Please don't think me sacrilegious

[Mehridian Sanders]

So I was reading the thread Texas Instruments Dimension 4, and as my mind usually does, flies off in a different direction with chaotic association. About a month ago, I snagged a lot of Apple Computers off Craigslist for $20. Among them was the 12" monochrome display and an Apple IIgs. I sold the Display for cheap cause I had no way of testing it. However the IIgs is still sitting here. It turns on and the speaker works. So it sits awaiting to be sold. My co-worker mentioned that he had a IIgs and that he had purchased a card for, which gave it MS/DOS. Today I read the thread mentioned above and it turns out that the card he was talking about was probably something very similar to the Morning Star CP/M. 

 

One Google search Later: Apple IIgs Applied Engineering Softcard. Hey Look at that a Z80.

 

So, have their been attempts at mapping the PCB for the MS CP/M, then just buying a Z80 or Z81 and giving MS/DOS to the TI/99/4a?

Failing that, adapting a Z80 for the Peb?

My apologies if this offends anyone. I have an inner Mad Scientist who has been out to play for a couple of days now. 🙂

Edited November 21, 2019 by Mehridian Sanders

[+9640News]

There was a CP/M card built for the TI-99/4A back in the early 80's (1982'ish).  It was priced high, and as a result very FEW sales.  Software that used it was also priced high at around $200 per program if memory serves me correctly.  The guy that did the work apparently had quite a bit invested, and rather than sell the units cheaper to recoup some of his investment, he got upset as the story was told and the remaining units were never sold.  Somebody (Dan Eicher perhaps???) had a story that was posted somewhere regarding the history on the CP/M card.

 

As I recall though, MS/DOS was never an option with the available software for the CP/M card.  There was also a second card the CP/M card would plug into that gave 80 column capability.  I think it used the 9938 chip, though not 100% sure.  I seem to recall the card also had some kind of interface setup to floppy disk drives with an inbound and outbound connection.  I think it used something like a pass through configuration with the existing controller card.

 

Someone else around 1986 did build a sidecar device that allowed a TI keyboard on the TI-99/4A to talk to an XT computer.  It too was not received well.  The guy that bought the setup in our Memphis User Group at the time eventually disconnected the box and just plugged a regular XT keyboard into the XT computer.

 

 

[+9640News]

https://forum.system-cfg.com/viewtopic.php?t=1273

 

 

[Mehridian Sanders]

These features are drool worthy. 

 

 Needs no modifications to the T1-99/4A system.
• 64K RAM,8K ROM.
• Makes additional use of the Tl 32K memory expansion.
• Supplemental installation and usage manual included.
• Contains sufficient memory for virtually all programs.
• Compatible with TI-99/4A storage diskettes.
• Provides 60K transient program area.
• Fully burned-in and test cycled to ensure reliability.
• Fully shielded and protective metal enclosure.
• Ultra-reliable gold connector assembly.
• No chip sockets for better reliability.
• 90-day warranty.
• CP/M-80 2.2 disk-based operating system included.
• Digital Research™ CP/M user's manual included.
• Access to more than 10,000 commercially available software packages.
 

I don't think I will find one under warranty but..... the Hunt begins....

[jedimatt42]

For grins one day I installed a CP/M emulator on my TIPI's PI 3.  Then telneted to the PI with my 4A TELNET client, and ran it... it sort of worked, but my ANSI emulation and the linux ANSI termcap are not in 100% agreement... I'm missing something. 24 line limit doesn't help. 

 

[email protected]

[+9640News]

55 minutes ago, jedimatt42 said:

For grins one day I installed a CP/M emulator on my TIPI's PI 3.  Then telneted to the PI with my 4A TELNET client, and ran it... it sort of worked, but my ANSI emulation and the linux ANSI termcap are not in 100% agreement... I'm missing something. 24 line limit doesn't help. 

 

[email protected]

I wonder what MyTerm for the TIPI would have done...........

 

[+FarmerPotato]

5 hours ago, BeeryMiller said:

As I recall though, MS/DOS was never an option with the available software for the CP/M card. 

 

 

I have a little personal experience with this era. I used a 2-floppy green-screen CP/M machine for a summer, then found a bootable MS-DOS disk for it. 

The banner indicated it was a specific distro for that machine. 

 

Just like IBM commissioned Microsoft to supply them with "PC-DOS", Microsoft were willing to customize and license.

 

 

[+FALCOR4]

I started a Z80 PEB card back in 1986 but abandoned the effort.  I was thinking CP/M but moved on to other things.  Sadly, I've been robbing the card (still have it) for parts.

 

 

[+FarmerPotato]

3 hours ago, FALCOR4 said:

I started a Z80 PEB card back in 1986 but abandoned the effort.  I was thinking CP/M but moved on to other things.  Sadly, I've been robbing the card (still have it) for parts.

 

 

Show us the other side of the perfboard!

 

[Mehridian Sanders]

Unrelated update on the Apple display. The buyer just got back to me and said that he tested the Display and it worked!! I guess the saying "They don't make em like they used to" is holding more and more water for me.

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[Mehridian Sanders]

19 hours ago, jedimatt42 said:

For grins one day I installed a CP/M emulator on my TIPI's PI 3.  Then telneted to the PI with my 4A TELNET client, and ran it... it sort of worked, but my ANSI emulation and the linux ANSI termcap are not in 100% agreement... I'm missing something. 24 line limit doesn't help. 

 

[email protected]

This gives me hope. Alpha [email protected] thanks!

[+FALCOR4]

19 hours ago, FarmerPotato said:

Show us the other side of the perfboard!

 

Like I said, a work in progress that I never finished.  Kind of wish I did......

 

 

[+Ksarul]

On TI CP/M cards, two different commercial cards exist. The Morning Star CP/M card was seriously expensive. Very few of these were sold--and I have never seen one in the wild (and I've been looking since about 1990). The other was released by Foundation. The card sold significantly more than the Morning Star variant, but that isn't saying much. I know of about ten to twelve of these cards currently in user hands. Most of these folks (including myself) don't have copies of the compatible CP/M disks for the card. Foundation also released an 80-column card designed to work with the CP/M card. Like most CP/M graphics solutions, it was a monochrome solution. I know of exactly one copy of this 80-column card in the wild--mine. Vorticon (and IIRC Fred Kaal) designed their own Z-80 cards for the PEB, but those were personal projects and were not sold. There may be other one-off cards out there as well--some finished, some not (like Falcor's).

[Mehridian Sanders]

This may help
https://atariage.com/forums/topic/174989-my-first-z80-card-for-peb/

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[Mehridian Sanders]

Well@FALCOR4 if want some replacement chips that got damp temporarily I can send you some. Gimme chip model numbers

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