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TI-99 related Specification Documents and Software License to work with the System Source Code

Klaus Lukaschek
Prodigy 35 points

Hello everyone,

Texas Instruments once released a Home Computer called TI-99/4, with a successor TI-99/4A.
It is running a Tms9900 Cpu, a TMS9918(A) Vdp and some more TI chips. This was 1979-1983.

In 2018 the TI-99 community is still strong, trying their best to keep these products alive.

Semiconductor support refered me to post here.

1. Software License

I would like to buy from TI the software license to the system (Rom0 & Grom 0-2) of the TI-99 machine. The license should provide me with the original TMS9900 Assembler & Gpl source code plus specs. I want to be able to release modified versions to TI-99 hardware owners. A similar license was sold to some other member a long time ago, I can provide the name in private message if needed.
I am also interested in creating an emulator for the TI-99 and require permission to use the Source Code / Rom Files of the machine for that project.

2. TI Internal Documents from the TI archives

Being part of the community we would like to extend the available documentation on these systems.
I am not talking about the User Manuals, which are widely available.

Most of the documents we are keen to preserve have been initially created as TI internal documents, due to the big competition on the market back in the days.
If there are any doubts about releasing a document to the community, I can sign a declaration of secrecy to at least allow me to research and work with the document.
As said before, I am happy to pay TI for the effort in digging up these documents.

The following documents are for sure existing because of references from other (available) documents in their 'Applicable Documents' section.
Please forgive me the long list, it is hope that drives this, that at least some more documents can be discovered in your TI document archives.
It is simply unimaginable that there is no archive for internal documentation in such a huge company.

The involved divisions were usually The Personal Computer Division, Consumer Products Division, Consumer Group-University-Lubbock.

Hex-Bus™ Interface Peripheral Specification (Spec, 1982-10-08)
Hex-Bus™ Peripheral Bus Specification
Hex-Bus™ Printer Software Functional Specification
Hex-Bus™ Wafertape Software Functional Specification
Hex-bus Cable sketches (Spec, 1983-04-11)
Lonestar Console Intelligent Peripheral Bus Software Design Specification
Hex-Bus™ Generic I/O Product Specification
Advanced Language Calculator Product A Functional Specification
Advanced Language Calculator Microtape Peripheral Functional Specification

Disk Peripheral Hardware Specification (also known as 'Home Computer Disk Peripheral Hardware Specification')
Approaches to a Double Density Disk Controller Design for the 99/4X (Spec, 1982-01-11)
99/4 Interface Considerations, DS/SD Disk Controller Electrical Specifications (Spec, 1982-07-13)
Data Sheet for FDC9216 Floppy Disk Data Separation from Standard Microsystems Corporation (1981)
Disk Drive without Power Supply, TI Specification 1040367
NEC uPD765 Single/Double Density Floppy Disk Controller Data Sheet (Spec, 1980-10)
Functional Requirements for a Dual Density 5¼ Floppy Disk Controller Board(Spec, 1982-02-08)
Home Computer Disk Peripheral Product Specification

General Requirements for IC’s, Spec 1500005
TI QRAs 10273 – Product Qualification
TI QRAs 10332
TI QRAs 10348
TI QRAs 10349 – IC Qualification
TI QRAs 16237
FCC part 15, subpart J
FCC Rules and Regulations, Part 15 Sub-parts, A, B, & H and Part 2, Subpart J
FCC Docket 20780
FCC Docket 20780, Part 15, Subparts H and I
National Safe Transit Pre-shipment Test Procedure
CSA STD C22.2-154
MIL STD 105
UL STD 114
MIL STD 810B
MIL STD 461
MIL STD 462
MIL STD 461A; 462 Methods CS01, CS02, CS06, RS01, RS02, RS03
UL STD 461A; 462 Methods CS01, CS02, CS06, RS01, RS02, RS03

Home Computer Basic Language Specification (Spec, 1979-04-12, Revision 4.1) also known as 'TI-99/4 Home Computer Basic Language Specification'
Product 359 Basic Language Specification (Spec, 1980-01-28)
Product 359 Basic Subprogram Specification (Spec, 1980-01-28)
Product 359 Basic Sprite Specification(Spec, 1980-01-28)
Product 359 Basic Interpreter Expansion RAM Peripheral Support Software Specification (Spec, 1980-01-28)
Product 359 Basic Language Implementation and Verification Specification (Spec, 1980-01-28)
Specification of a Texas Instruments Standard for the Basic Language (Spec, 1978-06-09, Released)
TI-99/4A Console Basic Software Specification (Software Spec)

TMC0350 128-K Bit Rom Electrical Specification
Speech Module Spec. 1034759
TMS 5200 (old TMS 0285) Voice Synthesis Processor Data Manual

TI-99/4 ALC Support Package (Spec)

Home Computer Graphics Language Specification
Home Computer Monitor Specification
System Monitor Specification
Graphics Language Monitor Specification
Home Computer Floating Point Specification
Home Computer Equation Calculator Specification
Home Computer system memory, CRU, and interrupt mapping specification
Software Development for the Texas Instruments Home Computer (Spec, 1979-05-24, Released)

Home Computer Functional Specification, also known as 'TI-99/4 Home Computer Functional Specification'
Detailed System Specification
RAM Expansion Specification
Infrared Controller Specification
Cassette Peripheral Specification
I/O bus evaluation
I/O Cable Specification

Texas Instruments (DSG) Specification Control Drawing 984039 “Keyboard, Unencoded, without Keytops”
TI EPN3621 Thermal Character Printhead Specification
TI DSG Dwg. LU2214191 “Description, PVOLTs IC” – functional description of 2543
TI DSG Dwg. 2210840 “IC, Switching Voltage Regulator” – data sheet on 2543
TI DSG Dwg. LU2214194 “Specifications, Motor Drive IC” – func. descrip. 2444A
TI DSG Dwg. 2210843 “Integrated Circuit, Motor Drive” – data sheet on 2444A
TI DSG Dwg. 999256 “Motor, Stepping Paper Drive”
TI DSG Dwg. LU2214192 “Specification, Power Good IC MOG 2613” – func. descrip. 2613
TI DSG Dwg. 2211371 “Integrated Circuit, Power Good” – data sheet on 2613

TMC0430 Graphics Read Only Memory Specification (Specification 1015960)
TMS4732 Read Only Memory Manual
TMS-4732/4364 Read Only Memory Specification
TMS-4016 Random Access Memory Specification
TMS4027 Random Access Memory Manual
TMS4116 Random Access Memory Manual
TMS9901 Input/Output Controller Manual
ASTEC RF Module Specification (TI Specification 1501513)
TMS 9918A Video Display Processor Preliminary Description (Spec)
TMS9918 Video Display Processor Specification (Spec),
TMS9918 VDP Video Display Processor Data Manual (Data Manual, 1979-06-25, Revised)
9918A Data Sheets

TMS9919 Sound Generator Controller Specification (Spec, 1979-10-16, Released)
Sound Generator, SN94624 (Spec)
SN76489AN (TMS9919) Data Specification for the Sound Generator

RS-232/Parallel Port Software Design Specification (Spec)
TMS9902 Asynchronous Communications Controller Specification Sheet (Spec)
T DNCS.EM3278 [information on the operation of a TI 911 terminal]
T DNCS.EMDIAL [information on the operation of a TI 820 terminal]
SYNC-ANYNC Manual (TI#2223206-0001)

TI 99/8 Personal Computer (Spec)

TEC 380 (Spec)
CF-40051 CRT Controller Gate Array Specification (Hardware Spec)
CF-40052 I/O Controller Gate Array Specification (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel Mechanical Drawing Package (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel System Hardware Specification (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel Keyboard Specification (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel Software Module Specification (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel RAM Expansion Cradle Specification (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel ALC I/O Peripheral Bus Specification (Hardware Spec)
Ground Squirrel System Software Specification (Software Spec)
Ground Squirrel “Learn to Program” Tutor Specification (Software Spec)
VDE STD 380 [Performance Spec]
JIS STD (tbd) [Performance Spec]

Home Computer Video Monitor Specification (Hardware Spec)
Solid State Software™ Module Specification (Hardware Spec)
Specification for PCB Mount Double Row Right Angle Header TI Part Number 1044501

Many many thanks to anyinfo taking the time to handle this odd request.


BR Klaus Lukaschek

TI-99 Austrian Usergroup
http://www.ti99.eu
+43 676 39 00 448

  • 0
    Prodigy 5 points
    Hello Klaus,
    Thank you for posting to the TI E2E Forum.
    Indeed an interesting but odd request.

    I remember the 99/4A back in the day, it was quite the computing engine.

    We are investigating how to route your request.
    Please allow until Tuesday next week, March 6, for a reply.
  • 0 in reply to Ed Walker
    Prodigy 5 points

    Hello again Klaus,

    First, thank you for your interest in TI products.

    I enjoy hearing about the many great innovations that happen using TI products.

    Unfortunately this material is no longer in TI archives.

    TI has donated a substantial amount of historical material to the DeGolyer Library at SMU (Southern Methodist  Univeristy-Dallas) and you may be able to find some helpful material there.

      .

    After contacting the SMU library I was relayed this information.

    "The Texas Instruments records consist of ca. 1,500 linear feet of materials, including documentation supporting the development of various TI products –correspondence, data sheets, data manuals, handbooks etc. None of these materials have been digitized yet, and inventories to different parts of the archives are available in the library, but not online. A more comprehensive inventory to the collection is being worked on.

    As for the TI 99/4, please see the attached PDFs of the covers and tables of contents of three TI publications that include some (I hope) relevant content –  copies may be obtained by contacting the SMU Library."

    TMS9900 data manual.pdfTMS9902 data manual.pdfMOS memory book data book.pdf

    These are just data manuals and not the in depth material you are looking for.
    It does demonstrate there is much uncatalogued information at the Library. 

    The best suggestion would be to plan a trip to Dallas and visit the SMU library to look for these archives.

  • 0 in reply to Ed Walker
    Prodigy 35 points

    Dear Ed,

    thank you for taking the time to properly answer the request on the documents. I am really satisfied about the donation.

    I will contact the Library. A personal visit would be very expensive for me from Europe, but who knows and there are others in the community living close to that archive.

    The other question was rather about licensing an emulator I want to program which runs the TI software.
    Can you try to identify the right people in the house for this odd question as well?

    BR

  • 0 in reply to Klaus Lukaschek
    Prodigy 5 points
    I have sent you a friend request, Klaus, regarding licensing.
    "A similar license was sold to some other member a long time ago, I can provide the name in private message if needed."
  • 0 in reply to Ed Walker
    Prodigy 5 points
    Hello Klaus, I am still looking into this. So far I have not found a resolution to the licensing question.
    I just wanted to let you know it has not been dropped, we are investigating.
    Thank you for your patience.
  • 0 in reply to Ed Walker
    Prodigy 5 points
    Hello again Klaus,
    Several at TI have reviewed your request.

    TI doesn't have any way to validate the claims made that the others are licensed. They may be, under some old document or agreement, but it’s also entirely possible they are not licensed.

    TI's position has been that we are not providing licenses to our (even old or outdated) technology at this time – to do so, we would need a TI business sponsor willing to spend time and resources on the project. (FYI, there is rarely business support to do so, and the resources needed to do it, and to manage it, are not insubstantial.)

    Therefore TI must decline your licensing request.
  • 0 in reply to Ed Walker
    Prodigy 35 points

    Okay Ed. It seems, it was too long ago. Thanks for your research on my requests.

    BR Klaus