Newbies TI 99/4a's FORTH and very rare PEB's

[mister35mm]

yes....

[mister35mm]

And if you think I'm crazy wait until you see me connect one of these to my computer:-

 

Creed 7B Teleprinter

[+Ksarul]

I have one as well. I will have to look, as it is possible I have a second one. There were a few other side port cartridges: Killer Caterpillar and Arcturus were both from Exceltek, and Miner 2049er and Espial were from Tigervision. There was also the CorComp Load Interrupt Switch and the GROM Buster (two versions, one from CorComp and one from Navarone). The Percom Data TX99 disk drive also plugged straight into the side, as did the Myarc MPES-50, the CorComp 9900 Micro Expansion, and the Atronics CPS-99. There were a lot of other side cars that could be used with the PEB connected too--the ones I mentioned here generally don't.

[+Schmitzi]

.

a good idea for my next list

[mister35mm]

There used to be a whole cottage industry built up around these little computers. Some of them grew to be HUGE.

 

In the UK, Memotech started off making ZX81 and spectrum accessories and end (litterally) when they started making their own computers (MTX500 and MTX512 - I have one of these, and they use the same graphics chip as the TI99 and MSX machines)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memotech_MTX

[towmater]

 

I'm not sure if there are any currently available boards for this particular 32K upgrade. HOWEVER a number of us are actively getting ready for << THIS VERSION of the 32K upgrade >> in January. In fact many of us already have the parts and are just waiting for work, holidays and other things to get out of the way before we start. Check it out, you may find it a viable alternative.

I gather I need this 32K to use the Basic 2.7 that I recently purchased. (Aside, I wish ArcadeShopper's order tracking link actually linked to something so I can find out where it is.) I just ordered the two chips needed for this mod from Amazon. Has anyone considered an Osh Park board to make mounting and soldering this a little easier? There may be a few more wires because you'd not be piggybacking, but it might be a bit easier than bending pins. We could even put some silkscreening on to make it easier to identify which wire goes where. If not, let me know and I'll put one together.

Edited December 18, 2015 by towmater

[mister35mm]

I have to say, a PCB would look a bit more professional. My main concern would keeping all these connections as short as possible to reduce RFI and also loading.

 

Perhaps an internal board that does a little more than add 32kb? Switchable clock speed? a serial port?

 

Can you swap the ROM in Extended basic or FORTH, with the ones on the motherboard?

[RXB]

Extended Basic ROMs are only useful for XB and nothing else.

It is full of XML routines mostly called from GPL but many can be called from RAM.

*************************************************************
*    Equates for XMLs
SYNCHK EQU  >00               SYNCHK XML selector
SEETWO EQU  >03               SEETWO XML selector
COMPCT EQU  >70               PREFORM A GARBAGE COLLECTION
MEMCHK EQU  >72               MEMORY check routine: VDP
VPUSH  EQU  >77               Push on value stack
VPOP   EQU  >78               Pop off value stack
PGMCHR EQU  >79               GET PROGRAM CHARACTER
SCHSYM EQU  >7D               Search symbol table
SPEED  EQU  >7E               SPEED UP XML
CRUNCH EQU  >7F               Crunch an input line
CONTIN EQU  >81               Continue after a break
SCROLL EQU  >83               SCROLL THE SCREEN
IO     EQU  >84               IO utility (KW table search)
GREAD  EQU  >85               READ DATA FROM ERAM
GWRITE EQU  >86               WRITE DATA TO ERAM
DELREP EQU  >87               REMOVE CONTENT FROM VDP/ERAM
MVDN   EQU  >88               MOVE DATA IN VDP/ERAM
MVUP EQU    >89               MOVE DATA IN VDP/ERAM
VGWITE EQU  >8A               MOVE DATA FROM VDP TO ERAM
GVWITE EQU  >8B               WRITE DATA FROM GRAM TO VRAM
GDTECT EQU  >8E               ERAM DETECT&ROM PAGE 1 ENABLE
SCNSMT EQU  >8F               SCAN STATEMENT FOR PRESCAN
*************************************************************

Edited December 18, 2015 by RXB

[+Schmitzi]

.

a good idea for my next list

 

 

I already made this list...

So for now, some small work on it, and divided into 2 lists:

 

\ \ * 2015-12-18 12/18/15 - SIDEPORT-Cartridges

/ / * 2015-12-18 12/18/15 - SIDEPORT-Devices

[mister35mm]

Is there a link or website somewhere that explains the compatability differences between the silver/black Ti99/4a's and the cream coloured ones.

 

I have been told that there are two versions with V2 and V3 basic?

 

And, that 3rd party cartridges (Non-TI) will not work. Is there a simple? fix for this?

 

regards

[+Lee Stewart]

Is there a link or website somewhere that explains the compatability differences between the silver/black Ti99/4a's and the cream coloured ones.

 

I have been told that there are two versions with V2 and V3 basic?

 

And, that 3rd party cartridges (Non-TI) will not work. Is there a simple? fix for this?

 

regards

 

See this link among others here: How to identify a QI console

 

...lee

[+Ksarul]

On the console versions, it is actually a bit more complicated. The easiest way to be sure that you have a console compatible with all cartridge types is to look at your title screen. If it shows V2.2 as the version for the Operating System, it will only run cartridges that contain GROM (or a GROM/ROM mix). Pure ROM cartridges won't show up on the option selection screen, as the power up routine doesn't check for them. This problem can be resolved by using one of the two GROM Buster devices (Navarone or CorComp), but they are a bit hard to find. Some third-party cartridges found a way to circumvent the GROM problem by designing their own chips that were GROM workalikes. Parker Brothers did this, and thecartridges from Funware supposedly worked with these consoles too (I've never tested any of my original Funware carts in one to be sure though). Lastly, any side port cartridge will work, as they use the DSR hooks in the OS to insert themselves into the option screen, not the cartridge port hooks. It is not possible to use the DSR hooks in a ROM-only cartridge in the cartridge port (that requires GROM), so that option was not available to ROM cartridge builders.

[+Ksarul]

One last note, the DSR hooks in the OS don't require GROM when being accessed from the side port--it is only required when trying to access them from the cartridge port.

[Ed in SoDak]

<<(Aside, I wish ArcadeShopper's order tracking link actually linked to something so I can find out where it is.)>>

 

I don't know your location, but we shipped some goods from stateside to Singapore and the UK recently. One requested tracking, it was not available via USPS. This led to my inquiring and I was told tracking only worked while the package was in the US, not once it left our shores. The reverse may also be true, from overseas to the US. Tracking drowns once over the ocean, I suspect.

-Ed

[Ed in SoDak]

I take it that PEBs are unobtainium in the UK? Last time I surfed ebay seemed there were several available in the US. Has this changed since then or is overseas shipping the deal-killer?

 

Even if "only" 250,000 PEBs were sold, considering how many consoles still exist and are being sold/traded/used and how tank-like their construction and relative high initial cost, my perverted logic dictates there must be some several thousand or tens of thousands of PEBs squirreled away somewhere, if not still in actual use. I'd venture they're merely scarce, not rare, but only from my US perspective.

 

I happen to own two of 'em and I'm sure I'm not alone in that among the group here. But I could certainly guess shipping would cost plenty, heavy as these things are and with attendant damage risks, clumsy Customs inspectors, plus import duties, VAT, yada yada.

 

You seem willing to invest in some pretty cool old tech, so I'm wondering why there's no PEB joy for you.

 

My dad was a HAM and quite active in his day (silent key). I recall him demoing for me an RTTY and some 6-foot-tall radio telephone setup of some kind to verify working status before selling said items. I still have his Collins URR-388 and have memories of same from age 6 in 1960 or so.

 

-Ed

[+Schmitzi]

yes, I think shipping over the ocean sometimes may be a price-killer.

.....and weight can be a physical PEB-Killer

but no prob in the "original" packaging, with all cards & drives dismounted, seperated.

 

In the UK, for a PEB, you have to lurk around eBay, in US there are new mint ones available

 

There was a HAM for the TI-99, from Kantronics

 

I mostly have this problems on tracking my parcels outside EU. They do not recko the shipping-# for a while. or so.

[+arcadeshopper]

(Aside, I wish ArcadeShopper's order tracking link actually linked to something so I can find out where it is.)

 

Shipping goes up to like 35-45 dollars for priority mail with tracking past the border.. Would you have bought it then?

 

Greg

[mister35mm]

Me, Yes, makes a difference, and makes the seller , more accountable.

 

If I sell overseas it's ALWAYS sent tracked and signed, or not at all.

 

 

 

Shipping goes up to like 35-45 dollars for priority mail with tracking past the border.. Would you have bought it then?

Greg

[+arcadeshopper]

Me, Yes, makes a difference, and makes the seller , more accountable.

 

If I sell overseas it's ALWAYS sent tracked and signed, or not at all.

 

 

 

 

Funny never had to worry about being accountable when it shows it left me and went to the border.. Anyway I've gone ahead and added priority mail international to the site calculated by package size etc... The flat rate first class parcel is still an option as well. I've shipped oodles of carts and boards that way to EU, NZ, AU, Canada and Taiwan and nobody's had any issue except for the wait..

 

Greg

[apersson850]

Regarding Forth, there's also a version called PB Forth, ProgramBiten Forth, created by the Swedis user's group ProgramBiten. One of the advantages of this version is that it can actually start from tape. You still need an expansion RAM, of course, as there's far too little CPU RAM in the console.

But my console, which has 64 K CPU RAM inside the console, can run PB Forth with nothing but the console and a tape recorder.

[mister35mm]

That sounds very useful! An internal 64kb RAM upgrade. I'd like that!

 

How do I do all this stuff?

[+Schmitzi]

Regarding Forth, there's also a version called PB Forth, ProgramBiten Forth, created by the Swedis user's group ProgramBiten. One of the advantages of this version is that it can actually start from tape. You still need an expansion RAM, of course, as there's far too little CPU RAM in the console.

But my console, which has 64 K CPU RAM inside the console, can run PB Forth with nothing but the console and a tape recorder.

 

 

That sounds good Do you know some more about this Forth, or maybe you have some PDFs or so ?

64K also sounds very good

 

 

.

[apersson850]

Not sure what you are asking for? It's based on TI-Forth, but extended in certain ways. One of them to allow loading from CS1.

 

The 64 K RAM is my own design, and has nothing to do with Forth per see. 16 bit wide and allows paging in RAM over the entire address range, if desired.

[+Schmitzi]

.

ach, just some special docs for the collector, nice-to-have-things, something to read or watch inda evening

nothing special at all.

[RickyDean]

Not sure what you are asking for? It's based on TI-Forth, but extended in certain ways. One of them to allow loading from CS1.

 

The 64 K RAM is my own design, and has nothing to do with Forth per see. 16 bit wide and allows paging in RAM over the entire address range, if desired.

I believe Schmitzi wants to know a location of the files for this Forth version with docs if applicable, or can they be posted here? So would I.