TI-99/4A - Hookups for a good time! ;)

[Omega-TI]

1 minute ago, GDMike said:

@Omega-TIdo you know python?

No, I'm just looking for a project to MAKE and USE, like the TIPI, I just use what I can.

[GDMike]

Yeah, I'm not versed in it either.

damn that sucks. Gees, well, your pico only understands snake.

 

Edited January 22, 2021 by GDMike

[Omega-TI]

Just now, GDMike said:

Looks wobbly..fix that

 

Well considering it's made by @COREi64 I doubt it's wobbly.  I'll know in a couple of weeks as mine has been shipped.  I'm also making a video on it.

[Omega-TI]

Just now, GDMike said:

Yeah, I'm not versed in it either.

Either...damn that sucks. Gees, well, your pico only understands snake.

 

Yeah, but we are surrounded by geniuses here on AA.  If someone wanted to design code for a project, I'm sure we would suck it up like we have everything else.

[GDMike]

4 minutes ago, Omega-TI said:

 

Well considering it's made by @COREi64 I doubt it's wobbly.  I'll know in a couple of weeks as mine has been shipped.  I'm also making a video on it.

Cool, good to know as my last hands would flip it..lol

So it's cool and put on the sockets, are you wire wrapping... maybe it has libraries for your chips?

As I'm more worried about the programming environment.

I believe Matt is a great python guru and so is Eric. But there swamped.

I really need to learn snake

Edited January 22, 2021 by GDMike

[Omega-TI]

Most of my electronics activity was mid 70's to mid 80's before computers took me away.  So I'm more of a point to point to point soldering kind of guy, with very little breadboarding experience.  I like this thing because it supports entry level construction techniques as well as being a supporting platform for more in-depth and modern projects and even hybrid designs.  The fact that it can match the TI is another plus.

 

You can check it out << HERE >>

 

Gotta blaze for now, I have to run to the store.

[+FarmerPotato]

pico can be programmed in C too.

 

https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-examples/blob/master/hello_world/serial/hello_serial.c

 

/**
 * Copyright (c) 2020 Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
 *
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 */

#include <stdio.h>
#include "pico/stdlib.h"

int main() {
    stdio_init_all();
    while (true) {
        printf("Hello, world!\n");
        sleep_ms(1000);
    }
    return 0;
}

 

programming in MicroPython is pretty neat. For regular Python, you could sure learn that if you can learn assembly language!

 

On the pico, there are these amazing extensions called StateMachine. It's like its own assembly language. You would use it to do digital input/output at assembly language speeds, under control of  a regular Python program. 

 

Here is the example that writes/reads a byte over the SPI interface - say, to a SD card module.

https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-micropython-examples/blob/master/pio/pio_spi.py

 

A similar type of thing could initialize the 9901, set/read values on its pins, do read/write CRU cycles, and compare everything. And do it at assembly language speeds until the 9901 heats up and dies from stress, or checks out ok.

 

 

[GDMike]

4 minutes ago, Omega-TI said:

Most of my electronics activity was mid 70's to mid 80's before computers took me away.  So I'm more of a point to point to point soldering kind of guy, with very little breadboarding experience.  I like this thing because it supports entry level construction techniques as well as being a supporting platform for more in-depth and modern projects and even hybrid designs.  The fact that it can match the TI is another plus.

 

You can check it out << HERE >>

 

Gotta blaze for now, I have to run to the store.

Can you squeeze a ps under it and feed it up any place? It kinda looks like a holder. 

[GDMike]

2 minutes ago, FarmerPotato said:

pico can be programmed in C too.

 

https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-examples/blob/master/hello_world/serial/hello_serial.c

 

/**
 * Copyright (c) 2020 Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
 *
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 */

#include <stdio.h>
#include "pico/stdlib.h"

int main() {
    stdio_init_all();
    while (true) {
        printf("Hello, world!\n");
        sleep_ms(1000);
    }
    return 0;
}

 

programming in MicroPython is pretty neat. For regular Python, you could sure learn that if you can learn assembly language!

 

On the pico, there are these amazing extensions called StateMachine. It's like its own assembly language. You would use it to do digital input/output at assembly language speeds, under control of  a regular Python program. 

 

Here is the example that writes/reads a byte over the SPI interface - say, to a SD card module.

https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-micropython-examples/blob/master/pio/pio_spi.py

 

A similar type of thing could initialize the 9901, set/read values on its pins, do read/write CRU cycles, and compare everything. And do it at assembly language speeds until the 9901 heats up and dies from stress, or checks out ok.

 

 

Does it also provide clock or us that only through hardware

[+FarmerPotato]

5 minutes ago, Omega-TI said:

Most of my electronics activity was mid 70's to mid 80's before computers took me away.  So I'm more of a point to point to point soldering kind of guy, with very little breadboarding experience.  I like this thing because it supports entry level construction techniques as well as being a supporting platform for more in-depth and modern projects and even hybrid designs.  The fact that it can match the TI is another plus.

 

You can check it out << HERE >>

 

Gotta blaze for now, I have to run to the store.

I had never heard of this P-Box, but I googled a few articles. I can identify with the assembly technique, as I use perfboard and solder point-to-point or wire wrap. I learned about this thing called a wiring pencil... weird. One made by Vector Tools is on Digikey but obsolete. Funny but I've got Vector Tools kit parts, from NOS, on my Geneve2020 wirewrap board.

 

One thing, what is the hole spacing on this P-Box? How do you put an IC on it?

[GDMike]

while (true) {

like, my question is, what is it testing for true?

don't answer that..

anyway, no I haven't mastered 9900 or dabbled in C, little c, c sharp, sharp sharp

And I'm more concentrated in 9900 at the moment. And that's a shame, I know.

but my mind isn't wanting to cooperate under sober distress.

I'm going to give the Geneve coding some attention though when it comes in next week.

 

[GDMike]

6 minutes ago, FarmerPotato said:

I had never heard of this P-Box, but I googled a few articles. I can identify with the assembly technique, as I use perfboard and solder point-to-point or wire wrap. I learned about this thing called a wiring pencil... weird. One made by Vector Tools is on Digikey but obsolete. Funny but I've got Vector Tools kit parts, from NOS, on my Geneve2020 wirewrap board.

 

One thing, what is the hole spacing on this P-Box? How do you put an IC on it?

I think it's a holder, and it can hold test boards??

[+FarmerPotato]

Just now, GDMike said:

Does it also provide clock or us that only through hardware

hmm, I assume it could generate a clock easily enough.

 

This example is generating a precise signal of 100 or 110 with exact timing on every bit, to control NeoPixel (those RGB LEDs that do patterns.)

 

https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-micropython-examples/blob/master/pio/neopixel_ring/neopixel_ring.py

 

NeoPixels accept 24 bits of RGB info in the form of 1/3 on pulse for 0, and 2/3 on pulse for 1. That's the 100 or 110. (I think. its been a while, but I tested them a lot.) They are a little forgiving. But. Raspberry Pi running C code, can't get precise enough to work reliably! (Arduinos do it perfectly.)

 

So you could do very precise IC testing with this StateMachine feature, and still write the test in Python.

 

My day job is  currently writing tests in Python...!

 

 

[+FarmerPotato]

1 minute ago, GDMike said:

while (true) {

like, my question is, what is it testing for true?

don't answer that..

anyway, no I haven't mastered 9900 or dabbled in C, little c, c sharp, sharp sharp

And I'm more concentrated in 9900 at the moment. And that's a shame, I know.

but my mind isn't wanting to cooperate under sober distress.

I'm going to give the Geneve coding some attention though when it comes in next week.

 

haha little C. and there's c flat (I have some C# work to do in a few days... yuck)

 

technically, Clint Pulley's c99 was small-C, a subset of C popularized in Dr. Dobbs' Journal, for 8-bit computers! It grew a bit beyond that, but not much.

 

while(true) {} is an infinite loop. like instead of 

 

  LI R2,10000

LOOP

  DEC R2

* do something

  JNE LOOP

  RT

 

it is

 

LOOP

  DEC R2

* do something

  JMP LOOP

  RT

 

 

 

 

[GDMike]

Well then this seems to be the right  for his design. But I'm not too keen on his pbox Yet.

Edited January 22, 2021 by GDMike

[+FarmerPotato]

19 minutes ago, GDMike said:

Can you squeeze a ps under it and feed it up any place? It kinda looks like a holder. 

Here you go:

 

https://hackaday.com/2018/12/14/retrotechtacular-remembering-radio-shack-p-box-kits/

 

 

All the stuff was inside the box, then you opened it up and built on it. The soldering is hidden inside.

 

This strikes me as very 60s... back then, LEGO came in a cardboard box, with a plastic lid that was your building base!

Tog-L-Toys was another one that came with a plastic lid, which when flipped over, became your building  base.

Fischer-Technic too...

 

 

 

[AwkwardPotato]

About the RPi Pico -- it's not in the same league as any of the other members of the Pi family, so using it for TIPI is likely out of the question. The core they're using on it is identical, for the most part, to the one found on higher-end Arduinos. What makes it interesting though is the programmable I/O, which has already been demoed driving HDMI displays.

[GDMike]

Oh yeah. I never could afford the radio shack IT experience ..I think most kits were 9.95

Lol

Edited January 22, 2021 by GDMike

[GDMike]

2 minutes ago, AwkwardPotato said:

About the RPi Pico -- it's not in the same league as any of the other members of the Pi family, so using it for TIPI is likely out of the question. The core they're using on it is identical, for the most part, to the one found on higher-end Arduinos. What makes it interesting though is the programmable I/O, which has already been demoed driving HDMI displays.

Yup, the other potato said that earlier.

 

[+FarmerPotato]

15 minutes ago, GDMike said:

Yup, the other potato said that earlier.

 

Potato power!

 

I've thought some more while chopping dinner. I do need a chip tester. I think I would like writing Python tests, rather than more Forth tests or Verilog or (cough cough) LabVIEW. 

 

I need a chip tester if I buy lots of 9901, 9902, 9958 tons of logic chips etc. Especially, to keep them from sitting on the shelf, longer than the return period!

 

[GDMike]

44 minutes ago, FarmerPotato said:

I had never heard of this P-Box, but I googled a few articles. I can identify with the assembly technique, as I use perfboard and solder point-to-point or wire wrap. I learned about this thing called a wiring pencil... weird. One made by Vector Tools is on Digikey but obsolete. Funny but I've got Vector Tools kit parts, from NOS, on my Geneve2020 wirewrap board.

 

One thing, what is the hole spacing on this P-Box? How do you put an IC on it?

I'm not sure about the pbox, but the tester idea goes a long ways, at a dollar per inch. I agree though, you gotta have a place for sockets and power supply, cables, and of course a recording camera.

An accessible drawer probably.

Edited January 22, 2021 by GDMike

[Omega-TI]

42 minutes ago, FarmerPotato said:

One thing, what is the hole spacing on this P-Box? How do you put an IC on it?

The board itself lends itself quite nicely to point to point soldering of discrete components as well as switches, knobs etc., and has mounting hardware to support RPi's, Arduinos, protoboards, small LCD monitors and the like.

 

36 minutes ago, GDMike said:

I think it's a holder, and it can hold test boards??

Yes.  It even has mounting holes on the back for assorted power inputs.

 

 

 

[GDMike]

But it's $59 I can't handle that.

I think that's me though, I find everything expensive.

 

Edited January 22, 2021 by GDMike

[Omega-TI]

From a strictly nostalgia point of view you can relive your youth by making some of those old projects.  It's larger than those old P-Box kits though and looks a heck of a lot better too, but there are quite literally hundreds of projects a person could make with this thing, in fact there are people who download the PDF's of the old P-Box manuals and make some of those same old projects.  For instance << HERE >>.

[Omega-TI]

3 minutes ago, GDMike said:

But it's $59 I can't handle that.

I think that's me though, I find everything expensive.

 

HA! Well, it's still cheaper than some people are selling those old Radio Shack P-Box kits for on Ebait.  That $59.00 is for the starter kit, you don't have to buy that kit with all the pieces.  In fact he also sells a smaller one more reminiscent of the original P-Box << HERE >>