Difference between revisions of "Emulators"

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===What emulators exist for the TI-99/4a?===
===What emulators exist for the TI-99/4a?===
Fortunately there is a variety of emulator that you can use. While most are free, one in particular is commercial and requires payment. Here is a brief summary of the emulators:
Fortunately there is a variety of emulator that you can use. While most are free, one in particular is commercial and requires payment. Here is a brief summary of the emulators:


* [[Classic99]] - (Add more Information Here)
* [[Classic99]] - A Windows-based emulator that emulates the TI-99/4A and the TI-99/4. It includes ROMs built-in under license from Texas Instruments and requires minimal setup to get started. It supports a number of add-ons in various states but the prime focus is to aid development of new software on the standard base console with 32K.
* [[MESS]] - stands for "Multiple Emulator Super System" and not only does it emulate the TI-99/4a, it does a whole host of other systems. This a great tool for those that work with multiple types of computers and systems. The focus of MESS is a precise emulation, sometimes at the cost of usage comfort.
* [[Js99'er]] - An online JavaScript-based emulator that runs in a web browser and emulates the TI-99/4A and a number of peripherals including near-complete support for the F18A video upgrade. Link: http://js99er.net
* PC99 - it runs in the DOS enviorment and emulates the TI-99/4A and some peripherals. Owners of PC99 can purchase the CyC CD which has all the modules and disks for the TI in PC99 format. Comes with manuals and other materials. Link: [http://home.netcom.com/~mjmw/ CaDD Electronics Home Page]
* [[MESS]] - stands for "Multiple Emulator Super System" and not only does it emulate the TI-99/4A, it also includes the TI-99/4, the rare TI-99/8, and the Geneve. Moreover, it also allows the emulation of countless other computer systems outside of the TI world. This a great tool for those that work with multiple types of computers and systems. The focus of MESS is a precise emulation, sometimes at the cost of usage comfort.
* TI4Amiga - (Add Information Here)
* [[Pc99w | pc99w ]] - it runs in the Windows environment and emulates the TI-99/4A and some peripherals. pc99 is capable of emulating Myarc RAM card and Myarc Extended Basic. The emulation is supplied on dvd or usb stick and includes [[PC99 | pc99dos]] and [[Cyc | The Cyc]]. Released November 2016. link: http://www.cadd99.com/
* TI-99/Sim  - (Add Information Here) Link: http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/
* TI4Amiga - Port of the DOS emulator by Ton Brouwer. http://aminet.net/package/misc/emu/TI4Amiga
* [[ti99sim]] - An emulator for Linux users. Link: http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/
* TI994W - Link: http://members.ziggo.nl/fgkaal/Software/sw_ti994w.html#ti994w (Add Information Here)
* TI994W - Link: http://members.ziggo.nl/fgkaal/Software/sw_ti994w.html#ti994w (Add Information Here)
* V9T9 - is another popular emulator. Though the author is no longer actively developing the software, it provides a great emulator for the TI. A lot of modules and disks exist in V9T9 format as well. Also available as MacV9T9 - (Add Information Here).
* V9T9 - is another popular emulator, actually the first one for the TI-99/4A. Many disks and cartridges are in V9T9 format.  For a long time, no new versions were released.  In early 2013, the author Ed Swartz released a new version written in Java and runs on Windows, OSX, and Linux.  It can be downloaded at http://eswartz.github.io/emul/. Also available as MacV9T9. Old version can be found at http://www.99er.net/emul.shtml#V9T9
* [[Win99/4A]] - in some regards can be considered a simulator rather than an emulator. The author acknowledges that they excluded features that are not useful or appear to be rarely used. That said, it is great product and currently is under active development.
* [[Win994a]] - in some regards can be considered a simulator rather than an emulator. The author acknowledges that they excluded features that are not useful or appear to be rarely used. That said, it is great product and currently is under active development.


===What is the easiest emulator to start out with?===
'''What is the easiest emulator to start out with?'''
I'm fairly new to the emulation scene for the TI and have a pretty good idea of how I would rank them as far as being easy to setup and use.


* Win994a - single installation program for the entire suite. Hands down the easiest to get running.
This is a difficult question. Each emulator has its strengths and shortcomings. You should probably not judge the book by its cover, that is, easy installation need not guarantee satisfaction later, as emulators are pretty complex systems. After all, they mimic complete computing systems, including various physical devices.  
* MESS - Finding the ROMs is the tough part but I created a bundle for people to use so that problem is solved. Easy to unzip and setup.
* PC99 - Great instructions and easy to setup. The only reason that it is 3rd is that it costs money so MESS beat it out.


===What TI emulators exist for Macintosh systems?===
Many of the emulators are still actively maintained, so you should be able to get in contact with the authors to get support.
MacV9T9 is sole native TI emulator for the Mac. It is no longer being maintained and it supports the 040 and PPC architectures and requires a pre OS X environment to run. NOTE: There is an open-source utility called SheepShaver that allows you to run PowerPC - Classic MacOS applications and this could be used to run MacV9T9. MESS is also available for the Mac (older and newer) and the TI-99/4, TI-99/4a and TI-99/8 systems are emulated in this environment. Beyond that the only option is run Windows/DOS based emulators within a virtualized environment.  


Here is a short list of the possible VM environments for the Mac:
You can use more than one emulation, and in most cases module and disk files are more or less interchangeable between emulations, or easily converted.


* Virtual PC for Macintosh - does not support Intel Macs and will not be updated (damn that Bill guy!)
=== Do these emulators need Windows to run? ===
* Parallels - only supports Intel based Macs
* VMware Fusion - only supports Intel based Macs
* Apple's BootCamp - only support Intel Based Macs and requires at least Leopard
* DOSBox - for both PPC and Intel Macs running OS X


===Which emulator would you use and for what reason?===
[[MESS]] is available for Windows, Linux, and the Mac (older and newer). All the TI-99/4, TI-99/4A, TI-99/8, and Geneve systems are properly emulated in all these host operating systems.
As you can tell by the categories on this FAQ, there is a focus on Win994a, MESS and PC99. Each of them have their pros and cons so hopefully this entry helps steer you in the right direction.


If you are looking to run existing software and generally to play/use the TI-99/4a I would look at either Win994a or MESS. Win994a is a great all-in-one suite that is easy to get up and running and it contains a large library of software. The only problem with Win994a is the "Win" part. If you use Linux, Unix or a Mac then this does you no good. At this point MESS would be a better choice.
Other emulators that are designed to run under Windows may possibly run in a virtual machine environment. Please see the VM options for your operating system. Some emulators have been reported to run under Wine.


If you are looking to play around with the TI and other systems (Apple, Commodore, etc.) then MESS is definitely your best option. MESS allows you to emulate A LOT of different systems. And as previously mentioned, it runs on a variety of platforms.
PC99 was written for DOS and will run with the Linux utility dosemu which is supplied with most Linux distributions.


If you are look to play around with the TI and are looking to develop I would point you toward PC99 and or MESS. Both of these titles are focused on emulating the underlying hardware and that helps out no matter what level of programming you are doing (code, DSR, etc). I'm not saying development can't be done with the other emulators, I'm just pointing out which one is better suited.
The Java-based V9T9 should run on most platforms, and the web-based JS99er will run in most modern web browsers.


Summary: Windows users looking to play -> Win994a, MESS Non-windows user looking to play -> MESS Windows users looking to develop -> PC99, MESS Non-windows users looking to develop -> MESS
=== Emulators and disk images ===


===Which emulators use which types of disk images?===
====Which emulators use which types of disk images?====
This is quick list but it should be sufficient and it covers the most popular emulator:
This is quick list but it should be sufficient and it covers the most popular emulator:


* V9T9 - v9t9 (.dsk)  
* V9T9 - [[Sector Dump Format]] (also referred to as "v9t9 format") (.dsk)
* MESS - v9t9 (.dsk)  
* PC99 - [[Track Dump Format]] (aka "pc99 format") (.dsk)  
* PC99 - pc99 (.dsk)  
* MESS - sector dump format (v9t9) (.dsk) and track dump format (pc99) (.dtk or .dsk)  
* Win994a - v9t9 (.TIDisk)
* Win994a - sector dump format (v9t9) (.TIDisk)
* Classic99 - sector dump format (v9t9) (.dsk) and track dump format (pc99) (.dtk or .dsk)
* JS99'er - sector dump formation (v9t9) (.dsk)


=== Is there a way to capture and use cassette tape data with emulators?===
==== Is there a way to capture and use cassette tape data with emulators? ====
Yes. There is a program out there called CS1er that will take a WAV audio file of a TI Cassette Program and convert it to a FIAD file. FIAD is the native V9T9 file format and many emulators support V9T9 formats. You can find more about CS1er at the following website: http://www.cs1er.com


===How do I convert PC99 format images to V9T9 format?===
Yes.  
The easiest method, because it is GUI driven, seems to be to use Fred Kaal's TiDir program. Here are the basic steps:


# Open TiDir to the directory where you PC99 image file resides.  
* There is a program out there called CS1er that will take a WAV audio file of a TI Cassette Program and convert it to a FIAD file. FIAD is the native V9T9 file format and many emulators support V9T9 formats. You can find more about CS1er at the following website: http://www.cs1er.com
# In TiDir select your PC99 image.
# From the file menu choose "Convert PC99 DSK-file to TI99 DSK-file"
# TiDir will prompt you for a location and file name to save the file.


There also is a command prompt utility on WHTECH but this one seems a bit more straight forward and it provides other great functionality! TiDir and other programs can be found on Fred's site which is index on my Links page at: http://www.ti-994a.com/links.html
* [[MESS]], [[Classic99]] and [[JS99'er]] can mount WAV files as cassette media and directly read them. ([[:Image:mess_loads_cassette.png|No kidding]].)


Thanks to Jacques Groslouis for pointing out that TiDir has this functionality.
==== How do I convert PC99 format images to V9T9 format? ====


===What is a "TIFILES" file?===
The easiest method, because it is GUI driven, seems to be to use Fred Kaal's program TiDir.


See the section on [[TIFILE format]].
[[TiDir|Refer to TIDIR article]] for link to Fred's website and screen grab of TiDir in action.


If you were to take a file and send it over to a PC or some other computer via a modem or serial cable it would arrive on the other end but lose some information. It would lose information like what kind of file it is, protection status, how large it is, etc. In order not to lose that information, proper communication programs on the TI prepend (stick on the front) a 128 byte header to the file that captures this information. So now when the file arrives on the other computer it is actaully a little bit larger.
Here are the basic steps:


When the 128 byte header is prepended to the file it becomes a "TIFILES". So by definition, a TIFILES file is a regular file with a 128 byte header. Now if you were to send that same program back to the TI, the 128 byte header gets read so the file is created properly on the TI. Of course, the 128 byte header is removed when it is back on the TI. The 128 byte header is small set of information used to properly rebuild the file once sent back to the TI. If you send a NON-TIFILES file (one without the 128 byte header) to the TI it will get built but more than likely it won't work properly.
# Open TiDir to the directory where you PC99 image file resides.  
# In TiDir select your PC99 image.  
# From the file menu choose "Convert PC99 DSK-file to TI99 DSK-file"
# TiDir will prompt you for a location and file name to save the file.


===Is it possible to load an IDE drive on a PC with information from disk images (V9T9, PC99) and then move it to the TI with an IDE controller for use?===
==== What is a "TIFILES" file? ====
I don't believe a tool or program exists to do this. This is speculation here but in order to do this one of the following must ocurr:


# There must be a program written on the PC that understands PC99/V9T9 images and a driver that supports the TI formatted version of an IDE drive (essentially a PC equivalent of the DSR).
TIFILES files are individual TI files with a 128 byte header prepended that contains information intended to be used to recreate the TI-specific properties of the file. It was devised for use with XMODEM transfers and is sometimes called 'XMODEM' format, but it also permits those files to be stored on foreign filesystems such as a PC and later recreated on a TI (ie: for a BBS).
# One of the emulators must be aware and be able to use a TI formated version of an IDE drive which would still require a driver to be written.


So from those two possibilities the need for a driver (DSR like program) for the PC to understand and to be able to work with a TI formated IDE is requried. Also, the driver would have to either work with an TI IDE system based on Thierry's DSR and/or Fred Kaal's DSR. All in all this is a big effort.
See the section on [[TIFILES format]].


Original question by: Alfredo Cevolini
Classic99 natively reads and writes TIFILES format files, and they can be directly transmitted to a real TI via most XMODEM terminal packages.


=== Win994A ===
==== What is a "FIAD" file? ====


====Can I run Win994a in Wine on a Linux or Mac system?====
FIAD is the native V9T9 file format, and stands for "Files On A Disk". It allows storing TI files individually on a PC filesystem like TIFILES, but was devised to allow preserving the TI specific information such as the filename on a PC DOS filesystem.
The answer at this point is no. I gave this a try with a Wine 1.0 build and it installed and laucnhed with no problems. But the redraw of certain parts of the window doesn't show up and you can't move things around. It will function but it's not usuable.


====Can I code on my PC and then transfer it into Win994a?====
Classic99 and V9T9 can read and write V9T9 format files, but they must be converted (either to TIFILES or stored on a disk image) before they can be transferred to a real TI.
Yes. The Win994a Disk Manager utility allows you to import/export PC text, FIAD and BASIC source files. This is very powerful because it let's you edit in great tools like TextPad, VIM, and emacs where you are more comfortable and probably a lot faster!


====Can I connect to a printer so I can print out stuff within Win994a?====
==== Using an IDE drive ====


The RS232 emulation works in Win994a but it does not allow you to connect to a real device (modem, printer, etc). What it does is allow you to output data to a serial device (RS232, PIO) and once that connection is closed it will bring up a print dialog box in Windows where you can then print to a printer or other device. If you hava a PDF driver you could even print out to a PDF document rather than the printer.
Q: '''Is it possible to load an IDE drive on a PC with information from disk images (V9T9, PC99) and then move it to the TI with an IDE controller for use?'''


So you cannot communicate with real devices but you can get a print out by leveraging print devices that Windows has. For example, in TI BASIC you can do the following:
I don't believe a tool or program exists to do this. This is speculation here but in order to do this one of the following must ocurr:


# Open the the RS232 port with: OPEN #1:"RS232.EC"
# There must be a program written on the PC that understands PC99/V9T9 images and a driver that supports the TI formatted version of an IDE drive (essentially a PC equivalent of the DSR).
# Load up your BASIC/XB program either from disk or by typing it in.
# One of the emulators must be aware and be able to use a TI formated version of an IDE drive which would still require a driver to be written.
# List it to the RS232 port with: LIST "RS232"


==== How do I import a text file of a Basic program from my PC into Win994a?====
So from those two possibilities the need for a driver (DSR like program) for the PC to understand and to be able to work with a TI formated IDE is requried. Also, the driver would have to either work with an TI IDE system based on [[Thierry | Thierry's]] DSR and/or Fred Kaal's DSR. All in all this is a big effort.
I would like to point out that kind of text editor you use and the format of the saved file is important. Not all editors save files the same way or have the same line endings. I did this test with a program called TextPad. If you use WordPad or Notepade then I would suggest you go to textpad.com and download this. It will blow the doors off of those poorly written tools.


Here is what I did:
Original question by: Alfredo Cevolini


# In TextPad I created a Basic program and saved it as "TEST.BAS".
=== Exchanging files between host PC and emulated TI ===
# In Win994a Disk Manager I browsed for a disk image and then clicked on "Import BASIC Source".
# I selected my "TEST.BAS" file and then it asks me what I want to call the file on the TI Disk. I named it "TEST".
# I closed the Win994a Disk Manager and then opened Win994a with my disk image loaded and Extended Basic as a cartridge.
# In Extended Basic I "Merged" in the file with the following command: MERGE DSK1.TEST


That's it! Now I can save the program, run it or add to it.
==== Can I bring my BASIC programs over to my PC as a text file for viewing? ====


====Where do I get software and/or roms for Win994a?====
Yes. Fred Kaal has a great program called [[TiDir]] that allows you to view/extract the contents of emulator files and disks. TiDir works with both V9T9 and PC99 format files/disks. Both MESS and Win994a use V9T9 format and PC99 uses PC99 format. The program even allows you to work with ARK files created by Barry Boone's [[Archiver]].  
You don't have to! The good news is that the installation of Win994a contains an entire library of cassettes, diskettes and cartridges for the TI. You just install and go!


==== How can I get Basic and XB files from Win994a to my PC?====
Win994a Users: there is a built-in way for Win994a to have output sent to a printer connected to your Windows PC. Another entry in the FAQ explains this in detail and it can be found under: Emulation -> Win994a
If you have the FREE program PDF995 on your PC as one of your 'printers' on your machine, then you can do a {List "PIO"} from the command line of any program.


You can then chose PDF995 as your printer and print the listing on your PC as a .pdf file.
MESS Users: there is also a built in way for MESS to print to a text file and then on your PC you can do what you want with it (save it, print it, etc). Another entry in the FAQ explains this in detail and can be found under: Emulation -> MESS


Then use the [highlight & copy] feature of Adobe Reader to save the listing to a WordPad or a Notepad document. Save the file you have just completed!
Classic99 Users: Classic99 can directly write Windows text files using either configuration or a special override sequence in the filename. It can also write to the clipboard using the device name "CLIP", which allows you to simply paste the text into any other editor.


Now you have a PC .txt file of your Basic or XBasic program that can be edited and used in the Win994a Disk Manager to make into a {Merge} file that can be saved out as a Basic or XBasic program.
==== How do I move a file from my PC to a emulator images file? ====


==== What is the Win994a Disk Manager?====
'''Refer also''' to the article [[TiDir]] with which you can take for example a DV80 TI Writer file from an emulated disk, transfer it to a Windows Text File in a Windows directory and when you have finished editing it, transfer it back to a DV80 file then move the file onto an emulated disk image.
This utility program is part of the Win994a suite. It's a great tool for doing the following operations:


# Creating Disk and Tape images
# Importing/Exporting Text files
# Importing/Exporting FIAD files
# Importing/Exporting BASIC source files
In short it not only helps to create image files, it also allows you to import/export data to and from those image files.
==== I cannot see or load my disk image file in one of the Win994a tools, what is wrong?====
If you open an image with one of the tools, Win994a Disk Manager for instance, it will essentially lock or hold the file. This means that while it is open you cannot open it with the emulator. So if you know a valid file exists then make sure it is not open with one of the other tools.
=== MESS ===
For all information on MESS please see the dedicated [[MESS]] section.
=== PC99 ===
For all information on PC99 please see the dedicated [[PC99]] section.
=== How do I move a file from my PC to a emulator images file?===


This is a broad question so let me put some parameters around it. Let's assume that someone is is looking to move a TI type file (text, basic, archive, etc.) to either a v9t9 or pc99 image. PC99 uses the pc99 image, Win994a and Mess use the v9t9 image type file.
This is a broad question so let me put some parameters around it. Let's assume that someone is is looking to move a TI type file (text, basic, archive, etc.) to either a v9t9 or pc99 image. PC99 uses the pc99 image, Win994a and Mess use the v9t9 image type file.
Line 161: Line 122:
Let me state that there are lots of ways to do this. I could use a serial connection with PC99 or some other craft utility. For simplicity sake I'm going to describe to methods that are easy to use and that anyone with a PC can use.
Let me state that there are lots of ways to do this. I could use a serial connection with PC99 or some other craft utility. For simplicity sake I'm going to describe to methods that are easy to use and that anyone with a PC can use.


====Win994a DiskManager====
===== Win994a DiskManager =====


This tool that comes with Win994a is a great utility. You can create a virtual floppy (v9t9 image) or use an existing image. Make sure that you select the image you want to use by clicking on the Browse button in the upper right corner.
This tool that comes with Win994a is a great utility. You can create a virtual floppy (v9t9 image) or use an existing image. Make sure that you select the image you want to use by clicking on the Browse button in the upper right corner.
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With your image selected you can now click on the "Import FIAD File" which will move the file(s) you want to the disk image. IMPORTANT: in the Files Type field change the value to "All Files (*.*)". You can now browse to files you want to import, select them. That's it!
With your image selected you can now click on the "Import FIAD File" which will move the file(s) you want to the disk image. IMPORTANT: in the Files Type field change the value to "All Files (*.*)". You can now browse to files you want to import, select them. That's it!


====TI99-PC====
===== TI99-PC =====


This is a utility that can do a lot with real TI Disks and virtual disks. The first thing to understand is that there is now a 3rd image format for this program that is called a "TI99-PC Image".
This is a utility that can do a lot with real TI Disks and virtual disks. The first thing to understand is that there is now a 3rd image format for this program that is called a "TI99-PC Image".
Line 183: Line 144:
NOTE: Greg McGill had the suggestion of using TI99-PC so credits to him on that!
NOTE: Greg McGill had the suggestion of using TI99-PC so credits to him on that!


===Can I bring my BASIC programs over to my PC as a text file for viewing?===
===== TIImageTool =====
 
Yes. Fred Kaal has a great program called TiDir that allows you to view/extract the contents of emulator files and disks. TiDir works with both V9T9 and PC99 format files/disks. Both MESS and Win994a use V9T9 format and PC99 uses PC99 format. The program even allows you to work with ARK files created by Barry Boone's Archiver. A link to Fred's site can be found on http://www.ti-994a.com/links.html.
 
Win994a Users: there is a built-in way for Win994a to have output sent to a printer connected to your Windows PC. Another entry in the FAQ explains this in detail and it can be found under: Emulation -> Win994a
 
MESS Users: there is also a built in way for MESS to print to a text file and then on your PC you can do what you want with it (save it, print it, etc). Another entry in the FAQ explains this in detail and can be found under: Emulation -> MESS
 
=== What is the Cyc CD-ROM?===
The "Cyc", as it is known, is a great collection of software and documentation that is meant to complement PC99. Since the the software is arranged for PC99, the owners of this commercial CD will only sell it to registered owners of PC99. The Cyc contains the following:
* All TI PHM Modules in PC99 format.
* All released TI PHD Diskettes in PC99 format.
* All TI PHM and PHD Manuals in PDF format.
* Articles by noted TI authors in PDF format.
* Full text of certain TI books in PDF format.
* A listing of all books related to the TI.
* An alphabetical List of 1,500 pages of TI information in PDF format.
* PHx lists that shows all TI numbered products (PHM modules, PHD disks, PHT cassettes) in PDF format.
* Many third-party and unreleased TI modules in PC99 format.
* Indexes to all major TI publications, and full text of selected magazines in PDF format.
* User group disk and publication collections in PDF and PC99 format.
* Information, manuals, and disks from TI vendors in PDF and PC99 format.
* Thousands of other disks in PC99 format.
 
More information about the Cyc and PC99 can be found at: http://www.cadd99.com/
 
== Further links ==
 
pc99 - http://www.cadd99.com/
 
v9t9 - http://www.99er.net/emul.shtml#V9T9


mess - http://www.mess.org/  
See the information on [https://www.mizapf.de/ti99/timt mizapf.de] for a description of TIImageTool.


win994a - http://99er.net/win994a.shtml
[[Category:Emulation| ]]

Latest revision as of 22:39, 11 November 2022

An emulator is a program that simulates the components of the real machine as precisely as possible. It contains lots of simulations for the various chips like the processor, the video chip, the sound chip, ROM, RAM, and so on. By connecting all simulated circuits according to the schematics of the real machine, the complete system shows a behaviour that simulates the behaviour of the real machine.

In contrast, a simulator is a program that is designed to function like the original target regardless of how it is implemented underneath the covers of the program. The goal is to provide an application to the user which looks and feels like the real machine it is intended to simulate.

Emulators have to execute the ROM contents of the real machine, so they need dumps from its ROM memories. Simulators can use their own implementations of parts or all of the system behaviour. A simulator is great for running programs that were designed for the system. A simulator is not good for developing low-level applications on since it does fully implement the underlying hardware.

While emulators - if done correctly - are a very precise mapping of the real machine, users may experience a more comfortable handling with simulators. For instance, simulators may provide an access to the host file system and allow the simulated system to load and store files on it. In contrast, emulators usually make use of image files to represent the data medium (like a floppy disk) and make the ROM "believe" it sees the real medium. This requires all operations to be done on images which are usually only readable within the emulator - you cannot use PC tools to edit files. Also, it is difficult to integrate enhancements beyond the features of the real machine.

Win994A is a simulator, while MESS is an emulator. Classic 99 shows characteristics of both.

What emulators exist for the TI-99/4a?

Fortunately there is a variety of emulator that you can use. While most are free, one in particular is commercial and requires payment. Here is a brief summary of the emulators:

  • Classic99 - A Windows-based emulator that emulates the TI-99/4A and the TI-99/4. It includes ROMs built-in under license from Texas Instruments and requires minimal setup to get started. It supports a number of add-ons in various states but the prime focus is to aid development of new software on the standard base console with 32K.
  • Js99'er - An online JavaScript-based emulator that runs in a web browser and emulates the TI-99/4A and a number of peripherals including near-complete support for the F18A video upgrade. Link: http://js99er.net
  • MESS - stands for "Multiple Emulator Super System" and not only does it emulate the TI-99/4A, it also includes the TI-99/4, the rare TI-99/8, and the Geneve. Moreover, it also allows the emulation of countless other computer systems outside of the TI world. This a great tool for those that work with multiple types of computers and systems. The focus of MESS is a precise emulation, sometimes at the cost of usage comfort.
  • pc99w - it runs in the Windows environment and emulates the TI-99/4A and some peripherals. pc99 is capable of emulating Myarc RAM card and Myarc Extended Basic. The emulation is supplied on dvd or usb stick and includes pc99dos and The Cyc. Released November 2016. link: http://www.cadd99.com/
  • TI4Amiga - Port of the DOS emulator by Ton Brouwer. http://aminet.net/package/misc/emu/TI4Amiga
  • ti99sim - An emulator for Linux users. Link: http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/
  • TI994W - Link: http://members.ziggo.nl/fgkaal/Software/sw_ti994w.html#ti994w (Add Information Here)
  • V9T9 - is another popular emulator, actually the first one for the TI-99/4A. Many disks and cartridges are in V9T9 format. For a long time, no new versions were released. In early 2013, the author Ed Swartz released a new version written in Java and runs on Windows, OSX, and Linux. It can be downloaded at http://eswartz.github.io/emul/. Also available as MacV9T9. Old version can be found at http://www.99er.net/emul.shtml#V9T9
  • Win994a - in some regards can be considered a simulator rather than an emulator. The author acknowledges that they excluded features that are not useful or appear to be rarely used. That said, it is great product and currently is under active development.

What is the easiest emulator to start out with?

This is a difficult question. Each emulator has its strengths and shortcomings. You should probably not judge the book by its cover, that is, easy installation need not guarantee satisfaction later, as emulators are pretty complex systems. After all, they mimic complete computing systems, including various physical devices.

Many of the emulators are still actively maintained, so you should be able to get in contact with the authors to get support.

You can use more than one emulation, and in most cases module and disk files are more or less interchangeable between emulations, or easily converted.

Do these emulators need Windows to run?

MESS is available for Windows, Linux, and the Mac (older and newer). All the TI-99/4, TI-99/4A, TI-99/8, and Geneve systems are properly emulated in all these host operating systems.

Other emulators that are designed to run under Windows may possibly run in a virtual machine environment. Please see the VM options for your operating system. Some emulators have been reported to run under Wine.

PC99 was written for DOS and will run with the Linux utility dosemu which is supplied with most Linux distributions.

The Java-based V9T9 should run on most platforms, and the web-based JS99er will run in most modern web browsers.

Emulators and disk images

Which emulators use which types of disk images?

This is quick list but it should be sufficient and it covers the most popular emulator:

  • V9T9 - Sector Dump Format (also referred to as "v9t9 format") (.dsk)
  • PC99 - Track Dump Format (aka "pc99 format") (.dsk)
  • MESS - sector dump format (v9t9) (.dsk) and track dump format (pc99) (.dtk or .dsk)
  • Win994a - sector dump format (v9t9) (.TIDisk)
  • Classic99 - sector dump format (v9t9) (.dsk) and track dump format (pc99) (.dtk or .dsk)
  • JS99'er - sector dump formation (v9t9) (.dsk)

Is there a way to capture and use cassette tape data with emulators?

Yes.

  • There is a program out there called CS1er that will take a WAV audio file of a TI Cassette Program and convert it to a FIAD file. FIAD is the native V9T9 file format and many emulators support V9T9 formats. You can find more about CS1er at the following website: http://www.cs1er.com

How do I convert PC99 format images to V9T9 format?

The easiest method, because it is GUI driven, seems to be to use Fred Kaal's program TiDir.

Refer to TIDIR article for link to Fred's website and screen grab of TiDir in action.

Here are the basic steps:

  1. Open TiDir to the directory where you PC99 image file resides.
  2. In TiDir select your PC99 image.
  3. From the file menu choose "Convert PC99 DSK-file to TI99 DSK-file"
  4. TiDir will prompt you for a location and file name to save the file.

What is a "TIFILES" file?

TIFILES files are individual TI files with a 128 byte header prepended that contains information intended to be used to recreate the TI-specific properties of the file. It was devised for use with XMODEM transfers and is sometimes called 'XMODEM' format, but it also permits those files to be stored on foreign filesystems such as a PC and later recreated on a TI (ie: for a BBS).

See the section on TIFILES format.

Classic99 natively reads and writes TIFILES format files, and they can be directly transmitted to a real TI via most XMODEM terminal packages.

What is a "FIAD" file?

FIAD is the native V9T9 file format, and stands for "Files On A Disk". It allows storing TI files individually on a PC filesystem like TIFILES, but was devised to allow preserving the TI specific information such as the filename on a PC DOS filesystem.

Classic99 and V9T9 can read and write V9T9 format files, but they must be converted (either to TIFILES or stored on a disk image) before they can be transferred to a real TI.

Using an IDE drive

Q: Is it possible to load an IDE drive on a PC with information from disk images (V9T9, PC99) and then move it to the TI with an IDE controller for use?

I don't believe a tool or program exists to do this. This is speculation here but in order to do this one of the following must ocurr:

  1. There must be a program written on the PC that understands PC99/V9T9 images and a driver that supports the TI formatted version of an IDE drive (essentially a PC equivalent of the DSR).
  2. One of the emulators must be aware and be able to use a TI formated version of an IDE drive which would still require a driver to be written.

So from those two possibilities the need for a driver (DSR like program) for the PC to understand and to be able to work with a TI formated IDE is requried. Also, the driver would have to either work with an TI IDE system based on Thierry's DSR and/or Fred Kaal's DSR. All in all this is a big effort.

Original question by: Alfredo Cevolini

Exchanging files between host PC and emulated TI

Can I bring my BASIC programs over to my PC as a text file for viewing?

Yes. Fred Kaal has a great program called TiDir that allows you to view/extract the contents of emulator files and disks. TiDir works with both V9T9 and PC99 format files/disks. Both MESS and Win994a use V9T9 format and PC99 uses PC99 format. The program even allows you to work with ARK files created by Barry Boone's Archiver.

Win994a Users: there is a built-in way for Win994a to have output sent to a printer connected to your Windows PC. Another entry in the FAQ explains this in detail and it can be found under: Emulation -> Win994a

MESS Users: there is also a built in way for MESS to print to a text file and then on your PC you can do what you want with it (save it, print it, etc). Another entry in the FAQ explains this in detail and can be found under: Emulation -> MESS

Classic99 Users: Classic99 can directly write Windows text files using either configuration or a special override sequence in the filename. It can also write to the clipboard using the device name "CLIP", which allows you to simply paste the text into any other editor.

How do I move a file from my PC to a emulator images file?

Refer also to the article TiDir with which you can take for example a DV80 TI Writer file from an emulated disk, transfer it to a Windows Text File in a Windows directory and when you have finished editing it, transfer it back to a DV80 file then move the file onto an emulated disk image.


This is a broad question so let me put some parameters around it. Let's assume that someone is is looking to move a TI type file (text, basic, archive, etc.) to either a v9t9 or pc99 image. PC99 uses the pc99 image, Win994a and Mess use the v9t9 image type file.

Let me state that there are lots of ways to do this. I could use a serial connection with PC99 or some other craft utility. For simplicity sake I'm going to describe to methods that are easy to use and that anyone with a PC can use.

Win994a DiskManager

This tool that comes with Win994a is a great utility. You can create a virtual floppy (v9t9 image) or use an existing image. Make sure that you select the image you want to use by clicking on the Browse button in the upper right corner.

With your image selected you can now click on the "Import FIAD File" which will move the file(s) you want to the disk image. IMPORTANT: in the Files Type field change the value to "All Files (*.*)". You can now browse to files you want to import, select them. That's it!

TI99-PC

This is a utility that can do a lot with real TI Disks and virtual disks. The first thing to understand is that there is now a 3rd image format for this program that is called a "TI99-PC Image".

You will want to do this if you want to move a file to PC99 or if you don't use Win994a. The process is as follows: Import your files to a TI99-PC Image and then import that image to either a PC99 or v9t9 image. Yes it is extra steps but it works.

You can find TI99-PC in the PC Utilities folder on WHTECH. There is a manual to explain all of the details. I'm just going to give you the menu choices here:

1) To import a file from DOS to a TI99-PC image you will choose, from the Main Menu, option #2 and then option #6.

2a) To import a TI99-PC Image file to a PC99 image you will choose, from the Main Menu, option #1 and then option #3.

2b) To import a TI99-PC Image file to a v9t9 image you will choose, from the Main Menu, option #1 and then option #5.

NOTE: Greg McGill had the suggestion of using TI99-PC so credits to him on that!

TIImageTool

See the information on mizapf.de for a description of TIImageTool.