? FlashROM 99 & FinalGROM 99 - Repository

[HOME AUTOMATION]

5 hours ago, Ksarul said:

The issue there is that some of those cartridges have too many GROMs to fit into the 32K space along with the GROM loader (YLOAD comes to mind here).

Perhaps the FinalGROM 99, could provide the extra space needed for YLOAD, in the >6000->7000, range. Then, uhoh ...now-a-days we have 40K GROM carts.

[+Ksarul]

6 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

Perhaps the FinalGROM 99, could provide the extra space needed for YLOAD, in the >6000->7000, range. Then, uhoh ...now-a-days we have 40K GROM carts.

And note that most of the larger old-school GROM cartridges also had ROMs that resided in the >6000 space, which also limits what is possible with the FlashROM cartridge, as YLOAD can't be moved there for those cartridges either. As noted already, the FinalGROM is still the best all-around solution for cartridge images, as it allows that 40K of GROM and it has plenty of bank-switched memory in the >6000 space.

[+arcadeshopper]

18 hours ago, hafner said:

Hi all, I have read the beginning and ending pages of this thread and am a little perplexed - apologies in advance if I am asking a dumb question.

 

I have a bone-stock TI99/4A and have a newly purchased FlashROM 99 that came with a SD card with what appear to be the "Starter Pack" files as called out in the original post in this thread. They all work great! 

 

However, some of my favorites (Parsec, TI Invaders) are not included in that starter pack, so I found this thread and navigated to the WHTECH ftp site and found the excellent atariage.zip also in that same FlashROM99 directory. That file had all the games I found myself missing, and I dropped them onto my SD card as well. They show up in the FROM99 menu on the TI, but none of them work; only the original files work.

 

1. I thought - maybe these require a 32K expansion, but then again the original Parsec works just fine on an unexpanded TI99.

2. I thought - maybe these use some hardware method that FROM99 cartridge can't handle; but then again these are in the FlashROM99 directory at WHTECH - I wouldn't expect them to be there if they were incompatible with the cartridge.

 

So maybe it's just operator error somehow. Any help would be appreciated - and again, apologies in advance if I'm asking a dumb question.

you called it..

 

rom files end in 8 or 9.. they usually require 32k if they are an original TI game they definitely require 32k to operate as they are a grom program copied to rom and they then copy to 32k to run. This was a kludge for flashrom99 users to run grom games. Finalgrom99 can just run the original grom files.

there's a finalgrom99 file in ftp.whtech.com under carts that has the original grom carts images that will run on a stock console this has been posted a lot here, and in the FAQ.. 

 

[HOME AUTOMATION]

11 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

Perhaps the FinalGROM 99, could provide the extra space needed for YLOAD, in the >6000->7000, range. Then, uhoh ...now-a-days we have 40K GROM carts.

Tough day yesterday! Looks like by the end of it, I was over-thinking things a bit.

 

...Sorry.

[Count9929A]

On 4/5/2017 at 12:24 AM, Omega-TI said:

Easy Bug & Mini Memory

(FinalGROM 99 Required) (Does NOT require memory expansion)

FG-TI Mini Memory.zip 890.85 kB · 141 downloads

this one, as far as I understand, should be an image of the original TI's Mini Memory, with no feature added or modified, capable of using the RAM mode of the FG99, in order to allow writing to RAM in the space >7000->7FFF.

In the zip, in addition to the dumps of the ROM and of the GROM (phm3058C.BIN and phm3058G.BIN) there is a 3 byte file called phm3058.CFG.txt which, if I got it right, should have the 'R' code that activates the RAM mode on the FG99. But how to use it? I have tried to put the .CFG file in the AD, alongside the C and G bins, but as result Easy Bug & Mini Memory run, but are unable to write in >7000->7FFF, so the RAM mode is not activated. What should I do, instead?

 

Please notice that the "special Mini Memory image that features an additional SAVE menu option" (i.e., the one kindly provided and linked here by Ralph) works as intended in my FG99, and allows me to write in the space >7000->7FFF, so the hardware should be ok.

 

But, for the sake of historical preservation, I would be interested in having a dump of the original TI's minimem working in the FG99

 

 

Edited Friday at 12:27 PM by Count9929A
added link

[HOME AUTOMATION]

The file you point to above...

3 hours ago, Count9929A said:

  On 4/4/2017 at 5:24 PM, Omega-TI said:

Easy Bug & Mini Memory

(FinalGROM 99 Required) (Does NOT require memory expansion)

FG-TI Mini Memory.zip 890.85 kB · 141 downloads

...is the original MINI MEMORY, image.

It does not provide RAM, at >7000->7FFF, when used with the FG99.

 

To request RAM, at >7000 - >7FFF, when using a GROM/ROM image,  the FG99, expects to find an "R" at position >03, in the "G" image file.

 

There is no mention of a .CFG, file in the FG99's documentation. FinalGROM 99 - MANUAL(link)

 

FG99, recognizes .bin, .txt, .avr, .pld.

 

The FG99's, MINI MEMORY image, w/SAVE feature, uses machine language, embedded into the "G" file, to accomplish its task.

 

Here is the latest official MINI MEMORY image, built for the FG99...

 

This is my personal contribution to the cause...

 

Edited Friday at 03:06 PM by HOME AUTOMATION
, ...added link

[Count9929A]

On 3/17/2023 at 3:30 PM, HOME AUTOMATION said:

The file you point to above...

On 3/17/2023 at 1:17 PM, Count9929A said:

  On 4/4/2017 at 5:24 PM, Omega-TI said:

Easy Bug & Mini Memory

(FinalGROM 99 Required) (Does NOT require memory expansion)

FG-TI Mini Memory.zip 890.85 kB · 141 downloads

...is the original MINI MEMORY, image.

ok, then this is consistent to the behaviour I see.

 

On 3/17/2023 at 3:30 PM, HOME AUTOMATION said:

There is no mention of a .CFG, file in the FG99's documentation. FinalGROM 99 - MANUAL(link)

 

But then I wonder why the OP has posted this link in this thread, which is supposed to be a repository for images intended to be used with the FR99/FG99... ok, it's usable, but not completely.

I also wonder what's the purpose of including that CFG, that seems to contain exaclty the "R" byte needed to enable the FG99 RAM-mode. I'd like to ask to the OP, but it seems he is not an AA user anymore 😞

On 3/17/2023 at 3:30 PM, HOME AUTOMATION said:

Here is the latest official MINI MEMORY image, built for the FG99...

ok, this is the one I already have, with the added SAVE MINIMEM feature, that mimicks the backed-up RAM of the real Minimem cart

 

On 3/17/2023 at 3:30 PM, HOME AUTOMATION said:

This is my personal contribution to the cause...

wow thanks you, I didn't spot this one! And congratulations, it's a very good job, seems really useful!! 🙂

 

Thanks you for the info, too!