Create Cart from compiled XB?

[SteveB]

Hi, 

there are plenty of compiled programs here available ... but I did not find a beginners tutorial on how to make your own cartridge from your freshly compiled XB program. I found hints on a V7 breakpoint .. but when it came to "Save memory as Program" in Classic99 I do not know what to select. I am not even sure if a breakpoint at "run" in the XB module is the rigtht thing to do or if I need to use the E/A.

 

Please give an old XB programmer some hints. I would love to see my program on FlashROM99 on the real thing.

 

Steve

[+Ksarul]

I think @tmop69 is probably the best person around to answer this question, as he is also an expert at making the subtle changes to an Extended BASIC program that make sure it remains playable once compiled. Er ist Hier wirklich Meister.

[+arcadeshopper]

Hi, 

there are plenty of compiled programs here available ... but I did not find a beginners tutorial on how to make your own cartridge from your freshly compiled XB program. I found hints on a V7 breakpoint .. but when it came to "Save memory as Program" in Classic99 I do not know what to select. I am not even sure if a breakpoint at "run" in the XB module is the rigtht thing to do or if I need to use the E/A.

 

Please give an old XB programmer some hints. I would love to see my program on FlashROM99 on the real thing.

 

Steve

The simplest thing to do is to use module creator from Fred Kahl. You save the compiled program as editor assembler option 5 (ea5) and then copy the files to your pc in v9t9 format the instructions for his program are in the zip.

 

http://www.ti99-geek.nl/ under modules

 

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

[tmop69]

@SteveBLet's clarify a couple of things.

 

- Classic 99 can be used to generate a .bin file to use on FinalGROM/FinalROM only for TI BASIC programs at the moment (I don't know if @Tursi will add the XB support in future versions).

I have written a tutorial for the TI99IUC site (https://www.ti99iuc.it/web/?pageid=articoli_tech&artid=195#.X-9NiDSg-Uk). It's in Italian, but you can easily translate it and there are some posts on AA on this topic. It's quite easy, just ask if you need clarifications.

NOTE: You will not obtain a compiled game, you'll just load your BASIC game from your FinalGROM/FinalROM instead of the slow tape.

 

- You can convert most of EA5 in .bin using the ModuleCreator as indicated by @arcadeshopper. In addition you can use also Makecart to generate .G files. You need to already have your files in EA5 format.

 

- If you have an XB program, you need first to compile it, then you can convert the EA5 files in .bin using the ModuleCreator.

To compile it you need to use Classic 99 + ISABELLA compiler package from @senior_falcon. You can find it on the AA forum.

There is one tutorial on this on the TI99IUC site, but it's quite old (https://www.ti99iuc.it/web/index.php?pagina=articoli&artid=193#.X-9Q2DSg-Uk) and in Italian.

I do not have at the moment prepared a new tutorial covering the XB part, anyway if you want, we can use this thread with one of your programs you would like to compile to explain the theoretical process on a real example.  

 

 

[GDMike]

When you get it figured out, do a video on the process. That be cool to see.

 

[+dhe]

+1 GD, I'm a visual learner too!!! I much rather watch a video on how to do something, and then have docs as a backup or clarifier.

[GDMike]

Yeah, I read and read and can still screw it up, but video can always remind me on how and the why's of a process.

 

[SteveB]

4 hours ago, tmop69 said:

- You can convert most of EA5 in .bin using the ModuleCreator as indicated by @arcadeshopper. In addition you can use also Makecart to generate .G files. You need to already have your files in EA5 format..

 

Thank you, I am experienced with ISABELLA, but never cared about the files, was only interested in the resuling -X file. It took me a moment to understand that the -E, -F and -G files are these EA5 files everybody talks about. I converted them to v9t9 with Ti99dir and did what the Module Creater 2.0 page told me to do ... the resulting BIN file loads in Classic99 and plays perfectly.  I don't have the hardware here to test with FlashROM99.

 

So in short:

1. Install Module Creator 2.0 as described on @F.G. Kaal site as @arcadeshopper mentioned. Important is to have no blanks in the path.
2. Compile your XB program with ISABELLA. I had the 24k setting active and used Asm994a for fast assembly. Clean XB, 14kB of size.
3. Use Ti99dir to check if the -E, -F and -G files are in or convert them to v9t9 format (select all of them, then Ctrl-F7). I think the "no blanks in path" applies here as well.
4. Start Module Creator, enter Name and Title, select the -E file as Program and press Create Module.

If everything works you will find a new subdirectory in Module Creater 2.0 with the module BIN file and some working documents and logs. In Classic99 just open it under Cartridge/User and there you go ... If you didn't know ... now you do!  😎

 

That should save me from making a video?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Steve

 

Edited January 1 by SteveB