My Dream 4A...

[Willsy]

My dream 4A would consist of a silver console (for that retro, beloved feel) with the following modifications:

 

• Completely new motherboard (I'll get to that in a minute)
  
• 3.5" 720K or 1.44MB floppy disk drive on the right-hand side, where the PEB connector port currently resides
  
• SD Card on the top (poking out of the heat grille behind the cart port) operating as hard disk
  
• 2 off 9 pin serial ports on the rear
  
• 1 off centronics connector for PIO/printer
  
• 64K RAM (more in a minute)
  
• Built in SAMS 1MB
  
• Integrated F18A VGA output
  
• An 80 column version of Editor Assembler built into the console (using Tursi Technology [TM])
  
• An 80 column disk manager built into the console (using Tursi Technology [TM])
  

 

The motherboard would be designed from scratch, and feature:

 

• F18A VGA processor (hopefully with 9938 emulation and appropriate video memory)
  
• TMS9995 CPU - Twice the speed of the 9900, and it only has an 8 bit data bus! Forget the 9900 with it's stupid read before write nonsense. The 9995 has a single phase clock (you can over clock it like a mother-fucker) and instruction pipe-lining. "That's what I'm talking about!"
  
• CPU ram at >8300 (the 9995 has built in 256 byte ram at >f00 so you need some at >8300)
  
• 64K RAM occupying the entire 64 memory space. The ROM would normally be in memory 'over the top' of the RAM, but you would be able to page it out with a CRU bit and get to the memory 'underneath' (this is possible on the Commodore 64)
  
• RAM in the DSR memory space. Again, DSRs (for the PIO, RS232 and Hard-disk/SD unit) would page themselves into this area as normal, but when not in use, you could page the ram 'underneath' into the memory map with a CRU bit.
  
• RAM in the cartridge space. Again, a cart being plugged into the cart port would page out the RAM - but if using with no cart, then 8K in the cart space memory space would be available.
  
• Fully decoded memory map. The memory map on the TI is full of un-decoded areas. This should be fully decoded, with RAM in all areas, *except* for the agreed, standard, published memory addresses for the sound chip, vdp etc.
  
• Integrated speech synth
  
• All 8 interrupt levels available, not just level 2 (I think the 9995 only has 8 levels)
  

 

The machine would be called the TI-99/95HY The 95 referencing the 9995 processor, and HY simply meaning "HELL YEAH!"

 

[JonnyBritish]

My dream 4A would consist of a silver console (for that retro, beloved feel) with the following modifications:

 

 

The motherboard would be designed from scratch, and feature:

 

• F18A VGA processor (hopefully with 9938 emulation and appropriate video memory)
  
• TMS9995 CPU - Twice the speed of the 9900, and it only has an 8 bit data bus! Forget the 9900 with it's stupid read before write nonsense. The 9995 has a single phase clock (you can over clock it like a mother-fucker) and instruction pipe-lining. "That's what I'm talking about!"
  

 

The machine would be called the TI-99/95HY The 95 referencing the 9995 processor, and HY simply meaning "HELL YEAH!"

 

 

 

Where was the TMS9995 used?

[marc.hull]

My dream 4A would consist of a silver console (for that retro, beloved feel) with the following modifications:

 

• Completely new motherboard (I'll get to that in a minute)
  
• 3.5" 720K or 1.44MB floppy disk drive on the right-hand side, where the PEB connector port currently resides
  
• SD Card on the top (poking out of the heat grille behind the cart port) operating as hard disk
  
• 2 off 9 pin serial ports on the rear
  
• 1 off centronics connector for PIO/printer
  
• 64K RAM (more in a minute)
  
• Built in SAMS 1MB
  
• Integrated F18A VGA output
  
• An 80 column version of Editor Assembler built into the console (using Tursi Technology [TM])
  
• An 80 column disk manager built into the console (using Tursi Technology [TM])
  

 

The motherboard would be designed from scratch, and feature:

 

• F18A VGA processor (hopefully with 9938 emulation and appropriate video memory)
  
• TMS9995 CPU - Twice the speed of the 9900, and it only has an 8 bit data bus! Forget the 9900 with it's stupid read before write nonsense. The 9995 has a single phase clock (you can over clock it like a mother-fucker) and instruction pipe-lining. "That's what I'm talking about!"
  
• CPU ram at >8300 (the 9995 has built in 256 byte ram at >f00 so you need some at >8300)
  
• 64K RAM occupying the entire 64 memory space. The ROM would normally be in memory 'over the top' of the RAM, but you would be able to page it out with a CRU bit and get to the memory 'underneath' (this is possible on the Commodore 64)
  
• RAM in the DSR memory space. Again, DSRs (for the PIO, RS232 and Hard-disk/SD unit) would page themselves into this area as normal, but when not in use, you could page the ram 'underneath' into the memory map with a CRU bit.
  
• RAM in the cartridge space. Again, a cart being plugged into the cart port would page out the RAM - but if using with no cart, then 8K in the cart space memory space would be available.
  
• Fully decoded memory map. The memory map on the TI is full of un-decoded areas. This should be fully decoded, with RAM in all areas, *except* for the agreed, standard, published memory addresses for the sound chip, vdp etc.
  
• Integrated speech synth
  
• All 8 interrupt levels available, not just level 2 (I think the 9995 only has 8 levels)
  

 

The machine would be called the TI-99/95HY The 95 referencing the 9995 processor, and HY simply meaning "HELL YEAH!"

 

 

Well you better get to work. Think you will need any more than a week or two ?

[+Vorticon]

Nice, but this would really be a completely new computer. I would love to have one, but a 4A it will never be...

That said, put me down for one!

[GratedTopping]

I would want it to be closer to the 4a and some things I would require...

 

- console BASIC retained and updated Extended BASIC built-in for option two; I liked the one from the past that had "Draw n' Plot" accessible to allow better control over graphics; I want major ease in creating lots of graphics (by lines or circles, for example) and so-many-more characters able to be redefined + more colours

 

- 32k standard

 

- I don't like the silver consoles; I think they are ugly and the power button stunk; the gray consoles always seemed nicer to me; if it had to be silver, the on/off button would have to be just like on the gray 4a versions

 

- cartridge slot allowing you to push it down into the console

 

- wider keyboard; better ENTER key + number pad

 

- SD card capability a plus; want to easily transfer data from TI to PC/PC to TI

 

- true lowercase

 

- built in speech synthesizer, with any word accessible and no need to use Terminal Emulator II

 

- ability to play MP3's and use of a great sound card

 

- easy-connection for a 3.5 drive

 

- let's call it a TI-99/OK (new machine would be OK -- and it sounds close to the cool 4a)

[rocky007]

and also a "reset" in another place... i hate to much to restart 1 hour of work just because i wanted a "+"

Edited April 8, 2011 by rocky007

[RXB]

Actually OPA and WHT had at one time started a project to build a 9995 P-Box card like the Geneve. Also using the 9958 VDP chip and the Morning Star version of Memory, with a AMS option. More Geneve then TI.

 

The Silicon 9995 chips were to expensive, so WHT (Don O'Neil) talked about using a LSI single chip that could emulate the 9995 and upgrades would be just burning a new chip that would amount to a new board.

 

I always thought this would be the best way as upgrades would be just re write a new MB and CPU and device interface in one burn upgrade.

 

The chips they make today would far outstrip what we talked about in 1997.

[John Doe]

Edited February 22, 2014 by Tony Knerr

[Tursi]

Reasonable and nice ideas, except myself I wouldn't bother with the 9995, since it's obsolete too. Just FPGA the 9900 and you can do wahtever you want to the clock, speed, and even RbW behaviour.

 

Of course as Tony notes, the Geneve 2 project is doing a lot of enhancements too, though it's more Geneve enhanced than 99/4A enhanced.

[Willsy]

Hmmm... Have you guys seen the BeagleBoard from Texas Instruments?

 

One could simply rip out the 4A mother board, install a beagle board running a 'fast boot' Linux variant (there are some versions of Linux for the Beagle which boot in under 1 second - according to my applications engineer at TI!)

 

Then you install MESS on it and have it boot up straight into MESS.

 

Mess has EVPC2 emulation (9938 emulation) and is a very accurate emulator overall. Built in speech etc.

 

Modifications required would be:

 

Install a DSR for link the hard disk to the SD card reader built into the Beagle.

Get the TI keyboard running on the Beagle (ouch)

 

Mark

[+OLD CS1]

Socket for one or two 6581 or 8580 SID chips. Built-in USB. Possibly built-in floppy controller which can handle 1.44MB drives. IDE (either native or via USB) for a slim CD drive in the console -- though this is kind-of made moot by the SD card and USB, as there just are not a lot of CDs with TI files on them (or any?)

 

I LOVE the idea of a fully decoded address space. That is one thing I absolutely adore about the Commodore 64: even in I/O areas only decoded into 256 byte blocks (or the VIC and SID areas which were 1k or 2k each, IIRC,) you can further sub-decode them thanks to full access to the address bus. And, frankly, anyone who uses the "shadowed" registers is a fuqwit.

 

I am not so keen on the 9995 idea as I think it moves away from the 99/4A-ness of the project and more towards being a Geneve-in-a-console. Though, that sounds like a cool idea, as well.

 

Gotta go... chores to do.

[sometimes99er]

Hmmm... Have you guys seen the BeagleBoard from Texas Instruments?

Wow, looks very nice !

[Tursi]

One could simply rip out the 4A mother board, install a beagle board running a 'fast boot' Linux variant (there are some versions of Linux for the Beagle which boot in under 1 second - according to my applications engineer at TI!)

 

That was exactly the reason I picked up a BeagleBoard a couple of years ago, but I lost interest in the project. The problem there isn't really the software, but making a nice TI-ish case for it. That would make it awesome.

 

That was actually what I got into the Cybernet PCs for before that, I thought they'd make nice "new" TIs. hehe. But over time my interest in making a new TI faded.

 

Of course, a Beagleboard is small enough to fit into a TI console, you could even wire up the TI keyboard to a USB adapter and use thebuilt-in keyboard on it (I used a CodeMercs KeyWarrior (http://www.codemercs.org/acatalog/KeyWarrior.html) to adapt my keyboard to PC, but although it worked well I consider it a bit pricey. But I always thought the best plan for a BeagleBoard-based replacement would be a new shell that looked a bit like the speech synthesizer.

[Omega-TI]

I would want it to be closer to the 4a and some things I would require...

 

- 32k standard

 

-- SD card capability a plus; want to easily transfer data from TI to PC/PC to TI

 

- true lowercase

 

- built in speech synthesizer, with any word accessible and no need to use Terminal Emulator II

 

- easy-connection for a 3.5 drive

 

 

Some of this stuff could be done now with Tursi Technology

The true lower case for example could be borrowed from the 99/8's chip and burned into new chips for the 99/4A

 

If a hardware guru, say someone like Matthew came into the equation, with his skills, some of the other stuff could easily be made on one PCB and put into the space between the "clam shell" and case... with room to mount a couple of connectors on the back as well.

 

I've always preferred the "all in the console approach", or all in a single 'small' side-car approach, but I'm doubting that will ever happen, so I'll be picking up a PEB that's ready and waiting for me... as soon as I can get away long enough to pick it up.

[GratedTopping]

so I'll be picking up a PEB that's ready and waiting for me... as soon as I can get away long enough to pick it up.

 

"Remember to lift from your knees. It helps take pressure off the brain." - Al Calavicci

[+OLD CS1]

My dream 4A would consist of a silver console (for that retro, beloved feel) with the following modifications:

 

A Turbo Geneve in a console?

[+Lee Stewart]

 

Some of this stuff could be done now with Tursi Technology

The true lower case for example could be borrowed from the 99/8's chip and burned into new chips for the 99/4A

 

If a hardware guru, say someone like Matthew came into the equation, with his skills, some of the other stuff could easily be made on one PCB and put into the space between the "clam shell" and case... with room to mount a couple of connectors on the back as well.

 

I've always preferred the "all in the console approach", or all in a single 'small' side-car approach, but I'm doubting that will ever happen, so I'll be picking up a PEB that's ready and waiting for me... as soon as I can get away long enough to pick it up.

 

TurboForfth and fbForth both have true lowercase! It's not in the console, but there nonetheless. Also, you can always load true lowercase from a disk file or your program as long as you know where in VRAM to stow it—always B00h for all modes except bitmap for the 8-byte patterns for '`' – to '~' and 800h for a full font.

 

...lee

[Omega-TI]

 

"Remember to lift from your knees. It helps take pressure off the brain." - Al Calavicci

 

Yeah, or get a fork lift! That is probably the strongest, best built piece of consumer computer product that I have ever seen.

[Omega-TI]

 

TurboForfth and fbForth both have true lowercase! It's not in the console, but there nonetheless. Also, you can always load true lowercase from a disk file or your program as long as you know where in VRAM to stow it—always B00h for all modes except bitmap for the 8-byte patterns for '`' – to '~' and 800h for a full font.

 

...lee

 

Yeah, currently the extent of my lower case usage is with programs that use the CHARA1 file (like BA-Writer). In another thread (I cannot remember which) I believe Tursi mentioned a few things that could be done with modified chips. If I remember right there were a few things that could be "borrowed" from the 99/8 and used to enhance the 4/A. I would have no issues with this as long as it remains 100% backward compatible. In fact I look forward to it someday coming to fruition.

[matthew180]

Once you start going down this kind of path, you ultimately end up with a machine that is no longer a 99/4A or even compatible with a 99/4A. Then you have to ask yourself the question, "why do I like the 99/4A so much?" The answer typically comes back as having to do with nostalgia and that everyone in the community has a similar experience that gives us a common ground for the community to even exist in the first place.

 

As soon as you start making non-99/4A enhancements you have created a unique machine, so you may as well just go find a system that is different, yet already exists. I could name a few...

 

Also, the 9995 is not necessarily better than the 9900. It has more to do with the 99/4A being a very bad design to host a 9900 CPU, and a home computer environment does not take advantage of the best features of the 9900, i.e. fast task-switching in a multitasking OS, etc.

 

Some of the features in the original list could be done with an SoC though, like all RAM being on the 16-bit bus, eliminate the RbW, fully decode memory, move all known GROM into the console (i.e. to support virtual cartridges), extra memory based on the SAMS bank-switching technique, flash-based disk support, etc. But this would be a completely new device and not an upgrade to a 99/4A system, so who would buy it and what would you do with your existing 99/4A system sitting there looking all sad? I suspect a hardware device like this would cost in the range of $200 to $250 to produce, based on the similar One-Chip MSX project.

[slinkeey]

My dream 4A would consist of a silver console (for that retro, beloved feel) with the following modifications:

 

Kevan, is this you??

[Omega-TI]

 

Kevan, is this you??

 

No, he posted that back in April, 2011! I did not join the board until March, 2013. First time I read this thread was yesterday... but I guess great minds think alike!

[+mizapf]

Matthew, I fully second this, this is pretty much what I warned about some weeks ago. I don't want to discourage people from trying new paths, but they should be aware that this means to abandon the TI to some degree. I already did that back in 1990 when I got my Geneve, but in the hope there would be enough users around.

 

However, I have to say the 9995 is superior to the 9900 in almost any conceivable aspect, so it very much makes a difference. When I recently verified the cycle times in MESS for the 9900 I was once more startled to see how slow the 9900 is in comparison to the 9995, which can do many things in a single machine cycle. Just as an example, a ADD R0,R1 needs 14 cycles (@333 ns) for the 9900 with register in scratch pad but 4 (four!) cycles (@333 ns) on the 9995 with registers on-chip.

 

My dream machine, by the way, would be a TMS99110 or similar together with a 9958, some RAM, PC keyboard, mouse, and sound. I imagine I could create something like this as a pure virtual solution in MESS some day. I mean, why should that be less fun compared to a hardware solution? Just need some more people to write an operating system.

[RobertLM78]

Geneve 2

That sounds like the best idea - leave the 99/4A as it is (with the exception of the F18A), and create a new "computer on a card" to go into the PEB.

 

 

My dream machine, by the way, would be a TMS99110 or similar together with a 9958, some RAM, PC keyboard, mouse, and sound. I imagine I could create something like this as a pure virtual solution in MESS some day. I mean, why should that be less fun compared to a hardware solution? Just need some more people to write an operating system.

This is a viable option - by all means though, let's not make the OS a "DOS-like" system, rather a Unix-like system .

[JamesD]

If I were to make a wish list for a new TI it would start with where the TI was most lacking or what the TI should have been in the first place.
The following could certainly fit on a replacement motherboard.

The thing the TI needed the most was RAM. 16 bit RAM.
I've never seen a system so choked for CPU RAM.
I understand RAM was expensive but other companies dealt with it by starting with 4K and they allowed you to upgrade... internally.
32K words of RAM (aka 64K), give it a software controllable wait state generator for backwards compatibility and the ability to overlay RAM over the ROM like every other company was doing.

Replace the GPL based BASIC interpreter with a native 9900 code based interpreter. Put the original interpreter/GPL in a ROM bank you can enable through software.
And while you are at it, put UCSD Pascal in a ROM bank. I'm not sure the entire system would fit in ROM but the interpreter and parts needed to load and edit programs certainly would.

Put the speech synthesizer on the main board.

That was all possible back in the day. After that... not so much.

Put the 9900 in an FPGA and add some software controllable features. A small amount of cache would eliminate a lot of the clock cycles required due to the RAM based registers. Reduced clocks/instruction when enabled, probably with an instruction pre-fetch and just through a more efficient ALU.
Actually, this would be a good upgrade for the TI all by itself, especially with the 8 bit RAM.

For graphics, use a 9958 and more video RAM.

For sound... if you are going to upgrade the sound, why on earth would you use a SID in this day and age? It was cool at the time but there are certainly better chips out there.

If you add an AY sound chip you make it easier to port games from MSX. If you use a YM2610 you get AY compatibility, add OPL2 synthesis, ADPCM and have 15 sound channels total.

Now, the 9958 and YM2610 may be old chips but I say it wasn't possible back in the day because the TI-99/4A had ceased production years before the 9958 or YM2610 were introduced.


*edit*
I forgot mass storage. A built in CF interface. CF makes a lot more sense than an SD interface since the 9900 is a 16 bit CPU and CF uses a 16 bit interface.

FWIW, it wouldn't cost much more to had 512K so it would probably make sense to add more RAM pages

Edited December 13, 2013 by JamesD