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kl99

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Posts posted by kl99

  5. Posted

    I suggest investing in the Cyc DVD from Cadd99. It contains over 60.000 pages about the TI-99.

    All in PDF form in original look and with full text search. PDF files include fixes and comments.

    You get indexes who help you find what you need!

    It's only avaiable to PC99 (Light) customers though - as a bundle it's a $72 USD invest.

    I highly recommend the Cyc to anyone who wants to do more than gaming with the TI-99!

     

    It appears that Mike Wright and his wife are working every day to expand the Cyc DVD.

    It's unbelievable how much work and love goes into this product.

     

    I wish you the best as well for your emulator project.

  6. Posted

    Great idea! This contest should be communicated to the yahoo groups as well.

    I am interested. Are all versions of TurboForth legit? I have a preorder on v1.2 from Mark Wills - that's why I am asking.

     

    Are there any other restrictions/limitations? I guess the need to have 32K to play the game is okay.

  9. Posted

    welcome Pieter! My name is Klaus and I am from Austria, Europe.

     

    Well, did you try ebay.com. Normally they send worldwide as far as I know.

     

    Geneve 2 project is ongoing, my latest status update is from the International Meeting in Roma, happened October 2011, where Trevor from the G2 project members talked about it. Currently the hardware guy is assembling (soldering chips on a prototype board) to check if everything from the design is working as it should. TCP/IP DSR is already finished. You could even have WLAN, if you want. There will be two possible ways to operate it, either use it as a card inside the PEB or install it in an ATX Tower as it fits perfectly there. In both cases it needs a power supply (from ATX or PEB).

     

    NanoPEB/CF7+ is a great hardware project:

    http://webpages.charter.net/nanopeb/

    He sells those devices for ~50 euro including shipping, so it's almost at manufactoring costs.

     

    Cartridge Project V9: there is a V9 cartridge currently developed from Jon Guidry and Tursi (and others?). The most wanted feature is probably full ROM/GROM emulation. So you can fake the TI any cartridge you want, even those with GROM chips and/or bank switching. Cartridge Images will be on a onboard compact flash storage. They want to make it managable (image selection, configuration) from within the TI system.

     

    F18A: Matthew180 is making a pin compatible replacement for the TMS9918/TMS9928 Video Display Processor, which fits the TI-99/4a. It gives you everything the original TI chip can, but features VGA out, can eliminate the 4 sprites per line limit from the original chip, gives you 80 column mode, hardware controlled multicolor-sprites, hardware controlled scrolling. There is a dedicated thread on this board for it. Current status: beta test phase.

     

    TMS9995 CPU project: there is a lot of guys currently building computers featuring this TI 9900 compatible CPU:

    http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?15580-Powertran-Cortex%2Fpage34

     

    Klaus

  11. Posted

    Star Wars ESB was never intended to be released on cartridge as far as I know.

    Well the rom exists, I've seen pictures of it. Why would they develop it if they never intended to release it?

     

     

    You seem to forget that the TI-99 was not a video game console but a home computer. Thousands of games were released on disks and tapes. Cartridge releases were only affordable to big companies.

     

    The rom for E.T. and his adventure at Sea exists, but I am not sure about ET. and his adventure at Land.

    Oh? Any pictures out there? Is it available for download?

     

    There has been a video documentary about several non-released cartridges including those e.t. ones.

     

    Additions:

    Championship Football [MBX]

    Championship Tennis [MBX]

    Green Muck [MBX]

    Mail Drop [MBX]

     

    E.T. The Extra Terrestrial [TI]

    Galactic Barrier [Funware]

    Galaxian [Atarisoft]

    Slime [Atarisoft]

    Springer [Atarisoft]

    Stratego [MB]

    Vanguard [Atarisoft]

    These are all 'known to exist, but no rom available'? Slime is already on my list as Super Storm.

     

    I don't know too much yet. E.T. is avaiable.

    • Thanks 1

  12. Posted

    Cave Creatures was released as part of the ROMOx ECPC Library

    Junkman Junior was released by Databiotics in 1987

     

    Additions:

    Championship Football [MBX]

    Championship Tennis [MBX]

    Green Muck [MBX]

    Mail Drop [MBX]

     

    E.T. The Extra Terrestrial [TI]

    Galactic Barrier [Funware]

    Galaxian [Atarisoft]

    Slime [Atarisoft]

    Springer [Atarisoft]

    Stratego [MB]

    Vanguard [Atarisoft]

     

    Star Wars ESB was never intended to be released on cartridge as far as I know.

     

    The rom for E.T. and his adventure at Sea exists, but I am not sure about ET. and his adventure at Land.

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    Yesterday I read in 3 ti tapes from our family collection to safe all programs on CF7+/NanoPEB (=DISK).

    So far they were all TI Basic / XB programs.

     

    For large files I used the following trick that was shared by Ray Kazmer in the Micropendium:

    CALL FILES(1)

    NEW

    OLD CS1

    [reading in...]

    CALL FILES(3)

    SAVE DSK1.PROGNAME

     

    this way your large program gets saved in the I/V254 File Format.

    The limit for the PGM Format is somewhere between 45-48 sectors.

    The reasons:

    Disk DSR - Device Service Routines - use memory if a Disk System is attached.

    This can be reduced to a certain amount with Call Files command.

    XB has less memory free to the user than TI Basic. So try TI Basic for troubleshooting programs as well.

    Try to read a program in without having a TI Disk System attached.

     

    Micropendium December 1986: How to save program from tape to disk

    Re "Program Problems" (Feedback, Nov. '86), I also had problems saving long tape programs to disk.

    The way the system acts I assume the first byte of data saved to tape tells the computer the length of the

    program. When the program is loaded, if this length exceeds the available console memory the load

    attempt is aborted.

    To save long tape programs to tape I turn off the system, turn off the disk drives, then turn the console

    back on. If the program will load into Extended Basic I use it, otherwise I use Basic (Extended Basic works

    faster when deleting lines). Start at the top of the program list and delete about half the lines and re-save

    the program to another tape. Now load the original tape program, remove the last half of the program

    listing and save it to a se cond tape. Turn your system off. Turn the disk drives on and turn the system

    on.

    Load the first half of your tape program and SAVE DSK1.A,MERGE

    Load the second half of the tape program, then MERGE DSK1.A

    Now save the complete program to disk.

    If you have a GRAM Kracker with GRAM Utility 1 loaded you can use the DEL starting line-ending line

    to save a lot of time.

    Jerry Keisler, Paris, TX

     

    Micropendium January 1987: From tape to disk

    Ray Kazmer, of Kazco International, Sylmar, CA, provides a User Note which, he writes, "will put to rest

    forever the continuing problem of how to transfer an over-sized file from tape to disk (and vice versa). The

    method described by Jerry Keisler in your Dec. 86 Feedback is one way to do it, but if you're as fumblefingered

    and impatient as I am, I think you'll prefer this method.

    To transfer an over-sized file from tape to disk:

    1. In command mode, enter CALL FILES(1).

    2. Load the program from tape.

    3. After loading, enter CALL FILES(3).

    4. Save the file to disk. It will be in I/V254 format and will run.

    To transfer an over-sized file from disk to tape:

    1. Load the I/V254 file from disk.

    2. In command mode, enter CALL FILES(1).

    3. Save the file (now in "Program" format) to tape.

     

    Micropendium January 1987: More on saving tape programs to disk

    In response to the question of saving long tape programs to disk I have used a different method than what

    has been suggested which seems to work very well.

    The problem seems to be in that when the drives are connected to the computer you lose about 3K of

    console memory. Cassette programs which are close to filling up the 16K console memory anyway will

    then not load into the computer because the computer does not think it has enough room even though you

    may have 32K. This is because programs which exceed the 16K console memory are saved in a different

    format (INT/VAR 254 instead of program format) and must be in INT/VAR 254 format in order to load

    them into the computer again when console memory is exceeded.

    So let's say you have a cassette program which takes up almost all the 16K but will load with the disk

    drives off but not when they are on. To get that program onto disk and in the correct format so that you

    will not have any trouble loading it again you must do the following:

    1. Type CALL FILES(1) and NEW. This frees up about 2K memory taken by the disk drives.

    2. Now load your cassette program into memory while in XB.

    3. Type SAVE DSK1.PROGRAM and your program will now be saved to disk. However, every time you

    need to load it you must repeat step 1 as the computer saved the file to disk in PROGRAM format

    thinking that you have enough console memory and that the 32K is not needed to hold the program

    when actually 32K is needed because you are cheating by using step 1. So you need that program

    saved to disk in INT/VAR 254 format (32K format, as I call it) so it can be loaded without the use of

    the CALL FILES.

    4. With the CALL FILES still in effect (it stays in effect until you go back to the title screen or turn off

    the system) and with your program still in memory, type SAVE DSK1.PROGRAM,MERGE which

    erases your previous save and now saves your program in merge format.

    5. Go back to the title screen and re-enter XB (this clears your CALL FILES command). Now type

    MERGE DSK1.PROGRAM (this will take a while). When completed your program is now in memory

    without having to use CALL FILES and without having your disk drives turned off!

    6. Save your program to disk once again by typing SAVE DSK1.PROGRAM which erases the program

    on disk in merge format and replaces it with a program in 32K format.

    Now if you try to put this program back on cassette tape the computer will not allow you to do so as

    INT/VAR 254 files cannot be saved to cassette. So what you will have to do is type CALL FILES(1) and

    NEW then load your program off of disk and then save it to cassette. This way you again released 2K of

    memory so the computer does not think it needs 32K, so it will save your program back to cassette in its

    original format.

    Keep in mind that anything exceeding console memory cannot be saved to cassette even though you may

    have 32K so if you modify your program (add lines) you may not be able to put that program onto cassette

    tape again.

    This method has worked on all but one cassette program that I have, in which freeing up 2K was not

    enough for it to load as 1K is still used by the disk drives even though I used the CALL FILES, as that

    program took nearly every byte of the 16K memory. In this case Jerry Keisler's method in the December

    Feedback will have to be used.

    Gary Cox, Memphis, TN

  18. Posted

    Is there some place where to share the descriptions for loading v9t9 cartridge roms for usage in Classic 99?

    Not talking about the actual roms but entries like this:

     

    [userCart0]

    name="Pole Position"

    ROM0=C|6000|2000|MODS\POLEPOSC.BIN

    ROM1=X|6000|2000|MODS\POLEPOSD.BIN

     

    I was about to create all those entries for my v9t9 rom collection and wondered if someone did this before?

     

    @Tursi:

    How about including all those rom descriptions in the .ini file, and comment them out by default? I know you can't include the actual roms due to legal reasons. However most of the users are having their rom collection named to the above scheme and are using the very same names. That would actually save Users a lot of work.

     

    Is it possible to have a folder structure in the Cartridge\User menu?

     

    [userCart0]

    name="TestFolder\Pole Position"

    ROM0=C|6000|2000|MODS\POLEPOSC.BIN

    ROM1=X|6000|2000|MODS\POLEPOSD.BIN

     

    My Quicktest with a Folder didn't work.

     

    Can a user add his roms to the Cartridge\Apps or Cartridge\Games Menu?

     

    Thanks Klaus

  19. Posted

    This is some cool video. The manual catches a lot of the stuff as well. I really vote for a live classic99 demo by tursi himself on the Chicago Faire 2012.

    Btw: I took the time and read the whole whatsnew.txt file a week ago, and must say: wow! what a progress, now I am able to imagine how much time/work is involved in the emulator that we are able to use thanks to you Tursi.

  20. Posted

    Well, the above method is for testing the drives and the controller. The manual gives basic code examples for cataloging a disk but not for formatting. As far as I know the necessary formatting routines were not in the TI-Basic ROM but in the Disk Manager cartridge.

     

    The Cyc (www.cadd99.com) doesn't give me any info about disk formatting in basic, only plenty of catalog programs.

  21. Posted

    The Disk Manager 1/2 cartridge is almost essential for formatting. Of course there are assembler programs which do the same but they are on disk which your friend doesn't have.

     

    Here is an extract from the Disk Controller Manual to test the unit:

     

    Note: Do not put any diskettes in the drives yet. If you have more than one external drive attached, they

    must all be switched on, even if you plan to use only one.

    Go into TI Basic and enter the following program.

    100 OPEN #1:"DSK1.X"

    110 CLOSE #1

    Run the program and observe drive one (DSK1). The light should come on briefly, indicating that the

    drive is connected properly. If the drive light does not come on or if it comes on and stays on, check all

    connections and see that all devices have power. Note: The Controller Card light flashes when the

    controller accesses a disk drive.

    Even though the disk drive is operating, the following message appears on the screen because there is no

    diskette in the disk drive.

    *I/O ERROR 06 IN 100

    Repeat the test for drives two and three if you have them, altering the program to reference DSK2 and

    DSK3, respectively.

    When you have verified that the disk drives are operating, type BYE and press ENTER. You are ready to

    start using your disk system as described in the following sections of this manual.

  22. Posted

    I am still in the asm learning phase myself. So it will take a while before lessons can start from my side. I have researched a little on the tools for streaming/chat. Not as easy as I thought. Ustream is an option, but the free version gives you low-res only. And you can't attach the chat nor blend it in during playback. Youtube gives you high-res but no live broadcasting option!

     

    There are several ideas:

    * a portion of the windows 7 screen that runs en ti-99 emulator - either recorded or live streamed if possible

    * a video capture of a real ti-99 hardware environment that gets - either recorded or live streamed if possible

    * a webcam that is targeted at a real ti-99 hardware environment - streamed

    ...

  24. Posted

    As the cassette port area is a temporary solution until Gerhard (my big hope) cuts a nice vga-port hole, desoldering the cassette port was not an option.

     

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/6389335303/in/set-72157628111768769/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/6389335295/in/set-72157628111768769/

     

    For all interested in some infos about the project:

    The F18A really works like a charme when we are talking about the original specs.

    Then there is the new features that are beyond original specs of the tms9918a processor. I saw a cool 4-color sprite demo, hardware screen scrolling, hardware area scrolling,... Those are yet to be tested by me.

     

    Willsy is correct, every game looks phenomenal when played on big displays/big screens via the F18A.

     

    There is currently a bug on the game pole position. Other than that I didn't see any bugs with cartridges so far.

    There is another timing bug: sometimes a reset causes no sprites being visible. This happens if the F18A is faster (or is it slower) than the rest of the machine. It's a timing issue that will be fixed. The workaround for the beta testers so far is to power-off the machine for a while.

     

    Beta testers will receive a flash update file from matthew180, once he makes a new beta software version avaiable. We will all have the programming cable (usb) to update the software on the F18A. The F18A stays in the TI-99 during the update process.

     

    Haven't tried out the avaiable jumper settings yet.

     

    I am reading ti assembler literature every day now and can't wait to receive the tft display for my "baby".

  25. Posted

    Hi!

     

    Maybe we should avoid confusing people how you got to the F18A.

    The F18A is not released yet.

    Willsy is one of the few beta tester in the world.

    I am the second beta tester in Europe so far.

    We both met matthew180 at the TI Chicago Faire 2011.

    PAL (versus NTSC) shouldn't be an issue for the F18A but that is what beta testers are for to find out, right?

     

    I also pimped one of my ti-99 with the F18A, my vga cable goes out at the cassette port right now, but I hope someone in our group will make some nice cut hole (don't know the english term) for a vga port in my black console.

     

    And I already ordered a 19" TFT monitor with 1280x1024 resolution just for my new programming setup. As the F18A outputs 640x480, the display can upscale it to its native resolution of 1280x1024 quite easy.

     

    btw: I still don't have a TurboForth 1.1 Cartridge, and I think I will keep my TurboForth v1.0 Cartridge as it is for collection reasons. maybe you can PM me something Willsy.

     

    Klaus

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