CMD RAMLink

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The RAMLink was one of several RAM expansion products made by Creative Micro Designs (CMD) for Commodore's C64/128 home computers. The RAMLink was intended as a third-party alternative and successor 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.

[edit] Features

• Allows up to 16 MiB of expansion RAM. The expansion memory can be provided by a combination of 30-pin SIMM RAM on an internal card, a Commodore 17xx-series REU (or a clone) plugged into the RAM Port, or a GeoRAM.
• Provides its own copy of JiffyDOS, allowing accelerated operation with any other JiffyDOS-equipped disk device.
• Full set of partitioning tools and DOS commands.
• 1541, 1571 and 1581 disk-layout emulation modes
• One partition type provides Direct-access REU-like capability
• Secondary power socket and on-board charging circuit to accept a 6 volt "sealed" lead acid backup battery.
• Battery-backed real time clock for time and date stamping of files, if the internal RAM card is present.
• Includes drivers to allow GEOS to use its memory as either a replacement for swap space, or as a regular 'disk' drive.
• Custom parallel connection for the CMD HD Series line of hard drives.
• Pass-through expansion port
• On-device buttons to swap device numbers with other drives, switches to disable or change the way in which 17xx-series REUs are handles.

[edit] References

• Creative Micro Designs (1990). CMD RAMLink User's Manual, third edition. (supplied with the hardware)