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FinalGROM 99 request:


Bill R Sullivan

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A couple of years ago I requested GROM0, GROM1 & GROM2 be made available as GRAM0, GRAM1 & GRAM2, which would not only be very useful for my TIB+ project, but also to XB users (4ADOS,OS99 and others).  Nothing came of it, so this request is for Super Space II, as I don't know if I'll ever get my actual Super Space II to ever work again, even for just BANK 0 (SuperCart) only operation.
RetroBill (fdos)

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23 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

hmm, you could use GRAMs 3,4,5,6,7, or ROM PAGES  ...for TI BASIC subprograms.:ponder:

In my MG 80K GramKracker, I use GRAM 0 for lowercase, GRAM 1 & GRAM 2 for an enhanced TI Basic w/EA Basic support code; thereby allowing me to use GRAMs 3 - 7 for MSAVEd TI Basic Plus programs.  Due to both RAM banks being bad (chips or switch bad?) I can't do ROM pages.   Due to my age and health I don't have time to do all that's on my plate.  I have to take my daughter to Las vegas this afternoon to pick up her just repaired car, and tomorrow I have to go back to Vegas for a Doctor's appointment.  Fortunately these are the shorter trips to Vegas from Bullhead City, AZ.  Usually my Doctor appointments are in North Las Vegas (VA hospital) or Northeast Las Vegas Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center or nearby Heart Clinic.  These non-VA appointments are due to LV VA not able to perform TAVR procedure which, in my case, caused my right groin artery to break, so they had to put a stint in it causing a prolonged recovery time.  I now have a full beard due to blood thinners making shaving dangerous, even with an electric razor!  So I'm always very thankful for any help I can get with hobby and other things that are difficult or dangerous for me to do.  I can pay for some things as long as they're reasonably priced, as I'm having to pay for some of the non-VA medical charges myself (no other insurance, except Medi-care A). 

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3 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

In my MG 80K GramKracker, I use GRAM 0 for lowercase, GRAM 1 & GRAM 2 for an enhanced TI Basic w/EA Basic support code; thereby allowing me to use GRAMs 3 - 7 for MSAVEd TI Basic Plus programs.  Due to both RAM banks being bad (chips or switch bad?) I can't do ROM pages.   Due to my age and health I don't have time to do all that's on my plate.  I have to take my daughter to Las vegas this afternoon to pick up her just repaired car, and tomorrow I have to go back to Vegas for a Doctor's appointment.  Fortunately these are the shorter trips to Vegas from Bullhead City, AZ.  Usually my Doctor appointments are in North Las Vegas (VA hospital) or Northeast Las Vegas Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center or nearby Heart Clinic.  These non-VA appointments are due to LV VA not able to perform TAVR procedure which, in my case, caused my right groin artery to break, so they had to put a stint in it causing a prolonged recovery time.  I now have a full beard due to blood thinners making shaving dangerous, even with an electric razor!  So I'm always very thankful for any help I can get with hobby and other things that are difficult or dangerous for me to do.  I can pay for some things as long as they're reasonably priced, as I'm having to pay for some of the non-VA medical charges myself (no other insurance, except Medi-care A). 

Bill, @FALCOR4 is here on the forums and can likely help troubleshoot your GK.  We also have the test utilities (burn in) that I uploaded to Whtech that can help diagnose what’s malfunctioning. 

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18 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

In my MG 80K GramKracker, I use GRAM 0 for lowercase, GRAM 1 & GRAM 2 for an enhanced TI Basic w/EA Basic support code; thereby allowing me to use GRAMs 3 - 7 for MSAVEd TI Basic Plus programs.  Due to both RAM banks being bad (chips or switch bad?) I can't do ROM pages.   Due to my age and health I don't have time to do all that's on my plate.  I have to take my daughter to Las vegas this afternoon to pick up her just repaired car, and tomorrow I have to go back to Vegas for a Doctor's appointment.  Fortunately these are the shorter trips to Vegas from Bullhead City, AZ.  Usually my Doctor appointments are in North Las Vegas (VA hospital) or Northeast Las Vegas Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center or nearby Heart Clinic.  These non-VA appointments are due to LV VA not able to perform TAVR procedure which, in my case, caused my right groin artery to break, so they had to put a stint in it causing a prolonged recovery time.  I now have a full beard due to blood thinners making shaving dangerous, even with an electric razor!  So I'm always very thankful for any help I can get with hobby and other things that are difficult or dangerous for me to do.  I can pay for some things as long as they're reasonably priced, as I'm having to pay for some of the non-VA medical charges myself (no other insurance, except Medi-care A). 

I'll PM you, Bill.

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On 11/9/2020 at 3:12 PM, HOME AUTOMATION said:

hmm, you could use GRAMs 3,4,5,6,7, or ROM PAGES  ...for TI BASIC subprograms.:ponder:

How would I do that?  Maybe in the PM?  Problem is I can't access my gmail account due to google (MS partner, who want me to upgrade to win 10) giving me the run around in attempting to change password (AVAST changed my master password, so I can't access any passwords they've incripted!).  I just need to check email at yahoo.

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I wrote a EA support routine to put EA Basic Support into TI Basic GROMS 1 & 2

 

Would it not be worth it per a ZOOM conversation to do a FINAL GROM new version that does like GRAM KRAKER or GRAMULATOR

and include an option for GROM 0, GROM 1, and GROM 2?

 

You could load a alternate GROM 1 and GROM 2, my idea was for built in Mouse support and a kind of BOOT option like the old OPA SOB interface.

Think about a SAMS built in memory manager in GROM 1 or 2?

Edited by RXB
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5 hours ago, RXB said:

I wrote a EA support routine to put EA Basic Support into TI Basic GROMS 1 & 2

 

Would it not be worth it per a ZOOM conversation to do a FINAL GROM new version that does like GRAM KRAKER or GRAMULATOR

and include an option for GROM 0, GROM 1, and GROM 2?

 

You could load a alternate GROM 1 and GROM 2, my idea was for built in Mouse support and a kind of BOOT option like the old OPA SOB interface.

Think about a SAMS built in memory manager in GROM 1 or 2?

I am using a modified version of your EA Basic support to TI Basic.  That's how I get 40K of TIB+ programs in GRAM, and that's why the modification was necessary.  They worked fine in VDP GRAM, but not in any module GRAM space.  Jeff White explained the problem and Tursi fixed it.

 

Yes, I think that would be a great idea, but it needs to be floated to all TI'ers on AtariAge, as I don't believe there will be many interested.

 

This might interest others, but not me.  I would be more interested in adding other XB capabilities to the EA TI support code.  That would take careful discussion as a lot of enhancements in TIB+ come from XXB+, and more could be added.  TIB+ already has full Sprite capability thanks to Mark Wills.

 

I've done 1MB SAMS memory management for X4th99 and it works fine. I also have a 4K mapping scheme completely mapped out for TIB+.  I just don't believe I will ever be able to justify it.  XB and XB compilers have won that race while I was too ill to do any hobby work, as I mostly just destroyed WHT SCSI controllers during my feeble efforts.  It was very difficult for me to accept my condition, as having assembled two IDE cards, by hand soldering SMT parts (never having done it before), and both worked for over a year.

 

Any other ideas to add to this mix?  I always prefer to finish projects that I start, especially when others are involved.

 

RetroBill (fdos)

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9 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

...for TI BASIC subprograms.:ponder:

There are different references as to how to create TI BASIC sub-programs, to be found here and there ...here is a somewhat useful one:

 

http://www.nouspikel.com/ti99/titechpages.htm

 

This would probably mean programming in assy. ...but that might not be what you want to do.

 

9 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

hmm, you could use GRAMs 3,4,5,6,7

I don't know how MSAVE works... I'm guessing it can load a saved file into GRAM?

 

Setting up GRAM on FG99 shouldn't be too difficult... just need to create the desired size file, set the RAM byte, and perhaps set-up a header, using a hex-editor ...then end the filename with G.bin.

 

On 11/9/2020 at 4:56 PM, Bill R Sullivan said:

so this request is for Super Space II,

So, we could make an image similar to that of the Super Space II, but using virtual ROM pages instead of RAM. Does TIB+, truly require RAM, or is RAM needed only to load??? Perhaps we could find an alternate way to load instead.

 

Page switching would be through writes to ROM, rather than CRU switching, but could still be done through CALL LINK or CALL LOAD.:ponder:

 

 

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17 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

There are different references as to how to create TI BASIC sub-programs, to be found here and there ...here is a somewhat useful one:

 

http://www.nouspikel.com/ti99/titechpages.htm

 

This would probably mean programming in assy. ...but that might not be what you want to do.

 

I don't know how MSAVE works... I'm guessing it can load a saved file into GRAM?

 

Setting up GRAM on FG99 shouldn't be too difficult... just need to create the desired size file, set the RAM byte, and perhaps set-up a header, using a hex-editor ...then end the filename with G.bin.

 

So, we could make an image similar to that of the Super Space II, but using virtual ROM pages instead of RAM. Does TIB+, truly require RAM, or is RAM needed only to load??? Perhaps we could find an alternate way to load instead.

 

Page switching would be through writes to ROM, rather than CRU switching, but could still be done through CALL LINK or CALL LOAD.:ponder:

 

 

The following are in order of your comments or questions:

 

I assembled two IDE cards, which included soldering SMT components (obviously years ago, as I can't even "touch type" any more), so I'm vary familiar with Thierry's website, and BITD we corresponded frequently when I was first loading up his IDEAL DSR; later I switched to Fred Kaal's hugh DSR 05, and both IDE cards crashed at DSR 08, but I didn't realize that for some time, as I kept trying to find the problem with the first card, so now I'm inclined to think maybe I just missed an update, and there was no hardware failure.  Both sent out for repair, and neither has returned, yet (I'm sure that was at least 5 years ago, but I would have to check my old email account that I no longer have access due to can't find the password.  Long story for why I can't just change it.)  I can program simple stuff in assembly, I just don't have the time, as I will have to find the source code I did years ago to refresh my memory.

 

Yes, MG GK comes with MSAVE & MSAVE6; MSAVE only uses GRAM 7, and MSAVE6 uses GRAM 3 - 6, this is why I load an enhanced TI Basic in GRAM 1 & 2 which include the E/A Basic support CALLs: INIT, LOAD, LINK, PEEK, PEEKV, POKEV, CHARPAT

 

I have both FR99 & FG99, but I've never created any files for them, so more time to learn the process; not easy for this 79 year old that just recovered from a TAVR heart procedure and a repaired artery that now has a stint.  Which is why I made the request for someone to create the SS2 for FG99 not long ago.  There is a supersp2 cart in MAME, so anyone can access it, if they don't own an actual Super Space II cart.

 

The whole idea is to provide an emulation that can actually use the bank switching method and test files that came with the cartridge on diskettes, which I believe are all on the WHTech website.  I have original diskettes, but I can't access them, as my TI-99/4A is only connected to a NanoPEB and my SNUG TI-99/4P has an EVPC that I broke, and I haven't found anyone willing to repair it, yet.  I have to remember to retrieve my email from my new yahoo account.

 

Same as above.

 

RetroBill (fdos)

 

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2 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

I made the request for someone to create the SS2 for FG99 not long ago. 

 

2 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

The whole idea is to provide an emulation that can actually use the bank switching method and test files that came with the cartridge on diskettes,

The trouble with this idea is that the FG99 doesn't have any cartridge port connections to CRU_IN, or CRU_CLK(pins 4, 6). Pin 8(BA0) is A15/CRU_OUT.

fg99cartport.thumb.jpg.c9c79835330904f2f3ac0434f70f681a.jpg  

 

cardedge.thumb.jpg.00d9d344dbf271e060bb57c1a457519b.jpg

 

I still think that there may be an alternative. ...Need to know more about TIB+.

 

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15 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

 

The trouble with this idea is that the FG99 doesn't have any cartridge port connections to CRU_IN, or CRU_CLK(pins 4, 6). Pin 8(BA0) is A15/CRU_OUT.

fg99cartport.thumb.jpg.c9c79835330904f2f3ac0434f70f681a.jpg  

 

cardedge.thumb.jpg.00d9d344dbf271e060bb57c1a457519b.jpg

 

I still think that there may be an alternative. ...Need to know more about TIB+.

 

That's too bad, as I would think that an FG99 would be a good investment for a newbie or a returning TI'er starting up again.  Primarily TIB+ just provides a TI Basic user with some easy, and powerful upgrades, including full Sprite functionality, Accept@/Display@, some file management tools, decimal<>hex conversion, and ctrl+0-9 for quick dsk catalog, etc.  All right from console TI Basic.  There's more, so just ask.

 

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On 11/10/2020 at 4:49 PM, Bill R Sullivan said:

In my MG 80K GramKracker, I use GRAM 0 for lowercase, GRAM 1 & GRAM 2 for an enhanced TI Basic w/EA Basic support code; thereby allowing me to use GRAMs 3 - 7 for MSAVEd TI Basic Plus programs.

 

I don't have MSAVE or any files to load with it... my real TI is in mothballs right now, so I can't test this. 

I believe the MINIMEMORY image for the FG99 operates in GRAM mode.

I expanded the image to include GRAMs 3 - 5. I left the data in GRAM 3. I think FG99 needs some kind of header, in order to load the image. Also, the SAVE option(3) on the main menu runs from here. I'm not sure whether or not the SAVE option will make the GRAM persistent or not either.

Oh, this is the 256k RAM/ROM mixed mode version as well.

If you can't load MSAVE from MINIMEMORY, I could convert the EDITOR/ASSEMBLER to a 40k GRAM also.:ponder:


          minigramG.BIN

          minigramC.BIN

Edited by HOME AUTOMATION
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19 minutes ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

 

 

I don't have MSAVE or any files to load with it... my real TI is in mothballs right now, so I can't test this. 

I believe the MINIMEMORY image for the FG99 operates in GRAM mode.

I expanded the image to include GRAMs 3 - 5. I left the data in GRAM 3. I think FG99 needs some kind of header, in order to load the image. Also, the SAVE option(3) on the main menu runs from here. I'm not sure whether or not the SAVE option will make the GRAM persistent or not either.

Oh, this is the 256k RAM/ROM mixed mode version as well.

If you can't load MSAVE from MINIMEMORY, I could convert the EDITOR/ASSEMBLER to a 40k GRAM also.:ponder:


           minigramG.BIN 40 kB · 1 download

           minigramC.BIN 256 kB · 1 download

OK, please wait while I check out MSAVE6 with MINIMEMORY (Never thought of this before), as the FG99 doesn't allow for GROM/GRAM loads in 0, 1, & 2, MSAVE loads in GRAM 7, and MSAVE6 loads in GRAM 3.  Which means we're stuck using MSAVE in GROM 7 and E/A in GROM 3, as the problem with a 40K E/A GRAM is that MSAVE6 loads in GRAM 3 where the E/A is.  An alternative is that on the GK MG disks is an E/A Mover, which moves E/A to GRAM 7 and provides a link patch that makes it work there.  Thus leaving GRAM 3 open for MSAVE6!  If FG99 ever gets modified for the loading of GRAM 0, ,1 & 2, as I requested well over a year ago, then the perfect environment for TIB+ will be possible in FG99.  Until then, the above provides the only possible solutions, that I can see.

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That was not a problem.  The serious problem is that MINIMEM only loads AL object code into low memory which is less than 6K free after CALL INIT, and TIB+ is over 11K and will exceed 12K for sure.  MSAVE/6 does work with MINIMEM, however.  So our best bet is to load E/A in GRAM 7 and MSAVE6 in GRAM 3 until FG99 allows loading in GRAM 0, 1 & 2, if ever.

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6 hours ago, Bill R Sullivan said:

The serious problem is that MINIMEM only loads AL object code into low memory which is less than 6K free after CALL INIT,

The MINIMEMORY's loader uses memory address pointers to determine where not to load...otherwise it's priority is HIGHMEM, LOWMEM, MEDIUMMEM.

 

mmpointers.thumb.jpg.da4e93450e520ae1ed2cad1ce4b0d0d3.jpg

 

By adjusting the pointers, you can force the loader to load programs and data when and where you want.

 

>701C FFMM First Free Address in Medium Memory
>701E LFMM

>7022 FFHM
>7024 LFHM
>7026 FFLM
>7028 LFLM Last Free Address in Low Memory

 

Setting the values to >0000 in both of each memory block's Address Pointers, will cause the loader to bypass that block.

 

If the MEMORY EXPANSION is attached, CALL INIT should set these values so that the loader will load to >A000(HIGHMEM).

If the MEMORY EXPANSION is not attached, CALL INIT should set these values so that the loader will load to >7118(MEDIUMMEM).

 

True the pointers aren't initialized in the above image... An old oversight on my part. I copied the 256k file from my older topic...

 

Using 8k - 512k MIMI MEMORY with PAGING on FinalGROM 99

 

The full 8k(less REF/DEF table) should be available in the LOWMEMORY block.

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15 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

The MINIMEMORY's loader uses memory address pointers to determine where not to load...otherwise it's priority is HIGHMEM, LOWMEM, MEDIUMMEM.

 

mmpointers.thumb.jpg.da4e93450e520ae1ed2cad1ce4b0d0d3.jpg

 

By adjusting the pointers, you can force the loader to load programs and data when and where you want.

 

>701C FFMM First Free Address in Medium Memory
>701E LFMM

>7022 FFHM
>7024 LFHM
>7026 FFLM
>7028 LFLM Last Free Address in Low Memory

 

Setting the values to >0000 in both of each memory block's Address Pointers, will cause the loader to bypass that block.

 

If the MEMORY EXPANSION is attached, CALL INIT should set these values so that the loader will load to >A000(HIGHMEM).

If the MEMORY EXPANSION is not attached, CALL INIT should set these values so that the loader will load to >7118(MEDIUMMEM).

 

True the pointers aren't initialized in the above image... An old oversight on my part. I copied the 256k file from my older topic...

 

Using 8k - 512k MIMI MEMORY with PAGING on FinalGROM 99

 

The full 8k(less REF/DEF table) should be available in the LOWMEMORY block.

Sorry, this is beyond my expertise, as I just go by what the MINI MEMORY manual tells me, and that is why I removed MINI MEMORY from TIB+ options over a year ago.  Thank you for the education, as I have 3 MINI MEMORY Modules, that up till now I was thinking about selling.  I may still attempt to sell one.  The problem is I don't know where the other manuals (MINI MEMORY & Line-by-Line Assembler) are.  I only have one set at my computer desk.

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15 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

Here is EDITOR/ASSEMBLER on 40k GRAM with 32k mixed ROM/RAM.

 

grm3055G.BIN 40 kB · 4 downloads

grm3055C.BIN 32 kB · 4 downloads

 

...maybe this will work somewhat better.:ponder:

Yes, this suits me (my expertise) much better than MINI MEMORY.  It will take me awhile to get this loaded and checked out, so be patient.  However, your timing is excellent, as tomorrow I will be sending my MG 80K GK out for repair.  Thank you very much.

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Wow, after 5 minutes, it's still not loaded, as the gyro thingy just keeps rotating/spinning.  How long should it take, as I don't have any other FG99 carts this huge.  After 10 minutes it's still not loaded.  I guess maybe I have to download the two files again in case my first download was corrupted in the process.  Second download: Same results after 6 minutes.

 

Comments: Hard to believe that both my downloads fail in the same exact way.  There were 4 downloads before my downloads, so did someone else's download work in their FG99?  Please let us know.

Edited by Bill R Sullivan
Time delayed entry. Added 2nd download results. Added Comments:
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