Documents TI-99 - DOCs, Manuals, eBooks, Lost & Found

[+mizapf]

Albrecht Dürer and all Old Masters of Renaissance cringe in their graves when they see the broken perspective of those dice on the cover.

[blackbox]

Hi res docs as zipped tifs (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf for:
OTHELLO  PHM 3067
Program (c) 1982 Gabriel Industries. Manual (c) 1982 Texas Instruments.
Based on an old UK invented game which was marketed by Ravensburger in 1893, they hold the European trademark rights to Reversi.
Othello patented in Japan in 1971 by Goro Hasegawa who died in 2016.
Original Othello computer program by Rob Philips for a handheld unit marketed in 1975 by Gabriel Industries, a US company.
Global trademark rights to Othello owned by Japanese company MegaHouse. Original Othello trademark rights outside Japan were owned by Tsukuda Original which was succeeded by PalBox which was acquired by Megahouse.   Complex isn't it!
Bonus! The zip has TWO versions of the inside back cover- my manual has the Warranty rubber stamp, which I have removed for you as a second version. There was never any leaflet attached to the manual and I can't recall seeing any such leaflet - does anyone have a document that the rubber stamp may be referring to?

 

othello.zip

[blackbox]

Hi res docs as zipped tifs (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf for:

CONGO BONGO   PHM 3227

(c) SEGA - manual (c) TI

Both stated as (c)1984 in the manual!

Another game I never got the hang of.
 

CongoBongo.zip

[blackbox]

Here is a rare one, documentation in zipped clean hi res tif files (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf:
"PLATO INTERPRETER"   PHM 3122  (supplied on module with special disks) 
Plato (tm) Control Data Corporation licensed to Texas Instruments.
Program (c) 1982 CDC.     Manual (c) TI 1983.
TI licenses this program for use in the United States.

The top of the manual is a rare metallic antique gold, which does not show well in the scan. The additional insert is on yellow paper (scanned in black and white at 600dpi).

"You acknowledge that you have read this agreement"....just by buying the module -without seeing the manual let alone reading  it. Exceptionally hostile terms even for TI / general US companies.

PlatoModule.zip

[blackbox]

Documentation in zipped clean hi res tif files (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf:

MOONMINE   PHM 3131     1983

Speech optional  (used digitised voices)

"produced only for TI-4A Home Computer" (Must be an old model number :)  )

 

moonmine.zip

[blackbox]

Zip of TIF images, clean and hi res (480dpi) for you to read, print, pdf or ocr for:
FOOTBALL    PHM3009   TI  1979
For two players ONLY, this is American Gridiron Football, not English Association Football (Soccer).  
TI's first game module for the TI99/4.
 

Football.zip

[blackbox]

Zipped clean hi res tif files (480dpi) for you to read, print, ocr or pdf for:
M*A*S*H    PHM 3158
Prog by Paul Munsey and Flora Ng, Prog (c) Fox Video Games, 
(tm) 20th Century Fox Corp, Manual (c)TI 1983
Voice- Cliff Easthom
1 or 2 players, Speech optional
Essentially two games- rescue and operate

 

mash.zip

[blackbox]

Zipped clean hi res tif files (480dpi) for you to read, print, ocr or pdf for:
A-MAZE-ING PHM3030
Module label says (c)TI 1982
Manual says (c) TI 1980
Useful strategy tips in the manual including how to use pseudo-mouseholes. You remember them. This was for many years my sons favourite TI games module.

Separate zip below for the module label if you want it.
 

amazeing.zip amazinglabeljpg.zip

[+Ksarul]

On 1/26/2019 at 3:08 PM, Ksarul said:

Note that there are six Navarone cartridges that can also be found using this particular cartridge case: Disk Fixer, Super Duper, Data Base Manager, Speed Reading A, Speed Reading B, and Console Writer. I personally have physical examples of all but Speed Reading A in this case, but Ciro has one of this variety, so I know they exist. Most Navarone cartridges are in either the Romox or TI style cases (or both). Only the six titles listed above can also be found in the Personal peripherals cases, and finding them is a bit of a hunt, but perseverence pays off. I've found all of mine in the last four years, once I realized these variants existed. They usually hide in plain sight because they generally resemble the TI cases, but close examination allows ready identification. I got my Data base Manager cartridge from a collector who claimed they had no cartridges in these cases--and asked me for the best ways to identify them. A month later, he sold me the cartridge as it was excess to his needs--and it was in a PPI case! He didn't know he had it, and was very surprised when I told him that it was the weird case variant.

I found something interesting this week: a seventh Navarone cartridge in a Personal Peripherals case. The new discovery is Homework Helper +

[blackbox]

Hi res docs as zipped tifs (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf for:
Physical Fitness PHM 3010
Title screen says (c)TI 1978
Not for use by anyone under 13. Anyone reaching 35 should take medical advice. Not for anyone with a variety of ailments. Assumes prior knowledge of Physical Training and a fair degree of fitness already.  Read the several Notes and Cautions carefully- this is the module that can injure or kill you. If you went to a gym in the UK they SHOULD first properly assess your health and fitness...

 

PhysicalFitness.zip

[Nick99]

3 hours ago, blackbox said:

Hi res docs as zipped tifs (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf for:
Physical Fitness PHM 3010
Title screen says (c)TI 1978
Not for use by anyone under 13. Anyone reaching 35 should take medical advice. Not for anyone with a variety of ailments. Assumes prior knowledge of Physical Training and a fair degree of fitness already.  Read the several Notes and Cautions carefully- this is the module that can injure or kill you. If you went to a gym in the UK they SHOULD first properly assess your health and fitness...

 

PhysicalFitness.zip 9.29 MB · 4 downloads

So, TI-99/4A is a potential killer machine! ?

Just curious how many injuries and deaths it has caused...  ??

 

[blackbox]

Hi res docs as zipped tifs (480dpi) for you to print, read, ocr or pdf for:
SUPERFLY  PHM 3153   (tm) Milton Bradley

For:  Console only, Console+Joystick, Console+TI Speechsynth, TI+MBX Unit

Can use MBX Units speech recognition, speech synthesis, MBX Joystick

Not unrelated to The Attack, also Milton Bradley.

Speech through the MBX Unit synthesiser is excellent.

 

superfly.zip

[blackbox]

Clean hi res (480dpi) TIF files scanned from the manual,  zipped together for you to read, print, OCR or PDF as you wish for:
Music Maker PHM3020
An early module which seemed to take ages to input even the simplest tune- did anyone use this past the first tune?

My 2nd issue manual- with the TI99/4a keys inside the front cover- had a blank inside back cover, so no liability restrictions!  The zip file contains the actual blank page, faithfully rendered in super hi resolution.  Using available materials I have created the page that should have been there, which you can use instead.

musicmaker.zip

[blackbox]

A thick manual this time, which seems to have taken ages to scan, here for you in splendid clean hi res tifs, zipped together for you to read, print, OCR or PDF...

PHM 3022  PERSONAL REAL ESTATE
(C) TI 1980
"Adds 24k of active memory"

An early module with great expectations- did anyone actually use it?  Baking into a module the accounting and taxation rules of one country in one year was never going to be a good idea.   Successful investment is mostly not using a simple formula but making judgements and in particular forecasting changes in demand, supply, fashion, population, economics, taxation, risk and much more.  Property south of the river may increase in value while property north of the river declines in value.

personalrealestate.zip

Edited December 7, 2019 by blackbox

[blackbox]

Time for updated lists of manuals on line.   The text file contains an alphabetic list of the manuals on this forum, with the links directly to the posting.

The pdf is a combined list of manuals found on the internet in various places, listed in alphabetic order of the software with an indication of which website to go to for it, but NOt the specific URL.

Manuals of low quality or where otherwise a rescan may be useful have been excluded to avoid putting anyone off scanning...

s

omegalist.txt softwaremanualsamalgDec19.pdf

[+FarmerPotato]

I found a box of TI and TI-99/4A documents in my garage. Here is a scan of the Jan 1986 Front Range 99ers newsletter.

 

I didn't see any FR99er newsletters in the cache at whtech. Since it was my users group from 1986-1991, I'd like it if there were some record of its existence in the repo.  I enjoyed reading the Amarillo newsletters there.

 

I'll be scanning away now...

 

[UPDATE: Added Welcome Packet with an early history of the Users Group. Added April 1989 issue (My first attempt at editing!) I'll add other issues as I find them.] 

 

FrontRange99ers-1986-01.PDF

Front Range 99ers Welcome Packet.PDF FrontRange99ers-1989-04.PDF

FrontRange99ers-1988-05.PDF FrontRange99ers-1988-07.PDF FrontRange99ers-1989-06.PDF FrontRange99ers-1990-02.PDF FrontRange99ers-1990-03.PDF

Edited December 10, 2019 by FarmerPotato
Added more issues

[+FarmerPotato]

This is a set of TI internal documents for the 99/4 Video Tape Recorder Controller. The engineer was Bill Goodwill.

 

It includes the schematic, drawings, and supporting design, test, and manufacturing documents. Also included are the common Design to Production Product Phaseover guidelines.

 

The VCR Controller was to share the RS232 sidecar case and power supply. The drawings show its own back panel and cable assemblies. According to the Peripheral/Product Spec, the flex cable to the VCR emerges from the side port, so the VTR must be the last peripheral in a chain. I wonder if this was the origin for the P-Box flex cable?

I found the documents in a single binder, in this order:

VCR Schematic_1
VCR Schematic_2
VCR Schematic_3
VCR Operating, Product and Peripheral Specs
VCR Owners Manual
VCR Two BASIC Programs
VCR Test Spec
Design to Production Product Phaseover
VCR Flex Cable Diagram
VCR Back Panel
VCR Parts List
VCR Pert Chart
VCR Cable Assembly
VCR Relay Requirements

 

Some BASIC programs are included. One parts list names a 4732 ROM (4K) that could have provided the DSR and BASIC support routines. Another parts list omits it. The Specs and Owners Manual describes a Command Module needed for programming. The Specs mention a DSR and refer to a MISSING VTR Peripheral Software Specification. An empty divider tab was labeled ROM/GROM LIST.

 

The Test Specs describe a ROM at CRU >1C00.

 

 

BASIC statements in the Owner's Manual include:

CALL @VINIT
CALL @VADDR
CALL @VSEND
CALL @VREW
CALL @VSTOP
CALL @VFWD
CALL @VRLON
CALL @VRLOFF

 

The Test Specs show a lower level interface:

 

CALL @CRON
CALL @CROFF
CALL @TEST

I don't see how these would be CRU operations, because the addresses don't make sense. >3241 is passed.

 

Enjoy this find. kl99, please store it in WHTECH or the Cyc where it can be preserved. Let me know if there are any problems with the scans (I scanned the drawings and schematics at higher resolution). 

 

Design to Production Product Phaseover.PDF VCR Back Panel.pdf VCR Cable Assembly.PDF VCR Flex Cable Diagram.pdf VCR Operating, Product and Peripheral Specs.PDF VCR Owners Manual.PDF VCR Parts List.PDF VCR Pert Chart.PDF VCR Relay Requirements.PDF VCR Schematic_1.PDF VCR Schematic_2.PDF VCR Schematic_3.PDF VCR Test Spec.PDF VCR Two BASIC Programs.pdf

[+FarmerPotato]

TIVAD Integrated Modem

 

This is a TI product spec, written in 1979, for 300 and 1200 baud modem ICs. It contains all the background necessary for engineers to create modem chips. Read it if you want to know all about how these modems operated!

 

I think it culminated in the TMS99532A and TMS99534A, 18-pin ICs implementing a 300 baud FSK modem, and TMS99542 (DIP-24) giving 1200 baud PSK.

 

https://www.datasheets360.com/pdf/3420971083270410976
https://www.datasheets360.com/pdf/-2730485558514058814

 

found on https://www.datasheets360.com/browse/parts?char=t&pg=10179

 

IEEE publication

 

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4071278/references#references

 

TIVAD Program Specification.PDF

[+arcadeshopper]

I found a box of TI and TI-99/4A documents in my garage. Here is a scan of the Jan 1986 Front Range 99ers newsletter.
 
I didn't see any FR99er newsletters in the cache at whtech. Since it was my users group from 1986-1991, I'd like it if there were some record of its existence in the repo.  I enjoyed reading the Amarillo newsletters there.
 
I'll be scanning away now...
 
 
FrontRange99ers-1986-01.PDF

I can add these to whtech if you get a bunch scanned send me a zip and I'll upload the lot

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk

[+FarmerPotato]

Here is a short guide to using some TIPC comm programs to access a 990. The dialup number with 599 exchange, is probably for Plano, TX.

990-TIPC File Communications Procedure.PDF

[+FarmerPotato]

This one is titled 99/4 Servicing Manual. It is a mixture of 99/4 and 99/4A information.

It does have troubleshooting charts in the back. There is a lot of basic information up front. 

 

Page 68 mentions differences between VDP circuitry from the /4 to the  /4A. From the table of  contents, Page 123 is supposed to begin the 99/4 schematics (figures 44-49), but they have been  deleted and only the 99/4A schematics are present.

 

One servicing procedure says to use a "RAM Trap". This must have been a fixture that tested the 4116 and 6810 RAM pins.
 

TI-99_4 Servicing Manual.PDF

[+Ksarul]

I've got a schematic somewhere for the RAM trap, but it also needs a ROM--and I don't have a copy of that code.

[blackbox]

A zipped collection of TIF images in clean hi res (480dpi) for you to read, print, ocr or pdf, of the TI99/4a Manual for
ADVENTURE  PHM  3041.          Manual (c)TI 1981   
Program (c)1981 Adventure International Inc.
(Scott Adams)
This is the manual supplied with the module and initial database (Pirate Adventure).
Additional adventure databases (disk or tape)  had their own manuals.
NB Scott Adams is still active and released Adventureland XL on 2nd December 2019 on the STEAM platform.    ( Preview on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlqsuChDJzc  )

 

adventure.zip

[blackbox]

A zipped collection of TIF images in clean hi res (480dpi) for you to read, print, ocr or pdf, of the TI99/4a Manual for:
RETURN TO PIRATE'S ISLE   PHM 3189
1983 - Manual (c)TI.    Program (c)Scott Adams
This adventure is linked to the standard text Adventure released for the TI Adventure module, Pirate Adventure but stands alone.
This is and isn't part of the Scott Adams adventure suite.
It is 'cos it uses the familiar parsing engine and was written by Scott.  It isn't 'cos it was written exclusively for the TI99/4A by Scott.  It does NOT require the Adventure module as the RTPI module has all the parsing engine, database and graphics on board. The graphics use predefined graphic elements to reduce storage needs.
It is also quite a difficult adventure.
In 2003 Scott released Return to Pirates Island 2 (text only) for Windows PC only, but it was not that well received.
The manual opens with a generic two page advert for Adventure International adventures, listing all the titles- but fails to mention that unlike the RTPI module, all these other adventures require to to also have the TI Adventure module.

I have to put my scanner away for a couple of weeks of domestic tidiness now but I'll be back in the New Year.  All the best to everyone.

ReturnToPiratesIsle.zip

[blackbox]

Documentation zip in clean hi res (480dpi) TIF images for you to read, print, PDF or OCR for:
JAWBREAKER II  PHM 3194
tm Sierra On-Line.    1983: Manual:TI  Game: Sierra Online.
Original program John Harris.    TI program John M Phillips.
Joysticks are optional.
This is derived from the program that changed computer game copyright as Atari took on Sierra and lost. Jawbreaker (the first) was clearly a gameplay copy of the game of Pacman, and Atari took umbrage.  Only the look and feel was copied- the coding was original and the legal precedent was set. Avoid anything registered as a trademark or design and if you just went for look and feel - no problem. Since then the USA has permitted software patents and brought back something of "look and feel" protection - USA only, not Europe!!
Converting Jawbreaker for the Atari 2600 John Harris was forced to modify game play for technical reasons, and that was the game transferred to the TI as the legal processes had not been settled.  There was no Jawbreaker I for the TI.

Happy New Year!
 

Jawbreaker2.zip