First post, by uscleo
Hi Guys,
I recently acquired a Kingston RAM ISA card - model number KTM-16AT/2 - AKA as the Kingston 2-16MB ATaboard!
Basic Specs here: http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/kingston/KTM16at.pdf
I also managed to use wayback to find the setup program, and it is also available here: http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/kingston/ (16AT.exe)
I'm trying to set this card up on a Compaq Portable 386 - with 4mb of RAM installed through it's proprietary 32 bit memory expansion slot (2mb on the board and 2mb in the expansion). I also have dos 6.22 and WFW 3.11 installed.
I've gotten so far as installing working 1MB simms into the card then installing the card into the expansion bay of the compaq, then running the setup program. All seems to work ok here as the software asks how much ram is installed and how much ram is on the card etc, then it confirms it finds the card and writes the instructions to the card. There are 3 two-toggle dip switches on the card, and after playing around, I got one combination to work (as in change the ram in POST).
Rebooting is when things get funny...
The computer manages to get through POST, but with a very odd amount of ram (4736 KB, VS. 4096 KB without the card installed), then after loading Himem.sys the computer freezes with a blinking cursor. resetting the computer causes it to freeze again after POST, and the only cure is to change a dip switch so it does not detect the card during POST then I can access the software.
What's even stranger, is that if I play with the settings in the setup program, especially on where the system ram starts the card memory should begin, I can get all sorts of ram counts in POST (it even went as high as 10,000 KB) before crashing and then giving me an Memory error saying that only 3840KB RAM is OK (256k less than the installed 4096kb)
Any ideas on where I should start? the dip switches seemed like an obvious choice but then I realised that based on their positioning, one was to do with the first bank of two simms, the second switch to do with the second bank of two simms and the switch at the top I'm guessing is to specify the board number and maybe parity settings.
I tested all combinations of the switches, (keeping the two switches for the simm banks the same since I was using 4x1MB) and only one combination allowed a change in the ram count at POST.
Is there something I missed with the installation? There are 4 other files in that are expanded after installation, but none are "editable" in dos. Included is a memory manager (ktcemm.sys) which I tried in place of Himem.sys thru modifying config.sys but still no change in ram count during POST.,
If anyone has any ideas why only 640KB is added from the card and why it then pasts POST but crashes in Himem.sys, I would appreciate any pointers!