How to identify a QI console

[dphirschler]

I just received a new console and I suspect it's a QI. It looks similar to a QI console I used to have. I had recently traded away my QI console before I really knew what it was. Turns out it was a (rare?) 1981 QI console.

 

I remember discovering some differences before I got curious and opened it up. The cassette port was beige (not black) and looking through the vent holes underneath, the keyboard was behind a shield. The side connector shield was aluminum, not copper. Inside I discovered a new PSU design and the mobo had a different layout. I took pictures too. Booting it up, it had a 1981 date on the title screen.

 

Anyways, as I was saying, I just received what I suspect is another 1981 QI console. It boots up to a 1981 title screen. I haven't opened it up yet, but I can see the shielding protecting the keyboard. And the cassette port and side expansion port is as I described above. Oh, and one thing I haven't seen before. The power switch is red, not blue.

 

 

Are there any other clues that can be observed from the outside? Can it be determined from the serial number? I'll eventually take it apart and discover its secrets. I do seem to remember the PSU being red, not green.

 

 

Darryl

[dphirschler]

Well, looking back at the few photos I took of the other QI console, the cassette port was black and the PSU was green. It just had a bunch of red caps on it. But the power switch is blue on the other QI console.

 

Darryl

[Gary from OPA]

I just received a new console and I suspect it's a QI. The side connector shield was aluminum, not copper.

 

Normally this was how I knew it was a QI console.

[+OLD CS1]

I may be wrong so someone please correct me if I am. The aluminum fingers are the only outward appearance. I understand from reading around that about half of the beige consoles are 2.2, so the non-2.2 QI is not necessarily rare but a gem to find.

 

I remember a kid I went to school with wanted to sell me his beige console. I did not know any better and thought the v2.2 was cool, until I tried my Midnight Mason cartridge on it and it would not work. Neither would Munch Man II, 4A Flyer, or Beyond Parsec. Needless to say I did not buy it.

 

However, I am almost positive he had a matching Speech Synthesizer (beige plastic.) Supposedly his dad had some "in" with TI through his military contract contact and had I actually bought his console I would have gotten a whole bunch of really cool stuff with it. Did a beige SS ever make it out of TI??

Edited October 15, 2014 by OLD CS1

[+Ksarul]

I have a case for a beige Speech Synthesizer, but not the board. It is the same size/shape as a Hex-Bus Interface. . .so a regular speech synthesizer board won't work in it because the case is a bit wider.

[Omega-TI]

I have a case for a beige Speech Synthesizer, but not the board. It is the same size/shape as a Hex-Bus Interface. . .so a regular speech synthesizer board won't work in it because the case is a bit wider.

 

Oh, I bet the community would like to see a mold made of your beige units case. Just think of the future projects that could fit into that thing...

[Dripfree]

I'm unfamiliar with a QI console. Is this the beige console with the old firmware that allows atarisoft games?

[dphirschler]

I just read on Mainbyte (never saw this page before) that you can also identify the QI’s by the power plug. QI only has two pins. This is important to remember because this clearly indicates that the QI internal power supply is NOT interchangeable with the non-QI power supply, something that until now, I had assumed otherwis

Question, does the F18A mod work on QI consoles? I haven’t looked closely enough at it to see.

[dphirschler]

For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that the QI (Quality Improved) console only came in beige, but not all beige consoles are QI. And not all QI consoles are v2.2, as evidenced by my (and OLD_CS1’s) QI console which come with 1981 firmware.

I currently have three beige consoles. Two of them are virtually identical to the black/silver console - the power switch and LED are really the only differences other than the color and lack of aluminum trim. The third one is a non-v2.2 QI, and it's is an entirely different beast. The internal board design for both the main board and the PSU board are quite different! TI eventually released the QI v2.2 console which took away some freedom for third party developers.

So as far as I know, the different 4A consoles that exist are:

1. Black/silver with “solid state software” badge on the lower part of the cart port (near the power switch).

2. Black/silver without the “solid state software” badge. Are these newer or older?

3. Beige with 1981 internals

4. Beige QI non-v2.2 (1981)

5. Beige QI 1983 v2.2

I have noticed minor differences too. I have seen different keyboards on the black and the beige units. And I’ve now seen the red power switch on the beige unit. So the question for me is, how rare are the non-v2.2 QI consoles vs the v2.2 QI consoles. I believe the “stock” 1981 beige consoles are quite common. I think the QI consoles are rare anyways. But what proportion of the QI’s are v2.2 vs non-v2.2?

Darryl

[+InsaneMultitasker]

 

For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that the QI (Quality Improved) console only came in beige, but not all beige consoles are QI. And not all QI consoles are v2.2, as evidenced by my (and OLD_CS1’s) QI console which come with 1981 firmware.

 

I currently have three beige consoles. Two of them are virtually identical to the black/silver console - the power switch and LED are really the only differences other than the color and lack of aluminum trim. The third one is a non-v2.2 QI, and it's is an entirely different beast. The internal board design for both the main board and the PSU board are quite different! TI eventually released the QI v2.2 console which took away some freedom for third party developers.

 

So as far as I know, the different 4A consoles that exist are:

 

1. Black/silver with “solid state software” badge on the lower part of the cart port (near the power switch).

2. Black/silver without the “solid state software” badge. Are these newer or older?

3. Beige with 1981 internals

4. Beige QI non-v2.2 (1981)

5. Beige QI 1983 v2.2

 

I have noticed minor differences too. I have seen different keyboards on the black and the beige units. And I’ve now seen the red power switch on the beige unit. So the question for me is, how rare are the non-v2.2 QI consoles vs the v2.2 QI consoles. I believe the “stock” 1981 beige consoles are quite common. I think the QI consoles are rare anyways. But what proportion of the QI’s are v2.2 vs non-v2.2?

 

 

Darryl

 

 

I just received a new console and I suspect it's a QI. It looks similar to a QI console I used to have. I had recently traded away my QI console before I really knew what it was. Turns out it was a (rare?) 1981 QI console.

 

I remember discovering some differences before I got curious and opened it up. The cassette port was beige (not black) and looking through the vent holes underneath, the keyboard was behind a shield. The side connector shield was aluminum, not copper. Inside I discovered a new PSU design and the mobo had a different layout. I took pictures too. Booting it up, it had a 1981 date on the title screen.

 

Anyways, as I was saying, I just received what I suspect is another 1981 QI console. It boots up to a 1981 title screen. I haven't opened it up yet, but I can see the shielding protecting the keyboard. And the cassette port and side expansion port is as I described above. Oh, and one thing I haven't seen before. The power switch is red, not blue.

 

IMG_20141014_215231.jpgIMG_20141014_215136.jpgIMG_20141014_215104.jpgIMG_20141014_195740.jpg

 

Are there any other clues that can be observed from the outside? Can it be determined from the serial number? I'll eventually take it apart and discover its secrets. I do seem to remember the PSU being red, not green.

 

 

Darryl

 

Perhaps it was made from the same stock as the Control Data TI-99/4A. I am not sure how many are out in the wild, though I remember repairing and shipping a number of them from Cecure Electronics to purchasers, back in the 90s. The main difference was the branding on the console and the title screen. The following website has some nice pictures of these units:

 

http://www.ti99.com/cdc994a.htm

[Gary from OPA]

The main best 100% way to know if it is QI is to open it up and look at board, if it does NOT look like this it is NOT a QI

 

 

There is a few batches of QI boards with the OLD non v2.2 GROM in it.

 

And there is few batches of NON-QI boards iwth the new v2.2 GROM on it.

 

As for 2 pin power plugs I see those on NON-QI boards, so there is some later /4a boards that use a newer power supply.

 

And keyboards switch between all models, and so do the beige and non-beige joystick/cassette ports on the outside.

 

I still think most and if not all QI boards have ONLY a BOTTOM SHIELD with NO COPPER edges, that is best way to see from outside via the vents and port openings, and using a strong light to look along the side to see the main chips turned sideways without the top shield.

 

If you see a TOP shield or the chips not changed in their layout then it is for sure an older non QI board.

 

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. -- As for F18A it works, if you lucky your QI still has the 9918A in a socket so you can remove it, as far as I can remember some of early QI's still use a socket for this chip, but alot of them did not!

 

And that as similar to GROM 0, some of QI had the non v2.2 or v2.2 grom in a socket, whereas the ones with v2.2 later on were soldered onto the board with the rest of chips, preventing you from easy going back to older non v2.2 OS

Edited October 15, 2014 by Gary from OPA

[+Ksarul]

Also, the odd 40-pin chip on there is a special purpose TI chip designed specifically for the /4A by Mike Bunyard. If you look up on WHT, you will find a diagram of the logic for it in the 99/8 documents. Look for HOMBRE. . .

[Tursi]

F18A works in my QI - I've never seen a non-socketted 9918A though. I've only seen a few QIs, would love to see the ones with soldered 9918 or GROM.

 

Also, an easier way to tell for sure is simply to plug it in and turn it on, if you are in a situation you can take it apart then you can likely do that. The QI has the version 2.2 ROM that locks out Atarisoft and other ROM-only cartridges (only by not scanning for them - it only scans for GROM).

[dphirschler]

Also, an easier way to tell for sure is simply to plug it in and turn it on, if you are in a situation you can take it apart then you can likely do that. The QI has the version 2.2 ROM that locks out Atarisoft and other ROM-only cartridges (only by not scanning for them - it only scans for GROM).

That's the thing, Tursi. This is not only a QI console, but a non-v2.2. It actually says "© 1981 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS" on the title screen. And it's the second one I've had in my possession. OLD_CS1 has the other one.

 

Darryl

[Tursi]

I guess anything's possible, but I'd like to see the mainboard to support that assertion. Mostly cause I've never seen that combination. There was enough overlap that there's no reason it couldn't happen, but I'm curious if there are other differences.

[dphirschler]

Here is the first one... the one OLDCS1 now owns.

I'll take photos of mine when I get a chance.

 

Darryl

Edited October 16, 2014 by dphirschler

[+OLD CS1]

Aw, I was gonna take mine apart today! heheheh Yup, I traded one of my black and silver consoles for this one. Darryl, I hope you do not feel like I took you for a ride on that deal: I never thought the non-2.2 QIs were rare or uncommon, just a 50/50 chance when getting a beige console. I started asking people about the expansion port before I would buy.

[dphirschler]

Aw, I was gonna take mine apart today! heheheh Yup, I traded one of my black and silver consoles for this one. Darryl, I hope you do not feel like I took you for a ride on that deal: I never thought the non-2.2 QIs were rare or uncommon, just a 50/50 chance when getting a beige console. I started asking people about the expansion port before I would buy.

Don't even worry about it. It's no big deal. I willingly did that trade. But I am excited to have another non-v2.2 QI. I kind of missed it.

 

I peeked into the case last night and there is definitely no top shield. I'll take photos later on this weekend.

 

 

Darryl

Edited October 16, 2014 by dphirschler

[Tursi]

Very cool. Thanks for the picture repost

[RobertLM78]

This looks like my mystery unit. I don't recall what thread it's in....

[+mizapf]

Just noticed your avatar icon and thought, well, so you finally made it from the imaginary to the real world, and all you got was negative ...

[+OLD CS1]

Just noticed your avatar icon and thought, well, so you finally made it from the imaginary to the real world, and all you got was negative ...

 

AND he said "unit," Beavis.

[+Ksarul]

I am Cornholio! LOLOL. . .

[dphirschler]

So as far as I know, the different 4A consoles that exist are:

 

1. Black/silver with solid state software badge on the lower part of the cart port (near the power switch).

2. Black/silver without the solid state software badge. Are these newer or older?

3. Beige with 1981 internals

4. Beige QI non-v2.2 (1981)

5. Beige QI 1983 v2.2

I think I can answer my own question regarding the black consoles. The newer ones are the ones without the "Solid State Software" badge. I make this decision based on the recent observation of the keyboard overlay tray. The newer design is a tray that can stack many overlays in. I never knew the black consoles did this. I just noticed it this weekend.

 

 

Darryl

Edited October 19, 2014 by dphirschler

[+Ksarul]

The Solid State Software badge actually had a function. The case mold was the same one as used for the early 99/4 machines--and they had a volume slide in that slot for their internal speaker. The 99/4 quickly moved away from that model and the Solid State Software badges covered the resulting hole. Eventually, a new upper case mold was done and the badge disappeared.