Omega-TI Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 While the price of 3D printers is coming down, designing the objects has always been one of the main hurdles. Now there is a device that scans objects for replication. The drawback, it looks like it only scans smaller items: http://store.makerbot.com/digitizer.html So I'm not sure if it will even do a TI cartridge case, let alone replicate a larger HexBus case. But who knows, in a year or two we may be able to do some interesting things. It would be so cool if someone could scan one of these and make it easily available for users to purchase and put their own projects in. I can see the day when someone has 100 or so blank prototyping type circuit boards made up that will fit inside one of these cases, can you imagine the things that could or might be built. /DREAM MODE OFF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMole Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I think something like that would be easy enough to just model in 3D instead of scanning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 You read my mind. I have been thinking about this for a while. A customer of mine has a 3D printer and I have been tempted to get him involved... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 You read my mind. I have been thinking about this for a while. A customer of mine has a 3D printer and I have been tempted to get him involved... I have a feeling quite a few of us are thinking the same thing. A TI friend of mine from Olympia and I were talking about 3D printed objects for the computer just the other day. There are so many possibilities that it just boggles the mind. But to have a couple of pre-made standardized HexBus type cases would be a good start. The hardware guys could have a field day. Could you imagine a little HexBus type case between the TI and the Nano-PEB that would hold the speech, as well as a miniature floppy controller with a 3.5" drive built-in as DSK4? I doubt it would have to be any wider than the standard HexBus case, especially if the drive was vertical. One would truly have the best of both worlds. As much as I like my Nano-PEB, I find that it would be nice to save a couple of things to floppy now and then. But for right now I'd settle on a decent case for the Nano-PEB. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I can't remember the name of the product at the moment but you can actually make your own molds based on existing items and create copies. It would probably be a lot cheaper and faster than 3D printing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Possibly. I would love to see my CF7+ in a box. Make it much easier to handle. A case which encloses the CF7+ and the Speed Synthesizer would be VERY handy. I know nothing about molds versus printing. I just know we would do well with a fresh batch of cartridge enclosures without having to dissect TI Invader carts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 (edited) If you look in the 512K cart status thread, there are pix of the cartridge cases I cast as part of the project (on the first page of the thread). The Hexbus case may be too big for me to make a good mold of it, due to the size of the pressure pot I have for the curing. I have an empty Speech Synthesizer case in Hexbus style (and a pair of the Hexbus interfaces--one very early model and a later one that was feature complete), so I can at least look at the problem. If it is too big, I may have to scout out a larger pressure vessel than the one I have or work with the one I have on a side frame to use more of the vertical volume effectively. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/193163-512k-cartridge-status/ Edited September 21, 2013 by Ksarul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I'd take this one step further. Instead of scanning an existing proprietary cart someone should design a two piece unit with proprietary cart ends and generic top ends that could hold many different cart pcbs. That way you could make one homebrew shell to rule them all (2600, CoCo, TI, C64, etc..) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 With a little tweaking, adding a better quality switch, a CF card extender (a couple of variants pictured below) a guy could design up a pretty good looking and usable case for the Nano-PEB. Hey, if someone put a kit together with all the parts, I bet they could make a couple of bucks. I know I'd buy one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 (edited) I have an empty Speech Synthesizer case in Hexbus style (and a pair of the Hexbus interfaces--one very early model and a later one that was feature complete), so I can at least look at the problem. If it is too big, I may have to scout out a larger pressure vessel than the one I have or work with the one I have on a side frame to use more of the vertical volume effectively. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/193163-512k-cartridge-status/ HEXBUS ALERT!! EBAY!! http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FTI-99-4A-HEXBUS-INTERFACE-SPEECH-PROTOTYPE-CASE-ONLY-TEXAS-INSTRUMENTS-TI99-%2F131000754719%3Fpt%3DUS_Vintage_Computing_Parts_Accessories%26hash%3Ditem1e8040e21f You mean like this? If only I had the money and the ability to make a mold of THIS! This with a few mods could be the solution to so many future endeavors! Edited September 30, 2013 by Kevan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kl99 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 We have a guy in our Austrian ti-99 club who bought a 3d printer lately. If we get a print ready model, we can arrange something for sure. He even said, that a nanoPEB case was one of the reasons to buy it. The tricky part for the CF7+/nanoPEB is to keep the compact flash card and the power on accessable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 We have a guy in our Austrian ti-99 club who bought a 3d printer lately. If we get a print ready model, we can arrange something for sure. He even said, that a nanoPEB case was one of the reasons to buy it. The tricky part for the CF7+/nanoPEB is to keep the compact flash card and the power on accessable. OH YEAH, this sounds promising. Yes, the CF port is an issue, but they do have extenders available..... http://www.sycard.com/cfext180.html ... these will help for design issues and still make the Nano EASIER to use, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ti99iuc Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I am very happy to write this big news from Jon Guidry Prototype (first attempt) TI-99/4A cartridge cases printed with a 3D printer. Courtesy of Chris Miller and Richard Foley at Heartland Community College. here the pictures Thank you Jon, Chris and Richard for trying this 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ventrra Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I am very happy to write this big news from Jon Guidry here the pictures - snip - Thank you Jon, Chris and Richard for trying this I'll be the first to admit that that looks pretty good. (Well... maybe not as good as it would if the colors weren't mismatched , but pretty awesome all the same). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 That is cool! Even with the mismatched colors! Can we put in requests? I am partial to blue or green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Ooh, I am liking those shells! How well do PCBs fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+retroclouds Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Very nice!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ti99iuc Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I'll be the first to admit that that looks pretty good. (Well... maybe not as good as it would if the colors weren't mismatched , but pretty awesome all the same). yes it's a first test to build a cartridge... so i think it's a real good result ! .. about colors it's because all the original prototype TI cartridges had mismatched colors like this.. or black/blue or other... the final version instead have cartridges in one color only ------------------- about the test it's a Jon Guidry's project so i hope Jon will come here to tell us more details... i am really curious too !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+acadiel Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 They are rough prototypes created by the community college's instructor of engineering (he spent about four hours measuring and drawing them.) They don't fit perfect yet (the clasps do not engage), and he's going to work on revising it again. He can't give me the .stl file, as it's for student distribution only with their autocad license. I plan on taking a CAD 110 course online next semester (auditing), so then I can get the .stl drawing and learn how to manipulate it, and distribute it for non commercial use. I will bring these to the TI Faire next month if anyone wants to see them. The instructor did a great job on them for a first try! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 (edited) Actually, only some of the TI prototypes had the mismatch color cases. I have also seen solid color cases (Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, or Blue), and even standard Black cases. The Black ones were most often used in a Qualification Run (per Mike Bunyard, a qualification run was a minimum of 50 pieces to validate the assembly process), while the other types (solid or mixed color) were usually built using non-production components on an EGROM cartridge circuit card, and would be hand soldered. These latter carts are true prototypes and may have code different from the final production release. I recently purchased a pair of bare EGROM cartridge circuit cards on eBay (TI actually sold these to outside cartridge developers at one time to allow them to test their code prior to sending it to TI for release, documented in a brochure sold on eBay about two months ago that I did not win, unfortunately). Note also that many of the earliest Scott-Foresman cartridges also came in production cartridges using all of the above solid colors mentioned, along with a medium Gray--this last one was used for all of the School Management applications and nowhere else that I've seen. It is distinctly different from the later cream cases. Edited October 18, 2013 by Ksarul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ti99iuc Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 They are rough prototypes [...........] The instructor did a great job on them for a first try! oh yeas, a real great job... I too would like to thank the professor! ... and thankyou to you for done it and share Actually [....] later cream cases. Thanks for your explaination... i always thought that original "prototype" cartridges from TI were with in two colors... i have some the Scott Foresmann Packages but i always considered them as "originals" by Scott Foresmann ...also because i seen the same software pack on some Scott Foresmann's Catalogs....so always considered officials items... anyway if you tell so i trust ! .... good to know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 (edited) Scott Foresman color coded a lot of their cartridges to make it easy for teachers to use them in school--with different cartridges in a series using different colors. A really good example are the three combined game modules (Module A, Module B, and Module C) One was Red, one was Green, and one was Yellow in their original production incarnations (later runs used regular black cases, and I've seen Yellow used for at least two of them, so they weren't always consistent). That told the teacher at a glance that the student was using the right one, without needing to disturb the student to get a closer look at the screen. Most of the color cases I've seen from Scott Foresman came in sturdy library cases--not boxes, and came with manuals that were burnt orange print on a white background. Edited October 18, 2013 by Ksarul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ventrra Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Scott Foresman color coded a lot of their cartridges to make it easy for teachers to use them in school--with different cartridges in a series using different colors. A really good example are the three combined game modules (Module A, Module B, and Module C) One was Red, one was Green, and one was Yellow in their original production incarnations (later runs used regular black cases, and I've seen Yellow used for at least two of them, so they weren't always consistent). That told the teacher at a glance that the student was using the right one, without needing to disturb the student to get a closer look at the screen. Most of the color cases I've seen from Scott Foresman came in sturdy library cases--not boxes, and came with manuals that were burnt orange print on a white background. ...And now I know what to look for! Thank you for the explanation about those carts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Nice! I just got a 3D printer and just made a t-handle air raid style cart case, these would be great to make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I would be interested in the files to 3dprint a TI cart.. This exist yet? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.