thegamezmaster Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Does anyone know if the atarisoft games play on a white TI-99 4/A? Thought I saw something about it but not sure, thanks! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Yes, as a general rule, the Atarisoft titles are playable on beige 99/4A consoles. There were a certain quantity of later 99/4A units which contained firmware that locked out third-party cartridge titles; these have a "V2.2" version number visible on the title screen. However, I've owned several beige 99/4A consoles over the years, purchased from many different sources, and I have yet to encounter one with this problematic firmware, so I think these consoles are scarce enough that you don't have to worry. Even if you are stuck with one, the 99/4A is a common enough machine that it's still pretty easy to find a replacement. 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2661027 Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegamezmaster Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2661053 Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1500 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Smart move TI, let's lock out 3rd party modules. That should solve their pesky problem of "higher market share". heh. 5 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2661210 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tremoloman2006 Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I own at least 4 TI's and Atarisoft carts play just fine. Some of the TI's best titles are Atarisoft games! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2662391 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 And if you do turn up one of the V2.2 consoles, try and locate a Navarone GROM Buster. It will let you run any third-party cartridge that the V2.2 OS has issues with (it looks for a GROM and if it doesn't find one, it ignores the cartridge). The GROM Buster is a bit HTF, but it works well (I have one for my V2.2 consoles). Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2662594 Share on other sites More sharing options...
labrat Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Yes, as a general rule, the Atarisoft titles are playable on beige 99/4A consoles. There were a certain quantity of later 99/4A units which contained firmware that locked out third-party cartridge titles; these have a "V2.2" version number visible on the title screen. However, I've owned several beige 99/4A consoles over the years, purchased from many different sources, and I have yet to encounter one with this problematic firmware, so I think these consoles are scarce enough that you don't have to worry. Even if you are stuck with one, the 99/4A is a common enough machine that it's still pretty easy to find a replacement. Never knew about this. Thanks. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2662658 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 You can download the atarisoft games on "disk" at ftp://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/ and copies of the manuals.. There is also a beta ver of robotron floating around but it's not on disk just a ROM image. I load it in my Gram Kracker on the real 4/a. Greg Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2686777 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 If you use my xbasic loader from the DSK image and ARK file, make sure you protect the first file of each game so it can create the catalog. So if the files are Pacman and Pacmao protect Pacman etc.. Greg You can download the atarisoft games on "disk" at ftp://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/ and copies of the manuals.. There is also a beta ver of robotron floating around but it's not on disk just a ROM image. I load it in my Gram Kracker on the real 4/a. Greg Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2686779 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Torrax Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Another fix is to use a broken silver 99/4A with good GROMs (hopefully) in it. Just do a pull and replace them in the beige unit. I hope someone can respond in the order they are to be replaced -- as my gray matters is a little too grey and rusty now to remember fully. Try an internet search for the TI-99/4A motherboard schematic -- there should be three chips grouped together with TI markings. I think you need just one chip (GROM-0), but replacing all three won't hurt. Keep them in order by the labeling on the chips, and replace the same way. The socket grouping may be twisted 90 degress from the two motherboards ( = || ). TI did sell the GROMs individually for quite a few years after 1983. A product price list of available part numbers was sent to quite a few User Groups. This lasted till about 1988-90. There were quite a few hardware projects available in the TI-UserGroup Newsletters back then. The most popular being a 8K SuperCart built using the board from a MunchMan or Parsec cartridge. Most boards that used a GROM and ROM combo worked. An Editor-Assembler GROM; 8K SRAM; along with some other parts were needed for the project. Later a battery backup option (CR2032) was added. The extra 8K (>6000->7FFF) along with the 32K (>2000->3FFF;>A000->FFFF) gave the TI-99 a nice boost in programmable space. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2687931 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dendawg Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 As long as you don't see "©1983 Texas Instruments v2.2" on the bottom line of the home screen, you'll have no problem with third-party carts. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2688126 Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthkur Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 You can download the atarisoft games on "disk" at ftp://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/ and copies of the manuals.. There is also a beta ver of robotron floating around but it's not on disk just a ROM image. I load it in my Gram Kracker on the real 4/a. Greg Could you be so kind as to describe the procedure in detail so I might do so as well? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2697853 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Procedure to download the disks or load robotron in a gram kracker? Disks you go to the link below and download the DSK images, you can then use them with emulation or use tidir or ti99pc to extract files and send them to your TI with a serial cable and Xmodem OR with HDX (which rocks btw) and or copy to a floppy on your PC if you have the same kind of drive in both using TI99PC.. both of these utilities are on ftp.whtech.com, TIDIR is in the fredkaal directory and ti99pc is in the pc utilities dir.. http://ftp.whtech.com is a nice http interface. I uploaded the GK images to robotron to the same directory as the atarisoft games too.. If you have a gram kraker you just need to get the files to the TI and then load them using the module load screen. Let me know if you have any more questions (with specifics) happy to help. Greg Could you be so kind as to describe the procedure in detail so I might do so as well? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2697905 Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthkur Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Procedure to download the disks or load robotron in a gram kracker? Disks you go to the link below and download the DSK images, you can then use them with emulation or use tidir or ti99pc to extract files and send them to your TI with a serial cable and Xmodem OR with HDX (which rocks btw) and or copy to a floppy on your PC if you have the same kind of drive in both using TI99PC.. both of these utilities are on ftp.whtech.com, TIDIR is in the fredkaal directory and ti99pc is in the pc utilities dir.. http://ftp.whtech.com is a nice http interface. I uploaded the GK images to robotron to the same directory as the atarisoft games too.. If you have a gram kraker you just need to get the files to the TI and then load them using the module load screen. Let me know if you have any more questions (with specifics) happy to help. Greg Sorry, I seemed to had lost this thread to my feeble memory. Firstly, thanks for the reply. I looked for the files you spoke of, especially the robotron GK image but could only find PDF files on there under games. I'd love to know how to get robotron, either the normal rom or the two joystick hack, to work on actual hardware. I do have a GK but it's been so long since I've used it I can't even remember how to operate the damn thing. I have a CF7 as well. If I remember correctly the CF7 will only work with dsk images and not roms. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2702461 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Sorry, I seemed to had lost this thread to my feeble memory. Firstly, thanks for the reply. I looked for the files you spoke of, especially the robotron GK image but could only find PDF files on there under games. I'd love to know how to get robotron, either the normal rom or the two joystick hack, to work on actual hardware. I do have a GK but it's been so long since I've used it I can't even remember how to operate the damn thing. I have a CF7 as well. If I remember correctly the CF7 will only work with dsk images and not roms. http://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/atarisoft.ark has all of the games EXCEPT robotron in a TI archiver format tifiles file. Looking and either I didn't upload robotron correctly or someone removed it.. I'll upload it again to that directory. GK is pretty easy, you plug it in, flip the switches to middle, down, down, middle, up and turn on your TI, pick GK from the menu, select (1) load module, enter the file name for the robotron first file in the chain.. and turn off/on write protect switch as prompted. once it's loaded hit reset, then turn off the GK with the right switch and you should have the robotron cart on the cart menu after the title screen. Greg Greg Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2702466 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 ftp://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/ shows the uploads.. guess the HTTP doesn't show it.. i'll email the site and see what the heck Greg http://ftp.whtech.co...t/atarisoft.ark has all of the games EXCEPT robotron in a TI archiver format tifiles file. Looking and either I didn't upload robotron correctly or someone removed it.. I'll upload it again to that directory. GK is pretty easy, you plug it in, flip the switches to middle, down, down, middle, up and turn on your TI, pick GK from the menu, select (1) load module, enter the file name for the robotron first file in the chain.. and turn off/on write protect switch as prompted. once it's loaded hit reset, then turn off the GK with the right switch and you should have the robotron cart on the cart menu after the title screen. Greg Greg Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2702471 Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthkur Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 ftp://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/ shows the uploads.. guess the HTTP doesn't show it.. i'll email the site and see what the heck Greg Thanks. I dl'ed it from the above link. Being a dsk file I should be able to load it onto the CF7. Now I only have to remember how to work that. Time to read the directions again. I haven't loaded anything onto it in a couple years. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2702483 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 fixed... ftp://ftp.whtech.com/games/Atarisoft/ shows the uploads.. guess the HTTP doesn't show it.. i'll email the site and see what the heck Greg Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2702521 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Thanks. I dl'ed it from the above link. Being a dsk file I should be able to load it onto the CF7. Now I only have to remember how to work that. Time to read the directions again. I haven't loaded anything onto it in a couple years. easiest way? Tidir on the PC, open the dsk on one side and the backup of your cf card on the right side, then copy things in, restore to cf card.. takes mine about 3 years to restore ftp.whtech.com/fredkaal for tidir if you don't have it Greg Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2702524 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eightbit Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Another fix is to use a broken silver 99/4A with good GROMs (hopefully) in it. Just do a pull and replace them in the beige unit. I hope someone can respond in the order they are to be replaced -- as my gray matters is a little too grey and rusty now to remember fully. Try an internet search for the TI-99/4A motherboard schematic -- there should be three chips grouped together with TI markings. I think you need just one chip (GROM-0), but replacing all three won't hurt. Keep them in order by the labeling on the chips, and replace the same way. The socket grouping may be twisted 90 degress from the two motherboards ( = || ). TI did sell the GROMs individually for quite a few years after 1983. A product price list of available part numbers was sent to quite a few User Groups. This lasted till about 1988-90. There were quite a few hardware projects available in the TI-UserGroup Newsletters back then. The most popular being a 8K SuperCart built using the board from a MunchMan or Parsec cartridge. Most boards that used a GROM and ROM combo worked. An Editor-Assembler GROM; 8K SRAM; along with some other parts were needed for the project. Later a battery backup option (CR2032) was added. The extra 8K (>6000->7FFF) along with the 32K (>2000->3FFF;>A000->FFFF) gave the TI-99 a nice boost in programmable space. I have a v2.2 beige unit and would like to do this. Do you know if all TI99/4A units had the GROMS socketed? Or will this involve desoldering? I have not opened my TI99/4A yet, but figured I'd ask. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/206629-does-atarisoft-play-on-ti-99-4a/#findComment-2909175 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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