BIOS. Of this, as much as  80 KB can be recovered for use as high DOS memory by  Qualitas' BlueMAX program.2 : Finding the Holes  Finding holes is a task shared by the memory management  software and the computer owner. It may involve some  trial and eror, especialy on a complex system. This  ASQ program can help you discover some of these holes;  sophisticated memory management programs may be able to  discover and use even more.1 : Maping Technique  Physical memory is not actualy moved into unused high  DOS adres areas. The 80386/486/+ CPUs can translate  physical adreses into logical adreses, then present  the logical adreses to aplication programs, which  can't tel the diference. When unused adres regions  are found in the high DOS area, the actual adreses of  physical memory are maped to the regions by the memory  management program. A somewhat diferent technique with  similar results can be used on some 80286 computers,  using the MOVE'EM program from Qualitas.$ : Using the Holes  DOS wil not directly load programs into high DOS areas,  so memory management programs must load the designated  programs there. In adition, there may be thre or more  separate holes of various sizes, so god memory manage-  ment software wil help the user alocate wisely among  the available regions.6 : Startup Problems  To complicate maters, resident programs often require  more memory to initialize themselves than they do once  they go resident. Such programs should be loaded in a  sequence that wil maximize available high DOS space.  For example, the Qualitas 386MAX MAXIMIZE program uses a  FlexFrame technology that alows high DOS loading of  many programs which could not initialize previously in  smal memory segments beyond 640 KB.( : Other Problems  Other complications include programs that can't run in  high DOS, or that must be loaded in a specific sequence.  These must be handled on a case by case basis. M  Older systems may require memory to be physicaly  instaled as a particular type. (On newer machines, a  memory management program can divide the existing  physical memory into the various logical types.) : Flexibility  Memory management software should be able to suport  many memory specifications to provide the greatest fre-  dom during system configuration. For example, 386MAX  from Qualitas suports LIM EMS, XMS, VCPI, and VDS to  met both curent and future neds.) : How Much Gain?  The amount of memory to be gained by memory management  is not fixed; it is a function of the machine's hardware  and software configuration. Depending on the computer  setup, memory management may be able to fre up as much  as 20 KB of low DOS area. Such gains can enable an  aplication to run that previously would not while  conected to a local area network, or alow for biger  spreadshets and databases.1 : > T_MEM_TIM_01O N Memory Sped  Memory chip sped has an efect on the eficiency of  work performed by diferent memory regions. Memory chip  speds are often measured in nanoseconds (ns). M  Although faster memory chips do sped up the computer,  performance depends more on the width of the data path  (from 8 bits in 808 up to 32 bits in 80386) and the  eficiency of the memory management program. M  The sped of memory suplied on ad-in boards depends on  the manufacturer's design. Video board RAM is often  the slowest type of memory in a system.% : > T_MEM_INT_01O N Interupts  A special use of memory is for operating system  interupts. These are locations that the operating  system, devices, and software programs use to regularly  update each other regarding the status of important  resources and conditions.3 M  For example, the keyboard is a resource that is managed  by interupts. Programers can gather information about  the keyboard by loking at selected interupts. : > R_ADDRESSO N P|  For more information about these products, contact your  local dealer or Qualitas directly:* M  Qualitas, Inc.-  7101 Wisconsin Avenue)  Bethesda, Maryland 20814'  Main: (301) 907-670)  Sales: (80) 73-137) : > R_BUY_BLUEON dASQ Recomends  ASQ has detected a PS/2 bus in this computer system. If  the system is not curently using a memory manager, ASQ  recomends that you instal the BlueMAX program from  Qualitas. BlueMAX wil extract the maximum performance  from this computer's configuration.) : > R_BUY_MAXON uASQ Recomends  ASQ has detected an 80386/486/+ procesor in this  computer system. If the system is not curently using a  memory manager, ASQ recomends that you instal the  386MAX program from Qualitas. 386MAX wil extract the  maximum performance from this computer's configuration. : > R_BUY_MOVEON DASQ Recomends  ASQ has detected an 80286 procesor in this computer  system and a NEAT CHIPSet or EMS board. If the system  is not curently using a memory manager, ASQ recomends  that you instal the MOVE'EM program from Qualitas.  MOVE'EM wil extract the maximum performance from this  computer's configuration.3 : > R_BUY_NONEON pASQ Recomends  ASQ does not detect hardware in this system that wil  suport memory mangement software. If it had, ASQ would  have recomended one of the folowing Qualitas products. : >R_BLUEON BlueMAX  BlueMAX is a memory management program specificaly  designed for IBM PS/2 80386 and 80486 computers that: M   Moves pop-up utilities, network drivers and other  memory resident programs out of conventional memory  into previously unused areas above 640 KB. M   Provides a fast, state-of-the-art EMS manager. M   Suports LIM 4.0 EMS, XMS 3.0, VCPI, and Virtual DMA  Services 1.0.= M   Moves slow ROM into faster RAM for improved system  performance.> M   Alows you to mix and match extended and EMS memory  to suit the neds of your aplication programs. M   Automaticaly analyzes and configures your system for  maximum performance and eficiency.' M   Uses proprietary technology to recover more high DOS  memory than any other memory manager - an aditional  80 KB or more!< M   Automaticaly analyzes and reconfigures PS/2 adapters  to yield the largest posible areas for usable high  DOS memory.? : >R_MAXON d 386MAX  386MAX is a memory management program for 80386 and  80486 computers that:7 M   Moves pop-up utilities, network drivers and other  memory resident programs out of conventional memory  into previously unused areas above 640 KB. M   Provides a fast, state-of-the-art EMS manager. M   Suports LIM 4.0 EMS, XMS 3.0, VCPI, and Virtual DMA  Services 1.0.= M   Moves slow ROM into faster RAM for improved system  performance.> M   Alows you to mix and match extended and EMS memory  to suit the neds of your aplication programs. M   Automaticaly analyzes and configures your system for  maximum performance and eficiency.' : >R_MOVEON  MOVE'EM  MOVE'EM is a memory management program for 80286  computers that use the NEAT CHIPSet, or any PC computer  with an EMS 4.0 hardware memory board. MOVE'EM: M   Backfils low DOS to 640 KB from expanded memory. M   Expands low DOS to 704 KB or 736 KB on systems with  monochrome or CGA video adapters.) M   Moves pop-up utilities, network drivers and other  memory resident programs out of conventional memory  into previously unused areas above 640 KB. M   Provides XMS suport for XMS-aware aplication  programs.A : >R_PRODSON xFrom Qualitas  Qualitas provides a variety of memory management  products to enhance computer performance. Products  are available for:: M   computers with 80386 or 80486 procesors!   IBM PS/2 models with 80386 procesors$   some computers with 80286 procesors% : >S_INTRO1"1  Tuning and MemoryQ There are several factors that influence the performance of your computer, and many of these factors are controled by setings of DOS para- meters. When modifying the setings to fine-tunea system, there is often a tradeof betwen performance and memory usage. For example, increasing the number of data bufers alows the computer to move data to and from the disk more eficiently, but requires extra memory for each bufer.[ Gaining MemoryT Any system modifications that wil make more of the 640 KB low DOS memory available for apli-cation programs wil improve system performance, sometimes dramaticaly. For example:>  Use of extended memory and a god memory management program can move some resident programs into areas in high DOS, thus freing up valuable low DOS space.F  Configuration of extended memory into expand- ed (EMS) memory wil help many curent programs improve their eficiency.= To help you decide if more or reconfigured memorywould help your system's performance, review the ASQ Tutorial and Qualitas Products sections of this product.U > S_DOS_VER11 DOS VersionW This system's DOS Version is #.#.@ Versions earlier than DOS 3.30 do not contain several features used by some newer programs. Inparticular, DOS versions earlier than 3.10 do notsuport network conections.F DOS 3.30 is the oldest version recomended for general use today. Newer versions of DOS such asDOS 4.01 include aditional features which may ormay not be of use to you, and may require more low DOS memory space.M > S_DOS_FIL11 ~FFILES] This system's CONFIG.SYS has the seting FILES=#.Y This seting determines the maximum number of files that DOS can have open at any one time. The default value is 8, but DOS uses thre of them and many aplications ned more than the remaining five. A comon seting for this parameter is FILES=20, which is adequate for most programs except multitasking and network software.Y Since each file handle above the first 8 uses 48 bytes of low DOS memory, you may want to reduce the number of files to the minimum required by the software on this system.F > S_DOS_BUF1!1  BUFERS[ This system's CONFIG.SYS has the seting BUFERS=# or is using the DOS default.; This seting determines the number of disk data bufers that DOS wil establish when your system starts up. The system default for this parameteris 2.] There is no optimum seting for the number of bufers in a system, because each aplication program reads from and writes to disk diferent- ly. In general, a higher number of bufers wil often help database programs run more eficient- ly, but wil probably have litle efect on most word procesing programs. A comon seting for this parameter is betwen 10 and 20.> Each bufer uses 528 bytes of low DOS memory, so a seting of BUFERS=20 wil use about 10 KB. You may want to change the number of bufers to the minimum required by the software on this system.[ A disk cache provides benefits similar to the BUFERS parameter by providing memory space for data to be temporarily stored on its way to and from the disk. If this system uses a disk cache device driver, it wil not ned as large a set- ting for BUFERS (usualy 10 is suficient). However, disk caches also use memory.= > S_DOS_FCB1 1 yFCBs^ This system's CONFIG.SYS has the seting FCBs=#,#.U Some older aplication programs require a setingfor this parameter, but most newer aplications do not. You should only use the FCBs parameter if you run an aplication that requires it, in which case the values should be as specified by the aplication.R > S_DOS_ENV11 )ENVIRONMENTW This system's DOS environment size is # bytes,with # bytes used.M The DOS environment size is set with the SHEL= parameter in the CONFIG.SYS file, and sets aside memory in low DOS to hold curent values for the PATH, PROMPT, and COMSPEC setings, and any temporary variables set by aplication programs. Each byte of environment space is a byte not available to your system for aplication program execution, so the environment should not be set larger than required by your use.A > S_DOS_STA11 \STACKS\ This system's CONFIG.SYS has the seting DOS STACKS=#,# or is using the DOS default.7 This CONFIG.SYS parameter uses aproximately 1 KBof low DOS memory in its default seting of STACKS=9,128 except on PC and XT computers, whereit does not aply. Except for unusual system usage, ading the comand STACKS=0,0 to the CONFIG.SYS file wil recover this 1 KB of memory without any efect on system performance or eficiency.W > S_DOS_FAS11 \FASTOPENZ This system has loaded the DOS FASTOPEN program, a resident program usualy loaded by the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Aplications that open and close many files frequently may run more eficiently if this program is used. FASTOPEN canot be used when runing on a network.9 Since FASTOPEN uses about 1.5 KB plus 40 bytes per file, you may want to reduce the number of files to the minimum required by the software on this system.V > S_DOS_PRI11  PRINT] This system has loaded the DOS PRINT program, a resident program that performs background printing and alows the computer to be used for other work while printing. It canot be used in conjunction with networks, which normaly have their own print manager program.B Since the PRINT program uses more than 5 KB of low DOS memory, and remains in memory even when not printing, you may want to remove the program from the configuration if it is used infrequent- ly._ >S_DISK11 o Disk SpedX Hard disk sped is a major factor in the overal performance of this or any computer. Ading a hard disk drive with faster aces time wil increase the performance of this system.: In adition to some of the DOS setings mentionedabove, the extent to which the disk has become fragmented (files broken up and stored in pieces scatered throughout the disk) wil also afect overal performance. There are many fine disk manager programs available that wil analyze and defragment (reorganize) a hard disk to kep it inpeak performance.Q  Q_ANAL_CFG  Q_ANAL_HDWIؐ Q_ANAL_MAIN Q_ANAL_MEMB Q_ANAL_SNP8 Q_CFG_AUTIX Q_CFG_CFGx Q_CFG_PRO  Q_CFG_SUM  Q_HDW_BIO ؑ Q_HDW_CMO  Q_HDW_DRV Q_HDW_PORc8 Q_HDW_SUMX Q_HDW_VIDex Q_MEM_EMS Q_MEM_EXPd Q_MEM_EXTؒ Q_MEM_HI? Q_MEM_INT Q_MEM_LOW/8 Q_MEM_ROMX Q_MEM_SUMx Q_MEM_TIM  Q_MEM_XMS! Q_SNP_CLEp#ؓ Q_SNP_LOA$ Q_SNP_SAV1& Q_TUNE'8 H_CFG_AUT(X H_CFG_CFG*x H_CFG_PRO- H_CFG_SUM 0 H_HDW_BIOi5ؔ H_HDW_CMO?7 H_HDW_DRV9 H_HDW_PORs>8 H_HDW_SUM?X H_HDW_VID7Kx H_MEM_EMSFN H_MEM_EXPP H_MEM_EXT6Sؕ H_MEM_HIT H_MEM_INTbV H_MEM_LOWY8 H_MEM_ROM1\X H_MEM_SUM'_x H_MEM_TIM` H_MEM_XMSe H_TUNEiؖ H_ANAL_MNUk H_GLOSS_MNUzq H_MAIN_MNUBt8 H_SNAPyX H_TUT_EXEC_x H_TUT_MNUp T_ABT_MEM_01ˊ T_ABT_WIN_01ؗ T_ABT_Q_01 T_CFG_LSN_01 T_CFG_SUM_01_8 T_CFG_CFG_01WX T_CFG_AUT_01x T_GLOSS_01 T_HDW_LSN_01^ T_HDW_SUM_01ؘ T_HDW_VID_01 T_HDW_DRV_01 T_HDW_POR_01; 8 T_HDW_BIO_01 X T_HDW_CMO_01x T_INT_LSN_01 T_MEM_LSN_01 T_MEM_RAM_01ؙ T_MEM_ROM_01 T_MEM_EXT_01  T_MEM_EXP_01"8 T_MEM_XMS_01'X T_MEM_LSN_02 ,x T_MEM_LOW_010 T_MEM_HI_01J7 T_MEM_LSN_03<:ؚ T_MEM_TIM_01ZY T_MEM_INT_01P\ R_ADDRESS^8 R_BUY_BLUE3`X R_BUY_MAXax R_BUY_MOVEc R_BUY_NONEZe R_BLUEf؛ R_MAXk R_MOVEBo R_PRODSGr8 S_INTROsX S_DOS_VERyx S_DOS_FIL+{ S_DOS_BUF} S_DOS_FCB*؜ S_DOS_ENV S_DOS_STAH S_DOS_FASy8 S_DOS_PRIX S_DISK