chue

TI BASIC + Minimem + 32K I thought it would be interesting to see TI BASIC compared to the other BASICs. I realize there is another (stock) TI BASIC benchmark earlier in this thread, but that one doesn't find all of the primes. Instead of using an array for working storage, this code uses the Minimem to Peek / Poke into expansion RAM. 1 OPEN #1:"CLOCK" 2 INPUT #1:A$,B$,C$ 3 PRINT C$ 6 ITER=1 8 HIMEM=-24576 9 SZ=8192 20 PRINT ITER;"ITERATIONS" 30 FOR M=1 TO ITER 40 COUNT=0 50 FOR I=0 TO SZ 60 CALL LOAD(HIMEM+I,1) 70 NEXT I 80 FOR I=0 TO SZ 90 CALL PEEK(HIMEM+I,FLAG) 95 IF FLAG=0 THEN 170 100 PRIME=I+I+3 105 REM PRINT PRIME 110 K=I+PRIME 120 IF K>SZ THEN 160 130 CALL LOAD(HIMEM+K,0) 140 K=K+PRIME 150 GOTO 120 160 COUNT=COUNT+1 170 NEXT I 180 NEXT M 190 PRINT COUNT;"PRIMES" 200 INPUT #1:A$,B$,C$ 210 PRINT C$ Result for 1 iteration is 25 minutes and 2 seconds.

Indeed, it fails on "B". Testing was done on a single Pico on the silver and black TI. I tried 250 mhz + 1 NOP, 266 mhz + 9 NOPs.

Just now I reflashed the USB firmware and ran the test again and same result. Fails on the first 7 pages of the test. Note I always flash with the Pico PEB disconnected from the TI, which requires removing and reinserting the Pico. So I tried on my beige (non-QI) TI and same result there, failure. I pulled out a different Pico PEB and loaded the USB firmware on that. Fails on both TIs. I changed to the prior version of the firmware on both Pico PEBs and the SAMS tests pass on both TIs. If you would like to see another test, let know. For now the prior firmware is great for me, so I will use that (outside of testing of course). Edit: all tests here were done at 250 mhz, 1 NOP

I couldn't get this working on my Pico PEB. SAMS burn-ins failed within the first 7 pages of the test. I started at 250 mhz and 1 NOP, incrementing mhz and NOPs by 2 and 1 respectively. I stopped at 266 mhz and 9 NOPs. No luck at all running. I went back to the prior firmware and all is well. edit: testing was done on the silver and black TI only. I didn’t test on the other consoles.

That's what I was missing, thank you!

I used the following files: Myarc DSR - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/308510-research-on-myarc-extended-basic-ii/?do=findComment&comment=5418927 XB2 Disk - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/307501-myarc-extended-basic-ii-mame-setup/ I could not get it working, it never shows option 2 from the selection screen. I probably don't have the right filename for the Myarc DSR though. Is it even the correct file?

This is the benchmark for "Jason's hacky version of Myarc XB2 on SAMS", version 2.12. At least that's what @JasonACT calls it: https://forums.atariage.com/topic/252171-1-meg-super-ams-discussion-thread/?do=findComment&comment=5419075 The code is close to the BYTE magazine version. I added code to query the clock device. "CLOCK" is available in Classic99, or the Pico PEB sidecar device. On the TIPI, the device might be "PI.CLOCK". 1 OPEN #1: "CLOCK" 2 INPUT #1: A$,B$,C$ 3 PRINT C$ 5 DEFINT M,COUNT,I,K,ITER,SZ 6 ITER=1 7 SZ=8192 8 REM NEXTLINE USE SZ+1 10 DEFINT DIM FLAGS(8193) 20 PRINT ITER;"ITERATIONS" 30 FOR M=1 TO ITER 40 COUNT=0 50 FOR I=0 TO SZ 60 FLAGS(I)=1 70 NEXT I 80 FOR I=0 TO SZ 90 IF FLAGS(I)=0 THEN 170 100 PRIME=I+I+3 105 REM PRINT PRIME 110 K=I+PRIME 120 IF K>SZ THEN 160 130 FLAGS(K)=0 140 K=K+PRIME 150 GOTO 120 160 COUNT=COUNT+1 170 NEXT I 180 NEXT M 190 PRINT COUNT;"PRIMES" 200 INPUT #1: A$,B$,C$ 210 PRINT C$ The result for one iteration - 22 minutes 1 second I have also been trying to get the non-hacky Myarc Foundation version of XB2 to run, but without a lot of success.

Mitsumi in black? I believe so, based on an earlier posting in this thread. Ok, confirmed - there's the mitsumi sticker:

That worked too. @JasonACT if you would like to see tests using other values, let me know.

Didn't see the above explanation, but did test with values of 266 Mhz and 2 NOPs. I picked those based on what I had used in the past. The SAMS burn-in worked on all 3 of my TIs. Will test 250 Mhz and 1 NOP next.

Still looking? There are two on ebay at the moment. https://www.ebay.com/itm/285460008407 https://www.ebay.com/itm/296377248801 Edit I see you got one. Nevermind!

Let me plug @JasonACT's Pico PEB. Full thread here: Here's my summary of the feature set: - Speech Synthesizer implementation - 32KB / SAMS / Myarc Foundation Memory - GRAM/GROM Cartridge + Multi-bank RAM/ROM + MiniMem-RAM - USB subsystem keyboard + joystick + mouse - Disk image (.dsk) + TI Files (on SD) support - Network clock - RS232 - Via Pico's free Serial2 port - P-Code Card implementation - And more... see the file "PPEB2.ino" in the Pico PEB download zip for more details The Pico PEB features are controlled/ enabled via a configuration file as well as TI BASIC commands. Currently this is a DIY project, so nobody is selling these. You have to build one (or have someone build it for you). There is probably a handful of users (4 including Jason, that I know of). Edit Here's a picture of one that I built, it plugs into the TI's side expansion port:

Silver side port. If I didn’t already have a QI, I’d take a chance on it. $30 shipped isn’t too bad if it boots.

Silver & Black: LTA5282 Beige: LTA3983 QI: LTA4383

I know nothing about implementation, but JediMatt's RAM tester sees greater than 1MB on Classic99, as well as JasonAct's PicoPEB: According to the github, the tester will see up to 16MB: https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-memtest

I don’t know anything about your RAM expansion, just taking a guess. Did you try plugging in the Ram first, and then speech synthesizer into the Ram? Does the Ram expansion require an external power supply?

Try a different, preferably non-QI console?

Ok, I did the QI mods: 1. Pulled out the resistor pack 2. Pulled out U32 and put in a "shunt" connecting the data lines The QI is now able to run carts from the PicoPEB (previously it didn't work): I am currently running a SAMS burn-in test. I also tested the FinalGrom99 (without the Pico attached) - it doesn't work with Ralph's 1.3 firmware. It still needs the QI specific firmware to work correctly. Let me know @JasonACT if you would like to see any other testing.

I would be inclined to touch up the pins on the sd card socket as well.

I actually don't have any, other than playing friends' 2600s and 5200s. The video I link was for an Atari machine, but the keyboard was made by Mitsumi. It appears to have the same mylar design as our TI keyboard, and therefore I thought it might be useful to try the same fix.

A history of Texas Instruments (the company) - price wars at about 33:20

Nice writeup, Brad! I recently had a go at this as well, and did not have the success you did. I did not do everything that you did, so I will go back and try it when I get some time. When I received my keyboard, only one key worked. Now, most of the keys work but there are few that do not. Of the ones that do work, there are many that need debouncing. That is, when I press a key once, I get 4 - 5 characters on screen. My research found a lot of the same fixes as described in your post, but I did find one other possible fix. 1. Max's video, which heats the mylar with a heatgun. I tried this but it had no effect for me. 2. Cleaning the carbon pads with alcohol. I did this and it certainly improved things for me. 3. Fixing the traces on the keyboard and mylar. I did not do this, but will go back and do so. 4. Making the keys stiffer, using some heat shrink. I tried this but don't have the right sized heat shrink, and gave up on it. Here's the video: I think that over time, a lot of things can degrade on this model keyboard. Each keyboard may have its unique failure points; so a particular fix for one keyboard might not resolve issues with a different keyboard.

Just curious, can you explain a little more? Does the mod make the side port and the cartridge port behave like the original? Do you see any other potential behavior changes? When I do this, I'd like to do it non-destructively. My thought was to socket both the resistor pack and U32. For connecting the blue lines in your image, I was planning on doing that with another socket, which could be removed when needed. That way I can have the non-QI behavior by removing the components and inserting this connector socket; or, if I need the QI behavior I can re-insert the original components. By doing this there is not a need to cut W7. Does my theory hold up? I am a little short on time at the moment, but hope to get to it in the 2nd half of April. Anyone else is certainly free to give it a try.

I just watched this, it was more a history of TI (the company) than it was about the computer.

Decent read. a lot of great points in the article. I found it interesting though that he says developers shouldn't bother each other because it is a productivity downer; however later he says they should run their UIs by others. I don't know, maybe he's saying it's ok to bother people in the hall ("hallway usability testing"), but not at their desks? Anyway, just questioning out loud... probably only "Joel" can answer that one.