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MueThor

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Posts posted by MueThor

    What would a true 16 bit TI 99 be like?

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear speccery,

     

    You wrote as follows:

    Quote

    ... For instance using four 2114 static RAMs (also used in the VIC20 around the same time) would have provided a whopping 2 kilobytes of 16-bit wide RAM.

     

    For a hardware project I would like to replace the two MCM6810P static RAMs of the TI (http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/chips/ram.html) with RAM chips, which have more memory. Unfortunately, each 2114 static RAM has got 18 pins (https://www.amiga-stuff.com/hardware/1kx4-sram.html) in comparison with the 24 pins of the MCM6810P. Now, TI had left the possibility open to use up to 1 kilobyte of RAM as scratchpad RAM according to following link: http://www.unige.ch/medecine/nouspikel/ti99/architec.htm. Do you know, which RAM chip I could use to replace each of the two MCM6810P static RAMs very easily?

    • Like 1

    Best 3D racing game for the 9918A

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear Asmusr,

     

    The best 3D racing game for the 9918A is Hang On for MSX 1:

     

    There is another non 3D racing game XRacing for MSX1 similar to the game F1 Spirit:

     

    What is more important: For the latter game smooth scrolling techniques are discussed here: http://santiontanon.blogspot.com/2019/04/smooth-scroll-in-xracing.html. I don't know, if you already know all these possible techniques for smooth scrolling. The originator of this deep knowledge in smooth scrolling techniques for MSX 1 is artrag, who developed on the basis of this knowledge Uridium:

     

    Now, I presented the section with artrag earlier, because I want to make some proposals. I don't know, if they are of any use for you, but maybe you can realize a 3D car racing game on the basis of my proposals, if you want. According to the statements about smooth scrolling, it seems to be possible to split the screen for different graphical objects/actions into different areas. So why not use a lower part of the screen for the driving surface realized by utilizing the Multicolor Mode as in your following demo:

    Then the usage of sprites for the racing cars, objects at the edge of the driving surface and otherwhere? At last smooth scrolling high resolution graphics in the upper area of the screen for objects at the horizon?

     

     

    Regards

     

    • Like 1

    Hardware Replacement of TMS9928A with V9938 In a Simple as Possible Manner

    in TI-99/4A Computers

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear FarmerPotato and dear other members of this forum,

     

    FarmerPotato, thank you for your message.

     

    The reason for my request for help in this matter of a V9938 and V9958 minimal upgrade is that it only has been realized in the case of MSX1 computers (a minimal upgrade from MSX1 computers to MSX2 with only 16k VRAM): https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/hardware/msx1-rgb-modification?page=0 . The basic idea for this modification is that the Spectravideo SVI 738 was an MSX2 computer model with only 16k VRAM. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an instruction for such a minimalistic modification for the TI-99/4A.

     

    Quote

    It is really not hard to add 2 or 4 TMS4464 chips to get the full memory.  They up less space than the 8 TMS4116 in the console and only require 5V.

    Okay, this should be optional or only realized, if the V9938 doesn't work with the VRAM chips implemented in the console of TI-99/4A computers with RGB output for PAL modulators (hopefully this is correct, what I am writing). The latter is the case with the VRAM chips implemented in MSX1 computers as stated by l_oliveira (citation from a message of him in the link above):

    Quote

    V9938 is backwards compatible with TMS9918 so yes it will work properly. Sadly it won't work with the VRAM chips the TMS9929 you have uses. It need 4416/4464 (4bit) RAMs and may not work correctly with 1 bit DRAMS on the wiring required by the TMS9918/28/29.

     

    Quote

    Getting the video signal to the back port--what do you want to connect it to?

    I want to connect it to a PAL modulator.

     

    Quote

    You would have well-known issues with programs that behave badly toward the unused bits in the 9928, with bad effects on the 9938. These have been identified and fixed in some copies.

    Really? I didn't know that. So there exist programs, which run on consoles for NTSC, but don't run on consoles for PAL!? Of course there should occur as few as possible software problems utilizing the V9938 and/or V9958 minimal upgrade.

     

    Quote

    $8 substitute V9958, the V9938 are harder to come by

    I didn't know that V9938s are harder to come by than V9958s. Would a V9958 also work with only 16k VRAM?

     

    Now, if there is a way to realize a V9938 and/or V9958 minimal upgrade, can anyone of you give me an instruction and schematic drawings for the realization of such an upgrade?

     

     

    Regards

     

     

     

    Hardware Replacement of TMS9928A with V9938 In a Simple as Possible Manner

    in TI-99/4A Computers

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Hi folks,

     

    Can anyone of you help me with an instruction and/or technical respectively circuit drawings for a simple as possible hardware replacement of a TMS9928A with a V9938 in the console of a TI-99/4A? Of course with retention of the 16k VRAM (yes, I know that you can address up to 192k VRAM with the V9938) originally implemented in this console, with as few as possible additions of extra ICs and modifications to already existing ICs.

     

     

    Regards 

     

    Playground

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear Lee Stewart and dear RXB,

     

    Excuse me for reacting so slow to your messages. I wasn't in the mood to comment on the statements of your messages the last days. Now I am going to comment on these statements: 

    Quote

    I am not sure what exactly you mean by “modern day”, but I do not think I would put SAMS in that category. It has been around since the early 1990s.

    Quote

     

    Hmm the GRAM devices have been around longer then SAMS, Western Digital Hard Drive Controller has been around about same time.

    Heck even the RAMDISK was around that time.

    So even my stuff was way back in 1987.

     

    Fortunately, in your profiles images of you are visible. On the basis of them I come to the conclusion that you are about 10 to 15 years older than me. So way back, in the mid 80's to mid 90's, you weren't any more pupils going to school, but already employees earning regular income. Hence you could easily afford every add-on part for the TI then. Additionally, at that time, peripheral parts for the TI could be obtained more easily in the States than in West Germany. Furthermore, I can remember that the price for an TI Extended Basic cart amounted to about DM450 (German Mark) or $158 (the exchange rate during that time period was about $1 for DM2.85) in 1984. A price I could never have afforded without the financial aid of my father. At last, I couldn't afford at all a PEB inclusive 32k RAM card and 1(?, or maybe 2?) internal floppy disk drive(s) (purchasing price DM1000) or a nine needles dot matrix color printer (DM1200) and a TI side port to RS-232 adaptor (DM150) (I hopefully recalled the purchasing prices from my memory correctly).

     

     

    Regards 

     

    • Like 1

    Playground

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear apersson850,

     

    Quote

    I see no point whatsoever in creating Playground programs for yourself. To create them, you already have every piece of hardware needed to not need the Playground programs. You create them for other people, to run them on unexpanded consoles. But that auditorium is pretty small today.

    You are not alone. I bet with you that there are some more persons in this forum, who are interested in different possibilities of what would have been possible, if way back the TI-99/4a console was unexpanded or at least a minimalist system already equipped with built-in 32k RAM and the Extended Basic cartridge. Don't forget, for most TI users nearly every add-on part was quite expensive then. Especially, when you have been a pupil at school. This question respectively objective mentioned before was and is the reason for my reawakened interest in the computer TI-99/4a. Additionally, it is also the reason, why I am not so keen on software needing "modern-day" solutions like F18A and SAMS. At last, with regard to this objective in my eyes the utmost allowable add-on part would be FinalGROM 99, which represents the hardware simulation for a cartridge. 

     

     

    Regards 

    Raycaster

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear Asmusr,

     

    Please be so nice to upload from time to time a new video of the newest version of your Raycaster, too. Please upload the latest version of this program as a file for Classic99 as well. Will you possibly allow the final version of your Raycaster to run also using only FinalGROM 99 (of course with less graphical elements than in the case, when AMS is used)?

     

     

    Regards

     

    Raycaster

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted

    Now some stupid questions: You write that the resolution is 64x192. Not 192x64 (the images in your videos are broader in comparison to their height)? And will the Raycaster be really much slower, if you worked with a resolution of 128x192?

    Raycaster

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear Asmusr,

     

    In your video below a problem can be seen in the sequence from 0:37 min to 0:42 min: Parts of the door seem to vanish and reappear or not in an illogical manner. Maybe you can somehow settle this problem.

     

     

    Regards 

    On 9/2/2020 at 9:44 PM, Asmusr said:

    This version has textured ceiling and floor. There are 8 directions, and you're moving 1 square at a time so the textures don't have to move. The whole 6K background with the textures is simply copied from ROM to the screen buffer before drawing the walls, so I was surprised that it's running as fast as this, but the old ceiling/floor drawing must also have taken a lot of time.  

     

     

    texcaster8.bin 256 kB · 9 downloads

     

    Raycaster

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear Asmusr,

     

    What is pictured on the shield, which can be seen from time to time in your game? To me it looks like a bloody chicken shot dead. Addendum: Okay, later on I saw that a dragon is pictured on the shield. How is about a black, white and red symbol resembling rather very faintly a N... German Swastika instead?

     

     

    Regards

     

     

     

    • Sad 1

    10 Liner BASIC/XB contest VOTING POLL

    in TI-99/4A Development

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Hello senior_falcon and all others,

     

    To me your game was self-explaining. Unfortunately, I was just allowed to vote for only one program in the category "Extended Basic Entries". I would also have liked to give a vote for senior_falcon's program. Probably there should have actually been created three categories for the voting poll: The catergory "TI Basic" and the category "Extended Basic" as well as another one "RXB". I suppose that it is a little bit unfair to only have created one category "Extended Basic". 

    • Like 2

    new products at arcadeshopper.com

    in TI-99/4A Computers

    Posted · Edited by MueThor

    Dear Greg,

     

    Sorry, but before others declare you to be a savior or even Santa Claus, you have to send me the items I have ordered from you many weeks ago. This message is an urgent reminder of following earlier message to you:

    Dear arcadeshopper,

     

    Not only the discontinued board was ordered. Please look up in our thread "TI Stuff Questions" for all items I have ordered. In addition, everything is already paid.

     

     

    Sincerely

     

    Again I emphatically ask you to look up in the non-public thread "TI Stuff Questions" of ours, where we wrote messages to each other. See following message from 22 January 2019:

    Hereby I order following items:

    1 xxx (discontinued board)

    2 FinalGROM 99 SDcard preloaded

     

     

    Please send me the items as a private citizen in a way so that xxx. After having written this message, I will pay the total amount via PayPal.

     

     

    Sincerely Yours,

    In that thread I sent you later on following message on 26 January 2019:

    Dear Greg,

     

    The total amount has been transferred to your account on PayPal and I have sent you an email with the delivery address. Have you already sent the items to the delivery address?

     

     

    Regards

     

    Hopefully you will take action in this matter as soon as possible, so I can finally receive my ordered items.

     

     

    Regards

     

     

     

     

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