Issue with mini memory and nanoPEB loading LBLA/Lines

[palmheads]

Does anyone out there have a nanoPEB and a mini memory module to help test something for me?

Before I start, I have made sure I have re-initialised the mini memory, making sure it is clear.

Download the Miscellaneous.zip from Stuart's page & copy to CF card for inserting into nanoPEB

http://www.avjd51.dsl.pipex.com/ti/ti.htm

I put the DSK image to DSK3.

Boot up TI with Mini Memory module, Choose 3. Mini Memory, choose Load and Run:

DSK3.CART_RAM/O

Then choose option 2

DSK3.MM_LBLA

Quit out, then go back into 3. Mini Memory, and choose Run

Type

"NEW"

For me I get a green screen!?

Now try this.

Choose 3. Mini Memory, choose Load and Run:

DSK3.CART_RAM/O

Then choose option 2

DSK3.MM_LINES

Quit out, then go back into 3. Mini Memory, and choose Run

Type

"LINES"

Again, I get a green screen.

Now for the odd bit.

Choose 3. Mini Memory, choose Load and Run:

DSK3.CART_RAM/O

Then choose option 2

DSK3.MM_LBLA

Quit out, then go back into 3. Mini Memory, and choose Run

Type

"OLD"

BOOM! I get the Line By Line Assembler prompt!

Now of course, following the exact procedure above using JS99'er etc, everything works perfectly. ie "NEW" gets new LBLA starting at 7D00, "LINES" works perfectly etc

Anyone have any ideas what might be going wrong?

cheers

Daryn

[Stuart]

Only thing that springs to mind - for the first two tests, did you actually power-off rather than "quit out"? If your MM battery is dead, then you would lose the program you just loaded.

 

If you really did "quit out", is your series of tests repeatable - does exactly the same thing each time you try it?

[palmheads]

Only thing that springs to mind - for the first two tests, did you actually power-off rather than "quit out"? If your MM battery is dead, then you would lose the program you just loaded.

 

If you really did "quit out", is your series of tests repeatable - does exactly the same thing each time you try it?

 

Hi Stuart

 

Yip, its repeatable for me. Just seems weird that "OLD" works everytime.

 

For the first two tests, yes, I did have to power-off as the green screen made the machine unresponsive.

 

So could be the mini mem battery? Its odd, 'cos when the green screen happens, sometimes I can FCTN-QUIT, other times I need to reboot.

 

Thats funny, 'cos I've done a few tests saving files to it, and it seems to be fine. Tonight I'II try saving a file to it, powering off, then seeing if the file is there afterwards.

 

cheers

Daryn

[Stuart]

Also try: after loading MM_LINES or MM_LBLA, there should be an option 4 which resets the console. Don't remember if resetting it that way was important or not, but you might want to try it just in case.

 

Stuart.

[palmheads]

Think I might have found the root cause!

 

And yip, was doing the 4. EXIT command you suggest Stuart.

 

Did a small TI-BASIC program

 

SAVE MINIMEM

 

NEW

 

OLD MINIMEM

 

LIST

 

Program still there.

 

Turned console off.

 

OLD MINIMEM

 

Error 57!

 

Reckon I have an issue with my Mini Memory! Which is odd, because my Mini Mem is one with an externally mounted CR2032 lithium battery.

 

I don't know if this is the root cause, but it might have something todo with it.

[palmheads]

I actually have another mini memory module which has the exact same behaviour as my external mounted battery one.

 

Am wondering if the nanoPEB does something funky, like doing a CALL INIT everytime it starts or something!? That would nuke what was in the mini memory huh?

[Stuart]

Should work OK with the nanoPEB, as that is what I used when I wrote the program. I suspect that if you get the MiniMem battery sorted so that it saves/loads in BASIC, then the LBLA and Lines programs will work OK as well.

 

Stuart.

[palmheads]

Should work OK with the nanoPEB, as that is what I used when I wrote the program. I suspect that if you get the MiniMem battery sorted so that it saves/loads in BASIC, then the LBLA and Lines programs will work OK as well.

 

Stuart.

 

Cheers Stuart, thats good to know the setup should work if the MiniMem etc has a working battery - will buy a new battery today & try tonight. It might be a case of gettng a dodgy MiniMem on eBay as well if the external battery has not been connected up properly.

 

Thanks for your help man, that CART_RAM/O is pretty awesome.

 

cheers

Daryn

[+arcadeshopper]

 

Cheers Stuart, thats good to know the setup should work if the MiniMem etc has a working battery - will buy a new battery today & try tonight. It might be a case of gettng a dodgy MiniMem on eBay as well if the external battery has not been connected up properly.

 

Thanks for your help man, that CART_RAM/O is pretty awesome.

 

cheers

Daryn

 

Let us if you need support with repair, it's a pretty simple setup

 

Greg

[palmheads]

 

Let us if you need support with repair, it's a pretty simple setup

 

Greg

 

Bugger! :-(

 

New battery, same problem. Might need some help too diagnose - I'II take the mini memory module apart & attach some pics

 

cheers

Daryn

[palmheads]

 

Let us if you need support with repair, it's a pretty simple setup

 

Greg

 

Here are a couple of pics

 

Maybe the soldering onto the mainboard?

[+arcadeshopper]

 

Here are a couple of pics

 

Maybe the soldering onto the mainboard?

 

Do you have a multimeter? If not they are giving them away at harborfreight half the time

 

Greg

[palmheads]

 

Do you have a multimeter? If not they are giving them away at harborfreight half the time

 

Greg

 

Yeah one of the guys at work had a multimeter - I've also got one since then.

 

Looks like the guy who did this on ebay got the +/- wires mixed up! Mate at work good at soldering so he's gonna switch them for me - will see how that goes.

 

Used mainbyte as our reference

 

http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/minimem/minimem.html

Edited November 18, 2015 by palmheads

[Omega-TI]

Oh! That soldering job makes me want to

[palmheads]

Oh! That soldering job makes me want to

 

 

Yeah that looked to my untrained eyes to be a bit dicey!