TI Mini Expansion System

[RickyDean]

I just opened a system and removed the motherboard for testing my Pico9918's. I have built a Pico9918 v.3 and got a v.4 board from @visrealm and they both work as expected. I think my TV/monitor has an issue, has a blueish hue over the screen. now that I know my build is working, I can build the rest of the (5) v.3 I ordered.

[Gary from OPA]

11 minutes ago, dhe said:

Hi @Artoj

  Today at the zoom meeting (which would be great if you could attend sometime! 😃 ) -

    @Gary from OPA mentioned TI's Main Frame Ram Trap Tester.

 

   I remembered Geoff Trott created the console tester - a side car unit.

 

   Would that be something you have access to, and any interest in reproducing?

here is a screenshot from PDF that mentions the RAM TRAP from the servicing manual: https://ftp.whtech.com/datasheets and manuals/Hardware/Texas Instruments/TI994A_HC_Servicing_Manual_Oct_1983.pdf

[+Ksarul]

1 hour ago, Gary from OPA said:

here is a screenshot from PDF that mentions the RAM TRAP from the servicing manual: https://ftp.whtech.com/datasheets and manuals/Hardware/Texas Instruments/TI994A_HC_Servicing_Manual_Oct_1983.pdf

I actually have one of the original RAM Trap boards in a Speech Synthesizer case. . .

[Gary from OPA]

9 minutes ago, Ksarul said:

I actually have one of the original RAM Trap boards in a Speech Synthesizer case. . .

Thanks. Yes, we heard you might one. Did you ever dumped the eprom on it that runs when load interrupt is used, I think the code stores in the f000 space with the ram in the e000 space.

[Artoj]

4 hours ago, dhe said:

I remembered Geoff Trott created the console tester - a side car unit.

I was looking at re-creating that a few months ago, Geoff was a marvel, I should find out what happened to him, he didn't live very far away, I visited him a few times, his wife was a Music Teacher, I remember she said I had a few mistakes in my Music Writer Program, I never did correct them before my system was struck by lightening, that is another story. I might as well pull out the files and finish Geoffs unit now since you piqued my interest, I think there was a software component as well?. Regards Arto.

[Artoj]

While I was looking for Geoffs article, I noticed one my old projects, the "Mini RS232" card, it had my MIDI IN/OUT ports attached, the EPROM was a modified RS232 DSR with a lot of my code. I might redo the card as a MPEB Jumper card that can be used ontop of the as the 32k Jumper card I just designed. This way I have RS232 and MIDI on the same Jumper card with it's own DSR.

 

I am still hunting down Geoffs article, that RAM Trap looks very interesting, BTW Gary what happen to the GIZMO board, now that would be an very interesting board. Regards Arto

   

[+dhe]

That's some make it work mechanical and electrical engineering at work!  

 

Was the base board some type of sidecar prototyping board?

[Artoj]

35 minutes ago, dhe said:

Was the base board some type of sidecar prototyping board?

The base board was one of Peter Schuberts early prototype RS232 boards I used, we only needed the DSR and the signals from the TMS9902 as Midi only needs a +5v signal through a opto-coupler to work. This was to be the Midi interface I have talked about before, where I also built the AY-3-1015D version which was a bulkier, no DSR and overly complex compared to this design. The TI99MIDI worked and played Midi encoded music to the synthesiser, though I never ended up writing proper code to function as a tool for creating music, as I said before I LOST all my original work in one night via an electric storm 30 years ago. I have since found a lot of bit's and pieces of old faded print outs and mouldy disks that I will eventually try to recover. At present I am more interested in building my Ternary CPU, which has been my reason to get back into my old TI99 as that will be the best vehicle to achieve a complete system.  

 

The amazing thing was I started to study High Voltage Electrical Engineering after the accident and built about 30 Tesla Coils, most ran without any semiconductors, this was a excellent direction as now I could understand what Nicola Tesla envisioned 100 years ago. I did design a Transmission System that drove 1KW about 1km to help farmers with their pumping in difficult terrain, before I found out you are not allowed to know these things about the Tesla World Wireless Transmission System. So I posted some of it on my blogs, before I changed track to work on Ternary Logic and many other things.

 

Thanks for asking about the board, but on another track, I never talk much about Tesla, mainly because his technology has been abused and twisted, remember Tesla designed the AND Gate in 1900, and was one of his many other Logic Operators he understood (using relays), so as I go to know more I realised he understood Ternary Logic, even though you cannot point to a particular device, more like his ideas were always AC and AC is fundamentally Ternary. Regards Arto. 

[Artoj]

Another piece of TI99 artwork, from the past, just found.

[Artoj]

HI All,

I converted the old prototype straight into a MPEB Jumper Board, This will be made available as soon as I disassemble the DSR, I did find a few scrappy print outs of the preliminary work, but not the  final DSR listing. At least I can test it with a plain console, I remember it worked fine. Regards Arto.

 

 

Edited August 26 by Artoj

[Artoj]

Hi All,

I am not sure, but I think FarmerPatato, had some info on Stacks, here is my abstract on implementing a ternary stack, in this case I might make it a binary stack so it can be built and tested under TI99 control. Here comes another Jumper board LOL!! maybe not yet, I still have to get more shift registers, Regards Arto.   

Edited August 27 by Artoj

[+TheBF]

5 hours ago, Artoj said:

Hi All,

I am not sure, but I think FarmerPatato, had some info on Stacks, here is my abstract on implementing a ternary stack, in this case I might make it a binary stack so it can be built and tested under TI99 control. Here comes another Jumper board LOL!! maybe not yet, I still have to get more shift registers, Regards Arto.   

That seems more like a queue rather then a stack to me.

If I understand the diagram correctly it is  a "first in, first out" structure. 

 

(I don't think I am smart enough to understand where I would use a machine like you show here)

 

[Artoj]

1 hour ago, TheBF said:

That seems more like a queue rather then a stack to me.

Thanks for your comment, I left out the output term.

It should read - 6 input and 6 outputs, 3 doors and 2 directors.

1)

To accomplish "first in, first out", - PUSH A R, PUSH A R, PUSH A R, POP A L

2)

To accomplish "first in, last out"., - PUSH A R, PUSH A R, PUSH A R, POP A R, POP A R, POP A R (which reverses the entry) 

                                                 At this point your first entry will be the last on the same port A and the R director 

To accomplish "last in, first out",  same as 2

To accomplish "last in, last out",  same as 1

 

Another thing not mentioned at this point is LOOK, which reads the port but does not POP it out, remember each port has a DIRECTOR of two choices(L/R), not normally in binary stacks/queues, this is a leftover from the Ternary aspect, where you have +v and -v entries, it also helps with Directing Data Traffic flow.

 

Most common activity should be keeping certain sequences available (by rotation) at each in/out port, for a common activity, such as control sequence for reading and writing to multiple devices.   

The key to this type of queue/stack is the multiple entries and exits, each can be independent of each other, only the data is common and the control automates all actions from each port.  

I have yet to create all the protocols and command syntax for the different scenarios. When I get to building it, in hardware, I will post it here or my Blog.

 

I have only shown 3 entries between the ports and doors, as the it should be working on Ternary entries, where you have a minimum of a Trit, it was made so you can change the base Unary operators to any set of 3 from 27 choices, this 3 lobed Stack/Queue, this was my original design concept. I have now decided to get it to operation in Binary with a minimum of 8 bits between Ports, filling it with 8 x 3 x 4 = 72 bits, which is a useful amount as a base design. The Ternary was to be used to change operators and the Binary is a Queue/Stack, different reasons similar operational activity.   

 

I thought it most useful to post this here so all the great minds here can pick holes in it, I found doing this over the years as the most productive use of new/old ideas not quite fleshed out, so errors can be found. I give written credit in my Bibliography to all those who help me in these sort of endeavours. As a forum, we are always in the University of Ideas, LOL, Regards Arto.

Edited August 27 by Artoj

[HOME AUTOMATION]

V ENTRIES

FIFO

POP OUT

 

I'm sure that I have worked in this one before, must have been a long time ago though.

I think this may be what they used to call a REGENERATIVE buffer...

Spoiler

Seem that the OUTPUT can be a bit cranky at first!

[Artoj]

9 minutes ago, HOME AUTOMATION said:

Seem that the OUTPUT can be a bit cranky at first!

LOL!!! If PUSHING and POPPING does not result in the correct entry protocol, you must ask the DIRECTOR to close the LEFT DOOR to allow the Information to start the DATA increase from the RIGHT  DOOR then the INFORMATION depositing STACK will create a NEW birth of DATA in the CENTRAL Circular STACK!!! Never use DATA PUSHING at the wrong time of the month.  

[+FarmerPotato]

Aha, it's an interesting structure.     I'm trying to work out how you would compute a function.

 

Can you explain how the red dots move through the circles? 

Do the instructions happen in sequence, or can some be simultaneous?

 

1. What happens when red dots collide? If you PUSH A R, what happens to segment CA?   is information lost?

 

2. In DOOR B R, what happens at HE and EB? Is the former BH lost? (Unless you do a simultaneous DOOR H L) 

 

3. If I do this sequence:

PUSH A R

DOOR B R

Is there anything left in AC?  Or is BH = AB?

 

4. Is there an instruction to rotate BEH alone?  Or just DOOR, which would replace something. 

 

Programming

I want to know if it can implement these Forth stack manipulations:

DUP

DROP

SWAP

ROT 

NOT

 

[Artoj]

9 hours ago, FarmerPotato said:

I'm trying to work out how you would compute a function.

Oh, I think, I did not make myself very clear at all, this was originally for bit manipulations, I forgot to state that first! I put the idea here as I do want to move bytes around just like FORTH, so my diagram only applies to bits, not bytes. To my original idea was translating a PUSH as a SHIFT IN operation, and a POP as a SHIFT OUT, where the internals bits of the register is what gets moved about. I put the idea here so I get some feedback so I can turn it into a STACK/CUE with BYTES moving about, I was guessing the forum had those with incise knowledge can help me create a functional structure, where I can actually try and use a recirculating structure that can be redirected to other outputs via a strict numeric amount, in my diagram brief I would say "9" fulfils this, which in Ternary equates to a TRYTE, which means this was a about recirculating TRITS to re-order TRITS in a new TRYTE. I am very interested in creating a FORTH like STACK that can be usable, rather than my design that is really a TRI-Circular TRIT-buffer. 

 

I think I will outline a Byte Oriented structure in my next iteration, now that you have pointed me in the right direction on creating a few simple Stack operations that need to be defined, it gives me the feed for further designs. A universal structure that can be used for many other uses was my initial impulse, as this whole thing is based partly on the operations of a "Worms Heart", which is a circular structure with 2 in/out vessels on either side, also on few other mechanical and hydraulic contrivances that operate on similar principals.

 

I am in awe of the FORTH language and it's power in creating its own words for new functions. I am interested in making a Ternary version of Forth as that would serve programming my Ternary CPU in a simpler way, so far I have designed about a dozen Arithmetic and LOGIC manipulation and programming is by 3 way switches, adding TERNARY Memory and a TERNARY display has been very interesting to say the least. I have yet to Build the whole structure into a complete Test rig, soon, as I am still busy with many other TI projects that will be needed when I start in earnest on the final build.

 

Thanks for you input, Regards Arto.       

Edited August 28 by Artoj

[Artoj]

I think the best way is to imagine each set of 3 dots (from my pic) is a complete stack with all the normal stack manipulations that Forth has, the other 8 outer ones are different stacks, the inner 3 set of 3 are a another set of gated only stacks that take in/out data from the other 3 sets, forming this complex structure. Now it looks more like a 12 separate stacks that are interconnected, maybe that's how I will work this idea out, I think that could be my way of organising it so it can be usable. My PUSH, POP will need new names but DOOR and LOOK here are fine as super functions, regards Arto.

[Artoj]

After looking carefully how defining a FORTH word operates, the stack is vital in it's operation, maybe something called NINTH might be more appropriate, you see FORTH in this view is a higher language as I am really talking about having 19683, 2 input Logical operators whereas Binary has a MAX of only 16. I am sorry I got everyone caught in my Stack/Cue/Pipe Line/Tower/Shift Register puzzle, the problem of redefining a function is what FORTH does, but defining it's logic (gates - and, or, nor etc) can be also directive of FORTH, it still relies on having the CPU invisibly carry on using these gates to make the system select the definition to use. 

 

I propose NINTH as a lower level Matrix language that FORTH can define words for to operate a Triple-Rotational-Register(TRR) made to define new LOGIC Gates that have yet to be fully understood but can be used to solve the complexity of Ternary Logic. The key is access to the hardware, this is why I have designed the Binary to Ternary interface for the TI99/4A, now that is done, I am at a quandary to the best way to manipulate the 36 Binary registers that will create the different types of gates that in Ternary, this was the purpose of the original post, do I make a software matrix in a common language like Basic, make a matrix with FORTH with Words that can be defined accurately or do I create the Matrix in Binary hardware with bytes/words or with bits, or do I make it in Ternary with Trits or Trytes. 

 

At present I am considering using RXB as the BASIC language, as it is fast and the most versatile, using AMS and CRU manipulation are winners. Also designing the special rotational register in Binary using shift registers and creating a CRU Matrix to handle all the different Logic types. The Binary output via the interface will drive real Ternary hardware. The TRR will speed up the placement of each element of the matrix of 9, otherwise a software version will suffice, possibly running a 1000 slower, not useful in a larger system, where you will need hundreds of matrices for a particular operation.      

 

I can see now that FORTH will be a great asset after I have settled the hardware and made all operations clear. So in reality NINTH is a FORTH word that can operate the TRR to define new logic operations, I am guessing like this.

 

NINTH PNG NPP PGP P P .

Tell FORTH to load the TTR with the binary versions of + - 0 (PNG) and - + + (NPP) and + 0 + (PGP) (which are binary 01 10 00 and 10 01 01 and 01 00 01) now tell FORTH to use P (+) input A and P (+) input B to print the result of its matrix operation. 

 

Once the result is available it can be the further input of another set of gates etc. creating a Ternary tree for further computation. 

 

The Matrix looks like this:

+ - 0

- + +

+ 0 +

 

I am in gratitude to those who understand FORTH better than I, as I am but a novice, the feedback here has moved my goal post closer, now at least I know how to tackle a complete new territory, so much fun ahead, I will definitely make the TRR design available here in this forum. The TI99/4A will have a TRR that will be a one-off design to solve a unique problem and has been only possible because I asked silly questions.

 

Regards Arto.             

[Artoj]

Hi All,

I have finalised the RS232/Midi Jumper card V1.1, I added a 74LS245 buffer chip and a couple of jumpers to include CTS/DTS if required, also you can use a 2764 if you do not have a 2732,  this is now on the list for the next batch. So with a 32K card and this card, you can use it as a terminal for further projects including the CH376 USB/SD card, which is waiting for my prototype TI99USBSD board to be finalised. All the other boards are being tidied up and getting ready. Adding to the joy, with this big new motherboard on the horizon that Steve is making available, I have another distraction, oh boy, such fun in 2024, my main Ternary project chugs along nicely and will be partly functional by the end of the year. Regarding the TRR design, I have settled on using either a universal SIPO/PISO/SISO/PIPO or a possibly a special Pipline chip like CY29FCT520T, still investigating....

Regards Arto. 

 

[Artoj]

Hi All,

As I was working on the DSR version of USB/CH376S, I realised that the RS232/MIDI can be used in the Serial Mode on the CH376S Module, so I added the extra pins and some mounting holes, so now you can access the whole unit from Basic/XBasic and possibly write the all the routines required to use the USB/SD commands for storing files etc. Regards Arto 

(after looking at it I might turn the module card sideways so you can get the SD card from the from the front) 

Edited September 1 by Artoj

[Artoj]

Updated to V1.3......

[+dhe]

Is there a bill of materials for the keyboard tester of grom0 board?

[Artoj]

1 hour ago, dhe said:

Is there a bill of materials for the keyboard tester of grom0 board?

Hi Dan, it was only a general parts print out in your package, my printer started to fail.

 

Here is the general parts list, print out: 

 

1    Parallel Port Tester                                                 
    Parts required -    12     x 220 ohm resistors
                        17     x 100 ohm resistors    
                        8     x 3mm Led (red)
                        4     x 3mm Led (green)
                        1    x 10 dip switch
                        1    x 8  dip switch
                        1     x Right Angle DB25

1    TI99/4A Keyboard Tester                                          
    Parts Required -    15    x 3mm Led
                        1    x 25 Ohm Resistor
                        1    x Battery Clip/Holder
                        1    x 15pin Header Male                 

1    TI99/4A Gromo V1.0                                                
    Parts Required -     4    x 74LS161    
                        1    x 74LS00
                        1    x 74LS02
                        1    x 74LS138
                        1    x 74LS139
                        1    x 27C64
                        1    x 150 Ohm Resistor        
                        1    x 47uF 6.3v Capacitor
                        10    x Pin Headers Male
                        2    x 14pin IC sockets
                        6    x 16pin IC sockets
                        1    x 28pin IC socket

1    TI99/4A Gromo Stack V1.0                                       
    Parts Required  -    3    x 28pin sockets    
                        4    x 1pin header female (solder under board)
                        1    x 28pin socket with longer legs (8mm)
                              or 2x14pin female pin header with
                              longer legs (8mm)

 

For a detailed BOM, I will send you a file.

 

Regards Arto.

Edited September 1 by Artoj

[Artoj]

Well, I tested my old MIDI/RS232 and it still works.

 

OPEN #1:"MIDI"

PRINT #1:"CODE"   **** THE LIGHT FLASHED WITH NO ERRORS **** RUNNING AT AT 31250 BAUD

CLOSE #1

 

The "MIDI" code is in the DSR, so I only have to dissemble my DSR so I can recover something I worked on over 35 years ago, this could lead to many new things if I include the whole CH376 command set. USB at the most simplest without a huge 32 bit micro-controller with mega-ram just to manage the TI bus, DSR and the CRU. 

 

I should be able to include "USB", "SD", "OLD", "SAVE" and "DIR" to make things simple, so it will be a complete solution to a small system. Let's see if I can find my Eprom programmer first, I have moved so many things in the past 3 months, I must have misplaced it . Regards Arto.