Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ihnp4!ptsfa!lll-lcc!styx!ames!hc!beta!unm-la!unmvax!charon!scon
From: scon@charon.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ti,misc.kids
Subject: Re: TI 99/4A crash
Message-ID: <714@charon.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Mar-87 23:35:29 EST
Article-I.D.: charon.714
Posted: Tue Mar 31 23:35:29 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Apr-87 07:04:41 EST
References: <735@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Reply-To: scon@charon.UUCP (Student Consultants)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Lines: 46
Keywords: garbled screen
Xref: utgpu comp.sys.ti:13 misc.kids:914

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.