49 replies to this topic

[Xmsteel]

Hi,

I posted in the classic computing area and was referred here. Below is my problem I am having:

"Hello,

I got an adapter so I could hook it up to my TV.
Turned it on and it acted like it was fine. The screen was showing and everything...

One problem... It wont do anything else. I put in a cartridge and the screen flashes (like it was ready to switch to another screen) and it beeps, but then shows the same "READY" screen again and I can't get passed it. I think the keyboard might be bad or something..

Any ideas or help?"

Picture of Screen I am stuck on: http://dl.dropbox.co...59/SAM_0782.JPG
Picture of Keyboard: http://dl.dropbox.co...59/SAM_0788.JPG

[Tursi]

Xmsteel, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 1:14 PM, said:

One problem... It wont do anything else. I put in a cartridge and the screen flashes (like it was ready to switch to another screen) and it beeps, but then shows the same "READY" screen again and I can't get passed it. I think the keyboard might be bad or something..

The reset is normal - a cartridge resets the computer and always returns to the title page. If nothing happens when you press a key at all, then the keyboard is either bad or not hooked up right? There were a lot of different keyboards manufactured for the TI and they vary in quality.

Make sure the ribbon cable has no broken wires (I see you have it out of the case), make sure it's plugged onto the motherboard the right way around. If nothing happens in any case, spare keyboards are easy to get (I have a box of them, but I can't get to the box till September.) Even though there are many different styles of keyboard, they should all interchange fine.

[Xmsteel]

Tursi, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 1:18 PM, said:

Xmsteel, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 1:14 PM, said:

One problem... It wont do anything else. I put in a cartridge and the screen flashes (like it was ready to switch to another screen) and it beeps, but then shows the same "READY" screen again and I can't get passed it. I think the keyboard might be bad or something..

The reset is normal - a cartridge resets the computer and always returns to the title page. If nothing happens when you press a key at all, then the keyboard is either bad or not hooked up right? There were a lot of different keyboards manufactured for the TI and they vary in quality.

Make sure the ribbon cable has no broken wires (I see you have it out of the case), make sure it's plugged onto the motherboard the right way around. If nothing happens in any case, spare keyboards are easy to get (I have a box of them, but I can't get to the box till September.) Even though there are many different styles of keyboard, they should all interchange fine.

I unplugged the keyboard (as you could see) and plugged it back in with no luck. Still nothing happened. I've tried to find keyboards but no such luck.

I didn't see any issues with the cable at all.

Edited by Xmsteel, Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:38 PM.

[Tursi]

Xmsteel, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:37 PM, said:

I unplugged the keyboard (as you could see) and plugged it back in with no luck. Still nothing happened. I've tried to find keyboards but no such luck.

I didn't see any issues with the cable at all.

Right.. did you try it both ways around? Just in case you got it backwards?

The keyboard is a dumb device, it's just an array of switches. You won't hurt it if it's hooked up backwards.

Someone here is sure to offer you a replacement keyboard. If not by the time I get home in September, I'll happily ship you one then. But it's very rare for the keyboard to die completely since it has no logic onboard.

[Xmsteel]

Tursi, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:56 PM, said:

Xmsteel, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:37 PM, said:

I unplugged the keyboard (as you could see) and plugged it back in with no luck. Still nothing happened. I've tried to find keyboards but no such luck.

I didn't see any issues with the cable at all.

Right.. did you try it both ways around? Just in case you got it backwards?

The keyboard is a dumb device, it's just an array of switches. You won't hurt it if it's hooked up backwards.

Someone here is sure to offer you a replacement keyboard. If not by the time I get home in September, I'll happily ship you one then. But it's very rare for the keyboard to die completely since it has no logic onboard.

Well, I hooked it back the way it was when I opened it, but I guess I could try to flip the ribbon cord around and see if it works... But then the cord wouldn't be straight it would be bent upside down... but I'll try it and let you know.

Update: I can't put it any other way. The ribbon is too short to do anything else.

Edited by Xmsteel, Wed Aug 3, 2011 9:06 PM.

[Willsy]

Suspect 9901? Guys, is the keyboard buffered at all before it hits the 9901?

[sometimes99er]

The 10 Worst PC Keyboards of All Time

[sometimes99er]

Xmsteel, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:37 PM, said:

I've tried to find keyboards but no such luck.

http://texintreasures.com

[sometimes99er]

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 150616685993 USD 39.49 ?!??

[retroclouds]

$40 for a replacement keyboard is very expensive if you ask me.
For that price you should be able to get a full replacement TI-99/4A.

[sometimes99er]

retroclouds, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 1:45 AM, said:

$40 for a replacement keyboard is very expensive if you ask me.
For that price you should be able to get a full replacement TI-99/4A.

Yep. The other one I listed above is only USD 4.95

[Tursi]

Okay, cool. $5 for a keyboard is okay.

The 9901 is not buffered before the keyboard, IIRC, so it may well be a bad 9901. I'm not sure any easy ways to test that without a spare keyboard or spare 9901.

[Xmsteel]

Thanks for the links to the keyboards. $5 isn't bad at all but I'd really like it if it was black. (now I'm sounding picky). I just don't think beige would look good honestly.


@Tursi: What is a 9901? Is that part of the keyboard?

Edited by Xmsteel, Thu Aug 4, 2011 1:40 PM.

[Tursi]

Ah, in fairness, I /think/ all my keyboards are beige, too.

The 9901 is the I/O controller in the TI. It runs the keyboard, the joysticks, and pretty much all peripheral cards. If it was completely dead, the system probably would not even boot, since it gates the vertical blanking interrupt to the CPU, but it's probably possible for it to partially die. I don't think it's socketed, replacing it would be difficult.

Despite the age of the machine, it seems to me that only in the last 5-6 years have we really started seeing the hardware start to fail. Do others think that's accurate, or is it just because we're more connected now?

[Xmsteel]

Tursi, on Fri Aug 5, 2011 8:50 PM, said:

Ah, in fairness, I /think/ all my keyboards are beige, too.

The 9901 is the I/O controller in the TI. It runs the keyboard, the joysticks, and pretty much all peripheral cards. If it was completely dead, the system probably would not even boot, since it gates the vertical blanking interrupt to the CPU, but it's probably possible for it to partially die. I don't think it's socketed, replacing it would be difficult.

Despite the age of the machine, it seems to me that only in the last 5-6 years have we really started seeing the hardware start to fail. Do others think that's accurate, or is it just because we're more connected now?

Beige wouldn't be terrible, but it wouldn't be a personal choice (looks wise, anyway).
Ok, so it must be the keyboard itself then? Because everything else seems to work fine.

And I would be grateful for any keyboard that works. No matter what cosmetic condition, don't get me wrong.

[OLD CS1]

Tursi, on Fri Aug 5, 2011 8:50 PM, said:

Despite the age of the machine, it seems to me that only in the last 5-6 years have we really started seeing the hardware start to fail. Do others think that's accurate, or is it just because we're more connected now?

I think your suspicion about our connectedness is a large contributor to the perception. The failure rate of my equipment has remained pretty much the same -- one every so often -- for all of my "classic" or "retro" stuff throughout the years. Out of seven 4A consoles which have passed through my hands, one had bad VRAM. A good dozen Commodore 64s, one bad PLA and one bad 7805 voltage regulator. About as many Amigas, one dead 1200 board. And so on.

Mind you, I do not count "unnatural" deaths caused by power issues and static discharge or carelessness. I have had a couple of 6526 CIAs popped by static (not by me,) and I am pretty sure I disabled a joystick port on a 4A console I no longer have with the same. Oh, and popping a TTL chip on an A500 motherboard by shorting out the mouse port by the metal surrounding the mouse's DB9 connector (really, Commodore, why??)

But then, where are you located? It could be a regional/environmental problem. In Florida I only have to worry about nasty static for a few months out of the year, and I keep a humidifier on-call to handle that. What about possible source and batch problems? I recall Commodore CD32s made in a particular factory or a particular period of time all had high failure rates of CD-ROMs (I managed to get hold of one recently which had been sitting in a Chinese factory warehouse since it was produced in the 90s.)

::shrugs::

Does anyone here make it a habit to replace electrolytic capacitors on their old computers and consoles?

[zylon]

$5

Attached Files

•  game repairs 254.jpg   1.19MB   4 downloads

[marc.hull]

Tursi, on Fri Aug 5, 2011 8:50 PM, said:

Ah, in fairness, I /think/ all my keyboards are beige, too.

The 9901 is the I/O controller in the TI. It runs the keyboard, the joysticks, and pretty much all peripheral cards. If it was completely dead, the system probably would not even boot, since it gates the vertical blanking interrupt to the CPU, but it's probably possible for it to partially die. I don't think it's socketed, replacing it would be difficult.

Despite the age of the machine, it seems to me that only in the last 5-6 years have we really started seeing the hardware start to fail. Do others think that's accurate, or is it just because we're more connected now?

Maybe it's because when everything is working there is nothing to report. I don't see the rash of failures that you mentioned in the last 5 years, enlighten me.

[Tursi]

OLD CS1, on Sat Aug 6, 2011 12:14 AM, said:

But then, where are you located? It could be a regional/environmental problem. In Florida I only have to worry about nasty static for a few months out of the year, and I keep a humidifier on-call to handle that.

Nah, it's not personal to me IRL, I've actually never had a machine fail that I didn't do something to first.

Just a thought from watching the message boards and forums over the years.

Edited by Tursi, Sat Aug 6, 2011 11:22 PM.

[Xmsteel]

I looked at that beige keyboard for sale and realized that shipping was $13.35 for the $4.95 item. Meaning that I would pay about $18.30

Is this still a decent price?

[zylon]

Hard to say, my price structure is different as I don't really care about these. I get $20 for whole computer.

[Xmsteel]

zylon, on Sat Aug 6, 2011 4:07 PM, said:

$5

The cord is too short and the hookups arent right

[zylon]

Xmsteel, on Sun Aug 7, 2011 6:19 PM, said:

zylon, on Sat Aug 6, 2011 4:07 PM, said:

$5

The cord is too short and the hookups arent right

Could always just buy another TI99...

[Xmsteel]

zylon, on Sun Aug 7, 2011 7:25 PM, said:

Xmsteel, on Sun Aug 7, 2011 6:19 PM, said:

zylon, on Sat Aug 6, 2011 4:07 PM, said:

$5

The cord is too short and the hookups arent right

Could always just buy another TI99...

Not to many where I am... I was lucky to even find this one. and I know this one works besides the keyboard.. so I'd rather just buy a keyboards

[Tursi]

Xmsteel, on Sun Aug 7, 2011 6:19 PM, said:

zylon, on Sat Aug 6, 2011 4:07 PM, said:

$5

The cord is too short and the hookups arent right

Um.... that's a strange note. Can we get a look at your machine and the connector you are working with? There's only one style of 99/4A keyboard cable on all the machines that have ever passed through my hands, including the QI 2.2 models.

Perhaps we are diagnosing the wrong issue here!