Yesterdays News

[SumerNivek]

You can also go to the Hexbus site, they have a huge number of TI books you can read, from the Beginning Beginner all the way to the most advanced programming topics.

 

Excellent, thank you! Again, thanks to you guys for pointing a newbie in the right direction!

[orion1052003]

May I ask where you got the idea for the TI man on the cover of the newsletter?

[sparkdrummer]

That image is the "TI GUY". It came from a software package called Draw n' Plot that was put by Quality 99 software years ago. I simply converted from draw n plot format to ti artist to page pro. I used him on the back page of the newsletters I did for the vast users group in the 90's and decided to keep him going on yn.

[orion1052003]

Was that TI guy a clip art that came with Draw and Plot? I can't find a picture of him on Google.

[sparkdrummer]

I'm pretty sure the image was on a clipart package disk from QS99 - "Best of D n' P, #1"

[ti99iuc]

oh i understand, i will write you a PM Sparkdrummer i will explain the Orion's Asks

 

 

I'm pretty sure the image was on a clipart package disk from QS99 - "Best of D n' P, #1"

[blackbox]

I found a manual about the MYARC Extended Basic II system that talks about the MEXP-1 PEB card, a floppy disk, and a cartridge (also showing a photograph on the cover). Was there an original configuration with a proper cartridge? Are the XBII1/2... files (in the ARK file) cartridge dumps?

 

 

 

Hi Mike.

 

1. XB2 module required- this has a loader and some ram

 

2. XB2 disks which load code into the 512k ram and the cartridge ram.

 

3. 512k ram card with amended chip required.

 

Memory use:

 

 

The MODULE contains ram (>6000 to >8000) into which the memory management routines go.

 

In 128k of your 512k ram card there are four pages of 32k each:

Looking at the 24k area >A000 to >FFE8 first:

PAGE 1= EX BAS PROGRAM

PAGE 2= VARIABLES

PAGE 3= STRINGS

PAGE 4= Basic Interpreter

 

In the 8k area >2000 to >4000. you have:

PAGE 1: For your machine code routines

PAGE 2: Basic interpreter again. and a small area of what Myarc call RAM DISK.

PAGE 3: routines for VDP and Speech. and i/o buffers

PAGE 4: MORE basic interpreter and the value stack.:

 

In VN 2.11. the file 128K OS instead of slavishly loading everything every time after a QUIT, checks memory to see what is there. In general, provided you have not switched the ram card off, the system will only need to reload two files from the system disk,. a great saving in time!

 

Myarc 128K-OS always writes its boot header and code into cartridge RAM on power-up, even if the 128K-OS is NOT enabled.

 

 

 

hope that helps. Stephen

[+mizapf]

Thanks for the information, Stephen.

 

I'm not really clear about the XB2 ... when I use the "SuperSpace II" cartridge in MAME, I get two menu items (2 FOR EDITOR/ASSEMBLER, 3 FOR 128K BYTE O.S.). Pressing 3 gives "LOADING 128KOS" and "LOADING EXTENDED BASIC II" but after loading some files (presumably the XBII*), the emulation stops because the CPU runs into zeros at A422 and following addresses.

 

Maybe the XB2 cartridge is different to the SuperSpace II which has banked RAM in 6000-7FFF and an Editor/Assembler GROM.

[sparkdrummer]

Fwiw - I use a home grown super cart to load xbii in my real iron ti system. Works just fine.

[Omega-TI]

Fwiw...

 

I saw your post and got excited for a second thinking the new issue was out... then I realized that's not due until tomorrow.

[sparkdrummer]

YN_01_08.pdf

 

DOM's

 

Yn_01_06.dsk

 

Yn_01_07.dsk

 

Yn_01_08.dsk

 

 

[+Schmitzi]

 

DSKs ?

[sparkdrummer]

Yes sir, Disks of the Month.

[+arcadeshopper]

I found a manual about the MYARC Extended Basic II system that talks about the MEXP-1 PEB card, a floppy disk, and a cartridge (also showing a photograph on the cover). Was there an original configuration with a proper cartridge? Are the XBII1/2... files (in the ARK file) cartridge dumps?

 

I unpacked the archive to a DSK image.

 

It came with a supercart type cartridge with ram at 6000 I just flip off write protect on the Gram Kracker, restart the machine and it will stuff the loader into the cart ram from the DSR. Then you just select XBII off the TI menu.

 

Greg

[+mizapf]

OK, but as I said, it locked up somewhere, so this may be an undiscovered bug. I'll have a closer look.

 

So I understand this as the Myarc Extended Basic II cartridge just provides an 8 KiB RAM in 6000-7FFF, unbanked, and unbuffered. The MEXP-1 is required (or the Foundation card with appropriate DSR) and will upload the loader into the cartridge.

[Omega-TI]

@PeBo did you check out the newsletter yet? You might want to do that!

[+Ksarul]

Some of the Myarc XBII cartridge boards were surplus 6000+ boards from Pilgrim's Pride (and have an empty set of pads for a Editor/Assembler GROM), others were custom-made by Myarc (no E/A GROM chip pads on these). That was a useful fact I picked up from Eric Bray. . .

[sparkdrummer]

YN_01_09.pdf

 

YN_01_09.DSK

 

Christmas1.dsk

 

Christmas2.dsk

 

Christmas3.dsk

 

XMAS_MUSIC.dsk

 

 

[Airshack]

Thanks Ralph! I'll be reading it on my commute from Oakland to Phoenix tomorrow:-)))

[sparkdrummer]

Have a safe flight, Cap'n.

[LynxHandyCaster]

Another great issue...I especially loved the poem on the front cover. Keep up the great work!

[sparkdrummer]

Thanks Millipedeman. I truly try to put stuff in each issue that ti'ers young and old might find interesting.

[sparkdrummer]

Happy New Year Everyone.

 

YN_02_01.pdf

 

YN_02_01.dsk

 

Please note the above dsk is only 288 sectors. This was part of the protection scheme as the the disk was formatted with 32 tracks instead of the normal 40. If you use a sector editor to copy to your form of TI goodness you should be fine. I tried making a copy with a nanoPEB but it didn't like it.

 

Perhaps one of our programming geniuses can reverse engineer the check for the 32 track disk so we can use it on a normal 40 track.

 

The game is quite fun.

 

 

[Tursi]

Here's the patched image.

 

-end of sector read function is at >F9AC
-read sector zero to VDP >0600
-copy 10 bytes from VDP >0600 to CPU >F94C (disk name "GADEGO ")
-compare against string at >f956 (as above)
-replace F9DC with a NOP (1000) to defeat test

 

 

   F9C6  0200  li   R0,>0600               (24)
         0600
   F9CA  0201  li   R1,>f94c               (24)
         F94C
   F9CE  0202  li   R2,>000a               (24)
         000A
   F9D2  0420  blwp @>202c                 (62)
         202C
>  F9D6  0203  li   R3,>f956             
         F956
   F9DA  8CF1  c    *R1+,*R3+            
   F9DC  1622  jne  >fa22       <----------- replace this one
   F9DE  0642  dect R2                   
   F9E0  16FC  jne  >f9da                
   F9E2  0200  li   R0,>06fd  

 

 

-read three bytes from VDP >06FD to >3500 (05 07 0F)
-compare against ROM bytes at >1A00 (0A 21 18), fail if larger!
-Replace F9F8 with NOP (1000) to defeat test

 

 

   F9F2  0203  li   R3,>1a00               (24)
         1A00
>  F9F6  9C43  cb   R3,*R1+              
   F9F8  1A14  jl   >fa22       <----------- replace this one                
   F9FA  0602  dec  R2                   
   F9FC  16FC  jne  >f9f6   

 

 

-read sector 286 to VDP >0600
-read single byte from >067E to R1 (a single F5 byte hidden in a sector of E5's, sneaky!)
-compare against >F5
-replace FA14 with a NOP (1000) to defeat test

 

 

   FA06  04C1  clr  R1                     (22)
   FA08  0200  li   R0,>067e               (24)
         067E
   FA0C  0420  blwp @>2028                 (62)
         2028
   FA10  0281  ci   R1,>f500               (26)
         F500
>  FA14  1606  jne  >fa22       <------------ replace this one         
   FA16  02E0  lwpi >83e0                
         83E0
   FA1A  C2E0  mov  @>d06a,R11    

Tests are repeated twice at startup. I didn't successfully complete level 1 so I don't know if there are more tests anywhere. With these patches it also runs fine in FIAD.

 

 

 

YN_02_01_patched.dsk

[sparkdrummer]

You're awesome Tursi. Btw - I have recently discovered dskxfer on one of my dvd's from Germany. It's fantastic! I really had no need for a full blown hdx system but did want something to transfer my many disks to pc for archival purposes and easy access via tidir. It works great! I now have all my tips disks and most ti artist disks on the pc. Thanks to you!!!