nitrohepcat Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Why is the 32K sidecar only 32K? Why wasn't the sidecar made to be something larger, 1Mb for example? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 7 minutes ago, nitrohepcat said: Why is the 32K sidecar only 32K? Why wasn't the sidecar made to be something larger, 1Mb for example? There is also a 1mb SAMS sidecar https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/store/#!/Sidecar-SAMS-with-44pin-header-for-TIPI/p/176285041/category=22255086 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Because there is only 32K left in the CPU's address space. Everything bigger than that requires page switching. And back in the days 32K was big. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apersson850 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 That answer is also true for any memory expansion for the TI 99/4A. Unless you want to disable something that's already decoded for some other purpose, like ROM in a cartridge, 32 K is the max area that's open or a RAM expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhataKowinkydink Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 This is a good question and with some interesting answers. As per my brochure (an advertisement, essentially) the table on the back says the TI-99/4A was expandable to 52K - so just a marketing ploy? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 19 minutes ago, WhataKowinkydink said: This is a good question and with some interesting answers. As per my brochure (an advertisement, essentially) the table on the back says the TI-99/4A was expandable to 52K - so just a marketing ploy? 16k video ram stock 32k memory expansion 4k mini memory cartridge Equals 52k official PR marketing 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhataKowinkydink Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 9 minutes ago, Gary from OPA said: 16k video ram stock 32k memory expansion 4k mini memory cartridge Equals 52k official PR marketing Gotcha 😅 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Gotta love marketdroids. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 3 hours ago, WhataKowinkydink said: This is a good question and with some interesting answers. As per my brochure (an advertisement, essentially) the table on the back says the TI-99/4A was expandable to 52K - so just a marketing ploy? Here is the original ad, posted by @Retrospect a while ago in this thread that asked the same question: It basically lists the TI99 have a maximum of 114k of memory. Which breaks down as follows 26k ROM internal - 8k ROM / 3 * 6k GROM 36k ROM external - (cartridge / 5 x 6k GROM) 16k RAM - video 32k memory expansion 4k mini-memory Equals 114k total What it fails to count was the 16k ROM found in x/basic but then you would not have 4k mini memory and and x/basic was only 4 groms so haha marketing magic that still equals 114k 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retrospect Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Yeah just like some of the boxes for the Modules stated "this module adds X amount of kilobytes to your TI99" or whatever ... fine it did but it wasn't user accessible! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 12 hours ago, Retrospect said: Yeah just like some of the boxes for the Modules stated "this module adds X amount of kilobytes to your TI99" or whatever ... fine it did but it wasn't user accessible! All perspective, innit? The memory contains programs, subroutines, maybe even DSRs, all of which are accessible by the user in normal use. Technically correct. technically correct.mp4 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhataKowinkydink Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 6 hours ago, OLD CS1 said: Gotta love marketdroids. That's a fancy word for liar 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveB Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 3 hours ago, WhataKowinkydink said: That's a fancy word for liar 🤣 Some are ... other just search for very favorable positions and view-point... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apersson850 Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Plug in the p-code card and you have another 60 K ROM/GROM. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 55 minutes ago, apersson850 said: Plug in the p-code card and you have another 60 K ROM/GROM. I sorry but Mr. Marketing says it's still only 114k even with the p-code card as the cartridge port no longer used and the internal console groms are not either so we have: 8k console ROM Internal console groms not used Cartridge port not used 16k video ram 10k DSR ROM (12k but bottom part not used as groms are mapped in) 48k p-code groms (8 x 6k) 32k ram memory expansion Equals 114k 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jedimatt42 Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 On 3/7/2024 at 9:12 AM, nitrohepcat said: Why is the 32K sidecar only 32K? Why wasn't the sidecar made to be something larger, 1Mb for example? As the designer of the "32k sidecar" in the modern era, I didn't know anything about digital electronics when I began the project. I had no interest in a 32k sidecar for myself. But we had created a number of cartridge ROM images that were ROM loaders for programs that ran out of the 32k memory expansion. So my goals were: - to design something others could build ( This has proven to be a success, I only made a pretty small percentage of them in the wild, and others have re-designed it since ) - copying (mostly) the 32k SRAM PEB board design from ti-tech-pages, - add header pins instead of edge connectors for further exploration - and keep it cheap. There is now a 1meg sidecar in the same form-factor, commissioned by ArcadeShopper. So, for some years now, people have had choice. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apersson850 Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 21 hours ago, Gary from OPA said: I sorry but Mr. Marketing says it's still only 114k even with the p-code card as the cartridge port no longer used and the internal console groms are not either so we have: 8k console ROM Internal console groms not used Cartridge port not used 16k video ram 10k DSR ROM (12k but bottom part not used as groms are mapped in) 48k p-code groms (8 x 6k) 32k ram memory expansion Equals 114k I'm sorry but memory sitting idle is still memory. 😃 Besides, there is 12 K ROM on the p-code card. The GROM access only steals 8 bytes. It's of course not in the official marketing material, but I do use the cartridge port with the p-system too, since you can plug in a device like Maximem and have RAM/GRAM there, memory which can be turned into a RAM-disk for the p-system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 25 minutes ago, apersson850 said: I'm sorry but memory sitting idle is still memory. 😃 Besides, there is 12 K ROM on the p-code card. The GROM access only steals 8 bytes. It's of course not in the official marketing material, but I do use the cartridge port with the p-system too, since you can plug in a device like Maximem and have RAM/GRAM there, memory which can be turned into a RAM-disk for the p-system. Yeah.. reminds me I have two pcode cards and all the manuals. I should start using them again. I need to patch the power-up so I can have them on and still have a horizon Ramdisk on as well, I always hated that the p-code takes over the system it should be a option on the boot up title screen menu like 2 for pcode and then 3 for XB etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apersson850 Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 20 minutes ago, Gary from OPA said: I need to patch the power-up so I can have them on and still have a horizon Ramdisk on as well, I always hated that the p-code takes over the system it should be a option on the boot up title screen menu like 2 for pcode and then 3 for XB etc. It has a hardware option. There's a switch which enables/disables it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 2 minutes ago, apersson850 said: It has a hardware option. There's a switch which enables/disables it. i know, just pain in the ass to reach behind my pebox and find the switch, its a simple patch to do the power-up, something to add to my todo list, plus i need to get the disks again for my pcode, i checked my binders just now and the original floppies are missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apersson850 Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 I made a hardware modification to the card, so the switch is now on the front of my secondary expansion box. I have two, one TI original and another to host my extra floppy drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafael1138 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Can I link the SAMS with my regular TIPI/32K? I'm still confused on how can I play Games that require the 1MB expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 5 minutes ago, Rafael1138 said: Can I link the SAMS with my regular TIPI/32K? I'm still confused on how can I play Games that require the 1MB expansion. You should disable the 32K if you want to use SAMS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyDean Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 19 minutes ago, Rafael1138 said: Can I link the SAMS with my regular TIPI/32K? I'm still confused on how can I play Games that require the 1MB expansion. If you have a sidecar 32k tipi combo, then is your Sams a sidecar version too? If it is and it has the 44 pin connectors for the tipi, same as the 32k sidecar, then you unplug the 32k and put it out of the way and plug the sams in the same laocation with the tipi connected. make sure you have the jumpers configured the same as the 32k and you should be ready for what ever game you need that uses 32k or Sams. The Sams has the 32k built into it. Hope this helps. You may be able to sell the 32k to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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