In the previous episode, we ran our very first program, but it couldn’t do a whole lot because all we had was a CPU and some ROM. In this episode, we slip some static RAM chips onto a fresh backplane and get it hooked up. Then we have to write an all-new program to test that RAM out and figure out how to assemble TMS9900 assembly into split binary files. It’s a busy one today, but it’s getting pretty exciting!
Here’s the resources that helped tremendously:
Dave Pitts’ TI-990 Resources:
https://www.cozx.com/dpitts/ti990.htmlSrecord on Linux:
https://srecord.sourceforge.net/Dave Griffith’s Minipro Program:
https://gitlab.com/DavidGriffith/miniproIf you want to support the channel please hop over to Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/usagielectricAlso, we now have some epic shirts for sale!
https://my-store-11554688.creator-spring.comCome join us on Discord!
Discord:
https://discord.gg/p7UsfHD Thanks for watching!
Chapters
0:00 I love me some homebrew computing
0:45 The TI-99 is actually a pretty cool machine
2:29 The TMS9900 is the real star though
5:13 Designing memory for the homebrew
8:27 Two cats, a dog, and a fluffle of bunnies!
10:22 What did past David build while we were playing with the pets?
11:21 A quick smoke test
11:47 The hardware is good, now to figure out the software
16:12 How to assemble TMS990 assembly and burn it to a ROM
25:02 First test!
25:37 Second test…
26:24 We have a working computer!
27:54 Bunny!