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== What Is REX ==
<big> '''REX Products for Model T laptops! '''</big>
 
REX is completely plug and play flash memory upgrade. REX plugs into the Option ROM slot, with no soldering or necessity to open the laptop case.
 
 
The primary features of REX are:
 
 
* REX allows for quick and easy switching between OPTION ROM images.  Once the binary software images are loaded into REX, the user can easily jump back and forth between different applications.  16 OPTION ROMs may be loaded, stored and used.
 
 
* REX provides the ability to backup and swap working RAM images.  At the press of a key, your current RAM contents are saved in REX.  Furthermore, you can reload any saved RAM image for use.  This creates a library of RAM images, which has a number of uses.  This offers an easy way to quickly backup all RAM to flash, or switch between multiple snapshots of RAM. This is similar to the "fast switch environments" on Remem: it is like having multiple laptops in the same case! 16 RAM images may be stored.
 
 
* REX includes an interface to TPDD devices (like TPDD, NADSbox, LaddieCon etc) for loading and saving binary images to external storage.
 
 
In addition, REX is in-circuit, software reprogrammable. That means you can change, patch, or replace an Option ROM image without any special hardware or physically unplugging REX.
 
 
 
For advanced users, REX provides some additional features:
 
 
* REX distinguishes between traditional OPTION ROM software, and alternative OS software which runs from the option rom memory location.  This allows for some interesting future capabilities like CP/M or a FORTH based system.
 
 
* REX also supports "Main ROM Replacement".  This means that, with the addition of a single wire, the main rom on the laptop may be replaced by a version stored in REX.  This allows for flash-upgradeable main ROM images, to support patches, custom Menu and character sets, LOMEM patch, Y2K patch etc.
 
 
 
REX may be installed in Model 100 and Tandy 102 currently.  Tandy 200 support is not yet available but is in development.




<table border="0">
<tr><td>[[Image:REXCPM.PNG]]        </td><td>    All of REX + CP/M support!    ---></td><td>[[REXCPM]]    </td><td>[[Image:rexcpm.jpg]]</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Image:REXsharp.PNG]]      </td><td>    Next Gen Flash based REX      ---></td><td>[[REXsharp]]  </td><td>[[Image:rexsharp.jpg]]</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
</table>




'''REX is available exclusively through Club100.'''
<big> How to order  ---></big>[[Ordering Information]]




{| class="wikitable"
|'''Type'''||'''Supported Models'''||'''Memory type'''||'''CP/M?'''||'''Option ROMs?'''||'''RAM backups?'''||'''PCB2MOLEX Carrier?'''||'''Robustness improvements?'''
|-
|REXCPM||M100, T102||Static RAM, 2MB or 4MB||YES||YES||YES||YES||YES
|-
|REXsharp||M100, T102, T200, NEC||Flash, 1MB||NO||YES||YES||YES||YES
|-
|}


[[Image:REX_installed.jpg]]


[[Media:Rex_OverviewV4.2.pdf|REX Overview PDF]]


[[REX Installation]]
No longer orderable (from me), and end-of-support:
 
<table border="0">
[[REX Manager Documentation]]
<tr><td>[[Image:REXclassic.PNG]]   </td><td>   Classic Flash based REX      ---></td><td>[[REXclassic]]</td></tr>
 
[[REX Software and Utilities]]
 
[[Main ROM Replacement]]
 
[[Media:M100_REX_tested.zip|REX Validated ROM Images for M100/T102]]
 
 
 
 
 
== Installing the REX System- It's Easy ==
 
In order to initialize the laptop to use REX, you must install the REX system.
 
From a cold restart, power cycle the laptop and then simply type
<code><pre>CALL 63012</pre></code>
 
to install the REX system, which installs one hook in the timer, includes two short programs.
 
* first, an invisible file called RXHOOK which contains a special machine language routine that interacts with the timer hook in the laptop, to ensure that REX is properly configured on power up.
 
* and a visible basic program called REXMGR.BA.  This program contains a short embedded machine language routine that starts the REX Manager software on command.
 
You should see a program in the Menu called REXMGR.BA.  Running this program will always start the REX Manager software.
 
== Future Roadmap ==
 
REX2 will be available in the near future.  It provides additional blocks of SRAM, allowing an all RAM mode of operation, for CP/M support.
 
 
 
 
 
 
== Enhancement Requests ==
 
<table border="1">
<tr><td>Status</td><td>Description</td><td>Requester / Date</td></tr>
<tr><td>Unknown</td><td>Support import of file from frozen RAM image to the thawed RAM image. RAM images can be used in a way similar to subdirectories. Therefore it is useful to be able to retrieve files from frozen RAM images</td><td>[[User:Jhoger|Jhoger]] 08:16, 16 April 2009 (PDT)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Done R4.3</td><td>Suggestion: make the TAB order OptROM, RAM image, Main ROM since Main ROM switch will be significantly less used. (order is now RAM ROM OS SYS)</td><td>[[User:Jhoger|Jhoger]] 19:54, 18 April 2009 (PDT)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Done R4.3</td><td>Add a visual progress indicator for flash functions.</td><td>[[User:Sadolph|Sadolph]] 04:36, 19 April 2009 (PDT)</td></tr>
<tr><td>unknown</td><td>Support for TPDD-2, for drive 1: (0: is supported).</td><td>[[User:Sadolph|Sadolph]] 04:36, 19 April 2009 (PDT)</td></tr>
</table>
</table>


nb: to put a username+datestamp just type 4 tildes <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>


[[Category:Model T Hardware]]
[[Category:Model T Hardware]]

Revision as of 12:35, 10 June 2020

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 --->REXsharp Rexsharp.jpg


How to order --->Ordering Information


Type Supported Models Memory type CP/M? Option ROMs? RAM backups? PCB2MOLEX Carrier? Robustness improvements?
REXCPM M100, T102 Static RAM, 2MB or 4MB YES YES YES YES YES
REXsharp M100, T102, T200, NEC Flash, 1MB NO YES YES YES YES


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

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