1 Meg SAMS sideboard card...

[Nick99]

Now that I have the TIPI sideboard card, which is amazing, and I read about some software projects that might end up using the SAMS memory...

My question, will there be a 1 meg SAMS sideboard card in the future?

It would be a great piece of hardware to have without a PEB.

[+Ksarul]

There is a lot of logic on that board--which would make it a bit large as a sidecar project. Not impossible, just large. the addition of a saddle-style sideport connector would also make it a bit more expensive than the PEB version, as the best price I have found for suitable connectors is about $10 each--in bulk, as the minimum purchases are around 20 connectors. Using the alternate, stackable mode (like the TIPI), would eliminate the 32K board from the stack and replace it with a much larger SAMS board. That would probably be too tall for a good sideport project--unless someone programmed a CPLD to replace most of the chips currently used to do all of the memory decoding. That kind of a task isn't one I've done before. Some of what Speccery did with his mini-PEB and 99105 projects might be usable though, as he did build in SAMS support there.

[Nick99]

I suspected that it would be larger and it´s not fun to have too big and bulky card on the side of the console.

The mini-PEB is something to consider if it´s compatible with the TIPI.

Thanks Ksarul for your answer!

[FDOS]

There is a lot of logic on that board--which would make it a bit large as a sidecar project. Not impossible, just large. the addition of a saddle-style sideport connector would also make it a bit more expensive than the PEB version, as the best price I have found for suitable connectors is about $10 each--in bulk, as the minimum purchases are around 20 connectors. Using the alternate, stackable mode (like the TIPI), would eliminate the 32K board from the stack and replace it with a much larger SAMS board. That would probably be too tall for a good sideport project--unless someone programmed a CPLD to replace most of the chips currently used to do all of the memory decoding. That kind of a task isn't one I've done before. Some of what Speccery did with his mini-PEB and 99105 projects might be usable though, as he did build in SAMS support there.

 

Hi Jim, I'm in the process of building my own 1MB SAMS side car. I'm using an old TI-99/4 (no "A") 32K unit , which is the right height for my system. I've removed the power supply for an external unit. The through buss will be retained to support my old CF7A+ side car that allows easy removal of the 32K memory chip, and allows enough space for the SAMS in front of it. Which then allows room for two more PEB cards (one above & one below), but no stacked chip, and no FDC cards. I've considered HRD, but all of mine except my 3MB HRD-16 have stacked chips, and I really want to use it with my full SNUG TI-99/4P. Again I want to use my 16 bank SNUG HSGPL with my 99/P, so I will be using my 4 bank P-GRAM+, that also provides a REAL hard clock. This should be a great system, as I have two TI-99/4A consoles equipped with F18A VGA, and USB keyboard (wireless capability via 4-port VGA/USB KVM switch, that will support my TI-99/4A&P systems and a Windows 7 Ultimate laptop w/docking station that includes real RS232 and parallel ports. Not sure how to use FK's TI99HDX program for the CF7A+ w/PIO system, and the SNUG TI-99/4P, unless I use a standard RS232 card, so both can access via PIO. What say you?

 

Bill

Edited September 9, 2018 by FDOS