A Newbies Journey with the TIPI

[Omega-TI]

A 30-06 should take care of the issue. Either that, or some tannerite.

 

Elmo loves Tannerite.... but I've not gotten to that point yet! HA HA!

 

[+jedimatt42]

To the community:

 

I understand debugging and being crowd-sourced QA is frustrating... But it is that, or I hold these things back, and never release them trying to determine if they are perfect or not, or keep it for myself simply satisfied that it works for what I need.

 

Helping the community out with use cases, problem files, and debugging information is an essential contribution!

 

99% of the time I only run what would be less than 1% of the software available. So I'm a horrible test case for what you guys expect out of a storage system.

 

You absolutely need your help!

 

-M@

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Thanks for trying M@, but...

 

 

 

Just out of curiosity, did you name the .HFe disk image with the label (volume) "TIPI"? If so, you might want to change the label so that you know for sure the DSK1 you are accessing is the physical legacy drive versus the TIPI mapped drive. (My assumption based on the screenshots is that "TIPI" is returned as the volume name for some or all catalog access on the tipi device).

[+jedimatt42]

Just out of curiosity, did you name the .HFe disk image with the label (volume) "TIPI"? If so, you might want to change the label so that you know for sure the DSK1 you are accessing is the physical legacy drive versus the TIPI mapped drive. (My assumption based on the screenshots is that "TIPI" is returned as the volume name for some or all catalog access on the tipi device).

 

That is a sharp observation... I'll have to check that code. The expected behavior is that the directory name that is mapped as DSK1 is used as the volume name. Maybe I'm interfering with the Catalog file when a drive is not mapped... (checked: Devices "TIPI." "DSK0." "DSK4." and "WDS1." return a volume name of "TIPI", mapped DSK1-3 use the last segment of the name as mapped)

 

In this case, that record looks to me like it is coming from the real floppy, as tipi always returns - used: 0, size: 1440, free: 1438 - always.

 

I'm mulling around ideas to be appropriately accurate, as appropriate.

 

-M@

[Omega-TI]

THANKS! I have plenty of time to devote to this tomorrow. I'll check that out, (just in case), do the log and even make a video if necessary.

[+9640News]

I've got a few requests after receiving my TIPI-PEB card.

 

I would ask that there be a reference/card placed in the package indicating where one can go to get the information on setting up and wiring a RPI to the TIPI for future sales. If I had seen the small print on the card for the cwfk.net website, I would not have known to even go there.

 

My package had two sets of 4-wire connectors. It is not obvious to me what gets wired to which posts or connectors on the TIPI-Peb and on the RPI. I did find one photo that indicated to NOT wire up the wrong end on the RPI, but other than that, I do not know where those wires connect on the RPI to where they connect on the TIPI. The information at http://ti994a.cwfk.net/TIPI.htmldoes not show any pictures on how things should be cabled.

 

I thought I read in one of the topics here a mini-SD card would be included all setup. Was surprised when I did not see it in the packaging. I did not see a second purchase option for buying a preconfigured mini-SD card was on ArcadeShopper. Would suggest adding information to the product description detailing one can either order the card, or they would need to make their own SD card from the provided image. Just a suggestion.

 

Beery

[Omega-TI]

I saw photos...

( I ripped off M@'s images and simplified it. )

SIMPLE HOOKUP.pdf

[+jedimatt42]

I've got a few requests after receiving my TIPI-PEB card.

 

I would ask that there be a reference/card placed in the package indicating where one can go to get the information on setting up and wiring a RPI to the TIPI for future sales. If I had seen the small print on the card for the cwfk.net website, I would not have known to even go there.

 

My package had two sets of 4-wire connectors. It is not obvious to me what gets wired to which posts or connectors on the TIPI-Peb and on the RPI. I did find one photo that indicated to NOT wire up the wrong end on the RPI, but other than that, I do not know where those wires connect on the RPI to where they connect on the TIPI. The information at http://ti994a.cwfk.net/TIPI.htmldoes not show any pictures on how things should be cabled.

 

I thought I read in one of the topics here a mini-SD card would be included all setup. Was surprised when I did not see it in the packaging. I did not see a second purchase option for buying a preconfigured mini-SD card was on ArcadeShopper. Would suggest adding information to the product description detailing one can either order the card, or they would need to make their own SD card from the provided image. Just a suggestion.

 

Beery

 

Doh, I forgot to update that for the Peb board... it's sooooo the same as the sideport board, that I overlooked it.

 

-M@

[+arcadeshopper]

I've got a few requests after receiving my TIPI-PEB card.

 

I would ask that there be a reference/card placed in the package indicating where one can go to get the information on setting up and wiring a RPI to the TIPI for future sales. If I had seen the small print on the card for the cwfk.net website, I would not have known to even go there.

 

My package had two sets of 4-wire connectors. It is not obvious to me what gets wired to which posts or connectors on the TIPI-Peb and on the RPI. I did find one photo that indicated to NOT wire up the wrong end on the RPI, but other than that, I do not know where those wires connect on the RPI to where they connect on the TIPI. The information at http://ti994a.cwfk.net/TIPI.htmldoes not show any pictures on how things should be cabled.

 

I thought I read in one of the topics here a mini-SD card would be included all setup. Was surprised when I did not see it in the packaging. I did not see a second purchase option for buying a preconfigured mini-SD card was on ArcadeShopper. Would suggest adding information to the product description detailing one can either order the card, or they would need to make their own SD card from the provided image. Just a suggestion.

 

Beery

Thanks Berry it states they are required in the description and they are listed below as related items. I'll be putting up Pi's as well.

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

[+jedimatt42]

I'll work on revamping the docs... And getting a more concise description to Greg to put up on the store-front..

 

I want to drive people to github for the reference material. And improve the material there to be a worthy single source...

 

For instance, this page is accurate, but not user friendly: https://github.com/jedimatt42/tipi/wiki/TIPI-to-PI-Wiring

 

-M@

[+9640News]

 

Doh, I forgot to update that for the Peb board... it's sooooo the same as the sideport board, that I overlooked it.

 

-M@

 

Easy enough to overlook. You have a lot on your plate. What is obvious to you wasn't immediately obvious to me, and I did not want to wire something up incorrectly. I knew if I had questions, others could be scratchng their heads as well.

 

Beery

[jonecool]

I forgot to add the video below to this thread, may be helpful to assist new TIPI users or those who haven't seen it yet. Most of this video should be applicable to the PEB or Sidecar version of the TIPI, however I'm only currently using the sidecar version which is shown primarily at the very beginning.

 

Edited August 20, 2018 by jonecool

[+9640News]

Well, I am finally online with the TIPI-PEBox card. I've got a Myarc HFDC with with the Myarc 512K card in the system. Ended up changing the DSR to >1800 and got things working.

It did take some time to figure out how to run the Telnet client as it was not immediately obvious I needed to go to EA, Option #5, and type in TIPI.NET.TELNET<return>.

 

So, all works as far as I know.

Now, need to take some time to read the details on Atariage about the use and make sure I understand it on the TI-99/4A.

Beery

[Shift838]

Well, I am finally online with the TIPI-PEBox card. I've got a Myarc HFDC with with the Myarc 512K card in the system. Ended up changing the DSR to >1800 and got things working.

It did take some time to figure out how to run the Telnet client as it was not immediately obvious I needed to go to EA, Option #5, and type in TIPI.NET.TELNET<return>.

 

So, all works as far as I know.

Now, need to take some time to read the details on Atariage about the use and make sure I understand it on the TI-99/4A.

Beery

 

in TI Basic can't you just do a CALL TIPI("TIPI.NET.TELNET") ??? I think I did it that way before I setup the 9640 menu system, if i recall correctly.

[Omega-TI]

Ended up changing the DSR to >1800 and got things working.

 

I'm going to try that tomorrow evening. I've been getting some seriously funky issues with one new program that is driving me totally stark raving nuts. I'm hoping (although it would not make any sense) that the change may fix it.

[+9640News]

Discovered last night that somewhere in the process of installing the TIPI-PEBox, possibly with cables getting pulled or possibly the HFDC dip switch "quirky", not sure which, that Fred Kaal's Disk Manager (or was that Disk Utilities) was not seeing the HFDC CRU bases.

 

It is seeing it now, but somewhere along the route, there was an issue over the weekend.

 

I've got enough of a handle on the situation with the TIPI now, that I am going to move it over into my Geneve system either tonight or tomorrow.

 

Beery

[+9640News]

A couple of questions.......

 

I am in the process of using TIDIR to copy some source files into a subdirectory on TIPI. The main source file has references to DSK1. I assume there is no issue changing the path to TIPI.SOURCECODE.SRC_FILE1, TIPI.SOURCECODE.SRC_FILE2, etc. and assembling the object files and saving out on the TIPI as well?

 

Can I assume correctly that when I go to link and then save the program image file out, there will be no problems saving it to a TIPI subdirectory?

 

Beery

[+9640News]

Second question in this thread. Has anyone already setup Funnelweb with all the utilities, etc. on the TIPI? If you have, could someone zip up those files to be ready and go? Hopefully, Funnelweb is configured outside of a DSKx directory and rather something like TIPI.FWEB. file path.

 

Just trying to save some time getting some basic stuff setup on the TIPI as I would rather spend more time modifying source code to use the TIPI than utilizing what free time I have getting all the utilities ready to go.

 

I've got some time this weekend, and I am going to try and modify the Mass Transfer source code I have to use the TIPI for Telnet to make available file transfer capability. Yes, I realize it uses sector i/o and I need to go to a real floppy drive versus a TIPI emulated drive.

 

Beery

 

[+arcadeshopper]

Second question in this thread. Has anyone already setup Funnelweb with all the utilities, etc. on the TIPI? If you have, could someone zip up those files to be ready and go? Hopefully, Funnelweb is configured outside of a DSKx directory and rather something like TIPI.FWEB. file path.

 

Just trying to save some time getting some basic stuff setup on the TIPI as I would rather spend more time modifying source code to use the TIPI than utilizing what free time I have getting all the utilities ready to go.

 

I've got some time this weekend, and I am going to try and modify the Mass Transfer source code I have to use the TIPI for Telnet to make available file transfer capability. Yes, I realize it uses sector i/o and I need to go to a real floppy drive versus a TIPI emulated drive.

 

Beery

 

 

hadn't considered this yet.. I assumed funlweb is on whtech somewhere.. i found a buncha files in CAT20 in 9640news folders

 

Greg

[+arcadeshopper]

so it runs fine with DSK1 pointed to the folder.. some parts require sectorio which isnt supported but the editor works fine

[+InsaneMultitasker]

I've got some time this weekend, and I am going to try and modify the Mass Transfer source code I have to use the TIPI for Telnet to make available file transfer capability. Yes, I realize it uses sector i/o and I need to go to a real floppy drive versus a TIPI emulated drive.

 

Only the disk catalog routine is sector-based. The file transfers use level 2 IO so you should be good for any single file transfers.

 

It would be good to have an assembly language set of routines for tipi.

[blakespot]

I've read through this thread and it's great seeing how this has evolved over the last few months. I'm another Tipi newbie, having just installed my TipiPEB in my F18A-equipped '99 and I'm loving it so far! But I have a few questions that I don't see directly answered in the wiki or other docs I've looked at, so I thought I'd air them here.

 

For a while now I've been using the FlashROM99 cart to load things into my TI. I've grabbed both cartridge files as well as TIFiles off of TI-99/4A Game Shelf and I _believe_ that I've gotten most of the latter (and all? of the former) I've tried to work, which makes me wonder if cartridge files and TIFiles formats are overlapping or the same, perhaps one having > 32K size potential. I'm not clear on this. I know that the Tipi wants TIFiles format images and presumably can't take cartridge format files.

 

Format aside, I'm also not clear on how to load these images. I know that I can issue CALL TIPI("TIPI.NET.TELNET") to load the telnet client, and I assume the dot notation is speaking of directory structure. I have several dirs sitting beside the NET/ dir on the system: MAIN and DSKS. (I saw the lengthy video where Wagner walks through his setup - helpful, and I followed his dir lead.) If I go through the web-based admin upload process (as I know it converts T9V9 files if needed) and move a TIFiles image called CAVE into MAIN, do I execute it using CALL TIPI("TIPI.MAIN.CAVE")? I've done this very thing (I removed .bin from the CAVE.bin filename) and when I do that, I just get back to the startup TI screen (as if I reset). So that's not working. There may be another process, then, it seems.

 

And, for disk images -- I import disk images to my DSKS dir thru the web admin on Tipi and I understood that MYIMAGE.dsk would turn into a directory called MYIMAGE in the DSKS dir, but it doesn't. Is this not the process? I understand some disk images are ARChived and those won't work in that state. But, once I one way or another end up with DSKS/MYIMAGE/ containing the contents of MYIMAGE.dks, would that be mapped in the CALL TIPI config screen to, say, DSK2 (I have a physical DSK1) by entering the value DSKS.MYIMAGE as the mapping string? (I am aware there is a handy mapper written in BASIC a few months ago that makes this easier, and will get there after I get it working the "hard way".)

 

Also is it possible to run large items like the Don't Mess With Texas demo, simply by mapping to a dir containing it? I assume so as this is effectively a HD system, volume and loose-file based.

 

So, I've gotten things running and done some online gaming and BBSing with the bundled things, but I've yet to install something in the form of a TIFiles program or disk image and have it successfully load. Hopefully a few pointers here will get me pointed in the right direction. Many thanks!

 

 

bp

--

ByteCellar :: http://bytecellar.com

[+arcadeshopper]

I've read through this thread and it's great seeing how this has evolved over the last few months. I'm another Tipi newbie, having just installed my TipiPEB in my F18A-equipped '99 and I'm loving it so far! But I have a few questions that I don't see directly answered in the wiki or other docs I've looked at, so I thought I'd air them here.

 

For a while now I've been using the FlashROM99 cart to load things into my TI. I've grabbed both cartridge files as well as TIFiles off of TI-99/4A Game Shelf and I _believe_ that I've gotten most of the latter (and all? of the former) I've tried to work, which makes me wonder if cartridge files and TIFiles formats are overlapping or the same, perhaps one having > 32K size potential. I'm not clear on this. I know that the Tipi wants TIFiles format images and presumably can't take cartridge format files.

 

Format aside, I'm also not clear on how to load these images. I know that I can issue CALL TIPI("TIPI.NET.TELNET") to load the telnet client, and I assume the dot notation is speaking of directory structure. I have several dirs sitting beside the NET/ dir on the system: MAIN and DSKS. (I saw the lengthy video where Wagner walks through his setup - helpful, and I followed his dir lead.) If I go through the web-based admin upload process (as I know it converts T9V9 files if needed) and move a TIFiles image called CAVE into MAIN, do I execute it using CALL TIPI("TIPI.MAIN.CAVE")? I've done this very thing (I removed .bin from the CAVE.bin filename) and when I do that, I just get back to the startup TI screen (as if I reset). So that's not working. There may be another process, then, it seems.

 

And, for disk images -- I import disk images to my DSKS dir thru the web admin on Tipi and I understood that MYIMAGE.dsk would turn into a directory called MYIMAGE in the DSKS dir, but it doesn't. Is this not the process? I understand some disk images are ARChived and those won't work in that state. But, once I one way or another end up with DSKS/MYIMAGE/ containing the contents of MYIMAGE.dks, would that be mapped in the CALL TIPI config screen to, say, DSK2 (I have a physical DSK1) by entering the value DSKS.MYIMAGE as the mapping string? (I am aware there is a handy mapper written in BASIC a few months ago that makes this easier, and will get there after I get it working the "hard way".)

 

Also is it possible to run large items like the Don't Mess With Texas demo, simply by mapping to a dir containing it? I assume so as this is effectively a HD system, volume and loose-file based.

 

So, I've gotten things running and done some online gaming and BBSing with the bundled things, but I've yet to install something in the form of a TIFiles program or disk image and have it successfully load. Hopefully a few pointers here will get me pointed in the right direction. Many thanks!

 

 

bp

--

ByteCellar :: http://bytecellar.com

 

 

tipi = disk drive

finalgrom = cartridge

 

cartridge images only work on cartridge devices, so it sounds like you may be confusing the two.. If you grab a cart image for a program off the page it is for the finalgrom, if you get a disk or archive version it's for disk.

 

CALL TIPI("X") only works with program image assembly programs such as TELNET MXT CHATTI try this one for fun CALL TIPI("PI.http://ftp.whtech.com/TIPI/DM2K")

 

mapping a disk implys the TIPI. so yes TIPI.DISKS.MYIMAGE would be DISKS.MYIMAGE in the DSK mapping line in tipicfg

also you could map URI1 to HTTP://ftp.whtech.com/TIPIand then you could CALL TIPI("URI1.DM2K") instead of typing all that in every time

[blakespot]

Thanks. And I do have a FlashROM99, not the mighty FinalGROM, but it's better than no such device.

 

Tell me, is this line from the docs accurate: "Disk images are not directly supportted, however you can upload most .DSK image files via the web-ui or file share, and they will be automatically extracted into a directory matching the volume name."

 

Because I'm not seeing this happen. Is there a trick beyond just using the web uploader?

 

Where can I find the CATALOG BASIC program? Thanks.

 

 

 

bp

--

ByteCellar :: http://bytecellar.com

[+arcadeshopper]

Thanks. And I do have a FlashROM99, not the mighty FinalGROM, but it's better than no such device.

 

Tell me, is this line from the docs accurate: "Disk images are not directly supportted, however you can upload most .DSK image files via the web-ui or file share, and they will be automatically extracted into a directory matching the volume name."

 

Because I'm not seeing this happen. Is there a trick beyond just using the web uploader?

 

Where can I find the CATALOG BASIC program? Thanks.

 

 

 

bp

--

ByteCellar :: http://bytecellar.com

Finalrom is also a cartridge

 

Have you updated your TIPI? DSK unpacking is a late addition. The TIPICFG program has update notification. Call TIPI loads it. The default TIPI image is older than that update.

 

Catalog basic program is in the disk controller manual

 

Also DM2K will catalog disks..

 

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