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Question regarding the ST/TT's memory layout


Shannon

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I noticed that WinstonX allocates 16meg or RAM for ST memory. 4meg for normal RAM and the other 12 meg for what it refers to as "upper" memory.

 

Is there a reason for this? Can this "upper" memory be accessed or modified by an ST that only has 4meg of RAM to use? In other words WinstonX does NOT allow you to select more than 4meg RAM.

 

So I was wondering what it may be reserving this extra 8megs for. Are there custom TOS images out there that are larger than the normal TOS'?

 

Ok nevermind. I think I answered my own question. Looks like TOS is located in memory that high.

Edited by Shannon
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ok... here´s what i remember from the times where i read all magazines regarding STs...

 

i have this idea that there was a major constraint on memory expansion possibilities because Atari had selected an MMU that was hugely inflexible and with a 4MB limit.

 

the same MMU caused problems to Atari in general because later models, though might be able to easily expand memory (like STes), had to retain that MMU with all its limitations for compatability reasons.

 

in higher machines like the TT, the compatibility issue was circumvented by using a standard MMU for the "normal" 4MB "ST Ram" (the memory that all STs, TOS and every software could "see"), and having added components for being able to use more memory that could only be used by specific software written to "see" it...

 

the "cheap" MMU problem is probably way up there in the list of ST birth problems (or problems that should never have been), along with the Yamaha sound chip (and keyboard controller) and the under the machine mouse/joystick ports... :)

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