kl99

Hi Guys, I am currently working on something in the direction of this thread. My tool tries to read in all kinds of assembler source code files and automatically identifies the label, opcode, operands and comment fields of each line. So far it is doing a good job I assume. It even validates the used opcodes already, currently trying my ways with validating the allowed operands for each opcode. I already tried my ways generating an html out of it with all parts of the syntaxes in another color to easy up reading. When a Label Reference is used as Operand you can click on it and it goes to the Label Definition. What I am really trying to achieve is auto-combining the comments next to statements from all available Comments Ressources: - 99/4A Rom0 Commented Source - Heiner Martin Rom0 Comments - 99/8 Rom Commented Source - XB Rom0 and Rom1 Commented Source (thx to Rich RXB). The comments should be auto-addable not only to the 99/4A ROM but to any passages of matching disassembled code (like 99/5 rom or Tomy Tutor rom). I am troubling finding documentation on the following instructions of assembler source code files: "SPIN", occurs without any operands (occurs several times in the file ROM-4A_B.a99 and seems to match an instruction in Heiner Martin Disassembly of the ROM to ">13F0 10FF JMP >13F0 Wait for interrupt" "SCRNOP" occurs as opcode with one operand in the 99/8 assembler source code files. Is it common to use "SET0" [Zero Number] instead of the correct "SETO", like happening in the 99/8 source disk files? Is there some editor that marks your line "MOV R1" as red/error as long as the second operand is missing? If not, such an editor might become a nice side-product of the project.

Afaik the general forum can not be edited after short time. however the development forum can be edited indefinately.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy the time with your most important ones!

at the Chicago Faire 2016 there were two Geneve PEB Cards sold for 80 dollar each. In Vienna 2014 a whole Geneve PEB was auctioned for only 20 EUR.

the TI-99 was coming into our house in 1983, when I was 3 years old. when i was 16 years old, our school class started a project to utilize the TI-92 for math education. The clear structure of the manual reminded me a lot on the TI-99 user manuals. Also the Texas Instruments logo gives me some warm feelings, and I fall in love with this calculator. I read all 500 pages through in a week. Since I was still used to define sprites with hexadecimal code I made a routine to auto draw a sprite by inputting a hexadecimal string and it stored it in an image file afterwards. I was full of ideas for programming games. I bought the data link cable, later the 92+ Module and the TI-89. I was really passionate about that device. I made some nice small games, some tools for making maths homework easier, and later started to learn assembler for the 68k motorola cpu. Before TI released any official documentation on the internal OS or hardware we were dependent on hacking of members in the community and finding out things about the OS via trial and error. Officially there was no assembler support for the TI-92, it required some patched backup image to be able to run assembler code. We all aimed for the long promised SDK by TI for the 92+. There was a nice yahoogroup and of course ticalc.org I started using "TImeless Software" as name for my projects and I got quite far with programming "TI Mario World" in assembler. Here is some archived webpage about it: https://web.archive.org/web/20050224160734fw_/http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/mulder/376/puds/pudmario.htm It was a nice time.

The tantalizing one is the UK edition according to The Cyc. The wording of the title is supposed to be the only difference. There is a dutch (Tergende spelen...) and german version (Superspiele...) of the book as well.

Yes, that is him. He was at the Chicago Faire 2016. We had some good talks. He is also a member of the FB group TI 99ers.

Here is the patent entry for the Romox Cartridge programming system: https://www.google.com/patents/US4597058?dq=inassignee:%22Romox,+Inc.%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijrpTStcHXAhUL_KQKHaFrA3UQ6AEIKTAA

I am curious, did you choose to switch your 99/8 VDP in order to use a YPrPb output like Jens-Eike did modify his 99/8? I am not really satisfied with the NTSC Composite output.

Do you mean the Assembler code or my Web99 C# code? Here is the DSR dissassembly by Nouspikel: http://www.unige.ch/medecine/nouspikel/ti99/rs1.txt http://www.unige.ch/medecine/nouspikel/ti99/rs2.txt I can look up the Web99 C# code for the communication if you want it.

Is the quartz identical for 99/4A NTSC and 99/4A PAL?

I got a wonderful wedding gift from Ermanno from Italy - Astharot on atariage. It is an Extended Basic Plus I didn't know existed. It is from Sebasoft from 1987. There was no single reference to it in the whole The Cyc (cadd99.com). Now after honeymoons I finally had some time to examine it, at least by opening it. Is this some unique PCB layout? It seems it shows ROM and 2 GROM to the TI, but fakes the GROMS to the TI using standard Eproms and some logic. The board uses TMS27128 for some reason, which means 16k per chip if I am right. I made lots more pictures of the PCB parts if anyone is interested.

With OLD.RS232 and SAVE.RS232 you connect two TI-99 and get them in a certain communication mode. They then start an initial handshake including transmit of the program filesize. The computers then transmit sector per sector with some CRC and the receiving unit either answers with acknoledge or not acknoledge. If not, then the current sector is repeated. After the last sector was acknolegded, the system returns to the prompt. I am using this technique to get the Web99 Program loader on any TI-99 with no requirements than a working RS232 connection to the PC. TI Basic is sufficient. No Disk Drive, no Memory Expansion, no Tape Recorder is required. The specs are explained here: ftp://ftp.whtech.com/datasheets%20and%20manuals/Specifications/TI-99_4%20Home%20Computer%20EIA%20RS232C%20Peripheral%20Detailed%20Software%20Functional%20Specification%20V2.0%2003-28-1983.pdf ftp://ftp.whtech.com/datasheets%20and%20manuals/Specifications/TI-99_4%20Home%20Computer%20EIA%20RS232C%20Peripheral%20General%20Software%20Interface%20and%20Operational%20Specification%20V2.0%2003-28-1983.pdf http://www.unige.ch/medecine/nouspikel/ti99/rs232c.htm I hope this is a bit of help.

wouldn't it be easier (implementationwise) to attach some config file to the installer which defines the git path to that compiled version the installer is meant to support.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-Prototype-Unreleased-System-1-Game-Cart-Control-Panel-Relief-Pitcher/352196826880?hash=item5200911700:g:QVQAAOSwfglZ1Xaz You can see the TMS5220 Speech Chip on the first photo. Don't know much about this Atari system but my guess is that TI speech chips were rather unusual.

[duplicate post]

The TI Hex-Bus RS232 Interface lacks one important feature: It can not be used with the OLD/SAVE Basic Commands. The specs on page 246 confirm this finding. ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hex-Bus%20Specifications.pdf In contrast the PEB RS232 Interface (and the sidecar) support OLD/SAVE, my Web99 uses it to load the bootstrap program on a "virgin" TI. Same for the Vdm99 from Nouspikel.

In regards to this project I would like to throw in the 3.3v / 5v topic, that was going hot in summer for the consoles. https://db-electronics.ca/2017/07/05/the-dangers-of-3-3v-flash-in-retro-consoles/ Do the specs ensure safety to our devices?

I think Jon meant the Hex-Bus Display Interface. Find it specified from page 153 here: ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hex-Bus%20Specifications.pdf It allowed any Computer running a Hex-Bus Interface (CC-40, 99/2,...) to connect to an external display screen. From the TI lab prototyping back then only one or two devices are known to still exist (but none in contact with the active community). And in the 80s/90s the interface was reimplemented by Michael Becker from SNUG, but no production run was made. I don't know if it is known but the Intelligent Bus from the TI-74 and TI-95 is electrically compatible with the Hex-Bus. So I wonder how difficult would be an mass produced adapter from one to the other.

This turned out as such a great thread. Jim, it seems you did some marvelous job and progress. congrats The youtube video has some CGA colour touch, which somehow fits the retro topic. I agree with Jon that a pass through would make the device more useful. If we are talking wishes for the production, all Hex-Bus Devices share the same design for their cases, therefore follow a certain pattern for the PCB. http://www.ti99.eu/?page_id=1555&lang=en This would allow people to make 3d prints of cases in the Hex-Bus typical style. Am I right, that with this Device there is no DSR involved? Many thanks for your effort, Klaus

Nice ideas. You might also take a look into the Source Code of Extended Basic 2 for the 99/8 where some speedup improvements were done.

We should have some official TI-Meeting in that basement Klaus

I think the situation on the TI-99 will be quite similar to other systems and consoles which got their Flash/SD/multi cartridge. (We were so late because of the Grom memory speciality, therefore it required a dedicated TI-only solution of somebody with TI-99 knowledge.) On most consoles the cartridge prices still went up, nevertheless a Flash/SD/multi cartridge got released. Most of the persons who then still collect the real cartridges are searching for a boxed version (I don't know how it will be with TI as the TI cartridge box is mostly identical and takes huge space). I guess for TI-99 a lot will be interested in having the manuals as the programs are not as self-explainable as maybe on console games. Personally I still want to finish my collection of TI PHM cartridges and their label variants, I am only missing around 30 (255 of ~285). However I am sure I will never ever be able to get all 3rd party carts, as their prices already went up so high. I am still searching to get the best of those games for a reasonable price. If you decide to sell some of your carts, I am interested to buy the ones I am missing for a fair price.

congrats on your progress this will be useful also once speccery incorporates the hex-bus interface into his FPGA based PEB to attach to the real TI console.

Texas Instruments Home Computer Software Development System Programmer's Guide Software-Development-System-Programmers-Guide-1979-11-06-Reduced.pdf Texas Instruments Home Computer Software Development System Programmer's Guide Personal Computer Division 6th November 1979 Again credits go to Ksarul for purchasing the document and digitizing it to pdf format. The referred GPL Debugger Operation Guide is available as well. The referred GPL Programmer's Guide is well known.