GaryOPA
@garyopa.bsky.social
Restarting my life and my retro passion for Texas Instruments TI99 Home Computers
838FDC SMT Prototype testing..
Project Status November Update
1 - FPGA replacement for WD1772/Ajax is working.
2 - In-circuit flashing of the DSR is working.
3 - 838FDC reworked to use SMT to reduce the cost.
4 - Testing underway for 1.44mb HD working at 36 sectors for both physical 3.5" and Gotek.
Project Status November Update
1 - FPGA replacement for WD1772/Ajax is working.
2 - In-circuit flashing of the DSR is working.
3 - 838FDC reworked to use SMT to reduce the cost.
4 - Testing underway for 1.44mb HD working at 36 sectors for both physical 3.5" and Gotek.
November 12, 2025 at 5:01 AM
838FDC SMT Prototype testing..
Project Status November Update
1 - FPGA replacement for WD1772/Ajax is working.
2 - In-circuit flashing of the DSR is working.
3 - 838FDC reworked to use SMT to reduce the cost.
4 - Testing underway for 1.44mb HD working at 36 sectors for both physical 3.5" and Gotek.
Project Status November Update
1 - FPGA replacement for WD1772/Ajax is working.
2 - In-circuit flashing of the DSR is working.
3 - 838FDC reworked to use SMT to reduce the cost.
4 - Testing underway for 1.44mb HD working at 36 sectors for both physical 3.5" and Gotek.
Happy November!
The first snowstorm in Scarberia...
Winter in Canada is early this year...
Time to put up the Xmas tree...
The first snowstorm in Scarberia...
Winter in Canada is early this year...
Time to put up the Xmas tree...
November 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Happy November!
The first snowstorm in Scarberia...
Winter in Canada is early this year...
Time to put up the Xmas tree...
The first snowstorm in Scarberia...
Winter in Canada is early this year...
Time to put up the Xmas tree...
One problem is sitting long-time in wheelchair, there not much support for your back and neck, plus with me i need to sit up higher as my long legs and overall height, so i have like 2 cushions.
November 8, 2025 at 8:11 PM
One problem is sitting long-time in wheelchair, there not much support for your back and neck, plus with me i need to sit up higher as my long legs and overall height, so i have like 2 cushions.
When I do videos, people always comment on my amazing wall of original Texas Instruments TI99 artwork above my computers.
So today, I finally added the 4th row along the top and also started working on the other wall on the far right adding one column to it.
What do you think?
So today, I finally added the 4th row along the top and also started working on the other wall on the far right adding one column to it.
What do you think?
November 5, 2025 at 10:40 PM
When I do videos, people always comment on my amazing wall of original Texas Instruments TI99 artwork above my computers.
So today, I finally added the 4th row along the top and also started working on the other wall on the far right adding one column to it.
What do you think?
So today, I finally added the 4th row along the top and also started working on the other wall on the far right adding one column to it.
What do you think?
TI99 PiPEB sidecar by JasonACT
The PPEB thingy is an amazing sidecar for our Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer. Using a Pi Pico W mounted on a board redesigned by dabone for SMT and running the firmware by the designer JasonACT it can emulate almost every hardware device.
youtu.be/5BzsnLOKHsw
The PPEB thingy is an amazing sidecar for our Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer. Using a Pi Pico W mounted on a board redesigned by dabone for SMT and running the firmware by the designer JasonACT it can emulate almost every hardware device.
youtu.be/5BzsnLOKHsw
TI99 PiPEB Sidecar by JasonACT
YouTube video by Gary O.P.A.
youtu.be
October 28, 2025 at 4:26 AM
TI99 PiPEB sidecar by JasonACT
The PPEB thingy is an amazing sidecar for our Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer. Using a Pi Pico W mounted on a board redesigned by dabone for SMT and running the firmware by the designer JasonACT it can emulate almost every hardware device.
youtu.be/5BzsnLOKHsw
The PPEB thingy is an amazing sidecar for our Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer. Using a Pi Pico W mounted on a board redesigned by dabone for SMT and running the firmware by the designer JasonACT it can emulate almost every hardware device.
youtu.be/5BzsnLOKHsw
GaryOPA's Presentation At The 43rd Chicago TI International World Faire
This video below produced for the 43rd Chicago TI World Faire takes you on an in-house tour of our OPA Retro Home Computer collection and what each machine is for in developing hardware & software for you.
youtu.be/v3XQrZxE_DA
This video below produced for the 43rd Chicago TI World Faire takes you on an in-house tour of our OPA Retro Home Computer collection and what each machine is for in developing hardware & software for you.
youtu.be/v3XQrZxE_DA
GaryOPA's Presentation At The 43rd Chicago TI International World Faire
YouTube video by Gary O.P.A.
youtu.be
October 27, 2025 at 5:21 AM
GaryOPA's Presentation At The 43rd Chicago TI International World Faire
This video below produced for the 43rd Chicago TI World Faire takes you on an in-house tour of our OPA Retro Home Computer collection and what each machine is for in developing hardware & software for you.
youtu.be/v3XQrZxE_DA
This video below produced for the 43rd Chicago TI World Faire takes you on an in-house tour of our OPA Retro Home Computer collection and what each machine is for in developing hardware & software for you.
youtu.be/v3XQrZxE_DA
3D Printing added to GaryOPA's Lab...
Thanks in part to a kind donation from one of our supportive Texas Instruments retro computer clients, plus a great sale by #3dprintingcan on the amazing #BambuLab P1S Combo we have upgraded our OPA workshop.
What should we design/print 1st?
Thanks in part to a kind donation from one of our supportive Texas Instruments retro computer clients, plus a great sale by #3dprintingcan on the amazing #BambuLab P1S Combo we have upgraded our OPA workshop.
What should we design/print 1st?
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 AM
3D Printing added to GaryOPA's Lab...
Thanks in part to a kind donation from one of our supportive Texas Instruments retro computer clients, plus a great sale by #3dprintingcan on the amazing #BambuLab P1S Combo we have upgraded our OPA workshop.
What should we design/print 1st?
Thanks in part to a kind donation from one of our supportive Texas Instruments retro computer clients, plus a great sale by #3dprintingcan on the amazing #BambuLab P1S Combo we have upgraded our OPA workshop.
What should we design/print 1st?
The OPA Coffee Bar is Now Open...
Nothing better than a hot cup of Java to get you through the long hours of coding daily when working on my various retro TI projects.
I upgraded my coffee machine, and added a filtered water container and a grinder so I can use whole beans. ☕
Nothing better than a hot cup of Java to get you through the long hours of coding daily when working on my various retro TI projects.
I upgraded my coffee machine, and added a filtered water container and a grinder so I can use whole beans. ☕
October 15, 2025 at 2:12 AM
The OPA Coffee Bar is Now Open...
Nothing better than a hot cup of Java to get you through the long hours of coding daily when working on my various retro TI projects.
I upgraded my coffee machine, and added a filtered water container and a grinder so I can use whole beans. ☕
Nothing better than a hot cup of Java to get you through the long hours of coding daily when working on my various retro TI projects.
I upgraded my coffee machine, and added a filtered water container and a grinder so I can use whole beans. ☕
Thanks to a kind soul I recently had donated to me this NABU Personal Computer It is an interesting machine as originally I was one of the Canadian Cable Subscribers that had one of these systems, in which you could play various games and other z80 based apps that were transmitted over the cable TV.
October 6, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Thanks to a kind soul I recently had donated to me this NABU Personal Computer It is an interesting machine as originally I was one of the Canadian Cable Subscribers that had one of these systems, in which you could play various games and other z80 based apps that were transmitted over the cable TV.
Now in Stock is the 838-SXB Multi-Module for your Texas Instruments TI99/4A Home Computer
This is the first production of the SXB since Triton stopped back in 1990. This new design by Chris Schneider / SHIFT838 & Gary Bowser / OPA contains many new features plus Widget support and 1 megabit of ROM.
This is the first production of the SXB since Triton stopped back in 1990. This new design by Chris Schneider / SHIFT838 & Gary Bowser / OPA contains many new features plus Widget support and 1 megabit of ROM.
October 4, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Now in Stock is the 838-SXB Multi-Module for your Texas Instruments TI99/4A Home Computer
This is the first production of the SXB since Triton stopped back in 1990. This new design by Chris Schneider / SHIFT838 & Gary Bowser / OPA contains many new features plus Widget support and 1 megabit of ROM.
This is the first production of the SXB since Triton stopped back in 1990. This new design by Chris Schneider / SHIFT838 & Gary Bowser / OPA contains many new features plus Widget support and 1 megabit of ROM.
TI-74 S complete package has now been added to my retro Texas Instruments collection, making it now complete with the devices that used the HexBus system, as I already own the CC-40 (Compact Computer) and the TI-95 Procalc.
October 1, 2025 at 9:11 PM
TI-74 S complete package has now been added to my retro Texas Instruments collection, making it now complete with the devices that used the HexBus system, as I already own the CC-40 (Compact Computer) and the TI-95 Procalc.
A Happy Smile is a Healthy Mind
Starting my journey in slowly getting my teeth fixed up living in the DR for over a decade there weren't really any good dentist places where I was hanging my hat on the island and then in Federal custody there were always excuses why their prison dental was closed.
Starting my journey in slowly getting my teeth fixed up living in the DR for over a decade there weren't really any good dentist places where I was hanging my hat on the island and then in Federal custody there were always excuses why their prison dental was closed.
September 30, 2025 at 3:29 AM
A Happy Smile is a Healthy Mind
Starting my journey in slowly getting my teeth fixed up living in the DR for over a decade there weren't really any good dentist places where I was hanging my hat on the island and then in Federal custody there were always excuses why their prison dental was closed.
Starting my journey in slowly getting my teeth fixed up living in the DR for over a decade there weren't really any good dentist places where I was hanging my hat on the island and then in Federal custody there were always excuses why their prison dental was closed.
With the cold Canadian winters that are coming soon, it means it will be getting dark early now, and with the number of retro projects increasing, I need to be able to see properly throughout the day and evening in my workshop area, so I cleaned it up and installed some nice bright shop lights.
September 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM
With the cold Canadian winters that are coming soon, it means it will be getting dark early now, and with the number of retro projects increasing, I need to be able to see properly throughout the day and evening in my workshop area, so I cleaned it up and installed some nice bright shop lights.
I finally, had a great sleep last night after many long years of horrible sleeping, and I am looking forward to many more wonderfully perfect sleeping nights and with good dreams.
September 24, 2025 at 5:23 AM
I finally, had a great sleep last night after many long years of horrible sleeping, and I am looking forward to many more wonderfully perfect sleeping nights and with good dreams.
Since I recently setup my Yamaha CX5MC system and rejoined the retro MSX world and plan to in the near future design some new hardware and port over some of my Texas Instruments TI99 software to the system, I needed to refresh my human sponge of a brain as it been a while since I did any MSX coding.
September 16, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Since I recently setup my Yamaha CX5MC system and rejoined the retro MSX world and plan to in the near future design some new hardware and port over some of my Texas Instruments TI99 software to the system, I needed to refresh my human sponge of a brain as it been a while since I did any MSX coding.
Quick Demo of the new 838SXB MultiMod Cartridge
Over the last few months, Shift838 has been hard at work in bringing back the Super X-Basic module for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer.
youtu.be/CKUTdrimexU
Over the last few months, Shift838 has been hard at work in bringing back the Super X-Basic module for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer.
youtu.be/CKUTdrimexU
Quick Demo of the new 838SXB MultiMod Cartridge
YouTube video by Gary O.P.A.
youtu.be
September 15, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Quick Demo of the new 838SXB MultiMod Cartridge
Over the last few months, Shift838 has been hard at work in bringing back the Super X-Basic module for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer.
youtu.be/CKUTdrimexU
Over the last few months, Shift838 has been hard at work in bringing back the Super X-Basic module for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer.
youtu.be/CKUTdrimexU
GaryOPA rejoins the now retro era of the MSX world!
My weekend project is finally here one of the systems I wanted to add to my collection of retro computers was an MSX machine as it is similar to the TI99 and Adam with the same TMS9918 VDP for video but with Z80 CPU and being Yamaha better sound.
My weekend project is finally here one of the systems I wanted to add to my collection of retro computers was an MSX machine as it is similar to the TI99 and Adam with the same TMS9918 VDP for video but with Z80 CPU and being Yamaha better sound.
September 13, 2025 at 9:21 PM
GaryOPA rejoins the now retro era of the MSX world!
My weekend project is finally here one of the systems I wanted to add to my collection of retro computers was an MSX machine as it is similar to the TI99 and Adam with the same TMS9918 VDP for video but with Z80 CPU and being Yamaha better sound.
My weekend project is finally here one of the systems I wanted to add to my collection of retro computers was an MSX machine as it is similar to the TI99 and Adam with the same TMS9918 VDP for video but with Z80 CPU and being Yamaha better sound.
During the month of August, I took an much needed break from daily "social media" grind to focus on my overall health and well-being, but I have still been busy on my various retro Texas Instruments projects.
September 6, 2025 at 12:01 AM
During the month of August, I took an much needed break from daily "social media" grind to focus on my overall health and well-being, but I have still been busy on my various retro Texas Instruments projects.
Finally a proper wheelchair has arrived...
It took a whole week, dealing at first with my broken chair, then a crappy replacement which was too low to the ground for me, and too hard to move around in, and then yesterday UPS claimed I was home, when clearly I was.
It took a whole week, dealing at first with my broken chair, then a crappy replacement which was too low to the ground for me, and too hard to move around in, and then yesterday UPS claimed I was home, when clearly I was.
July 24, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Finally a proper wheelchair has arrived...
It took a whole week, dealing at first with my broken chair, then a crappy replacement which was too low to the ground for me, and too hard to move around in, and then yesterday UPS claimed I was home, when clearly I was.
It took a whole week, dealing at first with my broken chair, then a crappy replacement which was too low to the ground for me, and too hard to move around in, and then yesterday UPS claimed I was home, when clearly I was.
Wheelchair Saga Continues...
Finding a new proper wheelchair is tough to replace the one that suddenly broke a few days ago after using it daily for 2 years.
Finding a new proper wheelchair is tough to replace the one that suddenly broke a few days ago after using it daily for 2 years.
July 21, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Wheelchair Saga Continues...
Finding a new proper wheelchair is tough to replace the one that suddenly broke a few days ago after using it daily for 2 years.
Finding a new proper wheelchair is tough to replace the one that suddenly broke a few days ago after using it daily for 2 years.
Well, it finally happened, after a solid 2 years of daily usage, I am now laying on the floor looking up at my ceiling, after the wheel just suddenly totally cracked off my mobility chair. At least I wasn't hurt.
July 17, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Well, it finally happened, after a solid 2 years of daily usage, I am now laying on the floor looking up at my ceiling, after the wheel just suddenly totally cracked off my mobility chair. At least I wasn't hurt.
Happy Birthday To My Beloved Father "Garfield"
Today, would had been my dad's 95th birthday, but sadly he passed away, while I was living in Dominican Republic, so I never got to say goodbye at his funeral.
Today, would had been my dad's 95th birthday, but sadly he passed away, while I was living in Dominican Republic, so I never got to say goodbye at his funeral.
July 15, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Happy Birthday To My Beloved Father "Garfield"
Today, would had been my dad's 95th birthday, but sadly he passed away, while I was living in Dominican Republic, so I never got to say goodbye at his funeral.
Today, would had been my dad's 95th birthday, but sadly he passed away, while I was living in Dominican Republic, so I never got to say goodbye at his funeral.
Sunday Is Relaxing Book Reading Day
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my love of books related to my passion for retro computing, and that I was open to receiving donations of more Texas Instruments related books for my library.
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my love of books related to my passion for retro computing, and that I was open to receiving donations of more Texas Instruments related books for my library.
July 14, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Sunday Is Relaxing Book Reading Day
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my love of books related to my passion for retro computing, and that I was open to receiving donations of more Texas Instruments related books for my library.
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my love of books related to my passion for retro computing, and that I was open to receiving donations of more Texas Instruments related books for my library.
Physical media rules, because more and more shows are getting zapped from various streaming services.
I am a lifetime #DoctorWho fan and never got to complete the 13th Doctor (Jodie) years as it only aired while I was in Federal Custody and since my return to Canada it's no longer available anymore.
I am a lifetime #DoctorWho fan and never got to complete the 13th Doctor (Jodie) years as it only aired while I was in Federal Custody and since my return to Canada it's no longer available anymore.
July 12, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Physical media rules, because more and more shows are getting zapped from various streaming services.
I am a lifetime #DoctorWho fan and never got to complete the 13th Doctor (Jodie) years as it only aired while I was in Federal Custody and since my return to Canada it's no longer available anymore.
I am a lifetime #DoctorWho fan and never got to complete the 13th Doctor (Jodie) years as it only aired while I was in Federal Custody and since my return to Canada it's no longer available anymore.
Today, I've been busy testing physical read and write floppy operations on 5.25" diskettes and drives for the new 838-FDC card designed for the TI99. Making some great progress in figuring out the remaining bugs in the new DSR coding and the interfacing to the WD1772 replacement.
July 10, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Today, I've been busy testing physical read and write floppy operations on 5.25" diskettes and drives for the new 838-FDC card designed for the TI99. Making some great progress in figuring out the remaining bugs in the new DSR coding and the interfacing to the WD1772 replacement.