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Memory allocations – Dell Precision 620 User Manual

Page 75

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Memory Allocations

A microprocessor and programs operating under MS-DOS

®

(real-mode operation) can address only 1 megabyte (MB) (1024 kilobytes [KB]) of

system memory. This area is divided into conventional memory (sometimes called base memory) and upper memory. All system memory above
this 1 MB is called extended memory and cannot be directly addressed by MS-DOS-based programs without the aid of memory-managing
software.

Table 10 provides a map of the conventional memory area. When the processor or a program addresses a location within the conventional
memory range, it is physically addressing a location in main memory, which is the only area of memory it can address under MS-DOS.

Table 10. Conventional Memory Map

Table 11 provides a map of the upper memory area. Some of these addresses are dedicated to various system devices, such as the system
BIOS. Others are available for use by expansion cards and/or an expanded memory manager (EMM). When the microprocessor or a program
addresses a location within the upper memory area, it is physically addressing a location within one of these devices.

Table 11. Upper Memory Map

IRQ Line

Used By/Available

IRQ0

System timer

IRQ1

Keyboard controller

IRQ2

Interrupt controller (enables IRQ8 through IRQ15)

IRQ3
and IRQ4

Serial ports (if enabled in System Setup program)

IRQ5

Available

IRQ6

Diskette drive interface

IRQ7

Parallel port (if enabled in System Setup program)

IRQ8

RTC

IRQ9

ACPI

IRQ10

Available

IRQ11

Available

IRQ12

Mouse controller

IRQ13

Math coprocessor

IRQ14

Primary EIDE interface (if enabled in System Setup program)

IRQ15

Secondary EIDE interface (if enabled in System Setup program)

NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in the table, see the

Glossary

.

Address Range

Use

00000h-003FFh

Interrupt vector table

00400h-004FFh

BIOS data area

00500h-005FFh

MS-DOS and BASIC work area

00600h-0FFFFh

User memory

10000h-1FFFFh

User memory

20000h-2FFFFh

User memory

30000h-3FFFFh

User memory

40000h-4FFFFh

User memory

50000h-5FFFFh

User memory

60000h-6FFFFh

User memory

70000h-7FFFFh

User memory

80000h-8FFFFh

User memory

90000h-9FBFFh

User memory

NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the

Glossary

.

Address Range

Use