There is some info on this page:
http://toogam.com/software/archive/drivers/memory/memory.htm

You should try EMM286.

Readme:
ftp://ftp.mpoli.fi/unpacked/hardware/misc/oth … .zip/emm286.txt

The link to file:
ftp://ftp.mpoli.fi/pub/hardware/MISC/OTHER/EMM286.ZIP

Thanks, but EMM286 is what I was writing about 😀 It was issued by Jjex. This works, but consumes more than 50k of conventional memory and works at quite a slow speed.

edit:
I have just received an email from the author of EMS Magic, he can send me an older version of that in two weeks time. This is supposed to work together with EMU386
http://survpc.tripod.com/emu386/
If the memory requirements are smaller it might be the winner... We will see.

I also have an 286!

EMM286 works fine, but the need of 50K Memory makes it not quite usefull.
My tests:

- EMM286 DeluxePaint II VGA 640x480 256 Colors => WORKS!
- EMM286 Monster Bash => DOESN'T WORK (need more konventional memory)

I think it is not a good idea to use EMS magic together with an EMU386, so I am
waiting for this

http://www.emsmagic.com/reqs
"A native 286 version of EMS Magic is currently under development."

Any information when this will be ready ?

Thx
Doc

It seems the project was cancelled 3 years ago. At least the author is too busy to finish that because of other commitments. But he does think he can pick it up again in the future (that is why he asked us not to circulate the old version)
Yet you / others might ask him via email, it wont hurt. Unless you make it a flood.

It's a 286.
If the chipsets does not support EMS, then all 286-based EMS simulator will have the same issues:
- EMS page frame located below 640KB, eating 64KB from the precious 640KB conventional memory.
- Rely on INT15h AH=87h extended memory block move or XMS memory manager (eg. HIMEM.SYS). This is slow.

There is other software trick to locate EMS page frame into video memory at A0000h but this rarely works well for most and accessing ISA VGA memory is even slower.

I have been there before. I used to own a 286 which the chipset has no EMS support when I was a child. It was my 1st PC and I was so pissed off by that (after discovering the importance of real EMS support). And, from there I learned about the importance of various PC chipsets such as the legendary C&T NEAT/SCAT 286/386 chipsets.