Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 So I've finally gotten my hands on an 8K Supercart and I'm wondering what I can do with it. I know two of the Infocom games needed it (Leather Goddesses and Wishbringer I believe), but is that it's only use? As far as I can tell it's like an 8K Mini-Memory with EA included. Can I save a cartridge or disk game to it and run it directly from the Supercart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+adamantyr Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 I've been using it for my CRPG development. I need that extra 8k. It's pretty easy to utilize in assembly language; the memory starts at >6000. I've mainly used it for data storage, but there's nothing stopping you from AORG'ing in there to put code as well. There are ways you can load software into that 8k and map it so you can load it from the cartridge menu option. I think it was detailed in a MICROPendium article, someone here should be able to offer more details. By the way, those cartridges are NOT easy to find, they don't show up on eBay nearly at all. Good move getting one! Adamantyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sometimes99er Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/supercart/supercart.html http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/supercart/supercart_4bank.html http://atariage.com/forums/topic/207817-supercart-v-ed-assm http://atariage.com/forums/topic/184558-super-cart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 I've been using it for my CRPG development. I need that extra 8k. It's pretty easy to utilize in assembly language; the memory starts at >6000. I've mainly used it for data storage, but there's nothing stopping you from AORG'ing in there to put code as well. There are ways you can load software into that 8k and map it so you can load it from the cartridge menu option. I think it was detailed in a MICROPendium article, someone here should be able to offer more details. By the way, those cartridges are NOT easy to find, they don't show up on eBay nearly at all. Good move getting one! Adamantyr So is that 8K on top of the 32K from my PEB? Do I have an extra 40K now? I got mine from a member here. I don't see them on ebay, but they don't look that difficult to make as long as you have some electronics skills (which I don't unfortunately). So I assume whatever I put in the 8K needs to be something that can be run from EA right? I can put an assembly language disk game in there but not a cartridge rom right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+adamantyr Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Yes, it's an additional 8k to the 32k you have in the expansion. Most cartridge games DO run from the EA cart. The sole exceptions are most of Texas Instruments original software titles, which were stored in GROM chips. Adamantyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Yes, it's an additional 8k to the 32k you have in the expansion. Most cartridge games DO run from the EA cart. The sole exceptions are most of Texas Instruments original software titles, which were stored in GROM chips. Adamantyr So I could say put that Robotron prototype rom onto this cart and run it on my TI? That would be nice. I need to see how you go about doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+adamantyr Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 So I could say put that Robotron prototype rom onto this cart and run it on my TI? That would be nice. I need to see how you go about doing that. It should be possible, it depends on if the ROM was 8k. Texas Instruments actually forced 3rd party developers to stick to the 8k limit, which was a real snag in their efforts to secure a broader base of software titles. if it's bigger than 8k, then you'd have to have a cartridge with banks of 8k that are switchable. The SuperSpace II cartridge did this. Adamantyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 I just looked, I think it's 16K (there are two 8K images in the zip file for it). Oh well, there are other games... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+adamantyr Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Bummer. That would explain why it wasn't released... The lack of open-ended memory access in the TI-99'4a's initial architecture was a huge problem for development. It's possible to get that running in the 32k expansion off of disk, though. All that would need to be done is to update the memory references so it loads into the 32k Expansion instead. Adamantyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 It's possible to get that running in the 32k expansion off of disk, though. All that would need to be done is to update the memory references so it loads into the 32k Expansion instead. People have asked, but no one seems to want to hack it. I would if I had the skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 "Possible" and "straight forward" are two different things. I did the memory remap of Espial to work in 32k instead of DSR space - that involved remapping just one 8k bank. I did it by modifying Classic99 to automatically modify the code each time an "incorrect" memory access was detected. Could do the same thing again, but the problem with this approach is that you run the risk of missing areas. If you don't exercise /all/ the code, parts may not be patched. There's a smaller further complication about going from bank switched to non-bank switched, but Robotron at least kept the bank switch code all in one place. (I spent some time with it to implement a dual-joystick hack). Ultimately, it's rather easy now to make a Robotron cartridge, using the supplies that Jon and Matthew provided, so the value of spending an evening to make it run from 32k RAM space instead feels low. (Although I do admit that it appears new stock is not currently available...?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Ultimately, it's rather easy now to make a Robotron cartridge, using the supplies that Jon and Matthew provided, so the value of spending an evening to make it run from 32k RAM space instead feels low. (Although I do admit that it appears new stock is not currently available...?) Pretty please? I really want to be able to play all these prototype games that haven't been converted to disk format so I can use them with my CF7. Either that or someone needs to make a TI-99 SD cart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 ....a TI-99 SD cart! **Licking my lips!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 [/font][/color] **Licking my lips!!! Why can't someone do this? Is it lack of interest or is it something to do with the way memory can be accessed from the cartridge port (can't the TI only address 8K or something like that unless you use the expansion port?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Overall it's probably lack of interest. Jon's multicarts are big enough for most people. Memory at the cartridge port - all of GROM space is available, and only 8k of cartridge space is available. But there are a few standard bank switching schemes for cartridge space that are easily emulated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Are there multicarts for sale? I saw some YouTube videos but that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 (edited) I have my 512k multicart from Jon Guidry... And you'd have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. =) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syaAGnCJp2Y[/url] Edited April 5, 2013 by Opry99er Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 Cool cart there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 Yea man, I love it. One of my rare prizes. That, my complete Funware collection, and my MBX. I'm a very fortunate 99er. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 Pretty please? I really want to be able to play all these prototype games that haven't been converted to disk format so I can use them with my CF7. This is incomplete and it will crash, but I can't spend any more time on it. Load with Editor/Assembler. Notes included. earobotron.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 So the game still had bugs in it? Anything in particular? I know it was a prototype, but I assumed it was complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+acadiel Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Owen, did you see this yet? I'm probably going to see if we can just make some 74LS378 boards... I can't get that darn GAL to work properly on the alternate board. It was funny how the GAL banking was random on two identically programmed boards. I don't have much test equipment to monitor the outputs to determine what's wrong, but I can tell you the 74LS378 version works well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Woooow. =) I love that... no switches, eh? =) That is one nice project, and no... I hadn't seen it yet. =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 I will save money to buy the RXB cart. woot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 So the game still had bugs in it? Anything in particular? I know it was a prototype, but I assumed it was complete. Not even close. It's single-player only (the 'press enter to start' doesn't even work, it's press fire to start). The real game crashes too, although my E/A port above is worse, I clearly missed some stuff. I included instructions to anyone who wants to continue the port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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