Error 0x7CF wrote on 2021-08-02, 20:10:Booted up my system with an AWE64 Value and a SIMMCONN to check. I have a 8MB SIMM in the card, and it reports 8192KB of space a […]
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Booted up my system with an AWE64 Value and a SIMMCONN to check. I have a 8MB SIMM in the card, and it reports 8192KB of space available for soundfonts. On the 4MB Gold cards, I have to assume the 4MB module adds to the total storage, otherwise there would be no point in the 4MB upgrade module. That might be part of the point of the Value/Gold variation on the SIMMCONN. A SIMMCONN might be a good solution if an AWE64 Value develops bad memory, then, since it seems to entirely replace the onboard memory. Or maybe the first 512KB of the stick isn't used? Who knows.
In short,
Value does not sum together capacity, Gold does. (Though I don't know if the SIMMCONN might behave differently than the original Creative modules)
512KB+8MB = 8MB (I assume the 4MB module would result in 4MB)
4MB+4MB=8MB
I have come up with memory expansion formulas below that could be useful for things like determining the real behavior of expanding memory on AWE cards (useful for improving emulation of these cards in various PC emulators).
Based on these observations and the information I was able to find online, the memory expansion formulas seem to work like this (although verification of these amounts IRL using actual cards may help confirm these figures):
Memory expansion formula on the AWE64 Gold (CT4390, CT4540):
4MB on card (and no memory expansion added) = 4MB
4MB on card + 4MB memory expansion = 8MB
4MB on card+ 8MB memory expansion = 12MB
4MB on card + 12MB memory expansion = 16MB
4MB on card+ 24MB memory expansion = 28MB
Memory expansion formula on the AWE64 Value (CT4380, CT4500, CT4520):
512KB on card (and no memory expansion added) = 512KB
512KB on card + 4MB memory expansion = 4MB
512KB on card + 8MB memory expansion = 8MB
512KB on card + 12MB memory expansion = 12MB
512KB on card + 24MB memory expansion = 24MB
Memory expansion formula on the Sound Blaster AWE32 if Creative memory combination guidelines are adhered to (CT2760, CT3900, CT3980, CT3990):
512KB on card enabled by memory expansion jumper (and no memory modules added) = 512KB
512KB on card disabled by memory expansion jumper and 1MB+1MB memory modules added = 2MB
512KB on card disabled by memory expansion jumper and 4MB+4MB memory modules added = 8MB
512KB on card disabled by memory expansion jumper and 16MB+16MB memory modules added = 32MB (28MB addressable due to EMU8000 4MB reservation)
Memory expansion formula on the Sound Blaster 32 if Creative memory combination guidelines are adhered to (CT3930, CT3600, CT3620, CT3670):
No memory modules added (card lacks built in 512KB RAM) = 0MB
1MB+1MB memory modules added= 2MB
4MB+4MB memory modules added = 8MB
16+16MB memory modules added = 32MB (28MB addressable due to EMU8000 4MB reservation)
Would it be possible to test memory combinations like 2MB+2MB or 8+8 on a real AWE32 or SB32? I don't think this has been verified or tested by anyone from what I can tell (It should work in theory, otherwise the AWE64 Gold with 4MB of base RAM would not have been able to be released with that amount of memory).