TIPI 32K installation - jgparker/tipi GitHub Wiki
- TIPI-32K board
- Raspberry Pi Zero W with TIPI/32K specific header (pins 31-40 backside) and optional power header Pins 2 or 4 topside)
- SD-card with Jedimatt42's SD-Card image flashed (instructions below and on the TIPI Wiki)
- Suitable power supply for Raspberry Pi (Optional, any Micro USB 5v supply should work).
- A good used Speech Synthesizer or 3D printed housing (Optional)
The TIPI-32K now ships with the CRUBASE set to >1100 (first/front CRU jumper set, see image below). This should work best for most applications. Choose a CRU address that does not conflict with your other peripherals. For a common card CRU usage chart, go here: CRUBASE. The TIPI/32K only uses the fist thee jumpers for CRU address, which limits it to a range of >1000 to >1700, as the last bit is used to disable the internal 32K SRAM.
CRUBASE Jumper settings:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | CRUBASE | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | x | >1000 | Hard & RAM drives |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | x | >1100 | Disk Controller (Default) |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | x | >1200 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | x | >1300 | RS232-1/2 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | x | >1400 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | x | >1500 | RS232-1/2 |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | x | >1600 | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | x | >1700 | hexbus |
The TIPI/32K has the ability to disable its internal 32K RAM. This can be done to allow the use of external memory, such as a PEB 32K card, a NanoPEP, or a SAMS sidecar. Internal RAM is disabled by installing the last/rear CRUBASE jumper. See picture below. When in this mode, the external RAM will be used in place of the internal RAM. The TIPI will not work correctly with this Jumper placed and no external RAM as TIPI needs 32K of RAM to work.
CRUBASE Jumper settings:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Internal Ram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | x | x | 0 | Enabled |
| x | x | x | 1 | Disabled |
Download the SD card image for your Raspberry Pi. The image works on both a Raspberry Pi 3, and a Pi Zero W. The SD card image is on my download page or in Jedimatt42's Downloads page and is common to all TIPIs. Flash the SD card image to a 2GB or greater Micro-SD card. I'd recommend using Etcher to flash the image. It is supported for Linux, Windows and OS X.
Pre-programmed SD cards are also available from Arcade Shopper.
Once assembled, install the TIPI/32K into the side-port of the TI-99/4A.
If powered externally, attach the power cable to the Pi. Otherwise just power the console on. The Pi will boot, which takes about a minute.
**Note: Do NOT remove power from the Pi without shutting down the Pi first. This is especially important if the Pi is powered by the console. (Covered in Pi power wiki.)
You do not need a monitor or keyboard attached to the Pi, but it can be helpful. SSH-ing into the Pi can serve the same purpose, but will not be possible until after the Wifi is setup on the Pi.
Turn on your 4A. You should see a traditional title screen.
Go to TI BASIC and run CALL TIPI
The image contains a configuration tool, in the form of an EA5 program image. 'CALL TIPI' will load TIPI.TIPICFG and bring you to the TIPI set-up screen if everything is working.
Upon load, it will read the PI.STATUS file, and PI.CONFIG file, and present some interesting bits. Initially you won't have an IP address because your Wifi settings are not yet configured. The drive mappings will also be blank.
To set-up WiFi on the Raspberry Pi ZeroW, set the SSID, and PSK by pressing 'S' and entering the SSID value, and then press enter. Then press 'P', enter the pre-shared-key for your wifi ( this is usually your 'wifi-password' ) and press enter. Editing is limited, supports F3 to erase to end of line, along with F1, F2 and arrow keys. If you press enter, want to undo what you typed, you can press 'R' to reload, or just press 'P' or 'S' again and re-enter the value.
Once you have what you want on the screen, you can press 'W' and the configuration will be written. The Raspberry Pi will reboot. Reading will block until the TIPI services are all back up and running. When it is done, you should see an IP address.
'Q' exits without saving any changes.
Note: At this point an upgrade may be presented. For best results grow the SD-card partition first! Manual WiFi Setup
If you have special configuration requirements, the Raspberry Pi SD-card image supports a headless bootstrap model. You create a wpa_supplicant.conf file in the boot with the necessary WiFi configuration details. Follow the guidance provided at raspberrypi.org headless.md. Grow your SD-card partition
** Old SD-card images (before Novvember 2019) were 2GB images and must be installed to 4GB or larger SD-cards. The root file system must be expanded to fill the remaining space. Below is the procedure to do this. New images are 4GB already, and do not have to be expanded, although you are limited to 4GB if you do not.**
You can SSH into the Raspberry Pi, and use raspi-config to extend the partion to enable all of your space.
Login to the Raspberry Pi from your TI by going into TI BASIC and entering:
CALL TIPI("TIPI.NET.TELNET")
At the HOST and PORT prompt, enter localhost and 23
HOST: localhost
PORT: 23
You will be brought to a login prompt. The user name is 'tipi' and password is 'tipi'
Now to grow the file system. The sudo command will prompt you for your password again before executing the command with 'root' user privilege. This is the password for the 'tipi' user.
sudo raspi-config --expand-rootfs
It will finish, and show some mount errors, and ask you to reboot. Enter:
sudo reboot now
The TI will lock up with the TIPI light on. Power off the TI. Now just wait about a minute, and you should be ready.
If you want to check that the root file system grew correctly, you can log back in using the TELNET client, and use the following command:
df -k .
There is an early web administration interface at:
http://<ip-address>:9900
To get your TIPI's IP address, go back to TI BASIC and run TIPICFG by entering:
CALL TIPI
The IP address should be shown near the upper right. Now you can compose the url in your browser's address bar.
Open it up, and you can browse the files hosted on your TIPI, as well as upload files. The TIPI.TIPICFG tool should already be visible.
TIPI expects all files to be in TIFILES format. If you use the 'upload' feature from TIPI's web ui, it will auto-convert v9t9 FIAD files (such as HDX files) to TIFILES format.
Disk images are not directly supported, however you can upload most .DSK image files via the web-ui or file share, and they will be automatically extracted into a directory matching the volume name.
You can also use programs like Ti99Dir, or TiImageTool or xdm99 to convert whatever format you have into TIFILES.
The web ui is incomplete There are functions in the top menu bar that appear to do nothing, such as 'settings'.