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FarmerPotato

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Posts posted by FarmerPotato

  3. Posted

    SCART connectors are prohibitively large on boards. I also tire of building cables. I do prefer RGBc signals usually. I use an XRGBMini and a big SCART switch box.

     

    There are suppliers of retro DIN to SCART cables. It'd be nice to be able to grab a pre-made Sega mega drive to SCART cable or something like that.

     

    Then there are plenty of SCART/RGB to HDMI upscalers available.

     

    I don't feel that 15khz VGA is very US common.

     

    [email protected]

     

    I looked up the Sega mega drive cable. I like that idea.

     

    What I came up with was: put all the signals on a 2x6 header. Two of them for twin VDPs. Connect by ribbon cable to a small PCB with the port. So that could be a choice of two SCART, two VGA, or two Sega mini-DIN-8, all equally inexpensive from DirtyPCBs. For the EXT video source, I'm not sure what makes sense.

     

    I'm not sure what RGBs sources you would be likely to have today? I imagine adding 99/4A graphics over your YouTube video production would be the typical use of an EXT source.

     

    And how to record the combined result?

     

     

    The more I look into it, the more I want to just have twin VDP with the ability to superimpose VDP2 over VDP1.

    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    Single VDP option is still setup as a second VDP in the system, correct? based on the title of the thread and all?

     

    Is this a PEB design? or on the side?

     

    [email protected]

     

    Question: what video connectors would you care about?
    • DE-15HD (VGA) + jumper for RGB-Csync or VGA-Hsync-Vsync
    • SCART with jumper to choose RGB-S or composite
    • S-Video (basically free with CXA2075 encoder)
    • RCA composite (basically free with CXA2075 encoder)
    • 99/4A Din-5 composite
    • Commodore 1084S 6-pin DIN
    • Apple DB-15 RGB-S port (Apple IIgs, Mac era)
    I consider SCART because some of us recommend Samsung 910MP with SCART.
    I'm not sure what DE-15HD to SCART cable is available unless you wire your own.
    I think Apple passive adaptors are generally available.
    I think there should be a separate PCB for connectors, with a ribbon cable.
    Pros: relieves stress, allows connectors to change without major rework.
    Cons: impact on impedance, crosstalk

  5. Posted

    I was thinking the other day about how many items that are currently available for purchase to support our TI's. From 1 meg SAMS's cards, to TIPI's, FinalGROMS, 3D printed cases and other things. It would be 'kinda cool' to have a Computer Shopper type PDF magazine that would not only show those items, but have articles/stories on their use and or possibly manufacture.

     

    Something like this would give many of us a nostalgic thrill now, while for others it might educate, and down the line decades from now when we've all 'gone away' someone might come across the PDF and see who we were and how much fun we all had.

     

    This will be a multi-month project for me, and my plan is to 'publish' sometime in the first quarter of 2020, but this is something that cannot be done alone. I'll need photos of items, I'll need information from people who make the goodies and then I can put it all together in a pleasing format.

     

    I've decided on a 'few' items so far, but if you have any suggestions, ideas or content to add (under your own byline), please let me know.

     

     

     

    I thought about your magazine and it grew into a bigger idea in my head. This is what it looks like now.. but it's only an idea.

     

    == Festschrift ==
    A magazine in tribute to Micropendium and 99/4 40th anniversary. PDF and print
    A mixture of beginner tutorial, history, and exciting recent product reviews.
    Ads are free! Want as much variety as possible.
    Point to urls (AtariAge FAQ) whenever possible
    Include a list of hardware needed with each topic
    All content to be repurposed into ninerpedia when done!
    Needs more content from old-timers
    Tutorials
    * I just got a 99/4A, now what?
    * what are the online forums? (tiny historical sidebar about BBSes, The Source, CIS, Genie, Delphi)
    * do I need a Pbox?
    * what should I buy to go with it? Explain 32k, nanoPEB, FinalGROM, TiPi, etc.
    * what classic games should I play?
    * Transferring files to your 4A with nanoPEB or TiPi
    * Classic99
    * BBSes for the TI-99 today
    Interviews
    * Ralph Benziger (FinalGROM)
    * InsaneMultitasker
    * Matthew Hagerty (F18A)
    * Speccery
    * Tursi
    * Doug Warren (Gram Kracker, MG Explorer)
    * JediMatt42 (TiPi)
    * Opry99er
    * Hal Shanafield
    * repurpose some RetroGaming / Brian Roppolo interviews
    History
    * Brief Story of TI Home Computer
    * History of TI Faire
    * History of Fest West
    * Magazines that covered the TI-99/4A
    Reviews
    * FinalGROM
    * Joystick roundup.. joystick adaptor
    * Games of Rasmus
    * Dragon's Lair
    * TiPi
    * Stratego
    * Borzork
    Ads
    * arcadeshopper (everything, TiPi)
    * chris schneider (Genies)
    * jedimatt42?
    * schmitzi nanoPEB
    * ralph benziger (FinalGROM)
    * hummingbird eproms
    * dheins hardware TI warehouse haul
    * Chicago TI FAIRE
    * TI Treff
    * UK TIUG
    * TIjdingen
    * Fest 99/4ATX
    * Midwest Gaming Classic
    * Portland Retro Gaming Expo
    * Old time classifieds. BBS numbers, wanted, for sale, vanity ads.
    * Parody ad written by Munch Man. Hoono extermination service
    * Used Space Fighter, Parsec model, only 20 light years. Will trade for Bynite.
    * (Barrage) Dramis Jeep-Eagle-Chrysler! Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles. Battle tested, hardly any radiation damage.
    Articles
    * Programming XB today
    * Learning Assembly.. whats it like, where to start? xdt99, file transfer
    * Building hardware: tips and sources (mention hackmac 4A schematics in kicad)
    * FORTH column
    * F18A - what was it? hey Mk2!
    * Rarities (not too rare) TIny-99/4A
    * Type in 10 liners! from contest.
    Users Groups
    * Portland, OR
    * Chicago, IL
    * Hustisford, WI
    Interview question starters
    * Tell us about your first TI experience
    * How did you come up with the idea for...
    * What are your finished projects?
    * What are you working on now?
    * Tell us more about...
    • Like 4

  6. Posted

     

    Not on the TI, no.

     

    The TRS-80 systems regularly had 2-line contests in magazines; they could go up to 255 characters in a line, AND you had insane BASIC parsing that allowed NEXT after ELSE. I think my favorite though was just "NEXT" without a variable, which meant "end ALL ongoing loops here."

     

    Wow.

     

    I had a book of TRS-80 BASIC programs that I tried to adapt to TI Basic. I remember struggling through how to change some constructs.

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    Submission: Microtower

    Platform: XB

    Written by: Erik Olson

    Instructions:

    Drive the elevator up and down.

    Press fire at the first floor to load a passenger.

    Press fire on any other floor to drop them off. (They're not picky.)

    If you get a yellow construction worker (looks like a wizard) take them to the roof, where they build another floor.

    10 CALL CLEAR::F=1::C=9:=24::E=C*8-23::V=169::Z=16::CALL COLOR(9,5,5)::CALL COLOR(10,9,9)::CALL MAGNIFY(2)::CALL SCREEN(15)
20 CALL CHAR(97,"18FF8181818181FF003A327E723232000018183C3C1818000018183C183C7E00", 101,"00000018183C180000182424181A1E0000182C70703C1800005A3C1818183C00")
30 P=Z::F=F+1::CALL MOTION(#P,0,0)::T=24-F*3::FOR I=24 TO T STEP -3::CALL HCHAR(I,C+1,96,D-C-1)::NEXT I::CALL HCHAR(T,C-2,32,2)
40 CALL VCHAR(T-3,C-3,104,28-T)::CALL VCHAR(T-3,C,104,28-T)::CALL VCHAR(T,D,104,25-T)::CALL HCHAR(24,C-3,104,4)::CALL HCHAR(T-3,C-3,104,4)
50 CALL SPRITE(#Z,97,7,V,E,0,0)::U=(192-8*F*3-23)
60 CALL JOYST(1,X,Y)::CALL KEY(1,K,S)::CALL POSITION(#Z,A,B)::IF ((Y<=0 AND A>=V) OR (Y>=0 AND A<=U)) THEN Y=0

70 CALL MOTION(#Z,-Y,0,#P,-Y,0)::IF  K<>18 OR Y<>0 THEN 60 ELSE IF P<Z THEN 90
80 IF A>=V THEN P=INT(RND*F+1)::CALL SPRITE(#P,97+P,2+(P*2+8 AND 15),A,B,0,0)::GOTO 60 ELSE 60
90 IF A<=V-20 THEN CALL LOCATE(#P,7+A-INT(A/24),INT(RND*96+73))::IF P=1 AND A<=U AND F<8 THEN 30 ELSE P=Z::GOTO 60 ELSE 60

    microtower.dsk

    • Like 5

  8. Posted

    @Vorticon, feel free to smack my hand if this muddies the water more. :) I felt like, though, it'd be good to have a discussion thread if anyone wanted to for the 10-liner Basic competition over at http://atariage.com/forums/topic/291836-official-10-liner-program-competition-thread/.

     

    This way, we have the link to the thread (where you're supposed to put your programs, darn it!)- and we can talk about the stuff if we wanted.

     

    I'll start.. I know my Tip Calculator is kinda dopey, but I wanted to get it in there since I was dipping my toes back in the programming- I haven't done any real programming since the 80s for TI Basic. I'm fascinated by the limitations that regular ol' TI Basic gives.

     

    You are hardcore using TI BASIC. That's truly 10 lines. With XB it's more like 50 statements but limited chances to loop (ELSE can't contain a NEXT for instance).

  9. Posted

    Here is another one. The program is based on one of David H. Ahl's Best Basic Games, so I can't take credit for it.

    10 INPUT "TORMENT! ENTER A WORD: ": A$
20 X=1
30 FOR I=1 TO LEN(A$)
40 X=X*(ASC(SEG$(A$,I,1))-64)
50 NEXT I
60 PRINT ::
70 IF X<H(LEN(A$)) THEN 10
80 PRINT "NEW BEST";LEN(A$);"LETTER WORD!"::
90 H(LEN(A$)) = X
100 GOTO 10

Your score is the letter values multiplied. For instance ACE scores 1*3*5.
ZEBRA scores 4680. Try to find the highest scoring word for each length.
    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    Maybe we can post our working code here instead of in separate threads?

     

    I made a third entry, MicroTower.

     

    Instructions:

    Drive the elevator up and down.

    Press fire at the first floor to load a passenger.

    Press fire on any other floor to drop them off. (They're not picky.)

    If you get a yellow construction worker (looks like a wizard) take them to the roof, where they build another floor.

    10 CALL CLEAR::F=1::C=9:=24::E=C*8-23::V=169::Z=16::CALL COLOR(9,5,5)::CALL COLOR(10,9,9)::CALL MAGNIFY(2)::CALL SCREEN(15)
20 CALL CHAR(97,"18FF8181818181FF003A327E723232000018183C3C1818000018183C183C7E00", 101,"00000018183C180000182424181A1E0000182C70703C1800005A3C1818183C00")
30 P=Z::F=F+1::CALL MOTION(#P,0,0)::T=24-F*3::FOR I=24 TO T STEP -3::CALL HCHAR(I,C+1,96,D-C-1)::NEXT I::CALL HCHAR(T,C-2,32,2)
40 CALL VCHAR(T-3,C-3,104,28-T)::CALL VCHAR(T-3,C,104,28-T)::CALL VCHAR(T,D,104,25-T)::CALL HCHAR(24,C-3,104,4)::CALL HCHAR(T-3,C-3,104,4)
50 CALL SPRITE(#Z,97,7,V,E,0,0)::U=(192-8*F*3-23)
60 CALL JOYST(1,X,Y)::CALL KEY(1,K,S)::CALL POSITION(#Z,A,B)::IF ((Y<=0 AND A>=V) OR (Y>=0 AND A<=U)) THEN Y=0
70 CALL MOTION(#Z,-Y,0,#P,-Y,0)::IF  K<>18 OR Y<>0 THEN 60 ELSE IF P<Z THEN 90
80 IF A>=V THEN P=INT(RND*F+1)::DISPLAY AT(1,1)::CALL SPRITE(#P,97+P,2+(P*2+8 AND 15),A,B,0,0)::GOTO 60 ELSE 60
90 IF A<=V-20 THEN CALL LOCATE(#P,7+A-INT(A/24),INT(RND*96+73))::IF P=1 AND A<=U AND F<6 THEN 30 ELSE P=Z::GOTO 60 ELSE 60

    Writing these is so much fun.

    • Like 2

  12. Posted

    I too have some, if needed. Machine sockets.

    Thanks. Ksarul is supplying me with a few. I prefer the dual-wipe kind anyway. I worked on the twin V9958 board analog side all weekend. Lots of cheap Yamaha CXA1675 and CXA2075 encoders/drivers on eBay (RGB to composite) so I'm using the CXA2075. I hope they are genuine.

    • Like 2

  13. Posted

    Just got the 99/8 working in MAME. Very, very cool! drives work and everything. It is a tad sluggish at times, even on my i3, but not too much so. Also playing with the 99/4! haven't tried using the drives yet. So cool you guys brought a bit of vaporware out of the vapor. thanks.

     

    Yay! Please bring your emulator setup to the Fest! I'd like to see it working (I have not invested the time)

     

    There will be a real 99/4 and 99/2 (non working) at 99/4ATX,

    • Like 2

  14. Posted

    Another chapter in my quest for V9938 sockets. This is what I made when I was 17 when I could not find them anywhere.

    Yamaha sent the free sample chip (but no socket).

    V9938

     

    64-pin machined socket, basswood, 64 wire wrap/solder connections. A TI engineer provided the suggestion (and his wire wrap gun!) and helped me solder it.

     

    I found the machined socket at OEM Parts, Colorado Springs, where I worked as a pin straightener on salvaged ICs for $3.35/hr. During the DRAM shortage, used 4116s resold for 99 cents.

    Straightening thousands of 4116s earned me money for a Geneve.

    • Like 5

  15. Posted

    Single VDP option is still setup as a second VDP in the system, correct? based on the title of the thread and all?

     

    Is this a PEB design? or on the side?

     

    [email protected]

    Oh.. I hadn't thought of it that way. Coexisting with a 9918A means there is no way to separate the write addresses in >8C00 to keep data away from the 9918A.

    So, thinking through that, a side port or PEB vdp could be in mirror mode (accepting writes at >8C00 but not reads) until accessed at some other base like >8500 (sorry, Mr. sound chip.. I'd move you to the VDP card.)

    My plan was one board, 1 or 2 VDP, goes in the console. First prototype will have a 40 pin ribbon cable socket to replace the 9918A (plus 3 wires A10,A11,A13 = 17 signals) and two PMOD connectors to plug into IceTea (16 pins.. no RESET) .

    A step down from there is a single VDP for less money.

     

     

    I think the most sensible path for me is to 1.) lay out the Twin+EXT PCB but populate it and debug it for Twin+SUP. A smaller spinoff would be 2) a single 9958 upgrade (what Stuart wanted.) The sale prices would be like $100 and $50 that way.

     

     

    9918A socket pins used:

     

    MODE (A14)

    CSW*

    CSR*

    INT1*

    RESET*

    CPUCLK/GROMCLK (output)

    CD0-CD7 (cpu data)

    wires needed to decode additional addreses:
    A10,A11,A13
    A13 is optional if you don't mind losing the palette register write and indirect register write (at >8C04 and >8C06)
    A10 and A11 would be set to select just VDP1 or VDP2 read/write.
    So installing a Twin board is harder, you need to solder 3 wires (I'll provide jumpers.)
    But installing a Single board would be a plain swap for the 9918A.
    • Like 2

  19. Posted

    Inspired by 'Gladiator' (arcade) and 'Swashbuckler' (Apple II) and Video Brain Gladiator (oh god), here is Gladiator:

     

    Instructions: Use joystick to move left or right, and raise shield up or down. Press fire, along with up or down, to ready your sword ; release fire to make an attack. If you get past your opponent's defenses, you defeat them. If your opponent's trident blocks your sword, or your shield blocks their trident, you both live another round. Otherwise you will die, nameless Gladiator.

     

    Gladiator

    It's kind of rough in the combat resolution. I'm putting it aside for a bit.

    10 CALL CLEAR::CALL SCREEN(::CALL MAGNIFY(2)::S=2::T=1::R=80::C=128::Q=160::E=2
20 CALL CHAR(113,"003030300000000000000030303000000000000000303030",116,"2556360A06060A0A090F661F66060A0A00090606076E1665")
30 CALL CHAR( 97,"606848706070506860604078606050D86060406070686070",100,"1819121C101814641818101E1030484C30302030303E186C")
40 CALL CHAR( 105,"102040000000000000000000007000000000000000000070", 108,"020408000000000000000000000E0000000000000000000E")
50 CALL SPRITE(#1,104+S,12,R-4,C+6,#2,112+T,7,R-1,C-1,#3,96+S,2,R,C,#4,115+E,16,R,Q)
60 L=K::CALL JOYST(1,X,Y)::CALL KEY(1,K,Z)::Y=2-Y/4::IF K=18 THEN S=Y ELSE IF L=18 THEN F=4::S=Y+3 ELSE T=Y::IF X THEN C=C+X ELSE IF S>3 THEN S=S-3::F=0
70 E=INT(RND*3+1):: Q=Q-1::CALL PATTERN(#1,104+S,#2,112+T,#3,96+S,#4,115+E)::CALL LOCATE(#1,R-4,C+6,#2,R-1,C-1,#3,R,C,#4,R,Q) 
80 IF C+8+F<Q THEN 60 ELSE IF F AND S<>E+3 THEN 100 ELSE IF T=E OR S-3=E THEN C=C-8::Q=Q+8::GOTO 70
90 CALL COLOR(#4,9)::FOR I=1 TO 7::CALL SOUND(-100,999,2)::CALL SOUND(-100,880,::NEXT I::C=C-8::Q=Q+16::GOTO 50
100 CALL COLOR(#3,9)::FOR I=1 TO 7::CALL SOUND(-100,999-I*100,2)::NEXT I::C=C-16::Q=Q+8::GOTO 50
    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    "The Classic99 manual implies support for DELETE for FIAD files and explicitly states “All disk operations except 'format' are supported.” for DSK images. The CLIP device is the only one for which DELETE is explicitly unsupported."

     

    DELETE does not work for me. Try this:

    10 REM TEST

    SAVE DSK1.TEST

    DELETE "DSK1.TEST" I get I/O ERROR 73

     

    I cannot get disk images to work at all. Downloaded disk images cannot be seen by Classic99. I don't know where I am going astray.

     

    I will try to get this to work with Win994a, but my interest is waning.

     

    Did you change the Image pulldown from FIAD to DSK before opening the file dialog? otherwise the dsk files won't appear.

  21. Posted

    easiest way is HDX over rs232.. you can hook up a cable straight through and do a disk image transfer..

     

    yes but do you need to first get a floppy disk of HDX? I know that SAVE RS232 and OLD RS232 can transfer BASIC programs but that's a limited vector.

     

    It seems like there has always been a need for a jumpstart solution to this.

     

    I imagine passing a Minimem back and forth between two systems. Like in the old days of copying floppies when you only had one drive.

     

    I could borrow some code from SuperSave and XModem, add some interface glue, and have it run out of a 4K MiniMem or 8K SuperCart.

    Requirements: 32K and disk on console 1, only disk on console 2, one Minimem cartridge.

  25. Posted

     

    incredible 10 lines program, second version is much better!
    but i am blocked, can't be continued and I can't go on the left border :P

     

    attachicon.gif2019-06-06_104903.jpg

     

     

     

    I decided it should be hard to get all the gold. Like 'Klondike Solitaire'.

     

    No you can't go on the edge columns 1 or 28. I put borders of rocks from row 13 down to indicate that. I made sure there was no gold in columns 1 or 28. Just for you Ciro! (But it made the game difficulty harder!)

     

    How the maze generation difficulty happens:

     

    In the string W$, there are 23 groups of 3 characters plus 16 'x', Corresponding to 24 lines of the screen.

     

    You can see the structure better with commas between every third char:
    W$
   , a , aa, aa,haa,hha,hhh,hhh,hhh,hhh,hxh,hxx,xhh,xhh,xhp,xxh,xpp,xpp,xhh,xhp,xhh,xxx,xpp,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 row:2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24

    Space is blank, a is tree, h is dirt, x is rock, p is gold.

     

    The first char of each group (position K) is the edge border for that row. See E$ . So line 1 has a space, line 5 has dirt, line 13 has a rock.

    30 K=I*3-2::E$=SEG$(W$,K,1)

    The other chars are chosen two at a time from the group of 16 starting at K:

    SEG$(W$,INT(RND*16+K),2)

    If you want to make the game easier, change the double 'xx' (rocks) to 'hx' or 'hh'. Especially that 'hxx' at row 12 can create a lot of difficulty for you!

    • Like 1
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