Percom TX99 - External Floppy

[800_Rocks]

Hi - I acquired this Percom TX99-S1 external 5.25 floppy drive. I collect Atari only so I know nothing about this item. Is there a market for these?  What is a fair asking price?  I plan to list this over in the buy/sell  forum. I have the original box and I have one ribbon cable that may or may not be related.

Can someone show the interface in the TI-99 that an external floppy like this would connect to?  That will help me know if the ribbon cable is part of this. 
 

TIA
 

 

 

 

[HOME AUTOMATION]

40 minutes ago, 800_Rocks said:

Can someone show the interface in the TI-99 that an external floppy like this would connect to?

This?

 

There's also a side-car model.

[800_Rocks]

14 minutes ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

This?

Maybe... like I said I don't know the TI-99 at all.  The one ribbon cable that may go with the Percom looks like it may connect to both the Percom and the disk controller you show above.  Thanks.

[+Torrax]

Post a picture of the cable.

[WhataKowinkydink]

The external drive I used to use with the TI was the same sort of edge-connected affair.

[+Ksarul]

Here's the data you need: The TX-99 already has a built-in disk controller card, so the only thing you need to connect it to the TI is the 44-pin ribbon cable that connects to the side port and to the bottom connector on the back of the TX-99. You definitely need that cable to make this work. The disk controller is single density (90K single-sided or 180K double-sided disks), and you can connect additional drives to the 34-pin connector at the back of the box (the one with the blue resistor pack next to it). It is nice that you have both of the manuals for it.

 

I used one of these for many years, and they are very reliable as long as you are careful not to damage the connecting cable.

 

One side note: I think PERCOM also made a similar device for connecting to Atari computers.

 

I'd actually be interested in it, just to get a good set of the manuals. . .

[ti99iuc]

It is a nice item!

I have the manual still shrink wrapped never opened and I would really glad to be able to have good scans of them so to publish on my website without need to open mine :p

as @Ksarul written seems like you only missing for the cable.

[800_Rocks]

7 hours ago, ti99iuc said:

I would really glad to be able to have good scans of them so to publish on my website

I will be happy to scan the two manuals for you. 

[800_Rocks]

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like the one ribbon cable found in another box is a fit for this Percom so it is now complete. See pics. I have the orig box and foam too. PM me with any offers. I will post it on Buy/Sell tomorrow. I am in NC, USA so local meeting is always possible. 

 

 

 

[800_Rocks]

8 hours ago, Ksarul said:

One side note: I think PERCOM also made a similar device for connecting to Atari computers.

Yes I actually got an Atari version in the same pick-up where the TI version came from!!  Here’s the back of the Atari version. See the addition of the two Serial I/O ports that are found on nearly all Atari external devices. I wonder if the PBC edge connector would allow me to daisy chain the TI Percom off this Atari Percom?!?  I will have to try it. 
 

[+OLD CS1]

32 minutes ago, 800_Rocks said:

I wonder if the PBC edge connector would allow me to daisy chain the TI Percom off this Atari Percom?!?  I will have to try it. 

Probably not.  The TI expansion port is likely not duplicated inside an Atari disk drive.  It would be interesting if this could be expanded with an external drive.  I cannot think of many "smart" drives which could be expanded in such a way.

[+Ksarul]

33 minutes ago, 800_Rocks said:

I wonder if the PBC edge connector would allow me to daisy chain the TI Percom off this Atari Percom?!?  I will have to try it. 
 

That will not work, as you would have dueling disk controllers. The results might be pretty bad for both controller boards. . .

[800_Rocks]

9 minutes ago, Ksarul said:

That will not work, as you would have dueling disk controllers. The results might be pretty bad for both controller boards. . .

OK I will not try it.  I will dig for manuals for the Atari version to see the uses of the PCB edge connector there.  It's odd to me as the two Atari specific SIO ports are all that is needed to daisy chain.

[+Ksarul]

Looking at the Atari card, you DO have a couple of options though. You could connect another standard 5.25 drive to either of the 34-pin connectors and I suspect the card would recognize it as another device in your drive chain. You would still have to remove the resistor pack on the card and make sure that the second drive has its own installed resistor pack and a power supply, but it should work.

[+OLD CS1]

17 hours ago, 800_Rocks said:

It's odd to me as the two Atari specific SIO ports are all that is needed to daisy chain.

This is what intrigues me.  Going into the Commodore VIC-20 and C64 days, dual drives were uncommon which is what makes the MSD SD-2 so unique and interesting.  So looking at this Percom for the Atari, it makes me wonder if you could connect a standard drive to the device and have a disk drive with multiple logical drives on the Atari.

 

(BTW, does anyone know how to turn off Emojis in the Invision editor?  It keeps changing things on me that should not be changed.)

[800_Rocks]

FYI - These two pages from the manual answer some of the questions above with regard to the purpose of the second PCB edge connector for an "Add-On Drive".

[+Ksarul]

Yes--and following a similar secondary drive connection process on you Atari Percom drive may also work (once you figure out what device name it will respond to).

[800_Rocks]

FYI - I listed this drive on eBay. Hopefully it goes to a good home. Thanks for all the comments and info shared in this post. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/404001957738?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=gjIiXPHbS1u&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=gjIiXPHbS1u&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY