REX: Difference between revisions

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== What Is REX ==
[[Image:Red_logo_small.png||center]]<br/>


REX is completely plug and play flash memory upgrade. REX plugs
<big> '''REX Products for Model T laptops! '''</big>
into the Option ROM slot, with no soldering or necessity to open
the laptop case.


Rex provides support for up to 8
in-circuit selectable option roms. That means, you can have 8 different
software packages on one Option ROM, and select between them without
physically unplugging anything.


In addition, REX is in-circuit, software
<table border="0">
reprogrammable. That means you can change, patch, or replace replace an Option ROM image
<tr><td>[[Image:REXCPM.PNG]]        </td><td>    All of REX + CP/M support!    ---></td><td>[[REXCPM]]    </td><td>[[Image:rexcpm.jpg]]</td></tr>
without any special hardware or physically unplugging REX.
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Image:REXsharp.PNG]]      </td><td>    Next Gen Flash based REX      ---></td><td>[[REXsharp|REX#]]  </td><td>[[Image:rexsharp.jpg]]</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
</table>


== REX Manager ==


REX comes pre-programmed with release 1 REX Manager software. REX
<big> '''How to order  --->[[Ordering Information]] '''</big>
Manager allows you to pick which of the 8 ROM images is the one
currently in use.


REX Manager operates "behind the scenes" to make sure the currently
selected Option ROM image is automatically enabled on every power cycle.
This is an impressive trick since REX does not receive power while
the laptop is off (unlike the RAM memory circuit).


Also, REX Manager is able to do this without using up any precious RAM space!
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Type'''||'''Supported Models'''||'''Memory type'''||'''Memory permanent?'''||'''CP/M?'''||'''Option ROMs?'''||'''RAM backups?'''||'''PCB2MOLEX Carrier?'''||'''Robustness improvements?'''
|-
|REXCPM||M100, T102||Static RAM, 2MB or 4MB||NO - SRAM||YES||YES||YES||YES||YES
|-
|REXsharp||M100, T102, T200, NEC||Flash, 1MB||YES- FLASH||NO||YES||YES||YES||YES
|-
|}


== Advanced Main ROM Replacement Mode (OPTIONAL) ==
  Memory permanenance:  After using REXCPM, if you were to remove it from the laptop, it would eventually discharge
  and the memory contents would degrade.  So, you have the extra work of backing up REXCPM if you want to remove it,
  with a subsequent restore when you want to use it again.
  REX#, being flash based, does not have this issue.


For users that with the do-it-yourself spirit, an optional
feature of REX can be enabled.


With a single wire soldered in place, REX permits BASIC ROM replacement!


This means that you can disable the hard coded ROM
No longer orderable (from me), and end-of-support:
on your motherboard and replace it with a specific block of the 1MB of
<table border="0">
flash that is dedicated to act as if it was the Main ROM. So, you can
<tr><td>[[Image:REXclassic.PNG]]    </td><td>    Classic Flash based REX      ---></td><td>[[REXclassic]]</td></tr>
upgrade your OS with little tweaks like Y2K, the lomem patch, new
</table>
character sets, and other things that get dreamed up.


== Installing REX Manager ==


From a cold restart, simply typing
[[Category:Model T Hardware]]
<code><pre>CALL 63012</pre></code>
 
will install the REX system.
 
To start REX Manager, press reset and hold the ESC key.  Then from
basic type:
<code><pre>CALL 911</pre></code>
REX Manager will start, allowing you to manage
which ROMs stored in REX can be used, and when.
 
== Additional Utilities ==
 
A separately loadable utility will allow you to burn rom images into REX.
 
== Future Roadmap ==
 
Future releases of REX will have a built in file system for managing
REX files, TPDD files and RAM files.
 
There will be approx. 512K of
file storage.

Latest revision as of 05:28, 1 April 2022

Red logo small.png


REX Products for Model T laptops!


REXCPM.PNG All of REX + CP/M support! --->REXCPM Rexcpm.jpg
REXsharp.PNG Next Gen Flash based REX --->REX# Rexsharp.jpg


How to order --->Ordering Information


Type Supported Models Memory type Memory permanent? CP/M? Option ROMs? RAM backups? PCB2MOLEX Carrier? Robustness improvements?
REXCPM M100, T102 Static RAM, 2MB or 4MB NO - SRAM YES YES YES YES YES
REXsharp M100, T102, T200, NEC Flash, 1MB YES- FLASH NO YES YES YES YES 
  Memory permanenance:  After using REXCPM, if you were to remove it from the laptop, it would eventually discharge 
  and the memory contents would degrade.  So, you have the extra work of backing up REXCPM if you want to remove it,
  with a subsequent restore when you want to use it again.
  REX#, being flash based, does not have this issue.


No longer orderable (from me), and end-of-support:

REXclassic.PNG Classic Flash based REX --->REXclassic
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