tom@vaxwaller.UUCP (03/26/87)
I wonder if anyone out there in ti.netland experienced the problem I am having lately with my TI 99/4A home computer: It powers up fine for a game and then within 5 minutes the system would lock up with no response from the keyboard or joystick and the screen page is either frozen or garbled up. It is certainly related to heat in the circuits for it would be up longer when first used. I suspected the video chip(TMS9918) which has a heatsink attached to it, so I replaced it with another one but the problem didn't go away .I checked the power supply board which is fine. I certainly appreciate any help via e-mail and I will post a summary. My little 7-year old is suffering from CWS (computer withdraw syndrome)! tom cao Varian Instrument (415)9452157
scon@charon.UUCP (04/01/87)
In article <735@vaxwaller.UUCP> tom@vaxwaller.UUCP (Tom Cao) writes: > > > I wonder if anyone out there in ti.netland experienced > the problem I am having lately with my TI 99/4A home > computer: > > It powers up fine for a game and then within > 5 minutes the system would lock up with no response > from the keyboard or joystick and the screen page is > either frozen or garbled up. It is certainly related > to heat in the circuits for it would be up longer > when first used. > I suspected the video chip(TMS9918) which has > a heatsink attached to it, so I replaced it with > another one but the problem didn't go away .I checked > the power supply board which is fine. > > I certainly appreciate any help via e-mail > and I will post a summary. My little 7-year old is > suffering from CWS (computer withdraw syndrome)! > > tom cao > Varian Instrument > (415)9452157 In reply to your article concerning the lock up of the console. Many of the console lock ups are related to the cartridge port. X-basic epecially. Using an eraser on the contacts to clean them, and making sure the circuit edge connectors have good contact would be the first thing to check. Also I have seen several power switches get bad connections which wiggling them will determine if they are the culprits. But I really thing you are experiencing lock up due to the cartridge port. One last thing to think about is the speech synthesizer. Many people have problems with lock up due to the speech synthesizer. You did not mention what hardware was attached to the machine. I would figure that a Speech syn is attached. Try removing it and seeing if lock-up still occurs. Scott Beeker UNM Computing Center geinah:sbeeker Some of us engineers still use little machines to amuse ourselves.