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Meddler

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  1. Following up on my post #18 "Remember these? Larson light runner i.e 555+4017 a.k.a Night Rider lights" it has since occurred to me that the PCB was wired so the outputs could be replaced with a CR network such that quick "passing" pulses can be ignored in a clock count from a joystick port and only the final count output would remain "high" - to turn it "off" would require the completion of the count. Meanwhile the TI99 is released for other tasks. The 4017 can supply only a few milli-amps. so to drive relays or lamps would require a transistor or some-such. 4017s can be cascaded for more outputs or the other joystick port can be used fro X-Y selection. I was thinking that this could also be used as a parts locator on an X-Y grid with data-base selection.
  2. More astounding work being done to expand the old TI99... which is fine for the hard-core PEB owners. IC2 keeps cropping up as a useful expansion to utilise all the Arduino goodies. How realistic is it to roll Stuart Conner's I2C through the Sandbox to provide a simple method and maybe expand our user base to the youngsters and unexpanded types? http://www.stuartconner.me.uk/ti/ti.htm#i2c_interface
  3. Absolutely, show those Arduino boys that nothing is new! I think that the I2C is the route to go but... Remember these? Larson light runner i.e 555+4017 a.k.a Night Rider lights Well flashing lights is not a problem and if you bear with me then I will explain how to drive an 10x10 grid or 100 LEDs from BASIC & Console only. I bought a metric dozen as I could not buy the components that cheap and it meant that I could use the P.C.B directly. I only wanted the 555 but it was bugging me to find a use for the 4017.... All that this device, the 4017, does is sequence a '1' from one output to the next output of 10. Desirable uses are: 1). Relay driver 2). Servo driver 3). Stepper motor driver 4). Selector 5). Flashing lights! It turns out that the 'CLOCK' and 'CLOCK INHIBIT' are the inverse of each other so holding 'CLOCK' '1' and pulsing 'CLOCK INHIBIT' with a Joystick select line will step the outputs. A simple BASIC routine in a 11 count loop, stoping at the count required will leave that output 'high'; completing the count to return it 'low'. So, 1). Relay driver x 9, yes! The PCB comes ready with a 555 timer to provide 1mS pulses for a servo Clocking the 4017 outputs fitted with resistors that connect to the 555 timing capacitor will give Servo movement. So, 2). Servo driver, yes, with reservations i.e total Servo travel in discrete steps (multiple 4017s can be chained). Combining output logic with transistor drivers does allow rudimentary Stepper motor drive. 3). Stepper motor, yes, if you don't need anything special and only in one direction which is why we need a Selector. The real limitation has been that of having only two outputs from the Console in BASIC so using a 4017 as a selector means that one output can be directed to many devices. Combining more than one 4017 gives much greater flexibility by directing a clock to different devices i.e forward/backward. 4). Selector, yes, this opens the possibility of multiple axis/action control. In the real world it will be recognised that each output is active before being left at the last count so a capacitor/resistor delay will be needed if the transition time is a problem. Flashing lights, no problem, two 4017s are each connected to the two different Joystick select lines, one 4017 is fitted with driver transistors for column drive and all the LEDs are connected in a grid to the other 4017. Each LED will light as the clocks are cycled, row by row, column by column, row by column etc. 5). Flashing lights, yes, no problem!
  4. Ahem! Addendum 3: I have a revised diagram as whilst the theory was fine, when I got around to trying this, it is unlikely that the 'trigger' has disappeared quickly enough after reset and so the alternate (re-setting) 555 gets set. Ha! Theory versus practice in the real world. My apologies to those that down-loaded the previous versions. Here is another one: You will notice the addition of a delay to the reset pulse and extra capacitors including a 'fat' one on the power lines. So, as long as your 'trigger' has gone back 'high' before the delay time of 100K x 1uF then all is well. The inputs are very sensitive and are easily upset by the inductive load of a motor so capacitors everywhere!
  5. Hi, did you get side-tracked, maybe Any up-date on this? How did this thing work out? I bought an MP3 recorder/player for starters.
  6. I bought one of these things with the intention of using it for TI99 - PC transfer/hookup but have not tried it yet; it turns out that Bluetooth was initially invented to provide extended RS232 range! (Wiki) HC-06 Wireless Serial 4 Pin Bluetooth RF Transceiver Module RS232 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-Arduino-HC-06-Wireless-Serial-4-Pin-Bluetooth-RF-Transceiver-Module-RS232-1X-/172394196735?hash=item28237eaeff
  7. With a couple more diodes and a capacitor you can "steal" 5v from the Joystick select transistors at p1&2, easily enough for a CMOS 555 and more.
  8. For a Winter project and seeing as you lot are so keen on games then I thought a Pinball table would be a fun HID for the TI99? Flashing lights, sound effects...
  9. Addendum 2: I have simplified the 555 H-Bridge driver as I realized that an extra 555 can provide the reset function and no voltage level conversion is required to allow a power supply up to 15v. The two Joystick outputs are applied to Trigger one of two 555 I.Cs and is reset by triggering the other; the momentary action of both outputs being 'high' is detected by the third 555 which acts as an inverting Schmitt driver using the 2/3 & 1/3 switching points i.e triggered when above 2/3 Vcc and released when below 1/3 Vcc I had inserted a Schmitt trigger circuit as the simple principle of detecting both outputs being 'high' cannot guarantee that both 555's will reset. Anyway, the simplified drawing is attached:Differential_555.bmp Differential_555.bmp J1 & J2 are connected to the Trigger pins 2 and Dual or differential drive can be connected to respective Output pins 3. The Diodes shown on the outputs are likely to be necessary for inductive loads. p.s I have figured out how to drive multiple outputs from one Joystick output.
  10. He,he....I'm playing Parsec! How old am I! ....Part of a bunch of cartridges including Munchman & Indoor Soccer I found on ebay for £14 the lot and half of that was shipping! Hours are going to be wasted!! I should re-coup some of the cost by re-selling the Extended Basic cartridge and, you never know, some-one might even want the Home Management cartridge.
  11. Hi, I found this, same video chip: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/203933-how-do-coleco-games-smooth-scroll/?hl=%20smooth%20%20scroll&do=findComment&comment=2616436 There is nothing new under the Sun!!
  12. That would be because Sprites are not available to TI BASIC & CONSOLE ONLY users which is the challenge of this post so, unless RXB can be loaded to a basic console then your comments have no place on this thread.
  13. I agree that a proper interface makes more sense (joystick port mouse not my idea, btw) but the 200dpi of the "mouse" is not relevant as that is the resolution of the "mouse" not the screen i.e scaling would be required to suit any particular screen resolution and you are also right in that to get smooth(ish) movement would require direct drive at bitmap level. Not a difficult task really, hence my question to/on RXB. Limited to the Joystick port and BASIC means that you might as well use the joystick as a mouse using the existing methods, jumping one square at a time. Using XB ACCEPT AT & DISPLAY AT provides more realistic "mouse" operation but we are now getting far beyond the initial scope of the post.
  14. All keyboard inputs (i.e including Joystick) are held 'high' by 10K resistor to +5v and are strobed 'low' to activate therefore anode to inputs -I>I-+ cathode to output.
  15. If CALL IO is that versatile then could it be used to decode the PS/2 protocol? So much easier than re-inventing the wheel (mouse) and we get a full keyboard too so no conflict with the internal keyboard. That said, the reason all peripherals have their own DSR etc. is to avoid using console memory in which case I stand by my suggestion of using the side bus port. Mean-while let us see who spots that I typed 9902 instead of 9901 and we can nominate them as they obviously know a thing or two.
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