HSGPL

The HSGPL ("High Speed GPL") card is a SNUG card that emulates GROM, allowing the user to store programs like those in cartridges into the card in Flash memory and have access to it. The HSGPL has 16 banks of GROM space which means up to 16 different start programs can become available. Of course the HSGPL comes with programs to save cartridges to disk and to load them from disk into the HSGPL. If you write custom software you can load that into the HSGPL.

Concept

When you turn on your TI system you have access to TI BASIC as the only built-in program. The actual Basic code/program is store in GROM which is accesible to you from the menu screens. When you turn on your TI with a cartridge in the port you not only have access to Basic from the internal GROM chips but you have access to the cartridge program which is store on GROM chips as well. So in short, all of the software that comes to you is mainly stored in GROMs that your TI can load and use. Now picture in your mind 16 TI Systems lined up in a row, all powered on and each one has a different cartridge in the port. Let's imagine the first one has Extended Basic and the next system has Disk Manager and so on. You have done the cartridge swap many times before. Take out Extended Basic and plugin in Disk Manager for some disk work and then go back to Extended Basic. Imagine if you had access to all 16 TI systems without having to use cartridges and you could switch between them at the startup screen. This is what the HSGPL does.

Accessing the HSGPL Loader

When you turn on your TI press a key to get to the menu screen you can access the Loader in the HSGPL by pressing FCTN-8. You can access the loader from Basic with the following command: CALL HSGPL If you have it on disk you can run the program with E/A Option 5. If you are wondering why you would use a disk rather than the card I can think of a good reason. When I got my card it had the 80-col version of the software but I have a 40-col system so the built in one would not show. Now I've changed it but until then I had to use the loader on disk.

Saving a cartridge to load into the HSGPL

This the simple method that allows you take the entire menu see when you load a cartridge and store it in an entire bank for use in the HSGPL.

1. Insert the cartridge you want into the system and power it on.
2. Press a key to get past the startup screen.
3. At the Menu screen hit FCTN-8 to bring up the HSGPL Loader. It will warn you that an HSGPL card is not found and that is OK.
4. Place a disk in your drive, one that has room on it.
5. Use the (F) option to set a filename you want to save the cartridge as. The loader will take the name and create multiple file, 9 to be exact, so put a number on the end. For example, when I save my Extended Basic cartridge I use "DSK1.XB0", this way the files will be called (XB0, XB1, ..., XB8).
6. Use the (S) option and it will save the cartridge to the disk.
7. Turn off the system and remove the cartridge.
8. Turn the system back on and get back into the HSGPL Loader, this time you are working with card since there is no cartridge in the port.
9. Navigate to the bank you want the cartridge to appear with the keys.
10. Use the (F) option and enter the same file name where you saved the files from step 5.
11. Use the (L) option to load the files into the HSGPL.

That's it. Now if you reset your system and startup with the bank you chose in step #9 you should see your cartridge.

Selecting the different GROM bases on the HSGPL

The HSGPL is accessible when you turn on your system without a cartridge in the port. When you are at the startup (TI Color Bar) screen just presse the number of the GROM base you want to load. The valid number are 0 - F in hex. If you hit any other key you will be put into GROM base 0.

Questions

When I call the HSGPL Loader my screen blanks out, what should I do?

If you purchased your card from someone else they may have had an 80-col system (other SNUG cards). To correct this I would look at loading in the latest DSR for 40-col systems and then give it another try.

Can I transfer Gram Kracker files into my HSGPL?

Yes. There is a transfer utility provided on the SNUG website call GKRACK and it will create an HSGPL format file from a Gram Kracker file.

How come some of my Gramkracker files cannot be converted for use on the HSGPL?

One problem that was identified are with files with the Myarc Backup Bit set. The solution is to run the Myarc Backup Reset program on the GramKracker files and then do the conversion.

Why can't I get Parsec to run on my HSGPL?

Parsec has some hard coded values and it is expecting to loaded at memory address x9800, which is where GROM base 0 is. You can get Parsec working by loading it into GROM base 0. Buck Rogers and Facemaker have the same problem so you would not be able to load all three into the HSGPL. If you are adenturous you could edit the programs and remove the hard coding. :) This information came from the SNUG FAQ - v07.09.200