====== Myarc Geneve 9640 (1987) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Texas Instruments TMS9995 12 MHz
* Co-Processor: Texas InstrumentsTMS9938 (Yamaha V9938) 128K display + TMS9901 Interrupt Controller + MM58274 real-time clock
* RAM: 512 KB 1-wait-state CPU RAM (expandable to 2mb) + 32 KB 0-wait-state CPU RAM (expandable to 64K)
* VRAM: 128 KB VDP RAM
* Text Modes: 80 columns
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 424 (256 colors), 512 x 424 (16 colors)
* Colors: 512
* Sound: SN76496 sound processor
* I/O Ports: RGB & composit video ouput (8-pin DIN), mouse, joystick port, keyboard connector (IBM compatible)
* OS: MDOS (very close to MS-DOS)
===== Usage =====
This driver emulates a Geneve with (almost) 2Mbytes of RAM, 4 floppy drives, and a mouse. 3 Hard Disk are supported by the HFDC disk controller.
You need an MDOS disk image to boot the Geneve. Insert the image and run the computer.
===== Known Issues =====
* Wait states are not emulated (except for the speech synthesizer), so the Geneve will always run at full speed.
* The keyboard does not seem to work properly in BHDMV.
===== History and Trivia =====
Myarc is known as the builder of several fine extension cards for the TI99. They managed to remain in business for several years after TI abandonned its TI99 series of computers in 1983, and, in 1987, they even introduced their Geneve 9640 computer. The computer is a single card to be inserted in the TI PEB as a replacement of the TI99 console. The card has standard connectors to attach a PC-XT keyboard and a monitor, but no other I/O ports, as the Geneve relies on expansion cards in the PEB to provide disk and RS232 interfaces. The Geneve features a TMS9995 at 12MHz, a V9938 VDP, an SN76496 sound generator (compatible with TMS9919), a MM58274 RTC, 512 kbytes of 1-wait-state CPU RAM (expandable to almost 2 Mbytes), 32 kbytes of 0-wait-state CPU RAM (expandable to 64 kbytes), and 128 kbytes of VRAM (expandable to 192 kbytes). Thanks to the GenMod modification, the 512 kbytes of on-board RAM can be disabled so that 0-wait-state RAM may be used instead, but this breaks the TI99 emulation mode.
Although the Geneve is compatible with the TI99, it is a different machine. It has a disk-based Operating System that looks like MS-DOS. It has two operating modes: a native mode, and a TI99-compatible mode. The TI99 mode is normally entered by running the GPL program: the Geneve can run most TI99 programs in this mode, which uses some special areas of CPU RAM to emulate GROMs and cartridge ROMs.
===== Links =====
* www.ti99.com -- http://perso.orange.fr/fabrice.montupet/geneve.htm
Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009