TMS340 and TIGA Resources

[+FarmerPotato]

Thread for TMS340 resources/links/discussions.

 

Documentation at Bitsavers:

http://bitsavers.org/components/ti/TMS340xx/

 

TIGA programming and a good overview of many TIGA cards that were on the market:

http://www.geekdot.com/tiga-programming

 

 

TMS 34010 Font Library and file converter:

https://gitlab.com/FarmerPotato/tms340fonts

 

All the TI fonts converted to BMP format:

https://gitlab.com/FarmerPotato/tms340fonts/BMP/

 

Photos of a TMS340 card from a B&M microfiche reader, from @jbdigriz

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/322286-visit-to-ti-records-archive-at-smu/?do=findComment&comment=4856988

 

[+FarmerPotato]

Samples of the fonts I was able to extract:

 

Austin

 

AUSTIN11.BMP

 

AUSTIN50.BMP

 

Only a few of the fonts are small enough to consider as TI-99/4A CHARA1 fonts. But I aim to get the whole library into TI-Artist format.

AUSTIN11 has many chars that fit within 8x8, but touching the edges. The 11 indicates the pixel height from the highest ascent to the lowest descent.

 

The ARROWS25.FNT contains these two 24x24 pixel symbols:   

I think the original one was better.

 

ARROWS25.BMP

[+FarmerPotato]

Bitsavers just added a TIGA DDK (driver development kit) from 1992. Vers 2.2 

 

In http://bitsavers.org/components/ti/TMS340xx/

 

There is an IMD file, ImageDisk format. 
 

Context:

 

Three software packages were available.  
 

The SPK includes everything from DDK.  The DDK includes the SDK.

 

SPK > DDK > SDK

SPK - Software Porting Kit.  All TIGA source code, including the PC and 340 drivers.  The PC side is the Communications Driver.  You edit for your board's parameters. The 340 side is the Graphics Manager.  You edit this too for your board's capabilities. 
 

DDK - Driver Development Kit.   Source code to TIGA Extended Functions, which you can link with your own extensions. The product is a Dynamic Load Module to send to the 340.  Any TIGA extended primitive, for instance fill_rect, can be rewritten or removed from the API. 

 

SDK - Software Development Kit.   C and assembly APIs (AI).  340 assembler, linker, and C compiler.  Includes source code for examples and demonstrations.   Host side requires Microsoft C.

 

 

---

 

DDK is a bit of a misnomer, as it does not cover the two fundamental drivers. 

 

Without the SPK (software porting kit) you have only binaries for existing drivers,  such as the ones for TI's Software Development Board.  
 

The compiled Graphics Manager driver for that SDB makes hardware assumptions: the amount of video RAM, 

a 34070 palette generator with only 16 colors.  That's why you need the SPK. 

Edited May 9 by FarmerPotato
Added Context

[+FarmerPotato]

Some history of the TMS340, from Karl Guttag's blog. (Technical leader of the 340.  Well-known for the 9918, 9995.)

Links jumps to the anchor: 

Appendix 1: My 1980s History with Bitmapped Fonts and Multiple Monitors

https://kguttag.com/2023/08/05/apple-vision-pro-part-5a-why-monitor-replacement-is-ridiculous/#1980history

 

Of note: the "340 Family Third Party Guide" lists graphics cards with a 34010 or 34020 (may be biased toward the survivors as of 1992.) 

 

 

[+FarmerPotato]

"Taking the Wraps Off the 34020"

 

BYTE Magazine, September 1988

on www.ardent-tool.com
 

 

[jbdigriz]

Yep, the hard to find SPK. I can't find it so far, anyway.

 

A list of boards and available drivers, ddks, sdks, TIGA software ports for various apps, etc. should no doubt be compiled.

Edited May 11 by jbdigriz

[jbdigriz]

On 5/9/2024 at 11:04 AM, FarmerPotato said:

Some history of the TMS340, from Karl Guttag's blog. (Technical leader of the 340.  Well-known for the 9918, 9995.)

Links jumps to the anchor: 

Appendix 1: My 1980s History with Bitmapped Fonts and Multiple Monitors

https://kguttag.com/2023/08/05/apple-vision-pro-part-5a-why-monitor-replacement-is-ridiculous/#1980history

 

Of note: the "340 Family Third Party Guide" lists graphics cards with a 34010 or 34020 (may be biased toward the survivors as of 1992.) 

 

 

Nice write-up from Karl; explains a lot.