Dear all,
I am looking on behalf of CMH for a TI99 module named "Computergrafik". It holds a demonstration program ( among other things ) from Herbert W. Franke - named Mondrian.
His wife sent us her last remaining module, so in case no one has such a spare cartridge my other question would be how to replicate it?
Thanks,
nils
It should be easy to dump this cartridge and use the image with the universal FinalGROM99 cartridge. I can help with that if needed.
I did some research, here are some details: The basic problem of dumping cartridges is that you'll somehow need to start the cartridge dumping program (CSAVE-Misc-02.zip), and that would normally require a different cartridge (i.e. Editor/Assembler) to be plugged in. This is because the TI-99/4A has no built-in way to run machine language programs, i.e. TI BASIC is basically a sandbox and you'll need a cartridge to escape it.
One way to circumvent this limitation is a hardware cartridge switcher - A device that accepts two cartridges and allows you to switch from one to the other while the system is running. That way, you can run Editor/Assembler, use it to run the cartridge dumper from floppy and then switch to the cartridge you want to dump.
Another way is to use a disk controller or disk emulation system that has a machine language loading program in its ROM. This will work with CorComp disk controllers and Horizon RAM Disks, which require the Peripheral Expansion Box (PEB), or with a TIPI, which is available in two different sideport versions as well as a PEB version.
I have a couple of TIPI boards that I can pass on, if needed.
We have got an expansion system, with a floppy drive in it. I'll check if it is operational.
Nice! If you have no experience with the system, put in an Extended Basic (XB) cartridge and start the machine. XB automatically loads the file "LOAD" from the floppy, so you should see disk activity when XB starts. Alternatively, if you have a Disk Manager cartridge, you can use that to read, write and format floppies.
But: The TI Disk Controller does not provide any way to run machine language programs, so you'll still need to have some hardware that helps you do that. Have a look inside the PEB, maybe you're lucky and it contains some third party hardware. Send photos if you need help identifying things.
We have got an expansion system, with a floppy drive in it. I'll check if it is operational.
Nice! If you have no experience with the system, put in an Extended Basic (XB) cartridge and start the machine. XB automatically loads the file "LOAD" from the floppy, so you should see disk activity when XB starts. Alternatively, if you have a Disk Manager cartridge, you can use that to read, write and format floppies.
But: The TI Disk Controller does not provide any way to run machine language programs, so you'll still need to have some hardware that helps you do that. Have a look inside the PEB, maybe you're lucky and it contains some third party hardware. Send photos if you need help identifying things.
Thanks, will do. Probably next weekend though. 
We have got an expansion system, with a floppy drive in it. I'll check if it is operational.
Nice! If you have no experience with the system, put in an Extended Basic (XB) cartridge and start the machine. XB automatically loads the file "LOAD" from the floppy, so you should see disk activity when XB starts. Alternatively, if you have a Disk Manager cartridge, you can use that to read, write and format floppies.
But: The TI Disk Controller does not provide any way to run machine language programs, so you'll still need to have some hardware that helps you do that. Have a look inside the PEB, maybe you're lucky and it contains some third party hardware. Send photos if you need help identifying things.
Thanks, will do. Probably next weekend though.
Hello together, nice to see that my home computer collection that I donated to Prof. Oberquelle ~5 years ago to the CHM is in good hands!
Here is a pic of this TI and PBox ~ 2004 when I was still in Hamburg. https://www.michael-wessel.info/retrocomputing.html
That used to by my TI and PBox in the picture - hans, and no: it doesn't have any third party hardware. Only RAM, serial, disk controller.
Cheers, Michael Wessel
Hey Michael / MicrotronicHamburg !
Nice to meet you
Thanks for the donations! I am trying my best to keep the items in the collection in good condition.
( Although sometimes I feel it would be really nice if there were more of us. )
So hans it seems like we need to use your equipment after all to dump the cartridge.
Nice to meet you too! Please say Hello to Horst / Prof. Oberquelle, my regards, and the rest of the old guard at the Informatikum Hamburg. Hope to see some more YouTube videos from the CHM at some point.
These days, I have reconstructed most of my collection, with the exception of the PBox... I have some version of the CF7+ and also a nanoPEB. It's quite nice, but of course it doesn't give you the real retro vibe. But I don't want another PBox again - I have slimmed down considerably 
Cheers,
Michael
Nice to meet you too! Please say Hello to Horst / Prof. Oberquelle, my regards, and the rest of the old guard at the Informatikum Hamburg. Hope to see some more YouTube videos from the CHM at some point.
I will absolutely say Hi to Horst in your name.
As for the videos, yes - it would be fantastic if we could set up a proper youtube channel, there are just so many treasures in the Museum. There could be resurrection / restoration videos, but also history related contents, system comparisons etc...
cheers,
nils
nilseuropa Indeed, and it's great that Horst found you... I looked at your collection and projects, and you are the right man to keep that stuff running!
Sorry didn't mean to distract the thread, but it's so weird how small the world is sometimes, so I couldn't resist. After all, what are the chances that you come across a picture of some of your old retro computers in a forum such as this, and that the other person from that thread, hans , is also somebody you had stumbled upon before 
I guess the tracks of folks with similar interests are just more likely to cross. Maybe hans can help with repairs to the MacIvory Symbolics LispMachine card in the Mac IIfx that I donated as well, and which should hopefully also still be with Horst. This MacIvory was famously used by Ralf Möller @ KOGS / CSL from Bernd Neumann's Cognitive Systems Lab where I was a member from 1996 - 2005, and he gave it to me. I played with it for a while; it has a memory error in one of the ZIP memory (!) banks. Should be possible to fix with your skills!
Until then, best of luck, cheers, Michael
nilseuropa Indeed, and it's great that Horst found you... I looked at your collection and projects, and you are the right man to keep that stuff running!
Sorry didn't mean to distract the thread, but it's so weird how small the world is sometimes, so I couldn't resist. After all, what are the chances that you come across a picture of some of your old retro computers in a forum such as this, and that the other person from that thread, hans , is also somebody you had stumbled upon before
Until then, best of luck, cheers, Michael
Haha, we have already talked about the LISP related stuff with hans
Yes, your card is still in the museum along with another. I hope to get to it pretty soon. ( Also the Symbolics 3640 is waiting for it's resurrection. )
( I am also in ML, AMR by the way. )
( I am also in ML, AMR by the way. )
Yes, I think I know what you mean, and I think I know who you are by now 
- as I said, you are the right man for this job, and it is amazing that you find the time for helping Horst, that is great! Unfortunately, my Symbolics 3645 @ Ex-Philips / Ex-Kogs is gone since long - I had to get rid of it ~ 2003. But it got into good hands as well:
So hans it seems like we need to use your equipment after all to dump the cartridge.
Just bring it along - I've got everything ready to go and it should take only a couple of minutes.
fyi https://informatik2022.gi.de/ ( We are planning to put up a little retro show for the GI conference with Horst. )
Nice, good luck!
