The RAMLink is one of several
RAM
Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to:
* A male sheep
* Random-access memory, computer memory
* Ram Trucks, US, since 2009
** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans
** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks
Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...
expansion products that was made by
Creative Micro Designs (CMD) for
Commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (India), in India
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...
's
C64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness Wor ...
/
128 128 may refer to
*128 (number), a natural number
*AD 128, a year in the 2nd century AD
*128 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC
*128 (New Jersey bus)
*128 Nemesis, a main-belt asteroid
*Fiat 128, also known as the Zastava 128, a small family car
**SEAT ...
home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers that entered the market in 1977 and became common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a s ...
s. The RAMLink was intended as a third-party alternative, successor and optionally companion to Commodore's own
17xx-series REU RAM expansion cartridges.
Unlike the REU, the RAMLink is externally powered and designed from the ground-up to act as a
RAM disk
A RAM drive (also called a RAM disk) is a block of random-access memory ( primary storage or volatile memory) that a computer's software is treating as if the memory were a disk drive (secondary storage). RAM drives provide high-performance te ...
.
Features
* Allows up to 16 MB of expansion RAM. The expansion memory can be provided by a combination of 30-pin SIMM RAM on an internal card, a Commodore REU, Commodore 17xx-series REU (or a clone) plugged into the RAM Port, or a GeoRAM.
* Provides its own copy of Creative Micro Designs, JiffyDOS, allowing accelerated operation with any other Jiffy DOS-equipped disk device, as well as shorthand commands (DOS Wedge) to conveniently access any other connected storage devices.
* Full set of disk partition, partitioning tools and DOS commands.
* Commodore 1541, Commodore 1571, 1571 and Commodore 1581, 1581 disk-layout emulation modes
* One partition type provides direct memory access, Direct-access REU-like capability
* Secondary power socket and on-board charging circuit to accept a 6-volt VRLA, "sealed" Lead-Acid Battery, lead acid backup battery.
* Battery-backed real time clock for time and date stamping of files, if the internal RAM card is present.
* Includes device driver, drivers to allow GEOS (8-bit operating system), GEOS to use its memory as either a replacement for swap space, or as a regular 'disk' drive.
* Custom parallel connection for the Creative Micro Designs, CMD HD Series line of hard drives.
* Passthrough (electronics), Pass-through expansion port for standard cartridges (e.g. Action Replay, Super Snapshot)
* On-device buttons to swap device numbers with other drives, switches to disable 17xx-series REUs or change their handling.
References
* Creative Micro Designs (1990). ''CMD RAMLink User's Manual, third edition.'' (supplied with the hardware)
External links
* Technical info, Games & Utilities
Home computer peripherals
Memory expansion
Commodore 64, CMD RAMLink
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