TIPI Usage and Support

[+arcadeshopper]

Turns out the truncate issue was a pebkac issue with my code yay

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

[+jedimatt42]

Published a PI side upgrade yesterday.

 

Fixes status opcode for PI.HTTP / URI? access, so that EOF test works.

Added PI.CONFIG auto mapping option:

AUTO=on - enables automatic, temporary mapping of DSK1 to the directory of the last "load"ed PROGRAM image file.

For instance, an infocom game requires the PROGRAM files, and the data files. If you place the files in the same directory,

and just browse to it in DM2K, then 'x' - execute the program DEADLINE, DSK1 will get set, and it will find the data files

without your having to edit your DSK1 mapping. Works for any PROGRAM image load such as DEADLINE, basic and

xb (small) programs. Note sometimes the data file is a PROGRAM image, such as Tunnels of Doom and Adventure.. They will trigger the mapping as well.

This can be toggled in TIPICFG with options 'A'

It is temporary. Your persistent settings are restored when you go back to the TI title screen.

Added mapping overrides with local "TIPI" files.

Place a D/V80 file in a directory, and set the same values as PI.CONFIG such as URI1=, URI2=, URI3=, DSK1_DIR=, DSK2_DIR, DSK3_DIR,

On PROGRAM image load, if TIPI file is present, the values are temporarily applied, until you return to the TI title screen.

 

AUTO option is off by default, use CALL TIPI from BASIC or XB to load TIPICFG, and press 'A', 'W' to turn it on and save the setting.

 

To get the upgrade, from inside TIPICFG, you should be prompted to 'U' upgrade.

 

Enjoy,

-M@

[+arcadeshopper]

Published a PI side upgrade yesterday.

 

Fixes status opcode for PI.HTTP / URI? access, so that EOF test works.

Added PI.CONFIG auto mapping option:

AUTO=on - enables automatic, temporary mapping of DSK1 to the directory of the last "load"ed PROGRAM image file.

For instance, an infocom game requires the PROGRAM files, and the data files. If you place the files in the same directory,

and just browse to it in DM2K, then 'x' - execute the program DEADLINE, DSK1 will get set, and it will find the data files

without your having to edit your DSK1 mapping. Works for any PROGRAM image load such as DEADLINE, basic and

xb (small) programs. Note sometimes the data file is a PROGRAM image, such as Tunnels of Doom and Adventure.. They will trigger the mapping as well.

This can be toggled in TIPICFG with options 'A'

It is temporary. Your persistent settings are restored when you go back to the TI title screen.

Added mapping overrides with local "TIPI" files.

Place a D/V80 file in a directory, and set the same values as PI.CONFIG such as URI1=, URI2=, URI3=, DSK1_DIR=, DSK2_DIR, DSK3_DIR,

On PROGRAM image load, if TIPI file is present, the values are temporarily applied, until you return to the TI title screen.

 

AUTO option is off by default, use CALL TIPI from BASIC or XB to load TIPICFG, and press 'A', 'W' to turn it on and save the setting.

 

To get the upgrade, from inside TIPICFG, you should be prompted to 'U' upgrade.

 

Enjoy,

-M@

So useful.. i was having to remap DSK1 all the time now it just does it for me..

 

Greg

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

[+9640News]

Greg (or others),

 

I just placed an order for the TIPI sidecar before existing stock runs out. My plan is to use it with the 99/5C which already has its own memory. With the note about the 44 pin connector, I assume this can not be directly plugged into the side of an existing TI-99/4A? I already have a cable extender for the firehose, so would this suffice? Or, do I need something differently. If different, please let me know what I do need and include with the order and let me know what extra I owe. Also, since you are familiar with the designs, what case would be most appropriate? Everything I saw had the 32K option.

 

If someone else had a different 3D printed case they think would be appropriate, let me know.

My preference would be able to "snug fit" the TIPI up as close to the 99/5C as the design allows.

 

I'm hoping my 99/5C ships in the next couple of days.

 

Beery

[+arcadeshopper]

As i emailed you

 

 

This device requires a 44 PIN connector it also requires 5v to be provided by the connector. The only part i sell that has the connector is the 32k card.

 

You may be able to make an adapter yourself. I sell the 32k as a kit which includes the pcb and the card edge connector needed.

 

We can't guarantee it to work with that system or if you do something to the card that damages it trying to interface it to a different system than it was designed for we won't be able to fix it without cost.

 

Good luck,

Greg

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

[+9640News]

I assume without populating the PCB, the sidecar TIPI will function when mated with the PCB/power setup?

 

Yes, I understand regarding the 99/5C. No guarantees and no support. First test will be with the PEBox version which the 99/5C is supposed to interface too. The sidecar is to get rid of everything else to bring the 99/5C onto the internet.

 

Beery

[Swim]

Stumbled on this today in case anyone is interested. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153R2A9I?ref_=pfb_5bk527memhbeadei9dki0klcd4n6&tag=hydfbook0e-20&ascsubtag=pfb-P11-V01-O5-fsgcjw-3ZSWNK&fbclid=IwAR0O4bhGmLjqlAozotHL3lRcr72sObYMwa_AK9S98R--Uxmmf9KcP0zM8xE

[+arcadeshopper]

Stumbled on this today in case anyone is interested. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153R2A9I?ref_=pfb_5bk527memhbeadei9dki0klcd4n6&tag=hydfbook0e-20&ascsubtag=pfb-P11-V01-O5-fsgcjw-3ZSWNK&fbclid=IwAR0O4bhGmLjqlAozotHL3lRcr72sObYMwa_AK9S98R--Uxmmf9KcP0zM8xE

Nice I've found with TIPI that the pi is pretty much just hanging out waiting for the TI's bidding. Haven't hooked them up to their own displays.. no need in fact they are so easy to ssh or telnet in and work on there's really no need

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

[Swim]

Nice I've found with TIPI that the pi is pretty much just hanging out waiting for the TI's bidding. Haven't hooked them up to their own displays.. no need in fact they are so easy to ssh or telnet in and work on there's really no need

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

 

Believe it or not some TIers might use the PI for other projects in addition to the TI/Geneve.

[JB]

 

Believe it or not some TIers might use the PI for other projects in addition to the TI/Geneve.

I admit to being curious how much else the Pi can do at once before it stops being responsive enough for Tipi use. IRC client? Music player? X server? Doom?

[+jedimatt42]

I admit to being curious how much else the Pi can do at once before it stops being responsive enough for Tipi use. IRC client? Music player? X server? Doom?

 

TIPI services use about 2% CPU on a PI 3+ when idle.

It uses 100% of 1 - core when servicing requests from the TI.

If the PI is busy, the TI should just end up waiting... I wouldn't expect any amount of functioning load to make it 'unresponsive'

There are 3 additional support services:

1st: is an interrupt driven routine, the TipiWatchdog.py running as a separate service. I don't know what the interrupt guarantees are for GPIO. This service kills the primary TIPI service process whenever you go to the title screen, as long as the PI interrupt on the GPIO pin is honored.

2nd: web service for browser based UI & file transfer

3rd: an inotify based filesystem monitoring service that maintains a cache of all the TIFILES meta-data in a sqlite database to speed up the browser ui.

 

So, making the PI do things we already know a PI can do should be a fairly boring exercise. Even while allowing it to still support a TIPI. Running DOOM is more likely to lower your DOOM framerate then interfere with TIPI services.

 

The point of all that extra horsepower is extensible features in support of the 4A.

 

-M@

[+jedimatt42]

 

Believe it or not some TIers might use the PI for other projects in addition to the TI/Geneve.

 

PI's are cheap... get more PIs.

 

-M@

[+jedimatt42]

Greg (or others),

 

I just placed an order for the TIPI sidecar before existing stock runs out. My plan is to use it with the 99/5C which already has its own memory. With the note about the 44 pin connector, I assume this can not be directly plugged into the side of an existing TI-99/4A? I already have a cable extender for the firehose, so would this suffice? Or, do I need something differently. If different, please let me know what I do need and include with the order and let me know what extra I owe. Also, since you are familiar with the designs, what case would be most appropriate? Everything I saw had the 32K option.

 

If someone else had a different 3D printed case they think would be appropriate, let me know.

My preference would be able to "snug fit" the TIPI up as close to the 99/5C as the design allows.

 

I'm hoping my 99/5C ships in the next couple of days.

 

Beery

 

 

Sounds like you need to extend your hobby into hardware engineering. Its fun... go for it.

 

This question probably belongs in a different thread, but I'll ask anyway:

What is a 99/5C? If it is a Texas Instruments prototype I wouldn't trust that I followed the DSR coding guidelines well enough to work, unless scratchpad usage is 100% the same. TI designed the interface such that the scratchpad ram base address is meant to be discovered so future models could use the hardware in the face of a different memory map. I disregarded that entirely.

 

-M@

[+9640News]

 

 

Sounds like you need to extend your hobby into hardware engineering. Its fun... go for it.

 

This question probably belongs in a different thread, but I'll ask anyway:

What is a 99/5C? If it is a Texas Instruments prototype I wouldn't trust that I followed the DSR coding guidelines well enough to work, unless scratchpad usage is 100% the same.

-M@

 

Matt, the 99/5C is Cadd Electronics new replacement for the TI-99/4A. It's got 4 microprocessors, IDE hard drive, 9938, 1 MB Sams Memory, VGA monitor, USB keyboard and mouse, etc.

 

My 99/5C ships Monday. It is the first revision board to be replaced with a newer revision board when they come in. It includes a cartridge port as well as a connector for the PEBox. Eric Firestone, the designer, is adding a couple of other boards to protect the system to "opto isolate" the cartridge port and side port. Those are due in later this month, so at the moment, I will not be able to test with the TIPI until the opto isolator connectors are in.

 

Beery

[Opry99er]

It is a new piece of hardware that is essentially a hardware implementation of PC99. Its an all-in-one board that emulates the 9900,9938, and all the other TI chips.

 

It has a PEB connector on the side.

 

It runs PC99..... so, it's a hardware emulator.... non-FPGA

[+jedimatt42]

Oh, Cadd, --- google, google, google, HEY! you can finally buy the Cyc without having to visit a BANK! Impulse buy accomplished.

 

Ok, back to a pertinent question... If I develop 9938 column software and test it in 4A mode on a Geneve, assuming I use direct modes of interacting with the 9938... would I expect it to then run on a 4A with 9938, and this '5/C' ?

 

... cause I'd prefer to have an 80 column mode in any 'for TIPI' software that I write...

 

-M@

Edited December 3, 2018 by jedimatt42

[Omega-TI]

 

... cause I'd prefer to have an 80 column mode in any 'for TIPI' software that I write...

 

-M@

 

Hell yes! Now your talking!

[+9640News]

Matt, that is the expectation if you write something on the Geneve in 9938 video mode, it would work as is on the 99/5C.

 

I just sent Eric Firestone some notes to more fully expand the RS232 interface on the 99/5C as all he initially brought out was ground and pins 2 and 3. I suggested he at least bring out all the pins necessary for Jeffs Modem cable.

 

Beery

[+videofx]

Can you take a .DSK file on the tipi and write the image to a real floppy?

[+9640News]

In theory, you should be able to read in two records of the DIS/FIX 128 file at a time, then write a sector out to the floppy. You can buffer reads/writes so you make fewer passes. With respect to the TIPI having an issue (PEB version ???), I do not know.

 

I've been playing with some code on the MDOS side of the Geneve. Easy enough to copy a file out, but it was in Program image format, not DIS/FIX 128 format. It would have been fine for my own personal use, but nobody else's. I've been wading through some MDOS code trying to get what I want which is likely of little use for anyone else.

Someone on the TI-99/4A side may be able to use Barry Traver's RSECTOR/WSECTOR routines to create something very similar. I wonder if RXB has those capabilities built in?

 

Beery

[Opry99er]

Pins 1,2,3,6,7, and 20 for RS232 would be nice

[+arcadeshopper]

Can you take a .DSK file on the tipi and write the image to a real floppy?

 

There's a tool for this..but I can't remember the name of it.. BUT if you copy a DSK to the TIPI it's going to unpack it into a folder and discard the DSK file.. so name it something else other than .DSK

 

Greg

[+mizapf]

This is written for Linux: readti.c reads a real floppy drive and writes the contents as a DSK image. writeti.c takes a DSK image and writes it to a floppy drive. Makefile is included.

floppyti.zip

[+videofx]

 

There's a tool for this..but I can't remember the name of it.. BUT if you copy a DSK to the TIPI it's going to unpack it into a folder and discard the DSK file.. so name it something else other than .DSK

 

Greg

 

 

Yup, I got that from reading this topic. So do we have a TI app that can take the .DSK and write it to a floppy if need be on the TI99?

[+9640News]

As i emailed you

 

This device requires a 44 PIN connector it also requires 5v to be provided by the connector. The only part i sell that has the connector is the 32k card.

 

You may be able to make an adapter yourself. I sell the 32k as a kit which includes the pcb and the card edge connector needed.

 

 

 

 

OK, hardware guru's, I got a question. If I have the sidecar 32K device and pull the 32K memory chip, can I still use the 32K PEBox card or a 1 MB SAMS card? Or, do I need to pull some other chips as well on the 32K sidecard? Trying to figure out how much I need to remove from a built out 32K card to have the 5V's the TIPI sidecard needs.

Thanks.

Beery