15 replies to this topic

[Willsy]

I just pimped my console with the F18A - works a treat!

Here's TF running in 80 columns. Note how the block editor reconfigures itself to work in 80 columns - the "windowing" feature that is required in 40 column mode is disabled, and the whole 64 columns of the block are displayed.

Neat.

Parsec looks awesome on a VGA screen!

[kl99]

Hi!

Maybe we should avoid confusing people how you got to the F18A.
The F18A is not released yet.
Willsy is one of the few beta tester in the world.
I am the second beta tester in Europe so far.
We both met matthew180 at the TI Chicago Faire 2011.
PAL (versus NTSC) shouldn't be an issue for the F18A but that is what beta testers are for to find out, right?

I also pimped one of my ti-99 with the F18A, my vga cable goes out at the cassette port right now, but I hope someone in our group will make some nice cut hole (don't know the english term) for a vga port in my black console.

And I already ordered a 19" TFT monitor with 1280x1024 resolution just for my new programming setup. As the F18A outputs 640x480, the display can upscale it to its native resolution of 1280x1024 quite easy.

btw: I still don't have a TurboForth 1.1 Cartridge, and I think I will keep my TurboForth v1.0 Cartridge as it is for collection reasons. maybe you can PM me something Willsy.

Klaus

[samishal]

So when do these become available, it would be awesome to have a nice clear display like that.

[5-11under]

Thanks for the update, kl99... good to see progress is still being made... looking forward to having one or two of my one someday.

[Willsy]

kl99, on Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:58 AM, said:

Hi!

Maybe we should avoid confusing people how you got to the F18A.
The F18A is not released yet.

That's a good point, Klaus! It;s ikely the F18 will go through a couple of Iterations before it's finally finished. I know Matthew180 said he had a few more ideas. That's the neat thing about programmable logic.

Good idea about using the cassette port. Did you de-solder the cassette connector? How did you secure the VGA connector to the case? Can you send a picture?

Thanks

Mark.

[kl99]

As the cassette port area is a temporary solution until Gerhard (my big hope) cuts a nice vga-port hole, desoldering the cassette port was not an option.

http://www.flickr.co...57628111768769/
http://www.flickr.co...57628111768769/

For all interested in some infos about the project:
The F18A really works like a charme when we are talking about the original specs.
Then there is the new features that are beyond original specs of the tms9918a processor. I saw a cool 4-color sprite demo, hardware screen scrolling, hardware area scrolling,... Those are yet to be tested by me.

Willsy is correct, every game looks phenomenal when played on big displays/big screens via the F18A.

There is currently a bug on the game pole position. Other than that I didn't see any bugs with cartridges so far.
There is another timing bug: sometimes a reset causes no sprites being visible. This happens if the F18A is faster (or is it slower) than the rest of the machine. It's a timing issue that will be fixed. The workaround for the beta testers so far is to power-off the machine for a while.

Beta testers will receive a flash update file from matthew180, once he makes a new beta software version avaiable. We will all have the programming cable (usb) to update the software on the F18A. The F18A stays in the TI-99 during the update process.

Haven't tried out the avaiable jumper settings yet.

I am reading ti assembler literature every day now and can't wait to receive the tft display for my "baby".

[Kurt_Woloch]

I had the opportunity to "test" Kl99's "pimped" TI-99 at our meeting yesterday, and I can confirm it works. I tried the Q*Bert cartridge which is notable for putting more than 4 sprites in a scanline although it doesn't hurt the game too much. You see, in Q*bert, the objects consist of one main color and some touches in one or two other colors. For instance, Q*Bert is red, but has a black nose and black and white eyes, thus requiring two more sprites. Coily (the snake) is magenta (official TI name for the color) and has yellow eyes and teeth. The red balls have a small white part, and so on... Thus each object actually consists of multiple sprites, but they arranged it such that if more than four sprites are on a scanline (which already happens as Q*bert is on the same height as one of the other objects), the main body of each object stays visible, but the "touches" become invisible. On Klaus' TI-99, however, all the touches remain visible, no matter if there are 2, 3 or 4 objects on the same scanline.

Now in hindsight, I realize I should have tested a game that uses auto-motion, such as Parsec or Jungle Hunt, because those games actually run differently in PAL and NTSC... in Parsec, the enemies fly a different trajectory depending on if the VDP interrupts occur at 50 or 60 Hz. Will try that next month...

[moulinaie]

I am really interested in this projetc, I will surely buy one if it is sold someday.
A faster and larger VDP Ram, a flat monitor, graphic enhancements,etc... That sound cool for a programmer!

Guillaume.

[atari2atari]

moulinaie, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:40 AM, said:

I am really interested in this projetc, I will surely buy one if it is sold someday.
A faster and larger VDP Ram, a flat monitor, graphic enhancements,etc... That sound cool for a programmer!

Guillaume.

Wow! Add an easy-to-use flash cartridge to that list as well, and it would be TI-99 heaven . . . !

I'll be following this! Nice work, devs.

-a2a

[matthew180]

moulinaie, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:40 AM, said:

I am really interested in this projetc, I will surely buy one if it is sold someday.

They will be sold, I've put too much into the project to not get it done. I'm working on the final features, albiet not as quickly as I (or everyone else I'm sure) would like, but such is the way of a hobby project. I have a thread dedicated to the F18A here on the AtariAge 99/4A subforum, as well as my website (which is also over due for some new updates.)

[ti99userclub]

.

Edited by ti99userclub, Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:00 PM.

[ti99userclub]

matthew180, on Sat Jan 14, 2012 5:26 PM, said:

moulinaie, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:40 AM, said:

I am really interested in this projetc, I will surely buy one if it is sold someday.

They will be sold, I've put too much into the project to not get it done. I'm working on the final features, albiet not as quickly as I (or everyone else I'm sure) would like, but such is the way of a hobby project. I have a thread dedicated to the F18A here on the AtariAge 99/4A subforum, as well as my website (which is also over due for some new updates.)

I Can't wait Matthew, you have been lucky that I did not have the money to come to Chicago ... otherwise I would have made ​​a ruthless court for have one to take out in Italy

[acadiel]

All I have to say is *drool*. Actually, there's a trail of drool starting when this was announced. I probably left some in the Evanston library, too.

Now if I can get my EVPC to work properly with a VGA monitor too, we'd be all set on my end TI-wise. (My SNUG system has to hook to a 1084S monitor... which probably will die one day. I use the composite currently for the TI and the RGB for the SNUG system.)

[marc.hull]

Willsy, on Wed Nov 23, 2011 4:30 AM, said:

I just pimped my console with the F18A - works a treat!

Here's TF running in 80 columns. Note how the block editor reconfigures itself to work in 80 columns - the "windowing" feature that is required in 40 column mode is disabled, and the whole 64 columns of the block are displayed.

Neat.

Parsec looks awesome on a VGA screen!

So K.....


If I get this upgrade and my console talks back do I get to slap it a little ? .

[OLD CS1]

Very very very damn cool. Matt, are you taking pre-orders?! I want to reserve one right now.

And, Mark, I am very upset with you... teasing us with how Parsec looks in VGA, but no video!

[matthew180]

OLD CS1, on Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:01 PM, said:

Very very very damn cool. Matt, are you taking pre-orders?! I want to reserve one right now.

Not quite yet, but soon!