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! FlashROM 99 & FinalGROM 99 - Repository


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By chance, does anybody now a tool to save the "whole" server ?

I think, some "special" software is needed..

 

This is the purpose of the Internet Archive. Their mission is preserve web content for all of us. I haven't used it to save pages, but have used it to look up content that has disappeared from its original source.

 

To try it out, I used the IA to save one specific page of this thread here:

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20170407152520/http://atariage.com/forums/topic/253095-flashrom-99-finalgrom-99-image-repository-4042017/page-31

 

I'm not too familiar with the archiving process - it seems geared towards saving individual web pages. Also they do seem to store multiple versions of a page - I don't know if that means their crawler occasionally will update a page, or if this has to be manually done.

Edited by chue
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Don't forget the ...

 

... word has it that they'll survive in a bunker for 20 years... of course I don't know good they'll taste.

 

 

Yes I forgot the Twinkies! Obviously after 20 years in a bunker, they will taste just like they did on day one!

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So here come the questions. I have placed an order for two FinalGROM 99 modules, but impatient me went ahead and purchased a FlashROM 99. It doen't have a case, but one is on order, and should be here today or tomorrow, so I won't remove the device from it's bag until I'm ready to install it in the case. I assume (don't quote me, as I know what it means) that this is a simple procedure. My question, however is; what is the largest SD card supported by this device? I know there is a large Image Repository on the WHT FTP site, and I would like to put it all on one SD card, if possible. All my systems have a minimum of 32K RAM, so I shouldn't have any issues with any that are known to function provided your system has "what-ever". Let me know soon, as trying to find specific info on here takes a while, and you already know how impatient I can be. :?

 

fdos

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So here come the questions. I have placed an order for two FinalGROM 99 modules, but impatient me went ahead and purchased a FlashROM 99. It doen't have a case, but one is on order, and should be here today or tomorrow, so I won't remove the device from it's bag until I'm ready to install it in the case. I assume (don't quote me, as I know what it means) that this is a simple procedure. My question, however is; what is the largest SD card supported by this device? I know there is a large Image Repository on the WHT FTP site, and I would like to put it all on one SD card, if possible. All my systems have a minimum of 32K RAM, so I shouldn't have any issues with any that are known to function provided your system has "what-ever". Let me know soon, as trying to find specific info on here takes a while, and you already know how impatient I can be. :?

 

fdos

Its not a size limit, so much as a number of files limit. I believ it is about 171 files, but am probably wrong.

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So the question is; how many directories? I would guess 114, each containing 114 directories along with 127 files in each directory. The TI naming convention will be a problem at some point once you've used all upper & lower case letters of the alphabet, single digit numbers, and special characters. Do we really have that many files to hold on to and use some day? :?

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So the question is; how many directories? I would guess 114, each containing 114 directories along with 127 files in each directory. The TI naming convention will be a problem at some point once you've used all upper & lower case letters of the alphabet, single digit numbers, and special characters. Do we really have that many files to hold on to and use some day? :?

 

Note that the files are not TI disk files but cartridge images.

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Also the directory structure is for the FinalGROM 99, which means GROM/GRAM modules also. Each GROM uses 6K of memory, and each GRAM can be 6K or 8K (the GK always uses 8K of memory), and each 8K of GRAM that I save to disk file from my GK is 8K, while the whole module may save 6 or 7 files of 8K each to disk. The GK naming convention only allows up to 9 characters for the first GRAM saved, and it automatically saves the additional 5 or 6 GRAMS with the same name + 1, then + 2, etc.

 

fdos

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So the question is; how many directories? I would guess 114, each containing 114 directories along with 127 files in each directory. The TI naming convention will be a problem at some point once you've used all upper & lower case letters of the alphabet, single digit numbers, and special characters. Do we really have that many files to hold on to and use some day? :?

Remember the card is formatted in the PC and does not use ti convention, what ever limits are the are due to the design of the Flashrom99.

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Also the directory structure is for the FinalGROM 99, which means GROM/GRAM modules also. Each GROM uses 6K of memory, and each GRAM can be 6K or 8K (the GK always uses 8K of memory), and each 8K of GRAM that I save to disk file from my GK is 8K, while the whole module may save 6 or 7 files of 8K each to disk. The GK naming convention only allows up to 9 characters for the first GRAM saved, and it automatically saves the additional 5 or 6 GRAMS with the same name + 1, then + 2, etc.

 

fdos

 

I didn't know it supported GRAM, but I think GROM files to be loaded together have to be combined into one file.

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My hobby is the TI-99/4A and Geneve, not the PC I use to support them. I always think in terms of the TI way of doing

things when I'm on hobby time. Some call it escapism, and it's so much more fun. I began with 90K floppy diskettes

and ended up using 1.44MB diskettes on my Geneves, and I still have many diskettes that are SSSD, DSSD, DSDD, DSQD

& DSHD, and they all use 256 byte sectors not 512 byte sectors. On the other hand the NanoPEB I use still only uses

256 byte sectors, but the CF cards are formatted with 512 byte sectors, therefore half the CF card is wasted. I'm

OK with that, as it is very cheap to have 2GB worth of space out of 4GB. I have lots of hard drives for my TI &

Geneve computers of 45MB MFM drives, 135MB HD cartridges galore, 230MB cartridges galore, 1GB SCSI drives many, but

all together they don't come close to 2GB, but they cost me a pretty penny. Most of them are on a shelf across the

room from me, but are all still useable when I get around to it. I'm all about enjoying my hobby systems, even if

they aren't "state of the art". My question to you is how many early 1980's IBM/Clones are still functioning today?

Long live the TI-99/4A & Clones!

 

fdos

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If you choose a SDHC-Card, your maximum is 32 GB with FAT32 (SD is max. 2 GB)

(on FAT32 you have a max file size of 4 GB, and a max of ~268.000.000 files)

 

I think there is NO limitation for the root folder with FAT32, so you can have an "endless" number of subfolders, with 171 BINs each :)

Endless - this is good ;)

 

I do not know about, but I assume the limit of 171 files is due to the TI-99,

as it has to read the names from the [choosen] folder, and to display them on the screen same time.

This needs RAM. This is the "limitation", if I am right.

 

This - maybe - was the given restriction on the FlashROM´99, wiped out now by using subfolders on the FinalGROM´99 :)

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Thanks for all the great games! I have only had my Flashrom99 for less than a week now, so this is all new to me. Can you point me to how to convert a physical cartridge to .bin file? I have only run a physical TI system, no emulators. The cart is "Red Baron" by Databiotics, my P-Gram says it is one rom file. Thanks.

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The FlashROM has no restriction on filesnames, and doesn't support folders. Only the first 171 files (or rather, entries) are shown.

 

The FinalGROM uses the filename scheme found in cartridge dumps, i.e., C, D, G files of 8 chars max. For ROM-only games, you can also use longer filenames. Folders are supported and can be nested up to a path length of 114 characters (that means at least 12 levels). Each folder, including the root folder, can hold 171 entries or folders.

 

The 171 limit is from the screen: 19 entries per screen times 9 pages (typing 1 through 9). It could be made larger, but then the start-up times also increase unreasonably.

Edited by ralphb
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The 171 limit is from the screen: 19 entries per screen times 9 pages (typing 1 through 9). It could be made larger, but then the start-up times also increase unreasonably.

 

Hello Ralph,

I was thinking even a small update to the FR99 file limit would be awesome.
My thought was instead of pages 1 through to 9, maybe go from 1 through to 0 (or zero to nine depending on how you want to say it).
I understand startup times would increase, but For a single page (19 more entries) I don't think it would be much.
And 19 more entries is still a great increase (bringing the total to 190).
I understand something like this would probably be very low on your priority list (probably does not even make the list :grin: ), so just a thought.

Cheers,
Shane

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