{{Short description|Early experimental perpheral interconnect}} [[Image:Hexbus.jpg|thumb|250px|Daisy chained Hex-Bus peripherals]]
The Texas Instruments '''Hex-Bus''' interface (sometimes used unhyphenated as '''Hex Bus''' and with varying capitalization) was designed in 1982 and intended for commercial release in late 1983. It connects the console to peripherals via a high-speed serial link. Though it was prototypical to today's USB (plug and play, hot-swappable, etc.), it was never released, with only a small number of prototypes appearing in the hands of collectors after TI pulled out of the market.
Several Hex-Bus peripherals were planned or produced. A WaferTape drive never made it past the prototype stage due to reliability issues with the tapes. The 5.25-inch floppy drive also never made it past the prototype stage, even though it worked.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/TI-99/8_Peripherals|title=TI-99/8 Peripherals - Ninerpedia|website=www.ninerpedia.org}}</ref> Prototype DSDD disk controllers and video controllers were also made.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hexbus.com/TI-99_4A_Home_Computer_Page/Compact_Computer_40.html#34|title=Compact Computer 40|website=www.hexbus.com}}</ref> A 4-color printer-plotter, a 300-baud modem, RS-232 interface, an 80-column thermal/ink printer, and a 2.8" "Quick Disk" drive were the only peripherals released in quantity, mostly for use with the TI CC-40. All Hex-Bus peripherals could be used with a TI-99/4A when connected through the Hex-Bus Interface, through direct connection to the TI-99/8, or through direct connection to the Compact Computer 40.
==Devices== *HX-1000 Printer/Plotter *HX-1010 Printer 80 *HX-2000 Wafertape drive *HX-3000 RS-232 interface *HX-3100 Modem *HX-3200 Centronics Printer Interface *HX-5102 Disk Drive/Controller *Quick Disk QD-02
===Connector=== The DockBus of the TI-74 is electrically identical.<ref>{{Citation |last=Innovations |first=RETRO |title=go4retro/HexBusAdapter |date=2021-07-31 |url=https://github.com/go4retro/HexBusAdapter |access-date=2024-11-06}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://ftp.whtech.com/hexbus_cc40_ti74/Hex-Bus%20Specifications.pdf The TI-99/4A Archive] Hex-Bus Specification *[http://www.hexbus.com The TI-99/4A Home Computer Page] 64K bank-switched cartridge project *[https://github.com/go4retro/HEXTIr TI HEX-BUS SD Drive Interface]
Category:Computer-related introductions in 1983 Category:American inventions Category:Computer connectors Category:Serial buses