* * * POKES & PEEKS * * *

     Did you know that ...  there is a lot of information that may be accessed
from the ROM BIOS area in your IBM PC, regarding the operating characteristics
and  options  found on your own IBM PC?  After carefull analysis of data found
in the IBM Technical Reference manual a summary of the most useful information
and where/how it may be referenced has been prepared.  

     By  specifying  a  DEF  SEG=&H40  in any BASIC program, it is possible to
reference the following vectors (fields) in the ROM BIOS area by using a  PEEK
function  and the following offsets from the current segment as defined by the
DEF SEG statement.  

&H0  -  RS232  Addresses on your IBM PC.  This will allow you to tell how many
	(up to four) async cards are attached, if any.  

&H8  -  Printer  Addresses  on  your  IBM PC.  This will tell you what printer
	addresses,  and  how many (up to four) exist.  Each is addressed by a two
	byte Hex value.  

&H10  -  Equipment  Flag.   This  field  describes  the setting of the options
	switches.  It describes what optional devices are attached to the system.
	The following lists the bit-significance of this field: 

	Bit 0 - indicates that there  are  diskette    drives  on the system.  
	Bit 1 - not used.  
	Bit 2,3 - Planar Ram Size (00=16K 10=32K 01=48K 11=64K) 
	Bit 4,5 - Initial  Video  Mode (00=Unused  10=40x25  Color 01=80x25 Color 1		1=80x25 Mono) 
	Bit 6,7 - Number of Disk Drives (00=1 10=2 01=3 11=4) only if bit 0 = 1	 	Bit 8 -  Unused
	Bit 9,10,11 - Number of RS232 Cards attached 
	Bit 12 - Game I/O Attached 
	Bit 13 -  Not  used  
	Bit  14,15 - Number of printers attached 

&H13 - Memory Size in K bytes.  

&H15  - I/O RAM Size in K bytes.   

&H17  - Keyboard Flag -- the following lists the masks set to describe current
	keyboard status: 

Byte  1;  

	&H80 - Insert  state  active  
	&H40 - Caps Lock State Has been toggled 
	&H20 - Num Lock State has been toggled 
	&H10 - Scroll  Lock  State  has  been  toggled  
	&H08 - Alternate  Shift  key depressed 
	&H04 - Control Shift key depressed 
	&H02 - Left Shift key depressed 
	&H01 - Right Shift key depressed 
	
Byte 2; 
		
	&H80 - Insert Key is depressed 
	&H40 - Caps Lock  Key  is  depressed  
	&H20 - Num  Lock  Key  is depressed  
	&H10 - Scroll  Lock  key is depressed 
	&H08 - Suspend key has been toggled 
	&H49 - Current CRT mode &H00 - 40x25 BW  
	&H01 - 40x25  Color  
	&H02 - 80x25  BW  
	&H03 - 80x25  Color 
	&H04 - 320x200 Color 
	&H05 - 320x200 BW 
	&H06 - 640x200 BW 
	&H07 - 80x25 B&W Card -- specialized use, used internal  to  the
			video  routines.   
	&H4A - Number of CRT columns 
	&H50 - Cursor Position (one of eight) 
	&H60 - Current cursor mode  
	&H6C - Low word of Timer count 
	&H6E - High word  of Timer count 
	&H71 - &H07 - Break key depressed 
	&HFA6E - Beginning of character regen memory  
	&HFF53 - PRTSC routine address  
unt 
	&H71 - &H07 - Break key depressed 
	&HFA6E - Beginning of character regen mem