Cards and other expansions I made for TI-99

[+mizapf]

I can only imagine that this was some power-2 simplification idea. As I said, 16 sectors vs 18 sectors just means you have bigger gaps; you cannot change the width of the cells which could serve for a more robust recording. For that reason, bad media would not have become more reliable. Error correction code (ECC) is not used for floppy disk controllers; would require much more processing power, as found in a HD controller. And the intention to speed up loading is well covered by interleaving.

[fabrice montupet]

There is a formatting routine inside the controller ROM that creates a floppy file system with some default settings.

 

Yes. To format a floppy disk, just tape:

OPEN #1:"HEXBUS.FORMAT.MEDIA.device_number"
CLOSE #1

with TI-BASIC on a computer

or :

FORMAT device_number

on the CC-40.

 

Where device_number can be 101 to 104, depending the drive you want to use.

By default, the command will initialize the disk as 40-track, DS, DD.

Edited November 28, 2016 by fabrice montupet

[kl99]

 

Yes. To format a floppy disk, just tape:

OPEN #1:"HEXBUS.FORMAT.MEDIA.device_number"
CLOSE #1

with TI-BASIC on a computer

 

So I don't need to get Disk Manager II for formatting disks? I seem to have forfotten about that important addition to the TI-OS, even though I now remember having read it once.

I anyway have had trouble using the internal Disk Drive from the Hex-Bus Disk Controller. I used the external connector of it to connect a second disk drive. Will take the controller apart once I have more time.

Btw: I was able to communicate from the 99/2 to the Pc (Usb to Serial) via Hex-Bus Rs232. I am using OPEN/CLOSE/PRINT/INPUT/LIST so far.

However the documentation says, there is no support for OLD/SAVE within Hex-Bus Rs232, so I don't see an easy Bootstrap option for Web99 like OLD RS232.BA=9600 on the 99/4A to load a program sent by another system.

The same limitation is true for the Hex-Bus Modem.

BUT i have aquired the TI-74 Pc Interface, which provides you with connection from the Intelligent Peripheral Bus (the new name for Hex-Bus) to a parallel port.

I will try to simulate a whole Hex-Bus Device from Pc side by imidating the communication protocol. First on Windows, later maybe Raspberry PI, Beaglebone, Arduino or some other thing.

[fabrice montupet]

I forgot to show you a zoomed picture of my Hexbus Controller PCB, here it is:

I made some minor changes on it since the shooting.

[Diecrusher]

I forgot to show you a zoomed picture of my Hexbus Controller PCB, here it is:

I made some minor changes on it since the shooting.

FANTASTIC! Absolutely beautiful!