TI-99/4a - beige consoles?

[+Ksarul]

I have both the CorComp '83 module adapter and the Navarone GROM Buster, which did the same thing. I'll try to get pictures of them to you along with the Hex-Bus pictures. I received the EPROM burner that can read TMS2564s this week too, so I should be able to get that read out soon too.

[+Schmitzi]

...just a small update from today

 

 

 

[fabrice montupet]

@Jim: That would be great ! In advance, I thank you!

@schmitzi: I had a look on your TI-99 computers rarity list. I think that you should consider the country of research. I don't think that the 99/4 is Extremely Rare as you wrote in your list. A little more than 25.000 TI-99/4 has been sold (if my memory is not corrupt ^_^) , so this computer is not hard to find. Apart from the 99/4 and 99/4A prototypes, no TI-99/4x is extremely rare. The only other computers TI-99 that we can consider as ER are the Basic Computer 99/2 and the Computer 99/8. As Ulra Rare, there is the TI-99/5 prototype and maybe the TI-99/3 and TI-99/7 if they ever exist other than on paper.

[+Schmitzi]

Yes, I know I have a lack on this infos. I have a lot to check & change in my list, and to review my rarities.

So I´ve started now and entered your infos for the consoles, and added the /3 and the /7

thanks

[globeron]

I remember an assembler program you made to dump GROMs. Can you give me an address to download it?

Thus, I will be able to give you all the GROM of the CDC-99/4A for MESS emulation :-)

 

This is a program from Ed Schwartz to dump the ROM / GROM / Speech / Disks, etc. over a serial cable from the TI-99/4A to the PC

(it is still my favorite). Only for option 4 (to dump modules), I think I did it using a Navarone Cartridge switcher.

 

See page 18 of my PDF: http://www.globeron.com/freedownload/services/TI99/TI-99-4A-PC-transfer-v1.12.pdf

 

 

Use an Editor Assembler module in the TI (or CDC). Use option 1 TIBASIC and load "DSK1.TRANSFER"

 

At the PC side you need to run "RECV.EXE (in the TI60\UTILS directory and to have a serial cable between the two systems)

 

Someone put the TI60 (Dos version here online, including some ROMs and Groms) http://mntnweb.com/programs/v9t9.zip (here is the RECV.EXE file)

 

0006-V9T9-PCCONNECT.dsk

 

 

Edited August 9, 2015 by globeron

[globeron]

Some years ago, I talked with a person who worked at TI Lubbock during the TI-99 period. He told me that the QI was one of the parts of a big TI plan to reduce production costs and increase margins. And preventing software companies to sell cartridges without paying the TI GROM Licence was one of these parts too. So, integrate V2.2 system in the QI computers makes sense for TI. The TI-99/4QI with Gate Array was produced between august 1983 and march 1984. The system installed was V2.2. But people were angry with this computer because no Atari cartridge was compatible, so most of these computers were downgraded to V1 by the users. And it was easy to do the operation: TI directly sold the GROM Chip for a little less than 4$. Resellers make also the operation for a low price (no solderings, the GROM chip to change is socketed). This is why we also find QI computers with V1 system.

 

This reminds me an anecdote. In 1984, my TI-99/4A has been fried because of a thunderstorm. So my daddy has brought the computer to the reseller for repair who has brought the computer to TI customers service. After one month, we have received the computer repaired but I had the bad surprise to notice that some of my cartridges didn't worked anymore (and they always worked on the 99/4A of one of my friends) . So we have brought again the TI-99/4A for repair. Even the reseller was surprised and did not understand the computer behaviour. Some weeks later, we received again the computer and all was OK. After the first repair, I had well noticed that the system version was different than I had before but, at this time, I didn't understood what it happened to my TI-99/4A... I have understood the situation some time later, when I learned about the V2.2 restriction.

 

Someone has the Corcomp '83 Module adapter'? It's a peripheral for v2.2 computers to bypass the restriction. I have never seen a picture of it.

 

Hi Fabrice, I went through an whole exercise with the seller who is selling new Beige TI's (he has probably all 3 versions on stock), normal, and 2x QI types.

Unfortunately the QI's software versions V1 and V2.2 cannot be identified from the outside. We checked with other customers they got a V2.2 version, but

my QI was a V1 version (new from the box), all taped, etc. (actually first I wanted to buy a V2.2 version, also not knowing the restrictions that time and tried

to get this one, but now I am glad I have an 1981 software version...PAC-MAN (Atari) is still a good game :-).

 

We tried to identify from the outside labels (see picture), but it is also no guarantee that it is V2.2,

I shipped recently one to my father, but he did not try this one yet, so I cannot confirm all details.

 

TI Beige versions1.pdf

[globeron]

...just a small update from today

 

 

 

TI-99-4ALL-Consoles-v1.03-ano.JPG

 

Hi Schmitzi, (info below should actually go to a /4 discussion, not beige anymore):

with Ksarul we went through an whole check as well for /4 (as mine came without power and video cabling and had to get them to work).

 

My view is that there are 4x different /4 versions (and a few more)

1. /4 with volume slide + speaker (built-in) + earphone plug (at the left front of the TI) and needs a 9900/N power adapter "1x BIG-PIN"

(220V, you have the details), the shoeform

There are 3x fuses in this adapter: http://www.globeron.com/freedownload/services/TI99/AC9000N-adapterTI99-4-special.jpg

and 6-pin DIN plug which needs a PAL-Modulator (European version)

 

+

+5V ++ ++++ GND

+

 

+12V ++ ++ -5V

 

See also Fabrice website: http://www.ti99.com/ti994pow.htm

 

 

 

2. (last week on ebay from Germany)

/4 with volume slide + speaker (built-in) + earphone plug (at the left front of the TI) and needs a 9900/N power adapter (220V, you have the details as per above), the shoeform

and 5-pin DIN plug which needs a NTSC modulator or direct cable using composite plugs

 

 

 

2.5 --- ***not too sure if there are versions with a volume slider, but not having a speaker built in, but having an earphone plug

(I cannot remember if I read it somewhere)

 

 

 

3. /4 without volume slider, no speaker built-in, but it has a earphone plug (at the left front of the TI) and needs a 9500 power adapter (117V)

AC9500 (pins 1,2: 18 VAC .18 VA (or 18VA ?), Pins 2,4: 8.5 VAC .128 VA). 5-pin DIN plug which needs a NTSC modulator or direct cable

using composite plugs

 

 

 

4. /4 without volume slider, no speaker built-in, but it has a earphone plug (at the left front of the TI) and needs a 9500 power adapter (117V)

AC9500 pins 1,2 16.0VAC 36.0VA and pins 2,4 8.0VAC 1.0VA) see the website below.

 

 

 

Note that 3 and 4 are both have an AC9500 adapter, but with different specifications (no clue why ?)

 

 

** Then there are /4 systems which had to be connected directly to the monitor (see http://www.ti994.com/1979/peripherals/)

but also the cable was identified (like the direct composite plug cable), but has to do with the FCC regulations of the RF-modulator.

 

** Furthermore the /4 Keyboard has more pins than a normal /4A keyboard and the spacebar is connected separately

I took some pictures of my spare keyboard:

 

More info:

www.ti994.com/

http://www.99er.net/994.html

http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/ti994.html

[Gazoo]

Here are the CDC Groms.

 

CDCgrom0.bin

CDCgrom1.bin

CDCgrom2.bin

 

 

Gazoo

[+mizapf]

Very good! So is the CDC a clone of the standard 99/4A or of some later model like 99/4QI?

 

And what about the 8K ROM?

[+Schmitzi]

 

Hi Schmitzi, (info below should actually go to a /4 discussion, not beige anymore):

with Ksarul we went through an whole check as well for /4 (as mine came without power and video cabling and had to get them to work).

 

My view is that there are 4x different /4 versions (and a few more)

1. /4 with volume slide + speaker (built-in) + earphone plug (at the left front of the TI) and needs a 9900/N power adapter "1x BIG-PIN"

(220V, you have the details), the shoeform

[ ..... ]

 

 

More info:

www.ti994.com/

http://www.99er.net/994.html

http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/ti994.html

 

 

 

Hi Globeron,

 

for the "not-so-beige-facts" I have moved over here:

 

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/238392-ti-994-not-4a-power-supply-ac9900n-not-n2/?p=3296221

[+Ksarul]

The CDC machine only changed the GROM for the Title Screen (they modified the same code segment as the Argentine TI consoles with the Spanish Title Screen). The operating system for the CDC is the Version 2.2 otherwise (and the Argentine changes were done to the Version 1 OS). ROMs should be unchanged, based on the Argentine example.

[globeron]

Very good! So is the CDC a clone of the standard 99/4A or of some later model like 99/4QI?

 

And what about the 8K ROM?

 

It is the QI version, it works with the existing TI-99/4A-QI Rom (I renamed the files for MESS to the 994gr0.bin, etc. format it loads with the MESS 0.157

[+mizapf]

OK, I was not sure whether the ROMs had differences between the 4A and the QI, but it seems as if the differences are only between the GROMs.

 

@globeron: Did you adjust the GROM fingerprints (CRC, SHA1)? It should at least complain about wrong ROMs.

[globeron]

I did not change the CRC/SHA1, but I saw the message that ROM/CHD are incorrect, but entered OK and it came up with the CDC.

 

I was just curious to see if it ran, but I am waiting for the official version for MAME (which I still have trouble with to get the list of consoles),

MESS works okay, but I cannot get the same setup in MAME 0.164 at the moment with QMC-MAME or MAMAUIFX yet.

(and stuck to use MESS 0.157). PS it is not that urgent, I will look another time into it (was testing the Speech with Parsec

today (see JS99er.net thread), but had similar glitches with Speech in MESS).

[fabrice montupet]

@Globeron: Thank you Ron for your message about the GROM/ROM dump :-)
I know the Ed Swartz tool, it is great and very useful.
In fact, I tried to remember the name of a program made by Michael to dump GROM, I have never tested it but I know that it dit a great work on the 99/8 own by Ciro.

 

About the QI computer: It is interesting to know that there were some early models originally equipped with V1. Thank you! That proves an alacrity for TI to find a quickest way to save any money and a lack of planning. The logic would be to have a V2.2 system ready and planned to be integrated in the QI computer from the beginning of the first production.

Edited August 9, 2015 by fabrice montupet

[+mizapf]

Here is a collection of the dump tools that I wrote for dumping Ciro's TI-99/8. As you see they are tailored for the 99/8, but should be easily adaptable.

 

All dump programs are subsequent modifications. The DUMP_S is the first one, then ROM_S, SPEECH_S, and finally PCODE_S. I hope I included the latest versions, respectively. Sorry for sparse comments; these tools were not even considered to be re-used after they did their jobs. :-)

 

(Is AtariAge becoming slower? It takes more than 10 seconds for me to get a page...)

dumps.dsk

Edited August 9, 2015 by mizapf

[globeron]

...just a small update from today

 

 

 

TI-99-4ALL-Consoles-v1.03-ano.JPG

 

 

RED

Not sure how detailed we want to go (and if it means something ?

Just wondering why the would do this in a standardized production process line),

 

1. There are differences in the on/off switches as well

Here is the red switch (of the Beige QI 1981 software):

 

2. ** I do not know if there is a Beige with a red switch without the strip**), I quickly checked on eBay, but most of them are in "off position"

so I cannot see red or blue)

 

 

BLUE

1. This website has a blue on/off (for the normal version), AND it has the blue stripe: http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/ti99beige.html

 

2. but my Beige has a blue switch without the blue stripe: