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Grex Hardware Item 29: NEAT: New Enhanched AT
Entered by jdg on Thu Dec 19 01:27:10 UTC 1991:

I need some help from someone who speaks PC/AT Clonese, specific to the 
NEAT (TM) "New Enhanced AT" chipset.  My problem has to do with a Zenith
laptop with a 1 Meg 82C212 NEAT package, where the CMOS setup that Zenith
has supplied in ROM doesn't do what I want.
 
My problem:  using the extra 384K section of memory above the 640K line
as extended -- that is, addressed above the 1Meg line.  On a 1 Meg package,
NEAT will do this automatically if extended memory is selected in CMOS, and
if Shadow RAM for the BIOS is not used.  When I use the Zenith supplied setup
program, setting Extended mode seems to just disable EMS capability -- there
is no above-the-line memory available.  HIMEM.SYS can't find it, anyway.  There
is no "shadow-ram" section to change in the built-in CMOS setup program.
 
The result, if I'm successful, would be to get Windows running in Standard
mode so that I can run a host of applications that won't run in Real mode.
 
Does anyone have a CMOS advanced setup program that runs from DOS?  Any
suggestions on how to do this?

8 responses total.

#1 of 8 by jdg on Thu Dec 19 03:00:04 1991:

I should add that the NEAT CMOS is not the same as PC/AT CMOS.  The 64 byte
"Setup" programs I've tried just touch the standard AT thingies, like disk
drive type, from that 64 byte AT CMOS chip stuff.  The setup program I would
need would have to touch the NEAT CMOS, which is a different chip.

#2 of 8 by bad on Thu Dec 19 06:29:14 1991:

Don't throw other ROM chips in a Zenith.
You can use one of the .sys things to call your EMS extended.
I'm sure it's in the "optimizing memory" or whatever part of the windows 
manual. (well, not sure, exactly...)
Anyway, Zeniths are special, and I'd be really surprised if you could
play with the chips and get it to work...
I don't suppose you have the Zenith version of Windows?

#3 of 8 by jdg on Thu Dec 19 23:54:44 1991:

Brian, several things to clarify your response.  1) I am interested in finding
software to change firmware; to poke bit 6 of address 6B in chip 82C212.
2) There is no .sys file that will change EMS (LIM 4.0) expanded memory,
which is paged in and out of a page-frame below the 1Meg line, into extended
memory, that is, byte addressable memory that is managed when the 286 is
running in protected mode.  3) I am using the Microsoft version of Windows,
as this laptop pre-dates the release of Windows 3.0.  The inability of their
setup software to poke the right bit to move the 384K from expanded to
extended is from the days (pre 1990) when most software preferred to manage
expanded memory.  
 
I would also point out that the people I've talked to at Zenith about this
have been unable to help me.  Perhaps I've talked to the wrong people.

#4 of 8 by goose on Fri Dec 20 01:22:47 1991:

From my experience with Zenith, dealer tech-support and otherwise, I would
say they probably can't help you.
From the sounds of it, you could teach 'em a thing or two.

#5 of 8 by bad on Fri Dec 20 16:43:11 1991:

Right, Zeniths especially like to make it all EMS...
Hmmn...
Ah well, shows what I know.

#6 of 8 by jdg on Tue Dec 24 03:39:26 1991:

What, no experts in Clonese here on Grex?

#7 of 8 by steve on Sat Mar 7 20:46:10 1992:

   Did you get this resolved Josh?

#8 of 8 by jdg on Sun Mar 8 02:03:20 1992:

nope.  well, sort of.  One of the guys in the office writes equipment
reviews for many magazines...and he often gets more machines to test
than he can handle.  So, in retun for running benchmarks and writing down
problems and things, I get temporary access to machines that can run that
software.  When in a budget crisis, we do what's necessary.

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