Pallen38 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Hello, I have been attempting to build a finalgrom99 and am running into an issue. I actually have two boards with all the components installed - the only difference is each has a different sdcard reader. Programming the atmega328p and setting the fuse bits completes with no errors. (one question about this - I am using the usbtiny on Windows 10 with avrdude. I was using the command line "avrdude -p m328p -c usbtiny -U ..." I didn't specify a port, but it communicated fine with my programmer - is that an issue?) When I turn the console on with no SD card in, the light blinks about once every second. When I start the console with the PLD file, the light stays on for maybe 5 seconds and then goes off, leading me to believe that was successful. With the AVR file, it stays on maybe two seconds and then goes off. When I turn on the console with a card with images on it, the system does not list the finalgrom as an option after startup - just choice for basic. I have tried with 5 different SD cards of various sizes and qualities, all newly formatted fat or fat32. There are several different results based on the SD card (both cartridges perform exactly the same with the corresponding SD cards). 3 cards - when I power up, the status light stays lit for less than a second and goes off. 1 card - four blinks, a pause and then repeats. 1 card - a blink about once per second. I don't see the flour blinks pattern on the troubleshooting, but am thinking that the other might indicate bad reader/card/filesystem. Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be occurring, or what other kinds of tests I can do? Thanks a lot! Patrick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyDean Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 2 hours ago, Pallen38 said: Hello, I have been attempting to build a finalgrom99 and am running into an issue. I actually have two boards with all the components installed - the only difference is each has a different sdcard reader. Programming the atmega328p and setting the fuse bits completes with no errors. (one question about this - I am using the usbtiny on Windows 10 with avrdude. I was using the command line "avrdude -p m328p -c usbtiny -U ..." I didn't specify a port, but it communicated fine with my programmer - is that an issue?) When I turn the console on with no SD card in, the light blinks about once every second. When I start the console with the PLD file, the light stays on for maybe 5 seconds and then goes off, leading me to believe that was successful. With the AVR file, it stays on maybe two seconds and then goes off. When I turn on the console with a card with images on it, the system does not list the finalgrom as an option after startup - just choice for basic. I have tried with 5 different SD cards of various sizes and qualities, all newly formatted fat or fat32. There are several different results based on the SD card (both cartridges perform exactly the same with the corresponding SD cards). 3 cards - when I power up, the status light stays lit for less than a second and goes off. 1 card - four blinks, a pause and then repeats. 1 card - a blink about once per second. I don't see the flour blinks pattern on the troubleshooting, but am thinking that the other might indicate bad reader/card/filesystem. Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be occurring, or what other kinds of tests I can do? Thanks a lot! Patrick Quick question, are you formatting the SD cards as fat32, or another format? They are supposed to be fat32, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pallen38 Posted September 29, 2020 Author Share Posted September 29, 2020 I tried once formatting them all default (2GB or under fat, higher fat32) and then I also tried formatting the smaller ones as fat32 as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 ...maybe you have a QI mainboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pallen38 Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 My start screen shows 1981, so if I’m understanding correctly I should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Perhaps, although... I believe GROM determines what is displayed on the title screen, not board type. I'm using 2GB micro SDs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pallen38 Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 Ugh, I think I may have been reading this wrong the whole time. I was thinking if it said 1981, no further investigation was needed. I read it again and mine does indeed have silver grounding fingers, so it appears it's a QI. Does it seem like I'm understanding it properly now? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 I built my finalgrom99 too and it was definitely a test of my sanity. Very rewarding though. On the first boot, it blinks... how many blinks? That is the error code. the github manual lays it out. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pallen38 Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 Do you mean first boot at all, with the SD card where I'm trying to program the cpld, or first boot when I'm trying to actually use the device? Thing is, when I looked at the manual to troubleshoot, I didn't see anything matching the 1-2-3-4-pause pattern, and the other pattern just seemed to match the no card/bad card/bad card reader. But, it does appear I have a QI console, so I guess the issue is moot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) Ok. Since I don't know anything about the QI other than, "Quality Ignored". Will a swap of Motherboard work ? If so I can swap ya. I have a couple MB's Also Found this thread that may help. Edited September 30, 2020 by Mehridian Sanders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Out of curiosity. Has anyone tried running a 5v power supply directly to the FG ? For use with these QI systems?Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pallen38 Posted October 1, 2020 Author Share Posted October 1, 2020 Hey, thanks for the offer,I really appreciate it. From what I’ve seen I think it has a different internal psu too though, so I think I’ll probably need to just get a different system at some point. Bummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 1, 2020 Share Posted October 1, 2020 QI boards don't bring two lines out to the cartridge port (I think one is CRUIN and I forget the other at the moment). This may be an issue--and I would suggest reading the entire FinalGROM thread to be sure of where the known issues are. Some QI boards have the 1981 GROMs, but that doesn't really change anything but the console's ability to recognize ROM-only cartridges. It is the QI board's hardware differences that cause problems with the FinalGROM, IIRC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+helocast Posted October 1, 2020 Share Posted October 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Ksarul said: QI boards don't bring two lines out to the cartridge port (I think one is CRUIN and I forget the other at the moment). This may be an issue--and I would suggest reading the entire FinalGROM thread to be sure of where the known issues are. Some QI boards have the 1981 GROMs, but that doesn't really change anything but the console's ability to recognize ROM-only cartridges. It is the QI board's hardware differences that cause problems with the FinalGROM, IIRC. Yes, pin 4 -CRUCLK and pin 6 CRUIN have no motherboard connection to the GROM port/riser. Just happens I've been spending the past month going over trace/component by trace between both models for a project. What I have not been able to detail on the FG99 because I don't have the schematics is the use of Vss, GROM port pins 33 & 35 (the odd little -.72V used to pull the line slightly below system ground). The standard TI-99/4A used a cap, resistor, and diode to provide that, but to "save" cost didn't make the final QI design and they just tied both pins 33/35 to ground. I know in Ralph's own troubleshooting he noted the FG99 is doing what it is supposed to, minus making final menu visible/actionable. These are really the only differences between the GROM ports unless you want to discuss the way pin 1 RESET is realized between the two, but that doesn't apply here. I have to assume TI engineers kept timings identical between revisions, but we know GROMs are very poor drivers because of the single transistor managing both pull up and pull down on its data lines. I throw something together in the FG thread whenever I get this little project of mine finished. Doug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 It does seem likely that the issue is timing related/dependant. While I have no "QI" board to test, or to verify the schematic. I take note of the following... On the "Standard Quality" diagram, GREADY's signal seems to reflect the output from all the GROMs both on board and on the modules. While on the "QI's" diagram, only GROM 2's output seems to be applied! Perhaps switching or jumpering the sense line from "QI's" GROM 2, to pin 31 on the module port, would do the trick. Oh, has anyone tried holding down the FGROM's RESET button while powering-up the "QI"? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Hey, thanks for the offer,I really appreciate it. From what I’ve seen I think it has a different internal psu too though, so I think I’ll probably need to just get a different system at some point. BummerI can send a PSU as well. Keep the shell and the keyboard. Send me a PM and we can swap info.Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 On 9/30/2020 at 9:10 PM, Pallen38 said: From what I’ve seen I think it has a different internal psu too though, so I think I’ll probably need to just get a different system at some point. I think both power supplies are compatible. Though some have a different DC connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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