kl99
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Posts posted by kl99
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the Texas Instruments TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A got the "FinalGrom99" cartridge featuring a SD card interface.
It can run (load from SD) all cartridges that got released, including the TI manufactored ones based on Grom instead of Rom chips.
As a beta tester of the cart I can say this is the mulit-cartridge/flash-cartridge/sd-cartridge to get for your TI-99 Home Computer.
- If the original cartridge does not require a 32kb ram expansion hardware to run, then it is also not needed for FinalGrom99.
- Cartridges like Editor/Assembler, TI Logo II, Road Hunter require 32K ram expansion for the program itsself to run, this had nothing to do with FinalGrom99.
How to get it? It is about to be released (open source, open hardware) and the developer will sell a production run via atariage.com in the TI-99 related forum.
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The BNC 75 Ohm Terminators will arrive on Monday.
To use it with my other consoles that output RGB via Scart Port I ordered a breakout cable to connect it properly to this monitor:
The screen should work with the Geneve and the 80 Column Cards as well.
Here is a brochure about this monitor, the D24E1WU is handled in the retrogaming community as in the Top 5 CRT ever produced:
http://www.broadcaststore.com/pdf/model/22107/bvmdseries.pdf
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With the BNC parts having arrived I can now at least test YPrBr devices like the TI-99/4A, Pal in 60Hz.
I must say, the Sony BVM D24E1WE is delivering a spectactular image for the TI-99/4A, Pal 60Hz. I didn't even started to calibrate the video yet.
Almost have I forgotten how good Parsec looks with all those scanlines being there.
All my fiance said, it is flimmering, you can not use it like this. So expectations are different for each one.
Once I have more energy and time I will try to compare it with a F18A output.
Not a single photo or video I took was doing the picture quality justice.
With a 50-60Hz interlaced display It is super hard to capture the experience.
The colors looks like they are bleeding when taking a photo, camera was a iphone 6s.
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Thanks Ksarul.
The cables and BNC parts are ordered.
Yesterday I was able to connect the Tomy Tutor console.
The video quality was not bad even though it was composite.
However I am really looking forward to YPrBr since the TMS9918A composite output is known to not be very clear.
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Hi, please also consider the following thread where I want to explore the TMS9928A YPrBr 60Hz output option:
I don't know about the purpose but here are cheap Sega RGB video boards:
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The Sony BVM arrived. This is a beast. Now I need the right cables, everything is BNC only. I have found one single Cinch2BNC connector in my household, but had no success so far with getting a picture from my Pal Nintendo NES.
The monitor is completely anti-Auto. So everything has to be manually defined and set, mostly counter-intuitive.
I have ordered a set of BNC terminators and Cinch2BNC connectors in order to connect something.
It will be interesting to see how good the NTSC TMS9918A is gonna look via composite on such a monitor.
I also want to compare the raw YPrBr 50hz output of a TMS9929A with the RGBs 50Hz output from the french RGB modulator RVB PHA 2037.
More in the next days (currently feeling sick)....
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Thanks for the replies so far.
Going into the YPrBr mode with a TMS9928A is definately interesting. There is a huge benefit over Composite Video, and not much difference to RGB, since the YPrBr is created inside the chip like that and any conversion of an analog signal is at best as good as the original.
I will try to find out if and what postprocessing is necessary besides fetching those 3 pins with ground.
I have ordered a Sony BVM monitor now, it should be running any NTSC/PAL and 15khz as well as 31Khz signals. It handles YPrBr and RGB with any sync in addition to composite.
For me the money is worth invested since I not only want to run any TI-99 (US/Europe), but as well the other computers I have using the TMS9918(A) like the Tomy Tutor and the Colecovision.
And I can finally do proper gaming with my retro consoles again. There is even a custom graphics card driver that enables 15khz modes to run MAME properly on a CRT:
http://wavebeam.blogspot.co.at/2016/02/the-groovycube-diy-console-that-plays.html
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Hi guys,
I would like to know your experiences with Monitors/Displays for running your TI-99, be it the US version (Composite) or the (European) PAL version using the YPrBr, or via the french RGB modulator RVB PHA 2037.
Also I would like to know whether anyone tweaked his US console with a TMS9928A to get YPbBr out of it? It looks to me this is the best video chip to maintain the original desired speed of 60 Hz but getting the video signal via 3 component lines.
The official TI branded 10" monitor is nice, I am missing the option to have RGB or YPrBr input. Even though there is supposed to be a PAL Version, that is nowhere to be found.
I know about the F18A as video chip alternate with VGA output, I have two at home, however I am aiming for one setup now running the original experience.
Sprites look so much more organic if there is Scanlines.
In regards to the Monitor, I read a lot about Sony PVM CRT (Sony Professional Video Monitors) being the ideal displays for Retro Gaming since they don't upscale or screw up the video by believing it's interlaced content. Their geometry and quality is supposed to be outstanding. And from watching videos running RGB modded game consoles I can only agree with them. Sony PVM means they were not meant for the Consumer market but for the Professional market and therefore super expensive. Above that level is ever a higher class called Broadcast Video Monitors (Sony BVM). Those have even higher quality standards. Those devices can be feeded via Composite Input but you should aim for YPbrBr or RGB video as Input for those.
Here is some example video, there are lots out there, it's kind of hard to capture the quality of those devices since they are from CRT (interlaced) running 60fieldsPerSecond and Youtube has 30fps:
People talk a lot about 240p meaning, even though the console renders two fields via it's analog video out ports the content of those two fields match one progressive frame. A lot of TVs/Upscalers treat the ouput wrongly as 480i and starting to process the video with which then the problems starts.
BR Klaus
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all the best for the final hours
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You achieved a lot already. Respect!
I specially like the colourful attack effect.
8 pieces of TI-Force of Wisdom? I wonder what they are? Let me guess...
- use Gpl
- go 16 bit all the way
- don't get into a price war with Commodore
Or do you mean GanROM in relation to GROM? haha
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I am glad you continue to work on it.
Thanks for the release.
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Wow! What a milestone. From reading you have implemented a complete TMS9900 cpu including the instructions that are not supported by the 99/4A.
To be honest the readings are a bit above my skill level.
Good luck for debugging it to run.
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I am amazed and somebody needs to close my open mouth.
Reminds me of this:
https://2warpstoneptune.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/cf-1982-5.jpg
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Make a good show!
We are always on the yearly Retrobörse / Retrofaire to represent the TI-99 Austria Usergroup.
I am always enjoying it but always exhausted at the end as well.
People were mostly impressed by seeing the old computer again after so long, and by the incredible picture quality you get from the F18A, by the tinyness of the nanoPEB and last time by the FlashRom99.
Some are always asking if you sell a console or some cartridges for their console, or they want a working Power supply. So if you come with car, count in for such requests.
Would be interested to know which documents/brochures you have in your collection. So please do some photos where they are visible.
Thanks, Klaus
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One could try to use the F18A power (mostly GPU and the 2k extra VRAM) to emulate the different CPU instructions that the Colecovision has and the console abstraction.
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Nice! I didn't have a copy of this one, Klaus! I'll have to work on making a new one like the others I redrew a while back. . .
Lee sold his 99/8? His had the only flat cable Armadillo Interface board I'd ever seen with it. Do you have any idea where that machine went?
Yes, Lee sold his 99/8 setup. I sent you a private message about details. It went not(!) to me
Nice that these documents find some fruits.
Michael Zapf will figure this HX-5102 beast out! I am sure!
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I just found this schematics document for the Hex-Bus Disk Controller while sorting my files.
I must have got it from Labtech1 alias Lee, a former owner of a 99/8.
Sorry for not bringing this up earlier...
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nobody mentioned the Control Data TI products yet to bring Plato Software alive, with the CDC 99/4A beige console and it's beige monitor.
I think to remember reading there were dedicated PEBs as well.
The CC-40 cartridges are all beige as well.
There is a beige TI cartridge holder case, and some of the binder manuals were released in beige colour.
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The Hex-Bus is sometimes referenced as ALC or ALC I/O, in later specs it is referenced as DOC-BUS, DOCK-BUS or IPB [intelligent Peripheral Bus].
These documents might be of service as well:
DOUBLE SIDED, SINGLE DENSITY DISK CONTROLLER PCB
DISK CONTROLLER THEORY OF OPERATIONS
DSSD DISK PAL12L6
DSR Choices of PAB Processing
99/4A and 99/Dillo
TI-99/4 and /8 Disk Peripheral
Hex-Bus DSR commented Sourcecode (the TI-99/8 version)
TI-99/4A Home Computer Hex-Bus Interface Peripheral Software Functional Spec v1.0
Software Spec for the Hex-Bus Floppy Disk System
Hex-Bus Floppy Disk System Product Spec
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hebus%20floppy%20product%20specification.pdf
Hex-Bus Drive/Controller HX-5102 User Manual
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hexbus%20Drive-Controller%20(Model%205102)%20Manual.pdf
Hex-Bus Specification
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hexbus%20Specification.pdf
Hex-Bus Specifications
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hex-Bus%20Specifications.pdf
DOC-Bus Specification
TI-74 Technical Data Manual
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/ti-74/TI74%20technical%20data%20manual.pdf
TI-99/4a Hex-Bus Interface PHP1300 User Guide
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/cc40%20ti74%20hexbus.txt
Further documents are in The Cyc (cadd99.com):
TI-99/4A Hexbus Interface DSR commented source code (not the 99/8 one from whtech)
\vendors\ti\hexbus\dsrsrc\dsrsrc.pdf
DOC-BUS INTELLIGENT PERIPHERAL BUS STRUCTURE, TIMING, AND PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION v4.0 from 1988
\vendors\ti\internal\docbus\docbus.pdf
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There is the beige PHP 2700 Tape Recorder with the beige tape recorder cable.
I always wonder why they made the beige TI-Joysticks with a black cable.
I have detailed photos somewhere of the beige Speech Synthesizer, at least from the two-pieces of the case.
The beige Hex-Bus Interface for the 99/4A (on the CES 1983 you can actually see a black/silver one, along with a black MBX).
We actually have a Hex-Bus Interface in our group and Leszek is having 3D printers at his home.
Further the Hex-Bus cables are all beige, as the complete TI Hex-Bus Peripheral line.
Then there is the beige 99/2, the beige 99/8 and the beige 99/5.
The box for the beige Tape Recorder has the 99/2 pictured, the box for the black Tape Recorder has it not.
Did you know that there was not a single one of the beige 99/4As sold in Europe?Which is funny because they actually argued the switch from silver to the beige plastic color with "ergonomic standards emerging in Europe which dictated a lower contrast color."
Interview with Don Bynum (done by Dan Eicher in 2002):
"Q.How was the decision made to go from the classic black-and-silver 99/4A to bland beige?
A.Again, that was easy. The polished aluminum overlays were easily damaged by kids, who were ourprimary intended users, were easily damaged in handling in the factory (therefore adding cost), andserved no utilitarian purpose, so we eliminated them. My own preference would have been to stay witha black case, but ergonomic standards were emerging in Europe which dictated a lower contrast color."
Who is Don Bynum?
In October of 1980, Don Bynum was brought from Texas Instruments Corporate Engineering Center inDallas, TX to TI's production facility in Lubbock, TX to take over the faltering 99/4 project. Sales of the99/4 had been extremely slow and TI's corporate management was faced with either discontinuing theproject or making drastic changes in production and marketing strategies. Along with the expert help ofa newly acquired marketing manager named William Turner, Don rolled up his sleeves and began to work.The first step included a re-organization of key personnel within the Lubbock facility which includedbringing in several managers who Don had worked with during his 12-year career with TI.
Although Texas Instruments as a corporation has always been reluctant to change a product once it is inmass scale production, Don convinced them to scrap the 99/4 and redesign it as the 99/4A. Once thisproject was finished and turned over to Mr. Turner's marketing staff, sales of the 99/4A began a rapidimprovement over its older brother. As an engineer, Don quickly found ways to reduce production costsand lower the retail price of the computer to the consumer. Once this was done, TI's marketing staff hadonly to secure distribution to assure success.
Don's second "baby" was the Peripheral Expansion System.
Realizing the need to create a more viable and compact system for what seemed a never-ending train ofperipherals for the 99/4A, he set out to give consumers a better product for less money. This projectculminated in January of last year with the introduction of the Peripheral Expansion Box.
Over the past two and one half years, Mr. Bynum and his lovely wife, Peggy, have become close personalfriends and supporters of the International 99/4 Users-Group and its members. It is for this reason wewere saddened to hear that Texas Instruments has once again decided to promote Don to their CorporateResearch and Development Division in Dallas. The leadership which Mr. Bynum showed throughout histenure with the Consumer Product Division was not only an inspiration to his fellow employees but to allof us who he touched.
We wish Don and his family all the best in his new venture and would like to thank him for his help andsupport of the International 99/4 Users-Group and its membership. We have been advised that there isa possibility that Don will be involved with future personal computer products and we look forward to acontinuing relationship with him.-
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the CRU information might be taken from page 5 of this internal specification for DSDD?
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I almost want to buy it to burn it so the world has one less beige computer.
It's still a TI inside, but I get your point.
On the other side the planned successors were solely in beige, be it the 99/2, 99/5 or 99/8.
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Hi mzapf,
how is the research going on?
I was impressed by your efforts with Jens-Eike on the TI Treff in Birkenau 2 weeks ago.
So please share a bit on your progress so far.
Are you really sure you have all the DOCS existing?BR Klaus
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TI's 1983 plans
in TI-99/4A Computers
Posted
The Hex-Bus Series was meant as low-budget peripherals.
Further the 99/2 was planned as low-budget computer. It's I/O Bus was meant for Memory Expansion.
The CC-40 was available with 18K as well instead of only 6K.
This 99/8 document shows that the 99/8 was started and build with the constraint to maintain a 99/4 99/8 compatible Expansion Box.
But later the demise of the 1982-82 Expansion Box was decided.
The same document talks about a 99/8 Expansion Box.
ftp://ftp.whtech.com/datasheets%20and%20manuals/99-8%20Computer/TI-99_8%20I_O%20Port%20Specifications.pdf