Uncreative Labs

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:58 pm

Recently I've bought a PC XT in the Salvation Army that come along with a Quadram Quadboard 384 Rev 6L but I can't manage to find drivers on the internet.
The few drivers I have for XMS are fot 80X86 or higher with at least 1 MB Ram. Can anyone help me to find this drivers? Thanks!

Guest

I always thought that was just a base memory expansion board, it really is for EMS? Not XMS? Xtended memory doesn't exist on anything below a 286.

Good Luck

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:02 pm

I think you're right ; I get confused between XMS (Extended Memory) and EMS (expanded memory). Anyway, the problem I have is the same, I can't find drivers!
Thanks.

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:37 pm

Although I don't have a Quadram board (just some of the AST Sixpack type of boards) I think the Quadram is like the AST, it simply increases the memory of the IBM PC-XT (5160) from 256K to 640K. To accomplish this, you shouldn't need any drivers. As long as the switches/jumpers on the board are correctly set, the XT should see the extra 384K of RAM and count it on POST just like it was directly on the MB.

I know with the Sixpak type of boards, the only software that came with the board was to set the clock/calendar. You did not need any software for the memory increase to 640K.

These types of boards cannot be used for ANY type of expanded memory, only to increase the base memory to 640K.

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 8:12 pm

I found the following info on the net, tells about the switch settings on the Quadram Quadboard 384.

Switchblock 1 controls the memory addressing (switches one through four) and the memory size (switches five through eight). You can limit the size of the recognized memory to less than what is actually installed.

For positions 1-4 the start addresses are:
1 2 3 4
64k ON ON ON OFF
128k ON ON OFF ON
192k ON ON OFF OFF
256k ON OFF ON ON
320k ON OFF ON OFF
384k ON OFF OFF ON
448k ON OFF OFF OFF
512k OFF ON ON ON
578k OFF ON ON OFF
640k OFF ON OFF ON
704k OFF ON OFF OFF
768k OFF OFF ON ON
832k OFF OFF ON OFF
896k OFF OFF OFF ON
960k OFF OFF OFF OFF

For positions 5-8 the memory size is set as follows:
5 6 7 8
64k OFF OFF OFF ON
128k OFF OFF ON ON
192k OFF ON ON ON
256k ON ON ON ON

Switch 2 has the following functions:
Position 1 controls parity (On=enabled)
Position 2 Clock enable/disable
Position 3 Not Used
Position 4 enables or disables the parallel port (enabled when the switch is off)
Positions 5 and 6 control the parallel port address (5 on sets the port to 1, 6 on sets the port to 2, both cannot be on at the same time)
Positions 7 and 8 control serial port addressing (7 on sets the port to 1, 8 on sets the port to 2, both cannot be on at the same time)

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 8:15 pm

Sorry, that was my post above, as "guest", waited too long after logging in to post the message, and the system forgot who I was.

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 3:48 am

Ok, if it is like you're telling me the problem would be the card doesnt work properly, because it is installed and the ram it contains should be counted in the startup.
Something very strange that sometimes hapens is that the XT very few times in a while counts 305Kb, instead of its normal 256Kb. Maybe it has some relation with the Quadboard, but anyway it would be strange, because I don't think the card would have only 49Kb, don't you think so?
When I had some time I'll check the card jumpers setting to make sure it is ok, but I don't think it could be the problem, due the card was already into the XT when I purchased it.
Thank you so much XTGuy!
Manuel