Tandy 1000HX: Upgrades and Games!
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- Опубліковано 5 гру 2020
- I'm kicking off #DOScember with some useful upgrades to my Tandy 1000HX and actually getting some time to enjoy some games!
RGBtoHDMI Github: github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI/
RGBtoHDMI from Derek: www.tindie.com/products/cyber...
Blanking plate: www.thingiverse.com/thing:467...
Tandy 3in1 Upgrade: github.com/rkrenicki/Tandy-EX...
Please note: Robert is no longer producing these himself. If you'd like to organise your own, everything you should need is on the Github. If you're a maker of such things and wish to put them into production for people, please get in contact with Robert. Tandy.3in1@gmail.com
The rest of the DOScember crew can be found here:
Adrian's Digital Basement: / adriansdigitalbasement
ctrl-alt-rees: / ctrlaltrees
DaveJustDave: / mrdavejustdave
Jan Beta: / janbeta
Josh Malone: / joshmalone_48kram
LGR: / lazygamereviews
MindFlareRetro: / mindflareretro
Mr Lurch's Things: / mrlurchsthings
Noel's Retro Lab: / noelsretrolab
RetroSpector78: / retrospector78
RMC: / rmcretro
RoseTintedSpectrum: / rosetintedspectrum
Tech Tangents: / akbkuku
The 8-Bit Guy: / adric22
TheRetroChannel: / theretrochannel
Patreon: / mrlurch
Twitter: / mr_lurch
Facebook: / mrlurchsthings
Instagram: / mr_lurchs_things - Наука та технологія
Amendment: I’ve been told the HX was sold in Australia, but in very small numbers.
9:23: "Invalid directory"? What's this?
@@ropersonline I ran kq3.bat instead of Sierra.com
I was literally typing this when I noticed the pinned post. I remember them well in the stores. I wish the later keyboards had the same switches that were found in those.
HEY! Did you put a V20 in that machine? If so, that answers my question of whether Sierra games would do the 286 enhanced animations on V20 or not! Space Quest 3 is a good example, like the green logo bars sliding in rather than just appearing... thanks!
It's amazing the cottage industry that's making cards that we would have killed for back in the day. The march of technology is a wonderful thing (sometimes!).
And to make life so much easier today!
Thank the Vintage Computer Forums. I started a thread a couple years ago on this topic, and a bunch of people started pooling their ideas together and started making their own cards before I ever got my card off the ground. Some of them were probably thinking of the idea before I did. Paleozoic PC's (UA-cam), aka Eudimorphodon (VCFED.org), has his own all-in-one design, and Adrian Black turned out his own card as well. These memory expansions doesn't have the DMA controller that the Tandy card had, but the AS6C4008 (which everybody seems to be using) is so fast compared to what Tandy started out with that you really don't notice the difference unless you're doing a lot of stuff off the floppy, or have something else installed that can make use of DMA. Some things learned on that thread included the margins for the connectors, since on PLUS cards, the connectors are on the solder-side, and I used that when making my own PLUS variant of the XT-IDE rev.4.
@@BlackEpyon Indeed, chatting on VCF was what gave me the idea to make a proper PLUS to ISA adapter a few years ago as the 62 pin IDC parts had dried up.
@@Cybernetic_Systems There's still a couple warehouses with 62-pin IDC connectors. vetco.net/products/62-pin-idc-female-socket-connector-0-1-keyed
At the time I made my ribbon adapter for my ISA I/O card, I just used a TH header and soldered the ribbon to it. I actually did think of getting one of the adapters you sell, but the ports on that card didn't allow enough clearance that way.
@@BlackEpyon however they don’t fit in the Tandy plus sockets without breaking the sides of the plastic shroud.
PS I was referring to the IDC ISA edge connector, it’s only available in 64 pin last I checked.
That was my favorite of all the Tandy 1000s. I remember people with them bragging that their HX had a "hard disk" because it took 3.5" disks.
First computer I had taken apart the day my dad brought it home.... he wasn't so happy to say the least. Thus, came my custom computer making career! Thanks dad 😉
The Tandy 1000 was a stroke of genius and THE ultimate home computer of the mid 80s. By using the PC Jr graphics and sound standards it provided a consistent hardware standard for game authors that was comparable to something like a Commodore 64. But as an MS-DOS clone with good PC compatibility, it could run those productivity packages for the parents, or software for the kids per their school work. It had a good run and really should be viewed as one of the premier computers of the 80s aimed at the home market - and even businesses on a budget.
Agreed. At least in the PC realm, they really were *THE* machine to have.
For anybody whose wondering, the PLUS header the EX and HX use are ISA compatible, so you can get adapters or make a ribbon cable to kludge a normal ISA card in there. But to really screw with you, the connectors on PLUS cards go on the solder side of the board, opposite the components.
If you have them, you can also use PEM nuts instead of soldering standard nuts to mount the bracket. Did that with my XT-IDE PLUS card.
That's why I made these:
www.tindie.com/products/14750/
The Tandy 1000 HX will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my very first computer. Inherited it from my dad when he upgraded. I still have it, and it still works.
Hi from across the ditch in NZ! So cool that you got the Tandy donated! Great video 👌
I sure wish more PC's had been manufactured in this form factor. There's something about them that's just strikingly beautiful to me. Great video sir, rock on!
The Tandy HX is an EXCELLENT choice for #DOScember videos :-) Great stuff! Robert's card is awesome: I bought one even though I had a PLUS memory card... figured they would probably be limited run!
And, by the way, I am just like you, Mr. Lurch! I like to fix up systems.. then they end up on the shelf. HA!
And that Super Off Road is great!!! Awesome video! I am glad that you showcased the games.
I have that exact machine on my bench right now! Can't wait to get it up and going!
A Tandy 1000HX is a great computer for your retro collection -- I still really like the form factor. Excellent #DOScember topic. I often find myself in the same situation - work on a computer, move on quickly to something else related or completely unrelated, and NEVER spend quality time with the old fella that I just serviced. Man, I really like that RGBtoHDMI gizmo - I have not seen this before. Super video and presented well -- I really enjoyed it. 👍
It looks super cool
Found you! Thank you so much! Now I'm trying to locate the RGBtoHDMI, The Pi Zero is out of stock everywhere, except for scalpers!
G'day Mr. Lurch! I do love the look of the Tandy 1000HX, such a nice compact form factor. It sounds like they're about as common down under as they are here in the UK. I hadn't heard about RBGtoHDMI, what a cool project and the video looks super crispy! 👍
Yet another great video for DOScember, we're on a roll! 😄
The RGBtoHDMI is just fantastic. Can be a little fiddly to get *just right* but the manual Derek provided makes life a lot easier.
I swear I did search before I asked, I appreciate you both!
Thanks for the video. PGA tour golf is the golf game I play, and also used to play back in the day on Amiga. I think it's one of the best golf games. Leaderboard on C64 is also another great one. Tandy 1000HX is one sexy computer
Another great video. :-) That RGBtoHDMI is such a glorious hack! I want one for my C128 :-)
Mr Lurch love your videos keep up the good work.
Sad that the one computer I had as a kid (in New York) was reviewed only on the other side of the planet. Good video though!
omg PGA tour golf - I ve probably played too much on that game. It is better than I remembered.
Nice video. I never had a Tandy computer as a teenager. I would see them being sold at RadioShack for decades.
I was bought up on early Tandys, but never even saw a T1000 as a kid.
The Tandy 1000 HX was my first PC. I wish I still had it.
Looking at your back shelf is like a trip down memory lane...HX had that, Amstrad....had that...Armatron...had that..(Mobile Armatron). Anyways see you back here next year when you have 50,000 subs.
I've got a paralell port adapter on the way from that tindie seller! registered interest in the next batch.
Excellent job. Clark Kent
"I'll not be playing twitch based games so a 3 frame delay should be okay"
Instantly puts on Prince of Persia.
Wouldn't really call Prince of Persia a 'twitch' games. It's certainly no Quake 3 or UT.
Also, it was meant to be 3ms delay, not 3fps
I would have loved to have a hard drive in my old HX back in the day. I may have to do that upgrade myself. I already have the factory RAM expansion though.
The board is currently N/A - although try checking with Robert if he knows anyone producing them at the moment.
It’s Septandy and doscember rolled into one 😀
I love Golf games .. for some reason. But I think PC Lemmings supported tandy graphics, too. You should definitely check that out, it's a fun game and fits on a single 3.5" disk.
Great upgrade! The only downside I see with the 3 in 1 expansion card is that it deletes the DMA chip that is added by the factory memory expansion card. Still a great upgrade for a great old computer.
From a performance point of view Robert mentioned that the use of sram more than makes up for it (I don’t know the technicalities myself)
You could install PC/GEOS onto the little machine and you might actually still use this for some Office productivity!
Thanks for the video, always informative, and entertaining at the same time 8). Did you have to run setuphx at all to get this running, or is the magic on the new card itself to always boot it first? Thanks again, keep up the great work, and keep them coming 8).
I’m sorry mate, but I honestly cannot remember. But I don’t *think* I had to.
Hi Jason, minor correction, the RGBitoHDMI Video Processor is able to correctly sample, scale and display each of the supported video modes with a very low lag of around 3 milliseconds (less than 1 frame of Video), not 3 frames. 😎
well - thats even better then :)
I would totally install Red Hat on that : )
I'm afraid the only "red hat" you'll find on a PC that old is the one worn by Carmen Sandiego
The last LCD monitor I bought has two HDMI inputs and one VGA input (it's black instead of blue for some reason, but it's VGA). I wonder why it doesn't have a DVI instead, but it should work with VGA-only machines.
hey dude, they were released in Australia and sold by Tandy. they are rare and i was thinking of creating a project to recreate the PCB and 3D model of the chassis.
I would love to get that card blank file to print some new ones! I have an EX and a HX that needs some single covers.
Here you go mate: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4679550
I had almost every set of Sierra games released up until the late 90s I never got any of the kings quest games.
I'm curios to see some RAM benchmarks since the Tandy Plus card has a DMA controller on it which offloads memory access from the CPU. I'm not sure if these third party upgrade cards have that, but many times they have SRAM which is faster. So a comparison of the two would be interesting.
The DMA on the Tandy card is used only for DRAM refresh. It does not speed up memory access in any meaningful way. Since this design uses SRAM which does not require refreshing, the DMA chip is not required.
I've done comparisons between this board and the original memory board, and they yield essentially identical results.
That said, there are some fringe cases where the DMA chip helps/is required: Certain Floppy disk access routines are sped up with the inclusion of DMA. Some utility software is specifically written to call the DMA functions (mostly floppy image writing applications). And lastly, some hardware expansions (such as the Sound Blaster) depend on DMA functions.
Since this project includes a CF card interface, the use of floppy disks will be diminished, getting around the first two use cases. This board also does not have a passthrough for additional hardware expansions (by design), so trying to use a Sound Blaster is unlikely.. nevermind the fact that physically fitting such a card would be a challenge, and the point of using a 1000 nowadays is to experience the Tandy Graphics and Sound systems.
My first PC. Having DOS in ROM (even if it’s 2.11) was nice. Hope you have a copy of Deskmate.
I do.... somewhere. Even a boxed copy i think.
Isn't it funny, how you have more processing power in the hdmi converter than in the computer itself? Reminds me of StarTrek 1.
The irony of this didn’t escape me. 👍
I used a trashpicked Tandy 1000HX as my main machine for a spell in 2002.
Does the 3 in 1 expansion include DMA? The Memory Plus gives DMA. Did you just give that up?
I wonder if this 3 in 1 contains the DMA controller the Tandy version came with.
It does not. The DMA controller is needed for DRAM Refresh, since the 3-in-1 uses SRAM, it is not required. It does not provide any speed benefit.
What's next, Appleril?
You make time if you a real gamer.
I bow to your real gamer-ness /sigh
Hi, I am a new viewer of yours but watched your Mac LC videos from two years ago. Did you ever fix the original power supply? I have one which makes the machine 'tick', as well.
I didn't think you'd read this comment on that old video so I ask this here.
I dont think i ever bothered to be honest.
I bought a HP thin client, shoved a 128GB SSD in it, and totally loaded it up with DOS games.
Yup - a pretty comon thing to do as long as you can either get sound drivers for it, or have room for a compatible sound card.
@@MrLurchsThings I'm sure you're familiar with philscomputerlab.com - he has some vids on a universal DOS driver tool he uses to install drivers. Can't recall the name of it offhand.
Yup - he does a lot of work in regards to getting DOS running on semi-modern hardware.
I feel your pain about building a nice retro PC and then not actually having the time to play games on it or just moving onto a new project. I have the same bad habit.
It just means that you guys don't actually want to play ( those ) games, but rather tinker with hardware.
Or we have day jobs, lives, other commitments and simply dont have time.....
prince megahit
latency should depend on how many frames per second you are outputting, barebone example: at 60 frames per second "1" frame lag is about 16 milliseconds, at 30 frames per second 1 frame lag is 32 milliseconds and so on... In your case it is not clear what a couple of frames lag means but in any case it doesn't seem much lag considering you are converting from analog to digital ALTHOUGH using an analog crt monitor would be much MUCH better
EDIT: game suggestion for you, PLAY SILPHEED, it is an amazing game and it does support tandy video and sound, also it has really low requirements
CGA/TGA is Digital TTL to begin with so this adapter keeps everything in the digital domain (hence the amazing quality). It's using the GPU on the Pi Zero, and the custom-programmed, high-speed (10ns) Xilinx CPLD on the RGBtoHDMI board and is able to correctly sample, scale and display each of the supported video modes with a very low lag of around 3 milliseconds (less than a frame of Video). That is of course connected to an LCD Monitor - connected to a TV that adds it's own video processing on top, would make that worse.
@@Cybernetic_Systems thanks for the detailed infos, i'd say that's such a negiglible added latency it should be even considered real time
@@MasterControl90original no worries. Yeah I doubt even the best FPS gamer could detect that level of latency.
What about Loom and Money island
I could have been there for days/weeks playing thru every great game that supported Tandy Graphics.
And what is next month Januarcade?!? 🙄
Do you have one of the Tandy laptops,?
I have a 1400LT, which is a WIP
@@MrLurchsThings How about the TRS80 Model 100?
@@davidjackson7675 I have a 102 somewhere. I think.
Leisure Suit Larry's story was basically copied wholesale from an earlier game called "Softporn Adventure".
That does not surprise me in the slightest (not the rip-off bit, but that it has it roots (boom-tish) in soft porn - hehe.
@@MrLurchsThings That earlier game was actually a text adventure, but its retail box cover art left an impression. There is a Wikipedia article, complete with a fair use size-reduced thumbnail of said box art. For a closer look, tineye and mobygames are your friends.
Got rid of mine, snif snif.
my board from robert never worked right unfortunately, waste of $100
Bummer. Did you send it back? This one didnt work right initially until I found a bent pin on the motherboard.
@esteban villalobos What did not work correctly? I looked through my list of orders, and I did not find this name, so I cannot email you.. but please reach out to me at tandy.3in1@gmail.com and I will be very happy to help.
Prince of Persia plays too slow, you can't even react in time to the running, sliding, etc
Nice video and nice machine. I'm sorry but, this was a Tandy video and not a DOS video. I think you failed to meet the objective of DOScember. Better luck next time.
Can't please everyone. *shrug*
It may be a Tandy but it is very much a DOS machine. I don't see how it doesn't fit the intent of DOScember.
Could you explain the objective of DOScember?
@@MrLurchsThings No worries mate. I was hoping for a video that emphasized DOS, not machines that can run does.
@@8_Bit Yes, I can. The objective of DOScember is to highlight DOS. A video about a DOS compatible machine without the focus on DOS is just a video about the machine and or software titles. Incidentally, I would have the same criticism of a certain IBM PCjr video. But don't take it personally, I'm just hoping that DOScember would be the purity of DOS. I do like for example, the video that DaveJustDave made of running DOS on a modern computer. That was actually exciting contrasting on how DOS was able to handle graphics modes on a modern machine. I hope you take this criticism as constructive and not negative.