fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 (edited) To test my own modification of the GROM system, I usually use the ti994w emulator. I am happy with it but, alas, there is no speech emulation so I am searching an other simulator to do the job. I tried Classic99 but the GROM system is included in its code. Maybe there is a way to force the use of its own GROM system, i don't know, I have not found. Same problem with Win994a emulator. I also tried Mame64 but there is a problem for my usage: It works with one GROM file that contains all the GROM 0, 1 and 2 et Mame uses the 3 independent GROM files. I don't want to make ceaseless conversion manipulations. I tried V9T9 java emulator too , but I had no sound (I use a 64bit MS-Windows 10 computer). I found a solution on internet consisting to install an old java release but it is not stable. In fact, I am searching a TI-99/4a simulator for MS-Windows 10 that accepts to use my own GROM file (only one file containing all the GROM system) and capable to have speech working? It is existing? I am sorry for this question but I am not really familiar with the simulation world, I am before all a real hardware user. Thank you for any help. Edited February 6, 2021 by fabrice montupet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Why is it a problem to split your GROMs into several files? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 (edited) Because I like to limit manipulations to gain time. As soon as I have modified my GROM file, I would to test it on an emulator without file manipulation/modification. Edited February 6, 2021 by fabrice montupet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyDean Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, fabrice montupet said: Because I like to limit manipulations to gain time. As soon as I have modified my GROM file, I would to test it on an emulator without file manipulation/modification. @fabrice montupet , I think PC99 can be used for this. Edited February 6, 2021 by RickyDean added name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 I also tried TI99SIM but GROM&ROM system files must be converted for the simulator be functional. Many emulators for the 99/4A but I'm not sure that I will find happiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 @RickyDean: Thank you for your message but I hesitate to spend 50$ just for an emulator for which I can verify its capabilities and if it answers to my needs. In any case, it will be a high price just to control if my modified GROM system file is working. I will don't use PC99 to play games or other programs and I am not interested by the ROMs collection and the CYC. I noticed that no Paypal accepted, it disturbs me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Splitting and pasting together is not a complex job; if I were to do it, I'd set up a bash script that does the whole job for me, calling it "updgrom" or so. If you're using Windows, this should also be possible in the Powershell or with Cygwin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 I know that is not complex but, to gain time (time is just missing to me) , I hoped to find an existing TI-99 emulator that could directly do the job. If there's no other solution, I'll create a batch that will trunk my GROM system file into 3 GROM files and that will put all of them in a directory of an emulator like Mame64 But, I will also have to find the documentation to use this emulator in command line only (I still haven't found it). My goal will be to put the GUI aside because it is inappropriate for my use, I found it heavy and I just want to launch a TI-99/4A emulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 If you decide to use MAME, just send me a PM and we can figure out what is required to be done. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 Thank you ? Yes, I have chosen Mame that seems to be solution to my needs. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 10 hours ago, fabrice montupet said: I tried Classic99 but the GROM system is included in its code. Maybe there is a way to force the use of its own GROM system, i don't know, I have not found. Just create a cartridge configuration in the INI file. You can overwrite any build-in files that way. It's in the manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 (edited) It is what I thought to understand but my test to make a cartridge with my GROM system file has failed... and I haven't insisted. I should have. My parameters were not the good ones. Here is what I add in the ini file, in the UserCart0 section: name="test" ROM0=G⎢0000⎢6000⎢MODS\994agrom.bin Edited February 7, 2021 by fabrice montupet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 Just for information, I tried to do the job with Mame64, it failed. I made a batch to split my GROM system file and to put the 3 files obtained in the ROM directory of the emulator but when I launch Mame64, it crashes. In fact, it doesn't like that I use 3 x 8Kb for GROM 0, 1 and 2. It seems to be programmed to accept a size to 6kb GROM and the original ones: it returns me a size and CRC error. I am trying again to insert my files with a crowbar. Wait & See ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 (edited) Back to Classic99... I have found my error ? In the classic99.ini, as I said before, I have added: name="test" ROM0=G⎢0000⎢6000⎢MODS\994agrom.bin I thought that the emulator was going to use its embedded ROM system. I realized that my way to proceed wasn't logic so I have added a second line: ROM1=C ⎢0000⎢1000⎢MODS\994arom.bin An now, it works ! Classic99 is great ! Edited February 7, 2021 by fabrice montupet 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed in SoDak Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 13 minutes ago, fabrice montupet said: Classic99 is great ! Yes, it is! I think V9T9 for DOS, the old version, would also work for this. The MacV9T9 port for Mac Classic/PPC has good sound and speech emulation. It uses the same GROM/ROM files as V9T9 DOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 8 hours ago, fabrice montupet said: Back to Classic99... I have found my error ? In the classic99.ini, as I said before, I have added: name="test" ROM0=G⎢0000⎢6000⎢MODS\994agrom.bin I thought that the emulator was going to use its embedded ROM system. I realized that my way to proceed wasn't logic so I have added a second line: ROM1=C ⎢0000⎢1000⎢MODS\994arom.bin An now, it works ! It should have worked fine, maybe your GROM has a dependency on a change in the ROM? (Also, shouldn't the ROM be >2000 bytes long - 8k?) As always, the debug log will tell you what is going on. Here's a sample as if I had your original attempt: Loading file from resource: Type D, Bank 0, Address 0x1100, Length 0x01C0 Loading file from resource: Type E, Bank 0, Address 0x1100, Length 0x2000 Loading file from resource: Type S, Bank 0, Address 0x0000, Length 0x8000 Loading file from resource: Type P, Bank 0, Address 0x0000, Length 0xF800 Loading file from resource: Type G, Bank -1, Address 0x0000, Length 0x6000 Loading file from resource: Type C, Bank -1, Address 0x0000, Length 0x2000 Loading file (mods\994agrom.bin) from disk: Type G, Bank 0, Address 0x0000, Length 0x6000 The "loading file from resource" lines indicate ROMs that are loaded from internal to the program. While you can't tell WHAT they are, you can tell where they loaded, so you can see the G at >0000 (TI GROMS) and the C at >0000 (TI ROM). (The type codes should all be documented in the manual). After that, you can see the disk load of mods\994agrom.bin from disk overwriting the TI GROM. The one thing that does NOT help you is a typo in your INI file does not cause an error to pop up - it will only report the error in the log. Most cases of ROMs in the INI not working are caused by typos. Also, while you're working from a custom cartridge, you can test changes by just using File->Reset - this causes all ROMs to be reloaded. But if you have to change the INI, that requires a restart of the emulator. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 Yes it is a typo error! Classic99 is installed is on a PC and I write AtariAge messages on a Mac. I badly re typed the line: The line in my .ini is: ROM1=C ⎢0000⎢2000⎢MODS\994arom.bin Thank you for these very interesting information ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 12 hours ago, fabrice montupet said: Just for information, I tried to do the job with Mame64, it failed. I made a batch to split my GROM system file and to put the 3 files obtained in the ROM directory of the emulator but when I launch Mame64, it crashes. In fact, it doesn't like that I use 3 x 8Kb for GROM 0, 1 and 2. It seems to be programmed to accept a size to 6kb GROM and the original ones: it returns me a size and CRC error. This is most likely not the reason for a crash or whatever reaction the emulator produced. I tried it by myself, used the old GROM dumps, split in three 8K chunks, and replaced the official GROM dumps (6K) by them. I'm getting the length and CRC warnings, but the emulation runs normally. Even if you found a working solution for you, I would really appreciate any further information about the failure. We can do that by PM if you prefer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 I will try again to make my GROM file working on Mame. As you, I don't like to stay on a failure. And I like to understand why something has not worked ? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F.G. Kaal Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 On 2/6/2021 at 1:08 PM, fabrice montupet said: To test my own modification of the GROM system, I usually use the ti994w emulator. I am happy with it but, alas, there is no speech emulation so I am searching an other simulator to do the job. Fabrice, I managed to add speech to the TI994w emulator. It is the same speech as used in Tursi's Classic99. I am happy with this for the time being. I noticed that the speech in Mame sounds much better ... I dive into this some other time. First I want to add some interpretation of sound and speech bytes in the debug window and there are some more project laying arround here at this side/site. Fred 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabrice montupet Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 The Speech works now in you Emulator ! And it works great! I like the intonation in Speech, that renders so much. I'm so happy ,Thank you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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