Toshiba T100 - the US counterpart to the Japanese Pasopia

[TheRealAnubis]

I'm posting about this here and on Vogons hoping to get some information from these two massive groups.

I've been scouring the internet since I ended up with a Toshiba T-100. It's a pretty nice little machine, really, but there's not a lot of usable information online about it. Maybe it didn't sell well here in the USA?

Anyway, I'm looking for information - programming manuals (especially T-BASIC 1.1), owners manuals, anything really about the T-100. I've found some info on the Pasopia, but translating computer commands and uses isn't working out well.

I only have the base unit, no dual disk drive box, or any cables. I'm using the B&W RCA composite out for now, which is fine. I've found some pinouts as well - for the Pasopia - which has different connectors on the back.

I'm using an emulator to try and get the hang of things, but I can't seem to get the disk drive options to work correctly. Seems that OA-BASIC has a 'disk' version and so does T-BASIC.
Somehow the emulator doesn't see the drive as connected, and it's the same on the actual machine as far as errors go. Maybe there's a hardware connection when the drives are plugged in to show that they're present.

Pasopia/Pasopia 7 emulator link - EmuPIA - Japanese website.

This site has some tape dumps for the Pasopia as well as a link to the basic BIOS files - English website.

I'm also including the best picture I could find of a complete setup. I'm not particularly worried about the monitor, but the drive box would be nice!

Any help would be great!

Thanks!

 

[TheRealAnubis]

I'm also considering dumping the ROMS in it, but I've never done that before, so any tips would be appreciated!

 

[seat safety switch]

This is very cool, I had no idea they released the Pasopia in North America.

A surprising number of Japanese 8-bit computers with a DIN video output ended up with the same pinout. I've used the same cable on the PC-9801, PC-8801, PC-6001mkII, Sanyo MBC-555, Hitachi Basic Master, and Fujitsu FM-7.

So does the Pasopia in Japan, as indicated by this repository: https://github.com/antarcticlion/RGB_UNICONV

I wouldn't be surprised if the "Colour" output ended up being the same thing here:

Obviously, it's TTL-level digital (8-colour) video. Less obviously, it's at 15kHz horizontal sync.

Make sure to triple-check before you hook anything up, because (as you can see) some machines put +12V on one of the pins to power a light pen.

As for the ROMs, the TMM2364 is a (surprise!) 2364-style mask ROM, which means you should be able to dump it using something like a TL866, although I haven't tried to dump a 2364 with mine before. You might need an adapter to get it into a pinout that the TL866 software supports.

 

[TheRealAnubis]

I've been translating a Japanese technical manual looking at the pinouts, etc. I'll see if I can match this picture with what I find in the book - Thanks!

 

[vwestlife]

The 12 volt output was to power an RF modulator / color composite converter, like this (for the NEC PC-8001, but as it mentioned it should also work with this Toshiba):

 

[TheRealAnubis]

I've just uploaded the Owner's Manual with Floppy instructions, and the Programmer's Reference Manual to the Internet Archive:

Toshiba T100 Computer and Floppy Drive Owners Manual and Programmers Reference Manual : Photos of manual provided by - computerhobby@nembel.com - Photo cropping, PDF and this upload by vise_grips@hotmail.com : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming :

This is the Owner's manual (with floppy drive manual at the end), and the Programmer's Reference manual for the Toshiba T-100 computer, released in January...

archive.org

Happy computing!

 

[TheRealAnubis]

There is another Owner's Manual posted with a section for the monitor with some good info like monitor pinout conversion to IBM, etc.

Toshiba T100 Owners Manual : Toshiba Australia : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Toshiba T100 Owners Manual

archive.org

There's a Technical Reference Manual:

Toshiba T100 Technical reference Manual (English) : Toshiba (Australia) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Toshiba T100 (Pasopia PA7010) technical reference manual - English (mostly hand written)

archive.org

And also a maintenance manual:

Toshiba T100 (Pasopia) Maintenance Manual : Toshiba : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Toshiba T100 (Pasopia) Maintenance Manual.

archive.org

Now there seems to be a decent amount of information online!

 

[cj7hawk]

Is the Japanese RGB and the Amstrad/Sinclair RGB the same? The plugs look the same and the pinouts look the same also... I wonder if these machines would plug into an Amstrad RGB monitor?

 

[TheRealAnubis]

I can't swear that it will work as I don't have one (monitor or Amstrad/Sinclair), but I got some info from a person on Discord "CJS" that is living in Japan at this time, and he provided this, which is from a site about Japanese computers.
I edited out the DIN plugs that aren't the ones on the T100 in the attached picture.

Hopefully this info will help you - I've never laid eyes on an Amstrad or Sinclair, so I have no idea.

Here's the original link:
Video ports on early Japanese computers

I'll attach the information picture below - if you get this working please let me know!

 

[jltursan]

Is the Japanese RGB and the Amstrad/Sinclair RGB the same? The plugs look the same and the pinouts look the same also... I wonder if these machines would plug into an Amstrad RGB monitor?

Nope, its not the same. Also, the CPC monitor has an analog RGB input and the Toshiba machines have digital outputs so you even need to use resistors to build the cable (close to the one used if you want to use it with a BBC Micro). The best options are the Commodore/Philips monitors, they've both RGB type inputs, analog and digital. I guess that the Acorn monitors (Microvitec?) are also easier to use.

 

[TheRealAnubis]

Nope, its not the same. Also, the CPC monitor has an analog RGB input and the Toshiba machines have digital outputs so you even need to use resistors to build the cable (close to the one used if you want to use it with a BBC Micro). The best options are the Commodore/Philips monitors, they've both RGB type inputs, analog and digital. I guess that the Acorn monitors (Microvitec?) are also easier to use.

Thank you! Any info we have on getting a monitor to work would be great - the composite out is black & white only and was there to connect a green monitor.
Here's some info from the notes section of the Owner's Manual that Mark uploaded to IA:

 

[jltursan]

It really depends on the monitor. Basically you must solve the following:

- Signal output level is digital: you need a monitor with digital inputs (Commodore 1084S, Philips 8833, etc) or use 330Ohm resistors to level down the signals and be able to use an analog RGB input (CTM644)
- Synchronisms are separated: you need a monitor with separate synch inputs (see above) or build a composite synch circuit. Some monitors can accept HSync as composite synch; but never tried with the CTM644...
- Wire correctly the cable: no surprises here; if you're going to use a real monitor and not a TV set (SCART has its own needs), just RGB, syncs and GND must be wired.