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INPUT/OUTPUT PORTS
Before you begin to work with the programs
and data files stored on a floppy di sk, you
may load the files, or even the contents of
the entire diskette ( if the size of the
expansion m emory is large enough), into the
expansion RAM and work with this "RAM
disk" instead of the actual diskette. Since no
mechani cal movement ·is involved in the
ope ration of the "RAM disk", the
information can be accessed much faster
than a real floppy disk system.
After you have finished with yo ur work,
you can then store the contents of the "RAM
disk", which may be modified, back to the
actual fl oppy disk. Notice that since the
floppy disk is only accessed twice in the
entire process, damage to the diskette due to
mechanical movement is greatly reduced.
The expansion RAM is recogni zed by some
opera ting systems (e.g. Pascal version 1.3 or
later versions and ProDOS®) and will be
formatted as a storage device automatically.
However if you want to use the expansion
RAM directly, you can refer to the
Technical Reference Ma1111al for a detailed
description of the operation of the expansion
RAM.
6.1.7 Port 6 - 5.25" disk drive
The computer has a built-in 5.25" di sk drive
and an external drive connector loca ted on
the back panel for connecting an external
drive.
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