Omega-TI Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Okay, this question from left field had me scratching my head with no answer, so I figured I'd ask you guys here: Q) Is there a 'sandbox program', or even one of the 32K variety that can be converted to FR99 format, that will allow one to load assembly language programs from... get this... cassette? ---- If so ---- Q) Are there any programs that will allow someone to save assembly language programs to cassette? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dendawg Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 The only program I know of that saves assembly to cassette is Mini Memory. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Think there's a playground Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Actually, there was a Dutch program to save and load Assembly programs from cassette. Note this is in addition to the save and load capability of the Mini Memory (using cassette). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 yes, the Tape/Disk-Util from Tonny Brouwer. Globeron an me, we´ve tested it last year, with some Atarigames. Worx from tape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 (edited) Hmm RXB can do this and I actually have a built in command that by passes the normal Cassettee access and talks directly to the IO Chip: CALL IO is the name of the command and here is the pages from RXB manual that shows how it work so look in RXB Documents PAGE IO With CALL IO in RXB you can created Cassettee access file without menus and actually create a 16K long Cassette file. RXB has the added advantage of moving any VDP loaded file to anyplace in memory unlike Mini Memory, so way better then Mini Memory Access. Rich_Gilbertson.zip Edited October 9, 2016 by RXB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 I think the SAVE program from the Editor/Assembler cartridge disk 1 allows for CS1 or DSKx selection. It REFs the GPLLNK and DSRLNK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 9, 2016 Author Share Posted October 9, 2016 Actually, there was a Dutch program to save and load Assembly programs from cassette. Note this is in addition to the save and load capability of the Mini Memory (using cassette). This sounds like it might be promising, if it can be put on, and used with a FR99. Could someone please confirm this? I'd hate to get their hopes up and have them buy something that turns out to be a dud for what they intended. It's sounding to me like they plan to do more with their TI than just launch a few rockets in the summer time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 One note based on the original question, Omega: all of these solutions require access to the 32K space in RAM. The console by itself doesn't have enough CPU RAM to work its magic with most Assembly software (scratchpad RAM is just too small a space for anything bigger than the Playground routine). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 (edited) One note based on the original question, Omega: all of these solutions require access to the 32K space in RAM. The console by itself doesn't have enough CPU RAM to work its magic with most Assembly software (scratchpad RAM is just too small a space for anything bigger than the Playground routine). RXB and just a console has a command CALL EXECUTE(ADDRESS) that allows you to write with CALL LOAD or CALL MOVES an Assembly program in Scratch Pad. So yes you can do that with just RXB in a Console and a Cassette. Look at my previous post about this. 1. RXB allows Assembly with no expansion RAM run from Scratch pad. 2. RXB allows complete Cassette even with your own menus written in XB or just the Cassette menus. 3. RXB runs TI BASIC programs and can be done with no modifications. (Only one exception has been found to date.) 4. RXB has IO CRU control from XB with no expansion RAM used. 5. RXB can move any type of memory from any type of memory to any place in system using CALL MOVE So no RXB allows you to do all of this without a 32K RAM installed, just a Console with a RXB cart. I take great pride in this feature of RXB. Edited October 10, 2016 by RXB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 Q) Is there a 'sandbox program', or even one of the 32K variety that can be converted to FR99 format..., Hmm RXB can do this and I actually have a built in command that by passes the normal Cassettee access and talks directly to the IO Chip: Rich, I'm impressed that RXB can do that, but in this this case he's considering buying a FlashROM 99 for his son this Christmas. Since RXB will not fit into the FR99... In a nut shell he wants his kid to be able to save or load any E/A 5 program to or from cassette instead of diskette. He understands the extreme usefulness of the FR99, so is also considering a 32K expansion, but he's not willing to dump hundreds of dollars into a P-Box and all the other stuff associated with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Omega, one important question: where is he going to store these programs to execute them? If he has no 32K memory card of some type, he is dead in the water, even with a Flash ROM. Most of the Flash ROM images do NOT execute from the 8K of cartridge space in the Flash ROM, they lob the code into the 32K space and execute it from there. Note the Flash ROM has four banks of 8K in this space, but it is NOT the same thing as having a 32K card. It is in the wrong memory space. It DOES potentially add 8K to 32K of assembly program space to the console, but only IF the code was written to work that way. 8K code is never a problem, as all of the 8K cartridges out there were written to work this way--and out of the cartridge space present on the Flash ROM. Any other program (except for a few modern exceptions) was not. And in the case of the exceptions, they were written to USE the regular 32K RAM space as their program space (The new Forth-based cartridges and Cortex BASIC). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lee Stewart Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 The ALC program (probably has to be memory image format) that is to be loaded from cassette (presumably into VRAM) would certainly have to be a Playground kind of program. It would not need to be started from Basic with the Playground trick, but it would then need to be started from a ROM utility and be, in every other way, a Playground program with very small RAM pages. The paging code could be running from the ROM utility, allowing a little more space in scratchpad RAM for the swap page(s). Might be a fun project for someone. ...lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 It sounds like his choice Super Space 8K Cart with EA or Mini Memory using the Cassette. He can not use the Editor or Assembler without 32K so really the Mini Memory and Debug is his only option with just Cassette. That is exactly how I started my TI99/4A life. Just a console with mini Memory and a Cassette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 If he has no 32K memory card of some type, he is dead in the water, even with a Flash ROM. He'll be going with, or possibly has even gone with the in-console 32K mod by now, because to him, "it's affordable". He plans to get the FR99 Xmas. Sadly, that's as far as he's willing to expand the TI. So it looks like a dog slow cassette recorder will be the kids only storage media. I'll be talking to him again in a couple of weeks, so if I could have the proper software to give him by then that would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 He'll be going with, or possibly has even gone with the in-console 32K mod by now, because to him, "it's affordable". He plans to get the FR99 Xmas. Sadly, that's as far as he's willing to expand the TI. So it looks like a dog slow cassette recorder will be the kids only storage media. I'll be talking to him again in a couple of weeks, so if I could have the proper software to give him by then that would be great. I'll have 32k sidecars in stock by Nov 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 I'll have 32k sidecars in stock by Nov Are those the JediMatt ones? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 He'll be going with, or possibly has even gone with the in-console 32K mod by now, because to him, "it's affordable". He plans to get the FR99 Xmas. Sadly, that's as far as he's willing to expand the TI. So it looks like a dog slow cassette recorder will be the kids only storage media. I'll be talking to him again in a couple of weeks, so if I could have the proper software to give him by then that would be great. Set expectations accordingly. Programs stored on tape are limited to 11k. I don't know of anymore exceptions but one exception is the use of RXB I believe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Set expectations accordingly. Programs stored on tape are limited to 11k. I don't know of anymore exceptions but one exception is the use of RXB I believe. Thanks for the heads up, I never knew about an 11K limitation. I'll pass that information along, thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
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.