New MAME release

[+mizapf]

Just to remind you, today, MAME 0.198 has been made available for download. Several fixes, new things:

• New running system: TI-99/2 (24 and 32 KiB). Get the ROMs from Whtech.
• Tomy Tutor's cassette drive is working again (after removing the auto-wait states)
• TMS9995 now correctly latches pulsed interrupts. The 9995 can latch pulses which can be explicitly reset via the FLAG bits. This was broken but undetected until now, because the Geneve and the 99/8 do not use pulses. The 99/2 does.
• Creating disk images via OSD has been fixed.
• The HX5102 got its internal connector, which allows us to run two drives on the 99/8 (driven by the same controller in the HX5102).
• The HX5102 now properly recognizes two-sided disks; the track count (40/77) can be set by dip switches.

 

Still not working:

• Cassette on the 99/2
• Hexbus on the 99/2, so there is still no way to save or load a program.
• Double density on the HX5102

[HOME AUTOMATION]

 

I would like to emphasize that I am always here for answering questions about MAME. It rarely pays off to wildly guess what to do; in most cases I can clarify this with a few words.

Hi, Taking you up on the offer:

 

For some time I have been trying to find a TI99/4a emulator or simulator with some sort of direct-to-world interface, such as parallel port or serial port access, in contemplation of substituting its functions for that of a real TI99/4a, with the intent to connect serial interfacing devices such as 7219 display driver, shift registers or matrices. Serial input would be desirable as well, since I have already mated hardware and software. Since memory, tones and speech are integral functions in my systems, MAME, Classic99 or Win994a are most attractive! In terms of compatibility. So...

 

Does such functionality already exist?

 

and if not...

 

Would this be difficult or otherwise unreasonable to implement?

 

if so...

 

I wonder...could I undertake such a task myself, with an odd set of skills and talents, and a "lesser used" programming ability.

Edited May 30, 2018 by HOME AUTOMATION

[+mizapf]

This is difficult for me to answer in this generality. I once implemented a bridge between a socket and the PC serial interface so that MAME can use a socket connection as an input/output channel which is bound by this bridge to the serial interface. This only worked because MAME already allowed accessing files or sockets as external resources. If you have a detailed plan, maybe I can tell you whether this could work.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

Not sure I understand your response. Are you saying that options for the TI99/4a within MAME are limited by MAME's capabilities.

 

The devices I refered to use CLK, LATCH, DATA, signals.

 

My programming uses SBO and SBZ instructions to send and receive pulses and data through the pins on the 9901.

 

I also like to use the LOAD interrupt, rather than polling.

Edited May 30, 2018 by HOME AUTOMATION

[Casey]

 

Just to remind you, today, MAME 0.198 has been made available for download. Several fixes, new things:

• New running system: TI-99/2 (24 and 32 KiB). Get the ROMs from Whtech.

There are some fascinating differences between the 24K and 32K versions. Thanks very much for all the work you put into this!!

 

Edit: I think everyone who takes the time to play with the 99/2 will enjoy finding some of the quirks or unpolished features. It may lead to a very interesting discussion - but probably for another topic.

Edited May 30, 2018 by Casey

[fabrice montupet]

Congratulation Michael :-)
I am happy that, thanks to you, people can now discover and test the 99/2.
I hope that you'll be able to finalize soon the elements still in developpment. I look forward that you will begin the 99/5 emulation, I'll bring all the help I can to carry out this project.

[+mizapf]

Not sure I understand your response. Are you saying that options for the TI99/4a within MAME are limited by MAME's capabilities.

The devices I refered to use CLK, LATCH, DATA, signals.

My programming uses SBO and SBZ instructions to send and receive pulses and data through the pins on the 9901.

I also like to use the LOAD interrupt, rather than polling.

 

 

I am not sure what you want to achieve. Do you want to create new devices in emulation? Or to emulate new real devices? MAME is probably not the best candidate when you try to implement your own devices, because it is not modular in that respect. You would have to learn about MAME internals, and then hook your stuff into the compilation. As long as it is just for you, you can go for that way, but it will become difficult once you plan to make it available for everyone else.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

 

Do you want to create new devices in emulation? Or to emulate new real devices?

I want to use(connect) existing devices(systems) I have already developed on a real TI99/4a. For the most part.

 

How to use MAX7219 Dot LED matrix with Arduino - Tutorial

 

I have already had success interfacing this device and other devices having similar low speed serial interfacing(CLK, LATCH, DATA) to a TI99/4a computer's 9901 I.C. pins by soldering the devices CLK, LATCH, DATA lines to the underside of the TI99/4a computer's motherboard.

 

However I believe I could potentialy exploit the greater memory, better portability, replacability(in the event of hardware failures), great selection of virtual hardware(for developmental experiments), if I were able to connect my real devices to a laptop runing a TI99/4a computer emulation as opposed to the limitations imposed on a real TI99/4a computer.

 

I need only a 3 wire interface CLK, LATCH, DATAOUT, to control devices like the MAX7219. To provide an interactive experience, a DATAIN line would be advantagous as well.

 

I have envisioned connecting the CLK, LATCH, DATA lines from a device such as a MAX7219 to the serial or parallel port of a a laptop running a TI99/4a computer emulation. My programming uses SBO/SBZ instructions to generate and decode data pulses through the 9901's unused or comandeered pins. If necessary I suppose I can figure out how to adjust my program to generate and decode the same signals, through the TI99/4a's PIO or SERIAL ports. This should make my program compatable with the virtual parallel or serial port of an emulated TI99/4a computer.

 

Thanx.

Edited May 31, 2018 by HOME AUTOMATION

[+mizapf]

Hmm, OK, but where do you want to connect your devices when an emulation is running on your system? You will be limited to the real hardware that the system offers. The Arduino or the Raspberry have I/O ports, but not the laptop or the desktop PC. You may be able to connect the devices to the real TI mainboard, but the lines that you use are not real lines in the emulation - they are just some variables that have a name.

 

What I said above about the serial bridge referred to the concept to connect the emulation to the real UART in the host system so that you can send and receive data by the emulation via the real UART.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

Hmm, OK, but where do you want to connect your devices when an emulation is running on your system? You will be limited to the real hardware that the system offers.

I am presently using Lenovo/IBM Thinkpad model T41, which has a parallel port in the back (1 x parallel - IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP)).

 

What I said above about the serial bridge referred to the concept to connect the emulation to the real UART in the host system so that you can send and receive data by the emulation via the real UART.

I do not use or have the Lenovo docking station. I believe the only serial ports from a T41 are on the Lenovo docking station.

 

Hmm, I suppose things tend to last me a long time. I just noticed newer model laptops do not commonly have traditional serial/parallel ports.

 

Looks like USB has delivered on its more than a decade old promise to replace other connections.

 

I suppose I could get a USB to serial port adaptor.

 

[+mizapf]

For the Genmod, would this be a proper company/year spec:

 

Company=Myarc, Horizon Computers

Year=1990

 

I'd like to edit this in the MAME system description.

[+9640News]

For the Genmod, would this be a proper company/year spec:

 

Company=Myarc, Horizon Computers

Year=1990

 

I'd like to edit this in the MAME system description.

 

The GenMod was not done by Bud Mills, only sold through Bud Mills. Ron G. Walters, of Dynamic Systems Research, did the GenMOD and Memex and licensed that technology to Bud for resale.

 

Beery

[+mizapf]

So should we write

 

Company=Myarc, Dynamic Systems Research

or

Company=Myarc, Ron G. Walters?

 

MAME treats the Genmod as a clone of the Geneve (I have no better way of defining it), so we should keep Myarc mentioned.

 

Is 1990 correct?

[+9640News]

Dynamic Systems Research was a one-man company. For those that did not know it, Ron developed hardware technology that made cat-scan renderings possible. He had another company attempt to steal his design and patent his work, then Ron later won the patent lawsuit and got their names stripped from the patent and his placed on it.

 

I lost contact with Ron after he won the patent case, but before damages were assessed. If he won the triple damage claim, he was looking at a 9 figure settlement. Minimally, I think he was looking at an 8 figure settlement.

 

He passed away before I heard the final outcome and I did not bring the subject up with his wife after I learned he had passed. Additionally, for those that did not know it, Ron had contracted Legionnaires and was in a coma for something close to a year before he came out of it. When he did, he had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He could be fine one moment, but if he pushed himself too far and stressed himself out, he could be out of it for days or a week or more recovering.

 

At one point in time, he was seriously looking at the Geneve for some special security needs. As there were very few 9900 coders out there, it was a system that by default, was less likely to have people that could write viruses or malware to hack the system, etc. He shelved most of that work when he was dealing with the lawsuit.

 

Beery

[+mizapf]

So I'm inclined to say we should explicitly mention Ron.

 

Company=Myarc / Ron G. Walters

Year=1990

[+9640News]

Yeah, that would be best.

[strizzuth]

Hi, I'm running into a problem getting a TI 99/4A ROM to run in MAME and it's really driving me nuts. I have a .zip of Space Bandits that runs fine but since I'm using LaunchBox, which starts through the command line, I have to use an rpk instead. I got that from WHTech but it won't run and no amount of tinkering with it seems to help.

I found 2 versions on the site, an MB version and MBX version. The MB version doesn't load at all and makes a loud, lasting beep until I exit MAME. The MBX version goes dark blue as though it's going to run properly but just stops.

I tried concactenating the 2 grom files in the .zip file and tried to make my own rpk. Oddly, I got further doing it this way. The game actually loaded but after entering my name it turned into a jumbled mess before getting to the actual gameplay.

If there's anything anyone can suggest I would be thrilled to know since Space Bandits is one of my favorites.

[Asmusr]

Hi, I'm running into a problem getting a TI 99/4A ROM to run in MAME and it's really driving me nuts. I have a .zip of Space Bandits that runs fine but since I'm using LaunchBox, which starts through the command line, I have to use an rpk instead. I got that from WHTech but it won't run and no amount of tinkering with it seems to help.

 

I found 2 versions on the site, an MB version and MBX version. The MB version doesn't load at all and makes a loud, lasting beep until I exit MAME. The MBX version goes dark blue as though it's going to run properly but just stops.

 

I tried concactenating the 2 grom files in the .zip file and tried to make my own rpk. Oddly, I got further doing it this way. The game actually loaded but after entering my name it turned into a jumbled mess before getting to the actual gameplay.

 

If there's anything anyone can suggest I would be thrilled to know since Space Bandits is one of my favorites.

 

This is working for me in MAME.

mb_space_bandits.rpk

[strizzuth]

I get the same issue there that I had with the WHTech rpk. Once I hit 2 to load Space Bandits the screen goes aqua and emits a never ending beep. Maybe I'm missing something in my setup?

[+mizapf]

Your MAME version?

[+mizapf]

I have a .zip of Space Bandits that runs fine but since I'm using LaunchBox, which starts through the command line, I have to use an rpk instead.

 

What is the issue with the ZIP file and the command line?

 

 

mame64 ti99_4a -cart spaceban

[SoundGammon]

I'll keep my older versions, more of the games work!

[+mizapf]

Nope. The newer versions of the TI emulation support more games. If there is an issue please report it to me.

 

(I don't want to repeat my sermon about not keeping the old releases, but the longer you stay back, the more painful it will become to catch up at some time, which will come.)

[strizzuth]

Your MAME version?

 

0.198 (I like to keep up to date even when a ROM set needs replacing)

 

 

 

What is the issue with the ZIP file and the command line?

mame64 ti99_4a -cart spaceban

 

Short answer: Launchbox CAN do that command line but it makes things trickier.

 

Long answer: To launch that particular line, I have to set LB to not use quotation marks, file extensions or paths. This WILL work but it breaks every other platform I use MAME to emulate (which is currently 11, not counting arcade ROM sets). The other option is to set up a new emulator listing for MAME specifically for TI in LB but that requires putting the ZIP files in MAME's roms directory, which, for various reasons, isn't ideal for me. I also just really want to know why this RPK isn't working for me. Among other reasons, it could indicate a problem with my setup that needs to be addressed.

Edited June 17, 2018 by strizzuth

[+mizapf]

OK, if it is 0.198, this is the current version. In that case, the command line with "spaceban" should work, as shown above (just tried it).

 

What I found surprising is that zip file handling causes trouble for you, since the zips are the standard MAME handling for cartridges. It should work the same way for all systems. Instead, it is the RPK stuff that is troublesome, because it is only used for the TI emulations but for nothing else, and therefore it will be removed at some future time.

 

I'll be keeping RPK as long as we are still missing a proper way for handling unlisted (homebrew) cartridges.

 

Unfortunately, I don't know Launchbox. But you should be able to create a special folder for TI zips and add it to rompath. Wouldn't that solve the problem?

 

I think I found the issue with the RPK: It is a hacked version that requires the 32K memory expansion. You have to add

 

 

-ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot2 32kmem