80col+EGA-stuff TI-99/4A - TMS9938/9958: 80 Col & Enhanced Graphics HW&SW

[Omega-TI]

Here's a break...

[+mizapf]

Or this one.

 

 

(reminding of the Brazil-Germany FIFA World Cup match 2014)

[Omega-TI]

^^^

Your's is better, and refreshing too!

[TonB]

.

...and we have "EXB80 - 80 Kolommen in Extended Basic v1.0" from Tonny Brouwer, Netherlands, 1992

 

 

I remember! What I did there was simply switch the 9938 to 80 col mode in the interrupt (in an unused piece of RAM) and copy the contents of the 32-col screen into the 80 col screen. So you don't really have 80 columns to type in. But the effect was cool. (Geez why do I remember this).

[+Schmitzi]

.

...so far for the good way

 

But before I get mad (by entering data AND fiddling PDFs), here a small "interims report"....

(This lists are only filtered by one word (9918, 9938 etc ssee title) on the column "Label or Chip")

 

9918-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-V9918-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

9938-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-V9938-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

9958-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-V9958-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

80-Columns-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-80COL-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

F18A-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-F18A-ALL-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

(how am I driving ?)

[RickyDean]

.

...so far for the good way

 

But before I get mad (by entering data AND fiddling PDFs), here a small "interims report"....

(This lists are only filtered by one word (9918, 9938 etc ssee title) on the column "Label or Chip")

 

9918-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-V9918-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

9938-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-V9938-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

9958-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-V9958-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

80-Columns-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-80COL-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

F18A-related:

TI-99-4A-EGA-F18A-ALL-v1.14-beta.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

(how am I driving ?)

Hey that looks like one that I may buy from the auction to strip for the parts

[globeron]

This is the pin-out for the Mechatronic 80 Column side-car device.

 

Normally this device is connected to a RGB monitor (= SCART plug ?), but I do not have this cable.

 

I think it is possible, but can I make a 9-PIN SUB-D connector to connect to a composite signal?

(tulip connectors) to connect to an LCD screen ?

 

I need some help to know which pin connects to which tulip connector?

[+Ksarul]

The output is always going to be RGB from this card, IIRC. Looking at the connector pin out, you don't have a composite video out on any of the pins--you just have the R, G, B, and SYNC signals required for an RGB connection. Unless one of the signals listed as OPEN (Pins 6 and 9) are unlabeled composite out (and note, the sound is also not output here, you have to grab that from the original video connector on the TI), you aren't going to be able to do this without some kind of signal adapter. . .

[globeron]

In the manual they mention a "video to composite" cable is available ?

ftp://kirklanduncorked.com/datasheets%20and%20manuals/Hardware/Mechatronic/mechatronics%2080%20column%20peripheral%20manual.pdf

 

For the sound output I understand (I have the cable for that), it is the same as when installing the F18A VGA.

 

All pictures of the installation in the console:

www.globeron.com/freedownload/services/TI99/Mechatronic-80-Colum-Card-Install.zip

 

 

But there is another component here (which I did not install in the system as it was not described),

no clue what it is, but it looks it need to be installed at the location where the old video chip was and

then mount the connecter-ribbon cable on top of it. Then it means that some pins of the chip cannot be mounted.

(if it need to be mounted at the old video location, it probably need to be with the "gap-indicator" (at the front of the picture below),

same as the old video chip has, they indicate it with a white arrow on the chip-socket..

 

Also there are 2x little green connectors (3-Pin) attached to it.

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by globeron

[+Ksarul]

It is likely that they were using one of the NC pins (6 or 9) for composite out then--but I can't be sure. On the other connector, that one is a bit strange. I'm not quite sure what it might be for, other than that it looks like it goes into the VDP socket. . ..

[+Schmitzi]

what is at the end of the blue cable ? i cannot see?

just the plug for the vdp-socket ?

maybe this strange adapter (with the 2 small green connectors) comes first, into the VDP-Socket,

and then the blue cable into it ? ? (MAYBE)!

But please be careful with that. only do it if u know what u do....

and if so, you should know where this 2 green ones have to go to.

but this maybe can be seen by their length....

and I read about that no power is needed for the 80-extension,

only if other devices are connected on irs right side (maybe the Mechtronik 128k?)

But here too: I don't know for sure.

I have a unit which seems to be completely mounted, but I can check earliest on weekend...

[globeron]

Probably no converter is needed as the RGB is on the LCD-screen.

 

but now it need to be mapped to these pins:

 

 

3,4,5 = R, G, B I can map

1,2 Ground 2x (to which cables) ?

7 +5V ?

8. Synchronisation TTL ?

 

6,9 Open (not used)

[+Schmitzi]

sure that this is RGB ?

maybe have a look at the TV's manual...

(I had problems with that, but unsolved up to today)

[globeron]

what is at the end of the blue cable ? i cannot see?

just the plug for the vdp-socket ?

maybe this strange adapter (with the 2 small green connectors) comes first, into the VDP-Socket,

and then the blue cable into it ? ? (MAYBE)!

But please be careful with that. only do it if u know what u do....

and if so, you should know where this 2 green ones have to go to.

but this maybe can be seen by their length....

and I read about that no power is needed for the 80-extension,

only if other devices are connected on irs right side (maybe the Mechtronik 128k?)

But here too: I don't know for sure.

I have a unit which seems to be completely mounted, but I can check earliest on weekend...

 

Here is a better picture, it is only the socket with ribbon cable to extend till the 80 column card

 

the gap in the cable is to route it around the module/cartridge connector on the board

 

No clue about the other item, maybe the green connectors need to be plugged into the back of

the card (as there are 8-pins, but also no clue for what it is? Maybe for the mouse ?)

green connector cables are large.

 

Power is needed for the card, otherwise you cannot turn it on (at the front is a power switch with red light indicator)

 

Also read in the manual about the 2-buttons and also note the dip-switch settings (PAL vs NTSC) and the last one for

CRU 1000 (all switches need to be on, the red switch)

Edited February 17, 2016 by globeron

[globeron]

sure that this is RGB ?

maybe have a look at the TV's manual...

(I had problems with that, but unsolved up to today)

 

I think it is (brand is Sansui model SLT-22N)

 

it has many connectors (quite useful actually)

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by globeron

[+Schmitzi]

.

I think this is the right cable, including the sound:

 

 

[globeron]

http://www.ambery.com/rgbcgatovgac.html

.

I think this is the right cable, including the sound:

 

 

Mechatronic-80column-RMS--05.jpg

 

Yes that looks like it. Can you do me a favour to measure the pins from SCART to the D9-SUB plug ?

 

 

Yesterday I spent 7 hours trying to make a cable.

 

1. RGB to VGA (that does not work as RGB is 15 Khz and LCD/VGA is 31 Khz)

and something with no screen resolutions supported on the LCD screen

Need something like a converter: http://www.ambery.com/rgbcgatovgac.html

 

2. RGB to SCART (like your cable), but I do not have a SCART plug on my LCD

nor I have an RGB-monitor, but I have a Panasonic VCR NV-630, with AV-SCART.

 

VCR works on LCD (AV1) and AV2 is the EXT and should work.

but I guess I am doing something wrong with the pins, I managed to trigger and get

a black screen now.

- might be the cable (that I do not connect the right pins), I try to follow:

 

http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/gamescart/gamescart.htm#megamstr

(but not too sure about the resistors, etc., and the +5V connector

 

 

and

http://www.syncblaster.com/RGBfaq.html

 

- might be the dipswitches

- synchronisation TTL? --> I connected to SCART 20 (Composite Video, like they did for the Sega)

 

but it need to be mapped to these pins:

[+Schmitzi]

.

...added some items to the lists:

 

EDIT1 - 40/80-column-editor for Editor/Assembler (Fred Kaal, Ti994W)

BallyHoo - InfoCom

TERM80 - Jeff Brown

[globeron]

With help from Schmitzi, I made the correct RGB to Scart cable, but this is the result:

 

I cannot get further than white dots moving on the screen.

Video: www.globeron.com/freedownload/services/TI99/Ronald-Mechatronic-80-Kol-Card.mp4

 

My guess is that it has to do with synchronization (? TTL Sync?) or that the VCR or the LCD screen cannot handle it?

(sometimes the white dots move downwards, when I play around with the dipswitches)

 

1. VCR to TV is okay (as I can view videos, etc.)

2. Not too sure if the VCR can pass through the signals for 80 Column mode to the LCD (or can decode it properly)

3. Also I do not have an older TV with SCART/RGB to test directly into the TV.

[+Schmitzi]

Mechatronic-80 - some "adaptions" (TI-Forth, PASC´99, CorComp .... )

 

Martin Trabi, 15.02.1987

 

 

Mechatronik-80-Adaptions-Forth-Pascal--M.Trabi-1987-Grey2_OCR.pdf

[+Schmitzi]

.

Mechatronic-80 - German Manual (maybe via Peter Kleinschmidt)

 

 

...this was a bit fiddling to get to PDF

 

 

Mechatronik-80-Manual-GER-Kleinschmidt-RMS-OCR.pdf

[+Schmitzi]

Hi,

 

I made a small Pinout for a special Mechatronic 80-col scart-cable. It came with my unit.

As I am having problems with the card at the moment, this cable is NOT confirmed yet,

(but highly assumed to be correct)

 

see the cable (with sound):

 

 

 

the document: Mechatronic-80col-SCART-CABLE-with-DIN6-plug-RMS02.pdf

 

 

a preview:

 

 

[+Schmitzi]

With help from Schmitzi, I made the correct RGB to Scart cable, but this is the result:

 

I cannot get further than white dots moving on the screen.

Video: www.globeron.com/freedownload/services/TI99/Ronald-Mechatronic-80-Kol-Card.mp4

 

My guess is that it has to do with synchronization (? TTL Sync?) or that the VCR or the LCD screen cannot handle it?

(sometimes the white dots move downwards, when I play around with the dipswitches)

 

1. VCR to TV is okay (as I can view videos, etc.)

2. Not too sure if the VCR can pass through the signals for 80 Column mode to the LCD (or can decode it properly)

3. Also I do not have an older TV with SCART/RGB to test directly into the TV.

 

 

Hi,

 

In the manual something is described that you have to press the left of this two buttons if screen is NOT coming up...

Maybe you don´t need to fiddle - as described in the manual - with a pencil through the housing,

as you have this external button applied.... Maybe THIS is your solution ?

Also seen my scan from today (J. Böning) for that, and maybe in any other manual...

the right button has NO function

 

 

 

xXx

[+jedimatt42]

I suspect in olden days, the TV's handled sync cleaning/stripping themselves. If it looks like an inability to get a sync, then following the circuit diagram in the reference document for an LM1881 chip may help. It is hard to tell from any technical material for a display if that is necessary, but building that circuit is fairly inexpensive. To get the RGBS input on the GBS-8200 upscaler to accept the Geneve's output, it required the sync cleaning circuit. In contrast, the FrameMeister XRGB-mini was totallly happy with the unmodified Geneve output, as were a number of older multi-sync displays.

 

I don't have any practice in SCART, but was recently reading ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART) that the proper voltage has to be applied to a one of the input pins ( pin 16 ) to control the mode of input (composite or RGB) that the display device should process. Maybe the lack of picture is from it looking for the composite input on the SCART connector if pin 16 isn't selecting RGB?

 

I am guessing.

[globeron]

I think you are right that probably the TV does the synchronization for SCART (?)

(I do not think my Panasonic HD NV 630 (http://elektrotanya.com/panasonic_nv-hd628_hd630.pdf/download.html)

does the synchronisation, not too sure, but it should be able to record SCART input as well?)

 

In my setup I forgot to mention that the VCR-SCART to the LCD screen is composite video (not sure if that is the issue)

 

Before trying out a cable like this:

SCART to HDMI http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1080P-SCART-To-HDMI-Video-Audio-Upscale-Converter-Adapter-HD-TV-DVD-SKy-Box-AH85-/201544739501

RGB to VGA: http://www.ambery.com/rgbcgatovgac.html

RGB to Composite Video: http://retrorgb.com/converters.html

 

Then I probably have to wait until next month in Netherlands, my father has a

Scart TV and TI-99/4A + 80 Col. card to do a comparison test (but he has a different EEPROM version,

because of the CRU settings of the Corcomp diskcontroller)

 

(I also do not know if there are SCART / EURO TVs in Asia, have not seen one so far).