Difference between revisions of "Setting up the Horizon Ramdisk"

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The Horizon Ramdisk 4000 can be emulated via MESS/MAME. This selection will emulate a two megabyte ramdisk which is actually saved in the '''"\nvram\ti99_4a"''' directory within a file.
The Horizon Ramdisk 4000 can be emulated within MESS/MAME up to 16MiB of SRAM. The emulation will respond to the equivalent speed of the RAM disk on actual hardware.


'''Note: The directory is usually classified by the current machine type being emulated'''
The following installation process was created using MAME0176b 64bit and ROS version 8.32e.


The emulation will respond to the equivalent speed of the ram disk on actual hardware.
<div class="warn">If using ROS 8.14f or earlier, sector sizes will be limited to 1600.  ROS 8.32 and higher allows for 3200 sectors per disk.</div>


This process was created using MAME1076b 64bit and ROS version 8.32e.


'''Note: If using ROS 8.14f or earlier, sector sizes will be limited to 1600.  ROS 8.32 allows for 3200 sectors per disk.'''
== Storage ==


== Procedure: ==
The contents of the RAM Disk is saved in the '''nvram/ti99_4a''' subdirectory of your MAME base directory. Windows OS use backslashes for the path, e.g. ''C:\mess\nvram\ti99_4a''.
<br>
1> Boot into ''MAME'' and the ''TI-99/4A ROM'' <br>
2> Bring up the ''MAME'' menu by pressing '''SCROLL LOCK''' then press '''TAB'''<br>
3> Configure your '''System Devices''' for your wanted configuration.  For this example I will be showing PEB Slot #5 as the Horizon RAMDISK.


[[File:1.jpg]]
The directory is classified by the current machine type being emulated. If you use the European version, your directory will be ''nvram/ti99_4ae''. You can change the NVRAM subdirectory name via the ''nvram_directory'' property in the mame.ini configuration file; the default is ''nvram''.


4. '''Reset''' the machine for the settings to go into effect.<p>
The file names in the NVRAM folder are derived from the slot where they are plugged in, and from the device where they are used. If your Horizon Ramdisk is located in slot 3, the file name is ''peb_slot3_horizon''. You can safely exchange the nvram files between different cards, installations, or you can send them to other people using MAME for TI emulation.
The default CRU address for the ramdisk is 1200. If there will be multiple HRD's then the CRU address will need to be changed for each additional HRD to a CRU that does not conflict with any other expansion card.<br>


5. Bring up the ''MAME'' menu by pressing '''SCROLL LOCK''' then press '''TAB'''<br>
== Procedure ==
6. Select '''Dip Switches'''<br>


[[File:HRD2.jpg]]
The first part is concerned about the hardware setup.


<br>
=== Hardware setup ===
7. Select the '''Horizon''' ram disk slot<br>
8. Select '''Horizon CRU base''' option and change the CRU appropriately<br>
[[File:hrd3.jpg]]
<br>


* Boot into ''MAME'' and the ''TI-99/4A ROM''
* Bring up the ''MAME'' menu by pressing '''SCROLL LOCK''' then press '''TAB'''
* Configure your '''System Devices''' for your wanted configuration.  For this example I will be showing PEB Slot #5 as the Horizon RAMDISK


You will need to do this for each ramdisk within the system if you have more than one.<br>
[[File:1.jpg|200px]]


9. '''Reset''' the machine for the settings to go into effect.<br>
* '''Reset''' the machine for the settings to go into effect. The default CRU address for the ramdisk is 1200.  If there will be multiple HRD's then the CRU address will need to be changed for each additional HRD to a CRU that does not conflict with any other expansion card.
10. Bring up the ''MAME'' menu by pressing '''SCROLL LOCK''' then press '''TAB'''<br>
* Bring up the ''MAME'' menu by pressing '''SCROLL LOCK''' then press '''TAB'''
11. Select '''File Manager''' to select cartridge and disk images.
* In the main menu (left), select '''Machine Configuration''' to configure RAMDISK installed RAM. In the options screen that has just opened (right), configure the '''Horizon Size''' to what you would like.
12. Mount the ROS disk image <br>


[[File:HRD4.jpg]]
[[File:hrd13.jpg|border|x400px]]
[[File:hrd14.jpg|border|x400px]]


<br>
* Select '''Dip Switches'''. For each of the slots where a Horizon card is plugged in, select '''Horizon CRU base''' option and change the CRU appropriately. If you have more than one card, make sure you use different CRU bases.
13. Select '''Cartridge''' to load ''Extended Basic''<br>


[[File:hrd5.jpg]]
[[File:HRD2.jpg|border|x400px]]
<br>
[[File:hrd3.jpg|border|x400px]]
14. Press '''ESCAPE''' twice to exit the ''MAME'' menu<br>
15. Press '''SCROLL LOCK''' to disable the ''MAME'' menu<br>
16. Press '''ANY KEY''' to go to ''TI-99/4A'' menu<br>
17. Press '''2''' to go into Extended Basic and the ''HRD ROS'' Loader should load.<br>


[[File:hrd6.jpg]]
* '''Reset''' the machine for the settings to go into effect.


<br>
=== Setting up the ROS ===
18. Select '''1''' for ''CONFIG Loader/Editor''<br><br>


The ROS CONFIG will detect the currently installed expansion cards. The below image shows two Horizon Ramdisks.<br><br>
* Bring up the ''MAME'' OSD menu by pressing '''SCROLL LOCK''' then press '''TAB'''. Select '''File Manager''' to select cartridge and disk images (left). Mount the ROS disk image (middle). Then select '''Cartridge''' to load ''Extended Basic'' (right). You can use various Extended Basic flavors, like ''exbasic'' (standard) or ''exbas25'' (Extended Basic 2.5).


[[File:hrd7.jpg]]
[[File:hrd11.jpg|border|x400px]]
[[File:HRD4.jpg|border|x400px]]
[[File:hrd5.jpg|border|x400px]]


<br>
* Press '''ESCAPE''' twice to exit the ''MAME'' menu.
19. Press '''ANY KEY''' to start configuration<br>
* Press '''SCROLL LOCK''' to disable the ''MAME'' menu.
20. Press '''L''' to load configuration file<br>
* Press '''ANY KEY''' to go to ''TI-99/4A'' menu
'''Note: Select appropriate configuration file for the disk controller installed into the system (Myarc/TI/CorComp)'''<br>
* Press '''2''' to go into Extended Basic and the ''HRD ROS'' Loader should load.
21. Press '''E''' to edit configuration<br>
22. Keep all defaults but change '''Power Up''' to '''N''' ''(NO)''<br><br>
To cycle through selections press '''ENTER'''; '''FCTN-9''' when done (ALT+9 in ''MAME'')<br><br>
[[File:hrd8.jpg]]
<br>
23. Press '''D''' to configure ram disk assignments and sizes<br><br>


'''Note: Use cusor keys to move different disk drive numbers'''<br><br>
[[File:hrd6.jpg|400px]]
24. Select Disk Drive # to assign<br>
 
25. Assign a Disk Name of the disk (based on TI Disk Naming criteria)<br>
* Select '''1''' for ''CONFIG Loader/Editor''
26. Select N for No Write Protection<br>
 
27. Select Y to format the drive<br>
The ROS CONFIG will detect the currently installed expansion cards.  The below image shows two Horizon Ramdisks.
28. Select sector size<br><br>
 
'''Note: 1600 max sector size for ROS versions earlier than 8.32; 3200 sectors size for version 8.32+'''<br><br>
'''Note''': The larger the RAMDISK card size the longer it will take to detect the cards.
[[File:hrd9.jpg]]
 
<br><br>
[[File:hrd7.jpg|400px]]
29.
 
* Press '''ANY KEY''' to start configuration.
* Press '''L''' to load configuration file.
 
'''Note''': If using ROS 8.32 or earlier then select the appropriate configuration file for the disk controller installed into the system (Myarc/TI/CorComp).  ROS 8.34 has the configuration for all floppy controllers built into one file.
 
[[File:hrd10.jpg|400px]]
 
* Press '''E''' to edit configuration.
* Keep all defaults but change '''Power Up''' to '''N''' ''(NO)''. To cycle through selections press '''ENTER'''; '''FCTN-9''' when done (ALT+9 in ''MAME'')
 
[[File:hrd8.jpg|400px]]
 
* Press '''D''' to configure RAMDISK drive assignments and sizes
 
'''Note''': Use cusor keys to move different disk drive numbers
 
* Select Disk Drive # to assign
* Assign a Disk Name of the disk (based on TI Disk Naming criteria)
* Select '''N''' for No Write Protection
* Select '''Y''' to format the drive
* Select sector size
 
'''Note''':
 
:1600 max sector size for ROS versions earlier than 8.32
:3200 sectors size for version 8.32+
:Drives can be defined from '''DSK1-DSK9''' and '''DSKA-DSKZ'''
 
[[File:hrd9.jpg|400px]]
 
* Press '''FCTN-9''' when done (ALT+9 in ''MAME'')
 
[[File:hrd8.jpg|400px]]
 
If there is more than one Horizon Ram Disk installed then hit '''N''' for next to configure the next HRD.
 
'''Note''': The ROS does not verify selected Disk Drive numbers/letters that are already in use.  The user will need to keep track of what is in use.
 
Congratulations, your Ramdisks should now be ready to use.

Latest revision as of 12:07, 29 August 2016

The Horizon Ramdisk 4000 can be emulated within MESS/MAME up to 16MiB of SRAM. The emulation will respond to the equivalent speed of the RAM disk on actual hardware.

The following installation process was created using MAME0176b 64bit and ROS version 8.32e.

If using ROS 8.14f or earlier, sector sizes will be limited to 1600. ROS 8.32 and higher allows for 3200 sectors per disk.


Storage

The contents of the RAM Disk is saved in the nvram/ti99_4a subdirectory of your MAME base directory. Windows OS use backslashes for the path, e.g. C:\mess\nvram\ti99_4a.

The directory is classified by the current machine type being emulated. If you use the European version, your directory will be nvram/ti99_4ae. You can change the NVRAM subdirectory name via the nvram_directory property in the mame.ini configuration file; the default is nvram.

The file names in the NVRAM folder are derived from the slot where they are plugged in, and from the device where they are used. If your Horizon Ramdisk is located in slot 3, the file name is peb_slot3_horizon. You can safely exchange the nvram files between different cards, installations, or you can send them to other people using MAME for TI emulation.

Procedure

The first part is concerned about the hardware setup.

Hardware setup

  • Boot into MAME and the TI-99/4A ROM
  • Bring up the MAME menu by pressing SCROLL LOCK then press TAB
  • Configure your System Devices for your wanted configuration. For this example I will be showing PEB Slot #5 as the Horizon RAMDISK

1.jpg

  • Reset the machine for the settings to go into effect. The default CRU address for the ramdisk is 1200. If there will be multiple HRD's then the CRU address will need to be changed for each additional HRD to a CRU that does not conflict with any other expansion card.
  • Bring up the MAME menu by pressing SCROLL LOCK then press TAB
  • In the main menu (left), select Machine Configuration to configure RAMDISK installed RAM. In the options screen that has just opened (right), configure the Horizon Size to what you would like.

Hrd13.jpg Hrd14.jpg

  • Select Dip Switches. For each of the slots where a Horizon card is plugged in, select Horizon CRU base option and change the CRU appropriately. If you have more than one card, make sure you use different CRU bases.

HRD2.jpg Hrd3.jpg

  • Reset the machine for the settings to go into effect.

Setting up the ROS

  • Bring up the MAME OSD menu by pressing SCROLL LOCK then press TAB. Select File Manager to select cartridge and disk images (left). Mount the ROS disk image (middle). Then select Cartridge to load Extended Basic (right). You can use various Extended Basic flavors, like exbasic (standard) or exbas25 (Extended Basic 2.5).

Hrd11.jpg HRD4.jpg Hrd5.jpg

  • Press ESCAPE twice to exit the MAME menu.
  • Press SCROLL LOCK to disable the MAME menu.
  • Press ANY KEY to go to TI-99/4A menu
  • Press 2 to go into Extended Basic and the HRD ROS Loader should load.

Hrd6.jpg

  • Select 1 for CONFIG Loader/Editor

The ROS CONFIG will detect the currently installed expansion cards. The below image shows two Horizon Ramdisks.

Note: The larger the RAMDISK card size the longer it will take to detect the cards.

Hrd7.jpg

  • Press ANY KEY to start configuration.
  • Press L to load configuration file.

Note: If using ROS 8.32 or earlier then select the appropriate configuration file for the disk controller installed into the system (Myarc/TI/CorComp). ROS 8.34 has the configuration for all floppy controllers built into one file.

Hrd10.jpg

  • Press E to edit configuration.
  • Keep all defaults but change Power Up to N (NO). To cycle through selections press ENTER; FCTN-9 when done (ALT+9 in MAME)

Hrd8.jpg

  • Press D to configure RAMDISK drive assignments and sizes

Note: Use cusor keys to move different disk drive numbers

  • Select Disk Drive # to assign
  • Assign a Disk Name of the disk (based on TI Disk Naming criteria)
  • Select N for No Write Protection
  • Select Y to format the drive
  • Select sector size

Note:

1600 max sector size for ROS versions earlier than 8.32
3200 sectors size for version 8.32+
Drives can be defined from DSK1-DSK9 and DSKA-DSKZ

Hrd9.jpg

  • Press FCTN-9 when done (ALT+9 in MAME)

Hrd8.jpg

If there is more than one Horizon Ram Disk installed then hit N for next to configure the next HRD.

Note: The ROS does not verify selected Disk Drive numbers/letters that are already in use. The user will need to keep track of what is in use.

Congratulations, your Ramdisks should now be ready to use.